There are plenty of benefits that you can reap by using a wheel bearing grease. For starters, it stabilizes the entire structure of the bearing, which is critical for safety since the bearings play a major role when it comes to facilitating wheel rotation. Additionally, using bearing grease helps reduce friction and keep the bearings in good condition, overall.
Lucas Oil is one of the most prominent brands of grease available on the market, thanks to its superior quality compared to other alternatives. The brand does offer a wide variety of grease products, but the two most popular ones are Xtra Heavy Duty Grease and Red n Tacky.
Choosing between Xtra Heavy Duty Grease and Red n Tacky can be confusing if you’re new to using bearing grease, but it doesn’t have to be. In this post, we go over the difference between the two products so that you’re able to make a sound purchase decision.
Lucas Xtra Heavy Duty Grease
Let’s start with Xtra Heavy Duty Grease, shall we? This is a type of grease that’s designed for automobiles, construction appliances, and farming vehicles. It’s utilized to keep wheel bearings in perfect condition as well as keep contaminants and water at bay.
Being a heavy-duty grease that flaunts 4x the durability of other comparable products, the Xtra Heavy Duty Grease can be used for professional race cars. Also, thanks to its ease of use, lots of mechanics find this type of grease very convenient.
The Xtra Heavy Duty Grease can also be used on the heaviest construction vehicles out there. Not only will it help improve their performance, but it’ll also help increase their durability.
This product does an excellent job of preventing rust. It also helps lessen friction in the wheel bearings, which improves the vehicle’s speed.
The grease comes in a non-drip gun that enables you to pump very precise quantities onto the piece of equipment at hand, making it one of the easiest wheel bearing grease products on the market today.
Another strong selling point is that this product is 100% waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about it washing away when you’re driving over puddles or when it’s raining.
The strongest selling point of this product, however, is that it’s resistant to high temperatures. It won’t harden when it gets cold and it won’t melt when it gets scorchingly hot. This is important to keep in mind as it’s a distinguishing feature between the Xtra Heavy Duty Grease and the Red n Tacky.
You’ll also love just how versatile this grease product is. It can be used to pull apart metal parts that have been welded by corrosion. Further, it can be used on lawnmower spindles.
As far as accessories, the Lucas Xtra Heavy Duty Grease doesn’t really come with any. Though, it’s worth noting that Lucas sells grease guns that you can use for easier grease pumping. Their grease guns feature long and flexible nozzles that make it easier for you to reach tighter areas.
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Lucas Red n Tacky Grease
Just because this grease product doesn’t carry the Heavy-Duty emblem doesn’t mean it’s lesser than Xtra. Why should you buy Red n Tacky grease? Well, because it’s one of the most versatile grease products on the market. Not only can you use it on automobiles, but you can use it on all sorts of tools and equipment. It’s even more versatile than the Xtra.
One thing you should keep in mind, however, is that this is a lithium-based grease. It’s not one that’s based on metal soap thickeners.
Where this grease falls short is when it comes to temperature resistance. It’s not as resistant to cold and hot temperature conditions as the Xtra Heavy Duty Grease. This should be the main deciding factor when trying to choose between the Red n Tacky and the Xtra.
Nevertheless, the Red n Tacky grease does an excellent job of preventing oxidation and rust. It also features great resistance to water, so you don’t have to worry about it getting washed away as it’s raining or as you’re driving over a puddle of water.
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Factors to Consider When Buying Bearing Grease
If you’re having a hard time determining the perfect bearing grease product for your needs, the following paragraphs will give you the rundown on the most important features to look for.
Viscosity Rating
Viscosity rating is pretty much a measurement of the fluid’s resistance to friction. The higher the rating, the less resistant the fluid is to friction. Viscosity ratings range from 0 to 6, with the proper rating for most circumstances being 2 because it allows for efficient bearing movement with very minimal risk of slipping and sliding.
Water Resistance
Water can lead to rust and corrosion, and so it’s important for the grease product you’re about to buy to be 100% waterproof so that it prevents water from making contact with the surface you’re trying to protect.
Pressure Tolerance
You want to invest in a bearing grease product that’s able to withstand high pressure that can be a result of emergency braking or such. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you should opt for the product that flaunts the greatest pressure resistance. It simply means that you need to opt for a grease that can handle the different levels of pressure your piece of equipment can emit.
Temperature Resistance
Lastly, if you live in an area where the temperature tends to be extremely high or low, you want to invest in a product that can handle such temperature conditions. Lithium-based greases are the best when it comes to temperature tolerance. The Xtra Heavy Duty Grease trumps the Red n Tacky in this category.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, with the aid of the information shared in this article, you’ll be able to choose the ideal type of Lucas grease for your needs.