To Grease Or Seize, That Is The Question

13365 Views 26 Replies 9 Participants Last post by GatorJoe, Apr 17, 2020

Retired Guy

Discussion Starter · Oct 26, 2019

Hopefully I'll be mounting my new tires on my '12 Super Glide soon. Been watching all the YouTube videos and starting to feel confident I can do it, even on a Harley.

On all my bikes over the years, when re-installing an axle, I gave it a light coat of wheel bearing grease. The YouTube videos call for anti-seize.

Eyeballed a HD forum and some say grease, some say anti-seize. It looks like to me, if I need to pull the axle in less than 20 years, grease will be okay.

Then some sites wandered off in to spark plugs and stuff that didn't interest me. Thought I would see what you home Harley mechanics thought, grease or anti-seize?

lain:

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SemiFast

· #4 · Oct 27, 2019

Grease, NOT anti-seize.

Anti-seize compounds have metal suspended in them. It will migrate from the axle into your bearings.
That metal, in anti-seize, is very bad for bearings. Grease will last well.
I've never seen a stuck shaft that had lube when it was put in.

lain: :smile: :smile_big: :grin: :devil:

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SemiFast

· #17 · Apr 2, 2020

SemiFast said:
Anti-seize compounds have metal suspended in them. It will migrate from the axle into your bearings.
That metal, in anti-seize, is very bad for bearings.

johnnyvee said:
Anti-seize compound is just grease with added solid materials; powdered aluminum, copper, graphite, teflon, and various others.

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SemiFast

· #21 · Apr 10, 2020

anybike said:
According to my book anti-seize

My book says anti-seize, my book also says once bearings are removed you toss them and replace with new.

What book is your book? What type of bearing?

S F

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SemiFast

· #24 · Apr 11, 2020

anybike said:
Clymer Dyna '06-11

Clymer is not reliable.
One time in the early days we had to race our back up bike because we trusted specs found in a Clymer.
You can trust the factory book most of the time. Clymer... Never!

S F

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SemiFast

· #26 · Apr 17, 2020

anybike said:
if any bearings are removed, they will need to be replaced with new ones.

Yes, you are correct Sir... For the type of wheel bearings in your Kawasaki.
Needle bearings in your transmission, not so much.

Fun fact:
According to the parts diagram for the 650, the clutch bearing is a bushing, not a bearing. ?

S F

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