Copper Grease

[abh29]

Reading another item makes me bring this one up,
I have always had a tub of copper grease on the shelf [amazing how many years its lasting] and used it when replacing wheels.
A couple of years ago I was told buy my tyre depot they had been stopped from using it.
I find without it I have to resort to a rubber mallet to remove the wheels.
Any ideas if I should or should not give the wheels a thin brush when refitting.

 

[t-tony]

Where the wheel contacts the hub, definitely. Do not apply to the wheel bolts, these should be dry.

Tony.

 

[abh29]

The tyre depot say they had been advised by tyre companies to clean the mating surfaces with wire brush only no grease

Applying to surfaces was my previous method , and after having great difficulty in getting wheels off recently I have actually gone back to a thin brush over with grease.

 

[Nodzed]

This is interesting, I put a bit of copper slick on the hub flange but never on the hub face, I work on the theory that two machined surfaces (hub and wheel) should not have anything between them, even a thin grease smear and anything in there could cause an imbalance in the wheel, even if its slight you don't want it. BTW never have issues removing the wheels with just a thin smear on the flange.

 

[Bozzy]

Where the wheel contacts the hub, definitely. Do not apply to the wheel bolts, these should be dry.

Tony.

Oops I've always put a bit on the wheel bolts.
I usually use a wire brush on the mating surfaces when I take the wheels off and apply a thin coat of copper grease.

 

[Sean d]

Oops I've always put a bit on the wheel bolts.
I usually use a wire brush on the mating surfaces when I take the wheels off and apply a thin coat of copper grease.

Yep, me too, maybe thats why my wheels keep falling off

 

[the Nefyn cat]

Always used to put a bit on the spigot mating surfaces, never on the actual wheel/hub surfaces. And a small bit of thin oil/lubricating spray-type stuff on the studs/bolts makes sure that you're not under-torquing the nuts or whatever due to sticky threads. I'll emphasise a small amount.