What grease to use on Brompton hinge clamps?

[Oxford_Guy]

I've just taken delivery of a new Brompton M6R-X (have posted pics in the gallery: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=17.msg2155373#msg2155373), love it already, though fit the rotating standard hinge clamps quite annoying, so will probably get some aftermarket ones that don't rotate. I can see that the hinge clamps and threads are greased, so what sort of grease should I use on these? Would this be suitable (also for other threads too, I guess?), as sounds like it's meant for things you want to be able to screw/unscrew?: https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/lubricants/juice-lubes-aas-juice-aluminium-anti-seize-compound-grease-150-ml-pot/

[Pickled Onion]

You don't need that, it's designed for things you rarely need to undo. A tiny amount of any general purpose grease will be fine, or a drop of 3-in-one every few months. Or nothing, there's no real need. A drop of oil on the hinge pins is a good idea occasionally, and a drop on the main fold hinge will extend its life.

Leave it a few weeks before deciding on the non-rotating clamps, they're not an issue in real life — you soon find the minimum number of turns to unscrew them, which tends to leave them lined up when unfolding.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Any sort of grease, oil or even silicon spray will do the job.

I've owned Bromptons for over a decade and have had spring-loaded, non-rotating hinge clamps for a few years. I like them a lot.

[Kim]

I've got the spring-and-a-bit-of-margarine-tub bodge on mine.  It earned me third place in the council's how-quickly-can-you-unfold-a-Brompton competition, in spite of being a Brompton rookie.  It seems daft that the standard clamps aren't designed to work this way.

[Jurek]

These are quite sexy.

[SA_SA_SA_SA]

I've got the spring-and-a-bit-of-margarine-tub bodge on mine.  It e....It seems daft that the standard clamps aren't designed to work this way.

Whats that bodge?

I sometimes wonder if Brompton suffer from 'Not invented here syndrome'?

[Kim]

I've got the spring-and-a-bit-of-margarine-tub bodge on mine.  It e....It seems daft that the standard clamps aren't designed to work this way.

Whats that bodge?

Cut a bit of plastic from a container with a right-angle bend in it, drill a hole for the clamp bolt right up against the bend and trim to size.  The plastic sits inside the existing clamp, extending outward on one side to prevent rotation, while acting as a washer for an appropriate compression spring.  Total cost: Two springs and a tub of hydrogenated spreadable muck.

[SA_SA_SA_SA]

.....
Cut a........Total cost: Two springs and a tub of hydrogenated spreadable muck.
.....

Thanks, that looks a lot easier than the AtoB magazine one. Did you used the springs they specified (AtoB 89, page 10) or some from your spares box?

[Kim]

Thanks, that looks a lot easier than the AtoB magazine one. Did you used the springs they specified (AtoB 89, page 10) or some from your spares box?

I'm not familiar with the AtoB article.  I got the idea from a picture of someone's Brompton while I was searching for images of how bar-ends affect the fold (google image search can be really handy for this sort of thing - it's also good for working out proper chain/cable routing on recumbents that have been meddled with).

My pingfuckit collection is fairly lacking in springs, so I didn't have anything big enough.  I ordered a pair of appropriate dimensions from an eBay seller.

My 'margarine tub' was actually a box used by a supplier of electronic components (who have a rather charming habit of shipping things in cheap storage boxes).  It's a less brittle plastic, and doesn't have 'Flora' written on it.