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Got some bone Swiss for the first time ever, gamechanger. I’m about 6 months in and one of my wheels seized up. Cleaned my bearing with isopropyl alcohol and now three out of four are seizing up. I didn’t have speed cream or anything to put in em. Are they just fucked now or does this happen after cleaning them without using lube?
Sometimes cleaning them doesn't get everything out, or can remove the good stuff that keeps them rolling.
Quite simply there are options, but lube is 100% required, be it liquid as people have said, or dry grphite powder, but the two do not mix at all either.
WD40 is a cleaning agent too, so although it might work short term, it doesn't work long term for bearings. It does smell nice though.
I think people often can get confused about some things and what works or doesn't work, or even the fact that cleaning bearings will bring them back to rolling like new, but more often than not it can cause other issues, eg things not put back together correctly in some cases, damaged parts getting them apart and back together.
More than anything, if they have seized up and are not rolling, using something on them to get them rolling again (not just lube) is the main thing, so WD40 does help in that regard, but you can't just drop lube straight in them after that either, as the two work against each other.
Buy the Bones cleaning water bottle, and follow those instructions. I use acetone to shake and clean the bearings in there, and then keyboard air can spray them out to dry, and then two drops of speed cream.
It’s also entirely possible you have a set of FAKE Swiss.
That sounds extremely likely. Do you have photos of the box by any chance?
Got em from a shop, the box seems legit. Has the made in Switzerland and the since 1981 on it. Took em out yesterday and they rolled like a dream. Now the wheels are spinning. Still gonna grab some speed cream today just in case though cause I was running them raw yesterday
I feel like there is a bit of hysteria around fake product, but I don't think there is as much out there as some people might think, or people don't have to worry quite as much as some I have talked to.
As to bearings, sure any bearing will seize up or have issues if it gets wet, gets muddy, sand, dirt or anything else in there, even accidentally dropping sweat onto a board can sometimes get into a bearing - yes it happens - so checking bearings if they are not rolling smoothly is the first thing to do. Pretty easy taking a wheel off and taking bearings out and seeing if there is some rust buildup on the inside of the wheel or in the bearing, without having to do too much besides a simple anti rust spray, then lube when running smooth and dry.
Places I have worked at have always had those bearing cleaning kits, some sell more than others, but they are still very much a mystery object to a lot of people.
Entirely up to each individual as to what you do, how you go about cleaning bearings (or anything else) but I also think some products or processes are easier than others, which is why I always have things like lube, graphite powder and WD40 close at hand.