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Skateboarding => Skate Questions => Topic started by: 231st Street on March 09, 2023, 11:41:02 AM
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All-- I usually throw out my Bones Swiss when they get wet or seize up as I'm too lazy for speed cream etc, but this is getting expensive and annoying as I'm skating through winter regularly now. Whats the easiest way to clean? Is it true they can just be left overnight in windex? Or do I need to take the plunge and actually take them apart and stick in speed cream. I am pretty lazy with bearing maintenance so optimally looking for a way to get them going again even if not perfect without taking them apart.
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I use the bones bearing cleaning kit and follow their instructions. Being able to shake the bearings in the solution really speeds up the process.
As for solvents, I use acetone. It seems to work fine and it’s fairly cheap. I don’t think windex would cause irreversible harm to the bearings, but it’s not really designed to target the kind of material that gets into bearings. Acetone is great because it evaporates so quickly and cleanly, windex might leave behind deposits.
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I have have bronson g3's but Im assuming it will be the same experience for all bearings. I took the shields off and soaked them in windex and shook them around a bit. After about 20 minutes, I used an air compressor to dry them and make them spin hella fast. I havent lubed them or had to clean them and its been like half a year. It takes time for them to start spinning fast but after they break in, theyre really good.
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Windex is mostly water. Use acetone, carb cleaner, or even gasoline, and definitely put some speed cream or light oil for lube.
The cleaning kit, a bottle of speed cream and acetone will set you back $15 and it’s enough to clean your bearings probably 20x over
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Yeah, get the $5 bones bearing washer, some isopropyl alcohol, some speed cream and save yourself hundreds. Swiss last forever.
Put on an album, get a treat, get comfy and sit down for 10 minutes and enjoy maintaining something.
Also, fun fact, a dab of speed cream is great for squeaky pivot cups.
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Windex as a cleaner is a horrible idea. Use 91% or higher isopropyl alcohol. No 70% as that has too much water content. Acetone can also work. Yes, you will have to remove the shields and shake the bearings in a bearing cleaner bottle or swirl them around in plastic container of some sort. Yes, you will need to re-lube the bearings after cleaning.
If you are too lazy to clean them properly, just toss them and go buy some cheap bearings.
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I don't know what is in speed cream but i use my wife's sewing machine oil for my bearings and it works great. Might be cheaper, dunno, just another option
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Thanks, all, this is really helpful. I think I'm going to just take the plunge and get the cleaning stuff and speed cream from bones. I Had heard of speed cream but didn't realize they sold something to soak it in.
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Just be aware that after you clean the bearing, if it doesn't spin freely with no shield on, that bearing is done. What happens is the bearing races get dented and that creates little bumps which inhibit the balls in the cage from spinning correctly. Nothing to do if that happens. Just buy new bearings.