Cleaning bearings

[verymetal]

I have always used WD-40 as a very effective degreaser for other purposes than bearings. Spray on, let the muck run off, wipe down, apply lithium grease or whatever it is you prefer to use, this has always worked really well for me but it's my understanding that it's not the best method for bearings. Maybe I'll give it a try though.. who knows, might stumble on something that really works well... or I might ruin a set of bearings

[Inline?-LOL]

I use Denatured Alcohol (Lowes, Home Depot) and a Bones bearing cleaning jar. Works awesome, removes old grease, dries fast, does not leave a residue. Cleans plastic/nylon cages well also. If needed I will use a nylon brush. I use compressed air to dry and apply Bones Speed Cream.

[BWI-Sheldon]

For cleaning and emergency water removal, WD40 is good. For using as intended lubrication, WD40 is bad and causes problems.

[Doc Sk8]

Originally Posted by BWI-Sheldon

For cleaning and emergency water removal, WD40 is good. For using as intended lubrication, WD40 is bad and causes problems.

Not for lube, I was answering the corrosion comment...

[Snarf77]

Originally Posted by Doc Sk8

From their web site (WD-40)


I have been using it since I was a kid to prevent corrosion.

DOC (or anyone). I have searched the forums for "storing bearings" "bearing storage" "bearing tubes" and numerous other search terms with little luck.

What is the best way to store bearings for longer-term. Right now I oil them and stick them in baggies, but that isn't ideal for me. I was thinking coin tubes or some other air-tight cylinder.

BUT even if I found something, what is the best storage oil-something more viscous? WD-40 prevents corrosion, is that enough?

[Doc Sk8]

Originally Posted by Snarf77

DOC (or anyone). I have searched the forums for "storing bearings" "bearing storage" "bearing tubes" and numerous other search terms with little luck.

What is the best way to store bearings for longer-term. Right now I oil them and stick them in baggies, but that isn't ideal for me. I was thinking coin tubes or some other air-tight cylinder.

BUT even if I found something, what is the best storage oil-something more viscous? WD-40 prevents corrosion, is that enough?

Seal 'em and put a little desiccant in the tube as well.

Every once in a while you can score tubes that hold 50 bearings on eBay...

[Poobah]

Originally Posted by Inline?-LOL

I use Denatured Alcohol (Lowes, Home Depot) and a Bones bearing cleaning jar. Works awesome, removes old grease, dries fast, does not leave a residue. Cleans plastic/nylon cages well also. If needed I will use a nylon brush. I use compressed air to dry and apply Bones Speed Cream.

I have one of those Bones bearing cleaning jars. Lost the damned instructions that said how to use 'em. I can probably find that online though.

I'd imagine I'd want to take off the dust covers but leave the balls inside their retainers/races.

[Elysarian]

OK...

I just this week found a better way to clean my bearings

I bought a product that's sold for cleaning bike (motor bike or bicycle) chains - it smells like it's isopropyl alcohol based & evaporates real quick after application, I got it from my local Lidl.

It made my bearings free-spin a lot faster and quieter than any other substance I've used (more crud evident on the newspaper I use to tap the bearings on too).

I also got a can of ptfe-based lube and will let you know how that works after I've skated the bearings

I guess the guys recommending Isopropyl alcohol were right

[scubask8tr]

Originally Posted by Elysarian

OK...

I just this week found a better way to clean my bearings

I bought a product that's sold for cleaning bike (motor bike or bicycle) chains - it smells like it's isopropyl alcohol based & evaporates real quick after application, I got it from my local Lidl.

It made my bearings free-spin a lot faster and quieter than any other substance I've used (more crud evident on the newspaper I use to tap the bearings on too).

I also got a can of ptfe-based lube and will let you know how that works after I've skated the bearings

I guess the guys recommending Isopropyl alcohol were right

What is the brand name of this miracle cleaner ?

[Elysarian]

Originally Posted by scubask8tr

What is the brand name of this miracle cleaner ?

The brand name is W5, picked it up for 99p at my local Lidl, comes in an aerosol

[SDean]

Seriously unless your bearings are made of plastic never use water on them. Tempered stainless steel will corrode faster then you could ever dry them. I suggest you head down to your local bike shop and pick up an organic de-greaser. Something like Finishline Citrus works good to remove oil and dirt.

Now if you have ceramic bearings only use what the manufacturer recommends. If they recommend water and soap than have at it.

[Doc Sk8]

Originally Posted by SDean

Seriously unless your bearings are made of plastic never use water on them. Tempered stainless steel will corrode faster then you could ever dry them.

I'm sorry, I don't know of any skate bearings constructed of "tempered stainless steel". I have run across a few stainless and those were recommended for sk8ing (racing) in the rain....

And why would any "stainless" steel corrode rapidly at all??

I suggest you head down to your local bike shop and pick up an organic de-greaser. Something like Finishline Citrus works good to remove oil and dirt.

Sure, why not.. But if all you have is soap water and dirty bearings...

Now if you have ceramic bearings only use what the manufacturer recommends. If they recommend water and soap than have at it.

Care to expand on where this interesting info is coming from?? I'm curious...

[SDean]

Doc Sk8, Sure I will gladly share where I gleaned my information from. For a number of years I was CNC technician. I spent two years going to school to learn how to repair and maintain 5 axis milling machines used to build airplane skins and spars for Boeing. In that two years of training I spend 40 hours of training on everything about bearing from how they work, to how to clean and repair bearings. Over the years I have had extensive experiences working with bearings much smaller than the ones used for skating to bearings used in AC drive motors that weigh over a thousand pounds. In my previous job it was critical that I understood how bearings worked and how to services them correctly. These where bearings that needed to operate for 1000's hours without failure.

I can see how you could think that water would not hurt a stainless steel bearing but I have 2" stainless steel ball out of a bearing that was wet for less than 5 minutes that is discolored because of the corrosion process was already underway. Now in the precision bearing that are used for skates wheels we cannot get a clear picture of the bearing without destroying the bearing. But after you clean a bearing and if you can see any discoloration of the race the process of changing the chemical structure of the bearing has started.

[FarmTruk]

[Doc Sk8]

Originally Posted by SDean

Doc Sk8, Sure I will gladly share where I gleaned my information from. For a number of years I was CNC technician. I spent two years going to school to learn how to repair and maintain 5 axis milling machines used to build airplane skins and spars for Boeing. In that two years of training I spend 40 hours of training on everything about bearing from how they work, to how to clean and repair bearings. Over the years I have had extensive experiences working with bearings much smaller than the ones used for skating to bearings used in AC drive motors that weigh over a thousand pounds. In my previous job it was critical that I understood how bearings worked and how to services them correctly. These where bearings that needed to operate for 1000's hours without failure.

Thanks for sharing... You still did not answer my question about tempered Stainless bearings.....

I can see how you could think that water would not hurt a stainless steel bearing but I have 2" stainless steel ball out of a bearing that was wet for less than 5 minutes that is discolored because of the corrosion process was already underway.

And? I have done hundreds of Non Stainless sk8 bearings in soap and water with NO obvious detrimental side effects.... since the crud the bearings pick up from sk8ing is far more damaging...

So I'm gonna say my cleaning experience with many bearings trumps your one corroded ball...

Now in the precision bearing that are used for skates wheels we cannot get a clear picture of the bearing without destroying the bearing.

Let me suggest some more study of SK8 BEARINGS on your part. Here is a good place to start.....http://bonesbearings.com/support/maintenance/ These guys are the APEX of the SK8 BEARING industry.. Odd.... they mention cleaning bearings with water based cleaners

and DO NOT prohibit it anywhere I have seen in their instructions.

I have routinely disassembled many sk8 bearings over the years and fully examined them under 40x stereo magnification and then successfully re-assembled them and run them for many years. Look at FarmTruk's avatar.... Perhaps you can see more of what is going than you thought in a sk8 bearing...even before you take it apart...

But after you clean a bearing and if you can see any discoloration of the race the process of changing the chemical structure of the bearing has started.

I will agree to that but it is really not all that relevant to the sk8 bearing discussion. I have sk8ed 8 ball Fafnirs that were frozen solid with rusty gunk. They cleaned up and rolled with hardly a whisper... and keep on rolling...

I understand your background and appreciate your concerns...but SK8 bearings are NOT precision machine bearings. The applications are as different as night and day. I suggest most sk8rs routinely sk8 and have no issues with bearings that would be thrown away in a precision machine application...

[Elysarian]

Originally Posted by Doc Sk8

I will agree to that but it is really not all that relevant to the sk8 bearing discussion. I have sk8ed 8 ball Fafnirs that were frozen solid with rusty gunk. They cleaned up and rolled with hardly a whisper... and keep on rolling...

I understand your background and appreciate your concerns...but SK8 bearings are NOT precision machine bearings. The applications are as different as night and day. I suggest most sk8rs routinely sk8 and have no issues with bearings that would be thrown away in a precision machine application...

Which is why we all keep telling people "ABEC rating is pretty irrelevant to skating applications" (to paraphrase).

It is nice to get input from people with some education in the field of precision bearings but, as Doc said, a skate ain't a precision machine - heck, the tolerances in wheel hubs and between inner bearing race and axle would make a machine operator/engineer cry in most cases

[Sk8fever]

This thread has provided much good info and I think I now know what I have to do as far as removal, cleaning solution, drying, etc.

How do you know when it's time for the FIRST cleaning/lube of new bearings?
How many hours would you typically skate before doing the first cleaning/lube?

My situation is indoor quad skating, pretty clean floors, I only notice a little dust on the wheels/trucks so far after about 15 hrs total. Bearings have covers, still rolling about as good as the first time out. Skates stored indoors, cool/dry conditions.

Thanks everyone!

[Soul_Skater]

I have a set of BONE SWISS bearings that are over 15 years old and they started to rust from my dads swamp cooler. here is what I did.....

Step 1. put bearings in a glass jar filled with wd-40 and soak
2. pull out of jar and dry off with a lint free towell
3. use a few cans of chlorinated brake cleaner(alchol base) and spray until all debri/grease/dirt/wd-40 is out.
4.blow dry with a air compressor with a high pressure blow gun
5.apply bones speed cream to each bearing(use alot)
6. install them in a old set of wheel and take the dog for a few runs around the neighborhood. This will alow excess lube to remove itself from the bearings.
7. remove from the old wheels and wipe with a clean towell.
8. install in your rink wheels and they will haul a.....

This is what I did recently and WOW!!!! Now I see why I paid so much for a bearing that still spins longer than most ABEC rated bearings Money well spent


I did the same thing with my sons cheap skateboard bgs and they roll like new again. Here is the parts list of what I used...

1 case of CHLORINATED brake parts cleaner(autozone,napa,checker,kragen,etc)
1 bottle of wd-40(autozone,napa,checker,kragen,etc)
1 bottle of bones spped cream or whatever you prefer. (skate shop)
1 bag of micro-fiber rags(autozone,napa,checker,kragen,etc)
1 six pack of your favorite beverage

[Soul_Skater]

Originally Posted by Sk8fever

This thread has provided much good info and I think I now know what I have to do as far as removal, cleaning solution, drying, etc.

How do you know when it's time for the FIRST cleaning/lube of new bearings?
Once a month and you will be fine. I know of guys that do it once a week.
How many hours would you typically skate before doing the first cleaning/lube?roughly 20hrs or 4 sessions out here

My situation is indoor quad skating, pretty clean floors, I only notice a little dust on the wheels/trucks so far after about 15 hrs total. Bearings have covers, still rolling about as good as the first time out. Skates stored indoors, cool/dry conditions.
I carry a bottle of speed cream,q-tips,rags and a can of air duster for computers in my bag to clean if needed at the rink.

Thanks everyone!

Hope this helps buddy

[Elysarian]

Originally Posted by Soul_Skater

I have a set of BONE SWISS bearings that are over 15 years old and they started to rust from my dads swamp cooler. here is what I did.....

Step 1. put bearings in a glass jar filled with wd-40 and soak
2. pull out of jar and dry off with a lint free towell
3. use a few cans of chlorinated brake cleaner(alchol base) and spray until all debri/grease/dirt/wd-40 is out.
4.blow dry with a air compressor with a high pressure blow gun
5.apply bones speed cream to each bearing(use alot)
6. install them in a old set of wheel and take the dog for a few runs around the neighborhood. This will alow excess lube to remove itself from the bearings.
7. remove from the old wheels and wipe with a clean towell.
8. install in your rink wheels and they will haul a.....

This is what I did recently and WOW!!!! Now I see why I paid so much for a bearing that still spins longer than most ABEC rated bearings Money well spent


I did the same thing with my sons cheap skateboard bgs and they roll like new again. Here is the parts list of what I used...

1 case of CHLORINATED brake parts cleaner(autozone,napa,checker,kragen,etc)
1 bottle of wd-40(autozone,napa,checker,kragen,etc)
1 bottle of bones spped cream or whatever you prefer. (skate shop)
1 bag of micro-fiber rags(autozone,napa,checker,kragen,etc)
1 six pack of your favorite beverage

I personally don't see why steps 1 & 2 are needed tbh - just a waste of wd-40 imho...

I would recommend storing bearings in a jar with wd-40 though.