# WD40 in sealed bearings



## Koin (Mar 7, 2012)

So I feel like a complete noob and dumba$$. A couple of months ago I cleaned my entire bike after a VERY dusty day of riding. After my cleaning, I spayed some WD40 onto the sealed bearings and in between the pivots of the rear suspension. 

Only now that I think about it do I realize that was probably not the greatest idea. 

Is there any remedy for this? 

The bike performs fine, makes no noise (there were some unexplained creaking noises before the WD40 treatment), and I never had the slightest clue to even consider it a problem until now. 

I've never let WD40 touch my chain or any drive train parts. 

Can I put some chain lube on the bearings and hope that it soaks in? I don't have a way to remove the bearings from the frame, nor do I really want to try to pry off the covers. 

Thanks


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## Glide the Clyde (Nov 12, 2009)

Did you use the WD 40 for 29ers? If so, you may have problems with a 26" bike.


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## beanbag (Nov 20, 2005)

Koin said:


> So I feel like a complete noob and dumba$$. A couple of months ago I cleaned my entire bike after a VERY dusty day of riding. After my cleaning, I spayed some WD40 onto the sealed bearings and in between the pivots of the rear suspension.
> 
> Only now that I think about it do I realize that was probably not the greatest idea.
> 
> ...


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Don't be stupid twice!

Number 1 rule of disaster recovery: Don't make things worse.
Number 2 rule of disaster recovery. If it still works fine, then leave it alone and nobody has to know about it.


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## ou2mame (Apr 23, 2010)

the bearings have grease, not oil.. oil washes the grease out, and wd40 breaks down grease. the chain lube will not help the grease, or whats left of it from the wd40. the bearings are sealed though, so they may be ok, but wd40 tends to get into things that it shouldn't. just leave it alone and check up on it once in a while, but chances are its still ok. wd40 is great for cleaning chains, just not lubricating them. i take my chains off once in a while and spray them down with wd40 and then use a toothbrush and some dish soap to clean it out, and then relube them. works really well, but wd40 is not a lubricant.


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## junaidi (Sep 24, 2012)

Does WD40 also eat the seal?


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## ou2mame (Apr 23, 2010)

it doesn't eat seals, its just a penetrating lubricant that breaks down grease. after i work on my car, i spray my hands with wd40 and the grease comes right off, then i wash with dish soap to get the wd40 off.


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

You can always just ignore it until it makes noise. Then you can replace it.
If you want to replace-- run it in rain or through some water. Or hose it down. Get all the parts ordered ahead of time 

Many sealed bearing seals are removable. Pop it out. Something like a cheap grapefruit sectioning knife works for me. Clean as necessary. Repack with grease. Ride on. The maintenance is actually good for a realistic long-term care plan. 
A new SLX crank set came with only a light coating of grease on the non-drive side bearing. Failure reports led to a check and repack. 
Keeping stuff working when it gets beaten on every ride means some you put in the effort and you get a reliable bike meant for higher performance.


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## deke505 (Jul 29, 2012)

If there is no noise and it rides fine leave it be.


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## jeffscott (May 10, 2006)

Koin said:


> So I feel like a complete noob and dumba$$. A couple of months ago I cleaned my entire bike after a VERY dusty day of riding. After my cleaning, I spayed some WD40 onto the sealed bearings and in between the pivots of the rear suspension.
> 
> Only now that I think about it do I realize that was probably not the greatest idea.
> 
> ...


Well first of all the WD-40 will attack the seal polymers and prematurely wear them out....so don't spray WD-40 on seals...

Second WD-40 will remove grease....so unless you want to remove grease don't spray WD-40 on grease...

Chances are you have only very slightly worn the seal material and not de greased the bearing...

Just don't do it anymore...

BTW there are plenty of ligetimate uses for WD-40 on a bike.....lube isn't one of them.


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## jeffscott (May 10, 2006)

ou2mame said:


> it doesn't eat seals,es it does its just a penetrating lubricant that breaks down grease. after i work on my car, i spray my hands with wd40 and the grease comes right off, then i wash with dish soap to get the wd40 off.


WD-40 has a very high cncentration of aromatic hydrocarbon solvents in it....these attack polymers more so than paraffinic hydrocarbons and napthenic hydrocarbons...

The polymers "swell" and then wear more quickly on the surface....

Worse case is soak a seal in WD-40 then soak in a paraffinic lube...alternating the solvents will increases the swelling.


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## osokolo (Jan 19, 2004)

i am yet to detect any seal swelling after many years of using WD40 on my bikes... i power wash the bike after every ride as i live in condo/townhouse and my bikes are stored in one of the rooms. i use WD40 to get rid of water and moisture in the chain, pivots, suspension bolts etc... i don't spray it directly on bearings, but i do spray it in the immediate area, just to keep the water out... 

WD40 has eliminated many weird noises - especially in the rear shock bushings/bearings, as well as squealing in pulleys...

when i see the first busted seal - i will reconsider - until then - it is doing a great job. OP is completely fine - i just would not spray WD40 directly on bearings - for above reasons - most importantly as WD40 is a degreaser....


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

OP - you answered your own question. The bike performs fine, and you're not getting weird noise.

Don't do it again and don't make a habit of it. While it's possible that you shortened the life of those bearings, if they're still working fine, don't ask too many questions.


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## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

Dry bearings will perform fine for a long time, while they eat themselves and wear out prematurely. Its worth prying the seals off and stuffing some marine grease in them. Ive seen a lot of under filled factory bearings anyway. A dental pick is the perfect tool for removing seals. 

Its quick and easy job to ensure everything is fine. Just stuff some grease in the bearings.


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## Koin (Mar 7, 2012)

Thanks for all the replies! Lots of good advice, particularly the "leave it alone" bit. Of course I can't just sit still and not do anything about it though. And as you all know, I'm always full of questions - perhaps that's why I'm a science major. 

The WD40 was a one time deal and will never happen again. Good thing I read this forum before I tried anything. 

I've got a pick set and grease, so when I get home, I'll be picking off those seals. Hopefully they will just pop off and on relatively easily. 

What about any WD40 that might have gotten in between the outside of the bearings and the frame? I guess there's nothing that I can do about that since I don't have a way to take out the bearings. 

Thanks everyone

And of course, nobody but you guys will ever know =D


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Koin said:


> What about any WD40 that might have gotten in between the outside of the bearings and the frame? I guess there's nothing that I can do about that since I don't have a way to take out the bearings.


I'd typically grease the surfaces before doing this sort of installation. WD40 creeping in will have thinned the grease, but I doubt that it would make it break down badly enough to cause a problem getting the bearings out when they're done. If you're worried about it, you could pull 'em, clean the outsides of the bearings and the seats, regrease and reinstall. Depending on how much of a cowboy you are, this requires either specialized tools or a hammer and chisel (or screw driver.)


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## 50calray (Oct 25, 2010)

ou2mame said:


> the bearings have grease, not oil.. oil washes the grease out, and wd40 breaks down grease. the chain lube will not help the grease, or whats left of it from the wd40. the bearings are sealed though, so they may be ok, but wd40 tends to get into things that it shouldn't. just leave it alone and check up on it once in a while, but chances are its still ok. wd40 is great for cleaning chains, just not lubricating them. i take my chains off once in a while and spray them down with wd40 and then use a toothbrush and some dish soap to clean it out, and then relube them. works really well, but wd40 is not a lubricant.


Agreed,

WD40 works great for cleaning parts but I wouldn't use it for lubercation. Anyhow, chances are everything is fine but If it was my bike, I would pull it apart and pack the bearings with grease.


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## beanbag (Nov 20, 2005)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Science Major! Put down the grease and step away from the bike.

Unless you know what grease was originally in the bearings, mixing incompatible greases will also mess things up. You should not regrease bearings unless you can pop them out and thoroughly clean them out. And some bearings can't be popped out without ruining them.

Don't be stupid thrice.


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

Don't create road blocks for yourself to avoid proper maintenance. Find a solution. Check the hub manufacturer's website or tech support for compatible greases. Unless your bearings are a design which does not require grease using a possible compatibility issue to run them without grease is not a choice. That's like running your engine with low or no oil because you haven't checked suggested weights. Who would suggest that. 
You do not need to remove the bearing to check, clean and add grease. Popping off the seal, once you have figured out the small amount of skill necessary to do it, allows you to flush the little balls and races, dry and repack.

This skill is what you would use after muddy XC races, heavy rain or snow riding, beach and saltwater situations.. Standard maintenance that keeps you riding and saves you time and money in the long run. There will always be those who prefer to blame the component for a "surprise" failure-- they are never responsible for anything.


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## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

beanbag said:


> NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
> NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
> 
> Science Major! Put down the grease and step away from the bike.
> ...


The grease compatibility issue is massively overblown. Theres an extremely good chance whatever grease he packs in is going to be compatible unless you shop at weird industrial grease stores to buy obscure stuff.

Im a strong believer in bearing upkeep. Anything on the bike with a greased bearing, sealed or not, should be cleaned and regreased every now and then (once a year is fine unless you're really abusing the bike in harsh environments). WD40 is great for bearing maintenance.. just be sure it wash it all out before you repack.


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## Koin (Mar 7, 2012)

Well, I never did get around to repacking those bearings - dang school. I finally busted out the mountain bike for just screwing around on campus. What I found was that there was a slight resonating sound that occurred while coasting. The resonance traveled throughout the entire bike and I could feel it in my hands and feet. It sounded like it was coming from below me and behind me. 

If I remember correctly, this is the sound I heard in the first place which prompted the WD-40 treatment in the first place. I took my bike to the lbs and the master mechanic there tried to help me diagnose the problem. Eventually we came to the conclusion that there was a possibility that it was the bearings. So he squirted some dry teflon lube on the pivots. Took it out for a spin, and magically, there was no resonance. 

The next day. the noise returned. The master mechanic recommended that I take apart the suspension and add some poly lube to the outside of the bearings and along the pivots. I did this and the noise was gone again. This seemed like a more permanent solution. 

Unfortunately it was not. While riding around the parking lot today, trying my luck at bunny hopping over speed bumps, the resonance came back! It seemed muted and hard to detect, but unless my mind is going nuts, it's back. 

It's strange, when the sound first occurred (assuming that this is in fact the same sound/resonance - I can't quite remember it exactly), WD-40 took care of it for few months, dry teflon and park tool poly lube only days. Is this a sign that it's time to do a real clean and repack bearings job? 

Any ideas? Is it really the bearings? Or is it something else entirely? I'm riding a 2010 Motobecane Fantom Pro DS with no stock parts. Rear shock is a Rock Shox Monarch RT3, seatpost is an ITM Visia carbon seatpost. 

Thanks!


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## beanbag (Nov 20, 2005)

Science major, why would the suspension pivots be making a "resonating" sound while coasting when they are not going through periodic motions?


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## SimpleJon (Mar 28, 2011)

Maybe time for a full strip and lube, can be like looking for a needle in a haystack as the vibrations travel through the frame so where you think you are hearing it may not be where it's coming from.
Unscientific and subjective list of irritating bicycle noises and some common areas to investigate
Rumbling / low frequency resonance is usually bearing related - wheel bearings or Bottom bracket is where I would start 
Squeals and high frequency resonance - disc brakes. 
Ticks and clicks - could be anywhere but seatpost, pedals, stems, RD hangers, headsets and sus linkages are common culprits


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

Replace the pivot bearings and lube the new bearing with the correct lube at the install and periodically before any problem presents. Identify the bearings and upgrade to a higher quality stainless version with higher spec bearing components.Do it yourself and develop your skill level.


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## ghettocop (Jul 26, 2011)

You sure it's not your brakes?


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

beanbag said:


> Science major, why would the suspension pivots be making a "resonating" sound while coasting when they are not going through periodic motions?


They probably are moving. A suspension system is almost guaranteed to move a little when the bike is ridden in the real world, even on asphalt. Actually hitting the system's resonant frequency is less likely, but wouldn't be necessary.

Brakes and headsets also make weird noises. Seat posts in seat tubes sometimes, although people usually report that when pedaling. Hubs.


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## Koin (Mar 7, 2012)

beanbag, that's exactly what I was wondering. However, the problem was taken care of when I sprayed the pivots with WD-40 and again when the lbs lightly sprayed teflon on them. 

ghettocop, I'm not sure if it's the brakes. I'll back off the pads when I get home and ride around. Although, there's no contact between the pads and rotors. When I lean, I can feel the front end flex a bit and hear the metallic sound of the rotors on the pads. 

SimpleJon, thanks for the brief list. I'll take all of those into consideration. 

eb1888, is there an easy way to remove and reinstall bearings? 

Andrew, are there any other reports of bikes making noise while under load but not pedaling? When I pedal, I don't notice any noise. 


Thanks everyone.


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## osokolo (Jan 19, 2004)

AndrwSwitch said:


> They probably are moving. A suspension system is almost guaranteed to move a little when the bike is ridden in the real world, even on asphalt. Actually hitting the system's resonant frequency is less likely, but wouldn't be necessary.
> 
> Brakes and headsets also make weird noises. Seat posts in seat tubes sometimes, although people usually report that when pedaling. Hubs.


i am telling you... when ever i have suspension mundane noise issues - WD40 takes care of it for weeks and weeks... and it is a high end carbon full suspension frame... just sayin'


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## osokolo (Jan 19, 2004)

beanbag said:


> Science major, why would the suspension pivots be making a "resonating" sound while coasting when they are not going through periodic motions?


as andrew suggested - suspension is moving all the time... :thumbsup:

even when coasting...


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Koin said:


> Andrew, are there any other reports of bikes making noise while under load but not pedaling? When I pedal, I don't notice any noise.


Freehub. Or maybe it's still making noise when you're pedaling, and you just don't notice it.

Basically, anywhere that two components interface has the potential to make noise. You have to decide how valuable it is to you to chase down everything. Sometimes it can be associated with something important, like a crack in something structural, which is a good argument for chasing down everything. But there are a ton of interfaces that can make noise without effecting anything. So while it's probably best practices to at least identify every source of noise, I can't say I do it.


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## osokolo (Jan 19, 2004)

AndrwSwitch said:


> Freehub. Or maybe it's still making noise when you're pedaling, and you just don't notice it.
> 
> Basically, anywhere that two components interface has the potential to make noise. You have to decide how valuable it is to you to chase down everything. Sometimes it can be associated with something important, like a crack in something structural, which is a good argument for chasing down everything. But there are a ton of interfaces that can make noise without effecting anything. So while it's probably best practices to at least identify every source of noise, I can't say I do it.


it may be worth checking how tight the cassette is tightened. if loose - depending on the model, some cogs may rattle. Also, if not tight enough, it may squeak while pedaling... took me a week to identify my issue - which was the cassette not tightened well.


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## MOJO K (Jan 26, 2007)

I think the boys are on the right track...you can also get a freehub noise generated from the wheel bearing/hub assembly being off ( shimano stuff in particular). Chatter from the cassette might indicate this.

A lot of low-mid range mavic wheels use a plastic bushing in the freehub that will make that sort of noise as it's wearing out. I think it comes together with the pawel kit.


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## osokolo (Jan 19, 2004)

*good point*

the plastic bushing was there even on high end mavic... i am pretty sure it was there on 29er Crossmax wheels free hub... and it does wear down, causing the freehub body to feel "loose" (if you wiggle the cassette you can detect this play)...



MOJO K said:


> I think the boys are on the right track...you can also get a freehub noise generated from the wheel bearing/hub assembly being off ( shimano stuff in particular). Chatter from the cassette might indicate this.
> 
> A lot of low-mid range mavic wheels use a plastic bushing in the freehub that will make that sort of noise as it's wearing out. I think it comes together with the pawel kit.


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## Koin (Mar 7, 2012)

Well, I've got Shimano XT m756 hubs laced up to WTB Frequency i23 rims. I've noticed that when on the stand and the rear wheel is coasting, the cassette tends to wobble. A mechanic said this was of little concern. So if it is in fact the hub, that would be where my guess is.


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## beanbag (Nov 20, 2005)

Suspension pivots do not go thru periodic motions. They can makes squeaks or clicks but not continuous "resonating" noises. The solution to your problem is simple. Drip motor oil (not wd40) to one joint at a time until the noise goes away.


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## MOJO K (Jan 26, 2007)

Koin said:


> Well, I've got Shimano XT m756 hubs laced up to WTB Frequency i23 rims. I've noticed that when on the stand and the rear wheel is coasting, the cassette tends to wobble. A mechanic said this was of little concern. So if it is in fact the hub, that would be where my guess is.


ABSOLUTELY check the wheel bearings for even a little play. Not only to track down the noise, but if there is play it can mess with your skewers being locked down which is kinda' big concern.


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

.

eb1888, is there an easy way to remove and reinstall bearings?

There is a right way. and a right way to install the new bearings. What bike is this, year and model. The info is out there.
.
MTB pivot bearing removal - YouTube
Transition Bikes: How to Replace Frame Bearings - YouTube
The Transition video gives you the whole process.


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## Acton Bathe (Jun 5, 2013)

"WD-40" is the acronym for, "Water Displace (mixture #) 40" . It was invented as a drying agent for the military in jungle warfare situations and not as a lubricant. It has a very low surface tension and so penetrates very well to force water from mated materials and being its surface tension is so low it invades the bonds of most other common petro lubricants by cracking the molecular surface bond. In other words it's worse than using diesel #2 as a lubricant and only slightly better than using Kerosene.


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