Bottom bracket/frame question

[Dr.Mushy]

What are people using on external cup threads during assembly? I have always used grease (I like Parks ) but have also heard of folks using antiseize compound or even Locktite. The Locktite kind of scares me, never have had one loosen personally. The reason I ask is last year I took the cups (Shimano XT) out of an older Superlight frame (aluminum), and the threads on the cups were pitted. I installed them with grease approximately 1.5 years prior. Also, there was water in the frame around the spindle of the crank. Most of the trails I ride have water crossings, most about a foot deep. I don't so much care about the cups but I don't want to mess up my frame. A couple of years ago a had an old bottom bracket stuck in my old Cannondale gravel bike and it was a less than fun time getting it out!

[shiggy]

What are people using on external cup threads during assembly? I have always used grease (I like Parks ) but have also heard of folks using antiseize compound or even Locktite. The Locktite kind of scares me, never have had one loosen personally. The reason I ask is last year I took the cups (Shimano XT) out of an older Superlight frame (aluminum), and the threads on the cups were pitted. I installed them with grease approximately 1.5 years prior. Also, there was water in the frame around the spindle of the crank. Most of the trails I ride have water crossings, most about a foot deep. I don't so much care about the cups but I don't want to mess up my frame. A couple of years ago a had an old bottom bracket stuck in my old Cannondale gravel bike and it was a less than fun time getting it out!

Grease. Just grease.

[customfab]

I always use anti seize on anything threaded. It's nice for bikes because you are commonly putting dis-similar metals together, which can often gall. Just apply it sparingly as it can make a mess in a hurry. Anti-seize for titanium parts is mandatory btw. A lot of BB's come with some kind of thread retainer factory installed as well.

Aluminum is a very dirty metal, it likes to oxidize at the first sign of atmosphere.

[edubfromktown]

If you are squeak paranoid or suffered with long term symptoms in the past, you could wrap a thin layer of teflon tape on the threads along with a bit of grease.

I've done it both ways and haven't had a stuck BB so far (after a lot of steam crossings that dunked BB's and even completely submerged chain rings at times).

[Dr.Mushy]

I have always used grease on all bolts/threads in the past but the galling on those cups kind of got me going (I love my old Superlight.) I have heard about antiseize on titanium but I'm too cheap and heavy to own any of those metal bits! I used to use antiseize on the seatpost of an old roadbike that wanted to get stuck and it worked better than grease in that application. I used a hacksaw blade, a chisel,a hammer and the magic words to get the shell out of my Cannondale and the thought of doing that to said Superlight makes me sad.

[jeffscott]

I tried everything from teflon tape to antisieze to grease...

I got fed up with the sqeaking so I used JB weld ...

That worked...I just change the bearings on the bike.