In this article i will walk you through whats best for (long term) and when its best and how to apply the lubricants,We often dont apply the lubricants the right way or we are simply using lubricants that don’t even last a week are they are not even compatible with the sropper post without even knowing it.
a few days ago my dropper post started making squeaky sounds and it wouldn’t go up or down properly it would either get stuck or sometimes it would just cause problems. Really sick of these problems I did what everyone does try google to find a reasonably good source but couldn’t find anything that properly explain things especially for beginners so I decided to write an article on it so that people like me who are stuck with some kind of problem could get a reasonable source.
Greases and lubes That Need to be Applied daily or weekly:
It’s important to know that there are some greases that last longer than others and there are others that may need to be reapplied every day or even after every ride I Broke them down for you so that you have a future reference or just in case someone might be using one already and prefers one over the other.
Greases for the dropper:
| Dropper Post Lubes | Waterproof | For winter season | Weight | Density difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slickoleum | Yes | Yes | 485 grams | Light |
| Buzzys Slick Honey | Yes | Yes | 50 grams | Light |
| SRM Butter | No | Yes | 50 Grams | Heavy and Thick |
| Energy Suspension Prelube Grease | No | Yes | 9.07 grams | heavy and Thick |
| Carbon fiber gripper paste Grease | No | Yes | 13 grams | Heavy and thick but not so much |
| Park Tool Polylube | Yes | Yes | 115 grams | Not too much heavy, can be used for dropper post |
| CRC Red Grease | Yes | Yes | 430 grams | Heavy and thick |
| Phill Wood Grease | Yes | Yes | 91 grams | Light |
| Sta Lube SL 3111 New generation wheel Bearing Grease | Yes | Yes | 454 grams | Thick and heavy |
| Marine Boat Trailer Grease | Yes | Yes | 4990 grams | Thick and heavy |
| Finish Line Teflon Grease | Yes | Yes | 113 grams | Thick but not too much |
| Silicone Oil | Yes | Yes | 8.30 grams | Light |
| WPL Dry chain Lube | No | No | 91 grams | Thick |
| Kind Shock Post Paste Dropper Seatpost Lubricant | Yes | Yes | 64 grams | Light and smooth |
| WPL ForkBoost Lube | Yes | Yes | 113 grams | Thick but not so much |
| WD40 Spray | No | No | 113 grams | Light |
| Vaseline for dropper Post(Pure skin jelly origional) | No | Yes | 54 grams | Thick |
| Boe Shield T9 Lube | Yes | Yes | 907 grams | Thick and heavy |
| CRC White Lithiuum Grease | No | No | 284 grams | light |
Light and slick grease are good for the dropper post to decrease friction like slickoleum and slick honey.
How to use: After every ride or two wash the dropper with water and wipe it clean with a rough cloth and then put a few drops of light grease near the seals and stanchion to make them smooth.
Slick honey and SRM butter grease are exactly the same You can use both these if you wanted to both have the same properties and characteristics meaning they are both compatible with each other.
Suspension grease also works fine for the dropper and collar and especially for the sticky dirt within the stanchion. it penetrates deeply within the seals and breaks surfaces of dry dirt through which it increases the working performance of droppers and stanchions.
Finish Line Teflon Grease:
It usually does not stay on the dropper, it slips and goes down because it is not a long-lasting grease. it is an old formula and the new formula is dry finish line Teflon which is a watery oil in white color and this old one has a yellow color, both can be used for the dropper post. it is safe for carbon bikes and carbon bikes and carbon frames and does not cause any damage, but the safety tip is that always use carbon paste grease for carbon frame bikes.
It is used for the other parts of bikes for lubrication purposes and is not recommended for the dropper and stanchion.
WPL Forkboost Lube:
Yes, it shows a positive effect for dropper post but uses it in a limited amount just for the ride after returning from the ride pull out your dropper and make it clean with a rough cloth, repeat the same process after every ride, this is the best way of using this lube for the dropper, it remains smooth. this lube also increases the working capacity of the rubber seal of the dropper.
Long Lasting lubes for the dropper :
Slickoleum Grease:
It is the most recommended grease for bike dropper posts because it is not heavy and thick, it has lightweight with greater viscosity. it does not cause any damage to the seals of the dropper and finishes the creaking noise of the dropper and makes it smooth for pulling up and pushing down much easier. It is semi-solid in appearance and amber color.
It is a strong Oxidizing agent and calcium grease, avoid this grease from sunlight and hot temperatures. it is not so expensive even half a price as compared to other sluggish greases and slickoleum is exactly made for droppers and stanchions and slick honey is not so good when you compare slickoleum and slick honey. it is light in weight as compared to other thick heavy greases, another benefit is that it does not goes downward and sticks in it place because it is much more sticky and tacky.
You can easily replace your previous grease after buying and using slickoleum just because of its higher stars and higher performance. It easily unblocks the stiff dropper post and makes it movable. The color of slickoleum is yellow.
Kind Shock Post-Paste Dropper Seatpost lubricant:
It is one of the lube for the dropper posts, it is usually long-lasting sticky lube for the dropper, a single time in a month is enough for this lube to bleed the dropper post and it stays tacky and sticky on the basis of 40 miles of distance coverage per week.
It increases the efficiency of the rubber seals of the dropper, it’s a little bit expensive as compared to slickoleum but it’s much better than the other artificial made greases and people are using it for years just because of a lack of information about them. not oily be-free it does not go down within the frame tube because it is much smoother same as that of butter, that’s why riders love using it for their droppers and dropper seals.
Signs your seat/dropper Post might need Lubing:
Here are some of the things that if you notice happening your bike may need some lubrication.
- Squeaky sounds
- dropper not going down or up properly
- dropper getting stuck
- dropper moving up or down slowly
if your dropper post is not going up or down or it’s getting stuck mid-way or it’s just slow it’s due t the reason that the lube or grease you applied was not compatible or it may be expired you can check this article I have listed all the solutions in this article.
how often should you lubricate your dropper post :
you should lubricate your dropper post at least every week or month, having said that it depends on many factors such as(lube type, seasonality, and maintenance over time)which all of this article is about.
Lubes and greases are heavy and thick, most importantly these can catch and absorb dirt and dust on trails light oils would perform much better for a dropper post and make it smooth in moving up and down and make the wiper seal much smoother to push the dropper post down and pull it up.
there are also sprays that perform better in cleaning and servicing the seals and getting rid of dirt especially. lubing the dropper post internally cleans all the dirt, use lube and grease in a limited amount, too much usage also has the negative effect of absorbing dirt and mud on rough terrains, remember one thing always wash and clean the previous lube and grease, never mix them into each other, because these all are not the same mixture, their composition is different, these are different in properties and characteristics.
Lubes According to the Bike Material :
I mentioned some of the recommended lubes that the manufacturers always recommend for the given type of material used in your bikes, Also there are tons of alternatives available in this article as well but I broke it down So that you have a better understanding of the types and help you make a better choice with your personal preferences.
For Carbon, bikes use carbon paste grease and for aluminum, steel, and titanium bikes lithium grease and forkboost lube would work fine and the other lubes and grease which you are using as usual like poly lube.
Poly lube is basically just fine grease for the dropper post but it is not a recommended grease because it repels oils it should have been better if it didn’t repel the oil because that would make it perfect and long-lasting, usage of this grease is fine, it does not cause any damage to bike paint and seals because it is waterproof, but still if it had been best if it didn’t have that oil repellent nature.
Greases and oils For winter and Rainy Seasons :
If you are having problems with the dropper in the rainy season or winter then.
Other polygreases like Park and Phill wood are waterproof greases usually made for rains and winters and would work fine for the dropper in wet trails.
Bearing grease is also waterproof and has a good result for the dropper as compared to lithium grease. (non-waterproof)
Marine Grease:
As the name suggests Marine Grease is well and good for the seals of the dropper as it resists water and it has a lifetime warranty but it has a single disadvantage it dries easily and quickly after a few rides and you have to bleed your dropper again otherwise it blocks the smooth working of the dropper.
Which is good Grease, lube, or silicone oil for the collar of the dropper post? :
Silicon oil is the best for the collar of the post, grease and lube are also used for the collar but silicon oil is the recommended thing for increasing the efficiency of the dropper. open the collar and clean it with the cloth, remove all the previous bleed thoroughly, bleed it with oil and fix it again, now it gains smoothness and performs better.
Can you use Chain lube For the dropper post:
There are two types of chain lubes:
- Dry chain lube
- Wet Chain lube
Wet chain lube can be used as a temporary alternative for the dropper seat post but it attracts mud and dirt, dry chain lube dries off too quickly so it’s not a temporary alternative.
As I said wet chain lube is just a temporary alternative it won’t stay on the dropper for long because of its wet nature, it will slip off very quickly at most it could give you enough time for one ride.
If you are in a pinch you can try it as a temporary alternative and once you leave trails or go home you can give the dropper a good wash if its still sticking to the dropper just use wd40 for quick results it should clean it off in a jiffy.
How dropper post seals work and how to know when they need lubrication :
After opening the bottle cap there is another seal of aluminum, create a small hole within the seal by making way for the lube to come out, never apply hand force on the bottle because it’s liquid, it will pour out abruptly and waste on the ground.
When dropper seals become old, it causes air leakage. it’s a sign that rubber seals are dry and lubrication is needed, after lubing with forkboost, they become new and become smoother.
Spray for servicing the dropper Post :
WD40 Spray for dropper post:
WD40 is not used as a lube for dropper post but as a cleaning agent because it has solvent properties you can use it to wash off the greases on the dropper post but in no way does it work as grease or its alternative.
Never apply WD40 after applying grease or any lube on the dropper post, Because it will just wash off all the grease that you applied early on.
How to Use WD40 to clean the dropper: Spray WD40 on rough cloth and rub this cloth on the dropper, this helps to remove the dry things away from the dropper, especially dirt, dry greasy material, expired dry oil, etc. so for this purpose use WD40 matters for a dropper post.
Can you use Vaseline for the dropper post (explained) :
Absolutely not, because it is thick and dries within the dropper and makes it stiff and immovable while pushing and pulling, it is not recommended for the dropper lubricating it causes more problems than it solves.
Conclusion:
The main purpose of this post is to provide awareness about all the lubes, oils, sprays, and greases for a dropper post, every rider uses a different lube from the other that why this post contains the pros and cons of all the lubes and greases to select a better lube.
According to my opinion, the recommended lube for dropper post is slickoleum because it has light nature and is manufactured just for the dropper post.
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