Copper Grease

As I’m starting my journey down the road of back yard mechanics to keep my 53 Freelander going I was wondering if applying a very small amount of copper grease or any other type of grease to the threads of new parts (for example my next job which is drop links) will make it easier to remove the parts down the line when they need replacing again?
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Copper grease will dry out and leave flakes of copper in the threads, causing it to bind. It also stops Nyloc nuts working properly. Very few threads are lubricated at build - for a few reasons, the main one being over-torquing. Grease or oil reduces friction, which is required to measure torque, if there is less friction, then the clamping force applied is in excess of the specification, possibly going beyond the elastic range of the fastener into the plastic deformation range.

As an aside, I've seen adhesive backed brake pads liberally coated in copperslip, I have no idea of the thought process (if any) that would lead to that.

IMO copperslip should be used on wheel hubs and nothing else. If you feel a need to put something on threads to prevent corrosion in the fastener (although the biggest barrier to easy removal is corrosion on the exposed parts of the fastener), then consider TefGel.

Copper grease isn't the best, use a molybdenum disulfide based grease, sparingly.
Be careful not to overtighten bolts too.
I only use copperslip where 2 surfaces are held together (behind the wheel for example) and on bolts that pass through a cavity.

Copper grease is good on compression exhaust joints. The grease burns off but leaves the copper, which aids the seal

Copaslip is horrible crap

Never had a problem with it.

Anaconda said:

Never had a problem with it.

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Same.. though like anything there's a time and a place

I have always been concerned at the idea of putting grease on the face of a wheel hub. Maybe at the edges in the very centre but if you grease the face of the hub then the wheel no longer has friction between it and the hub. This means the only thing preventing the studs being ripped off during braking or acceleration is the studs themselves. The friction that should be there no longer is and greasing the face of the hub will make no difference to taking the wheel off anyway as they jam in the centre.
This probably wouldn't be an issue if tyre monkeys didn't constantly over tighten the studs with air guns, often leaving them severely weakened.

I've never heard of wheel nuts shearing while driving.

kermit_rr said:

I've never heard of wheel nuts shearing while driving.

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I had 3 pop out of 4 on my (Vitesse based) Spartan. The last one just holding on as the car came to a stop.

kermit_rr said:

I've never heard of wheel nuts shearing while driving.

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Neither have I but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened.
I just don't understand the logic of greasing the face of wheel hubs.

Alibro said:

Neither have I but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened.
I just don't understand the logic of greasing the face of wheel hubs.

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corrosion between the alloy and the steel hub 'welds' them together.. bugger to change a tyre at the side of the road

An M16 HT stud needs around 30KN (3050 Kg of force) to shear.
5 of those = 15250Kg's (nearly 17 Ton's).
The friction of the wheel against the hub is negligable. Make life easy for yourself, grease the back of the wheel...

Surely a Land Rover wheel is never on the vehicle long enough for the wheel to get stuck ?

Anaconda said:

Surely a Land Rover wheel is never on the vehicle long enough for the wheel to get stuck ?

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miktdish said:

An M16 HT stud needs around 30KN (3050 Kg of force) to shear.
5 of those = 15250Kg's (nearly 17 Ton's).
The friction of the wheel against the hub is negligable. Make life easy for yourself, grease the back of the wheel...

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I replaced the rear brakes on me Freelander a few years ago and in my haste to get mobile didn't paint the drums and didn't put any sort of 'splodge' on them, just bolted the wheels on.

Lethargy since has stopped me doing anything about it. I'm not looking forward to struggling with the wheels to get them off when I change the tyres!

Having said that, you recon bods on 'ere with their stubby little solid Chinesium steel Halfords socket sets exert 3 ton of force when they regularly snap their wheel studs?

miktdish said:

An M16 HT stud needs around 30KN (3050 Kg of force) to shear.
5 of those = 15250Kg's (nearly 17 Ton's).
The friction of the wheel against the hub is negligable. Make life easy for yourself, grease the back of the wheel...

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The last Freelander I bought was missing 3 studs, two were missing from one wheel.
I replaced them all.