Which Bearings Are You Guys Running?

[moonordie]

I swear it's because I've only used pure acetone on this set vs rubbing alcohol in the past for every expensive/inexpensive bearing type, but I'm on the longest streak of no seizing and consistently fast bearings right now and they're literally just a set of Reds. Only cleaned them twice in the span of like 3-4 months and the second time I just did it because I was bored. No shields and no lube. I must've got a lucky set or something, I've had swiss seize up constantly on me.

Dafuq? I only clean mine once or twice a year.

[Boog]

Expand Quote

I swear it's because I've only used pure acetone on this set vs rubbing alcohol in the past for every expensive/inexpensive bearing type, but I'm on the longest streak of no seizing and consistently fast bearings right now and they're literally just a set of Reds. Only cleaned them twice in the span of like 3-4 months and the second time I just did it because I was bored. No shields and no lube. I must've got a lucky set or something, I've had swiss seize up constantly on me.

[close]

Dafuq? I only clean mine once or twice a year.

[Uncle Flea]

The shields have all turned to dust but these are still the second best bearings I've ever had.

I purchased second hand in 2017 from a homie who wanted some drugs and they've outlived several sets of metal ball bearings on my side bloards .

Reds white ceramic.

Chose to shelve for one winter but now I just roll on these always.

#1 bearing was the element white ceramics from back in the.

[GrayCellGreen]

I've been running the Eric Dressen Bronson bearings and they've been solid.

[lulz]

I swear it's because I've only used pure acetone

Give me acetone, or give me gas.

[LebowskisRug]

Can acetone degrade the plastic?

[Theme For A Jackal]

How are y'all cleaning your bearings? I've always been too lazy to do it and came up in the 'just remove the shields and never clean them' era

[rawbertson.]

How are y'all cleaning your bearings? I've always been too lazy to do it and came up in the 'just remove the shields and never clean them' era

get isopropyl alchohol, put some in a small container, put the bearings in, shake em around. that will free them of all the dirt + crap.
let them dry out completely before putting them back in the wheels if you can (its not a huge deal if you dont )
if they seem too dry then add a tiny drop of speed cream
dont put a lot because then the bearings will be "swimming" in the oil and they will suck up every tiny bit of dirt you roll thorugh for the next while.

I am trying to go with like the cheapest bearings possible with out being complete trash right now and I have had good results as long as I take care of them. I got some Primitive and Modus bearings for like $10-15 / set and they are rolling completely fine still after a few months. havent really been babying them too much just trying to keep them out of thick mud and water.

I left a set of Bones Swiss in the car over the winter and they got rust on them. I cleaned them with the iso and they were good as new again. THis did not work with the set of Reds that I left in the car. some of the balls are seized permanently. so there is definintely a difference in having the good ones vs the shitty ones.

[LebowskisRug]

I like taking the shields off but leaving the bearings in my wheel. I have 99% isopropyl in a squeeze bottle (higher % means less water) and squeeze a bit in, spin the wheel for like 30s, wipe with an old t shirt, repeat it again, then do the other side and take the wheel off. By the time I am done with all 4 the bearings are almost completely dry to to the high alcohol content, but I wipe em again while spinning them, then put in a drop of lube and spin the wheel on the axle a bunch. If it sounds too dry I put another drop but not often. I should note that while I'm doing this I have put the shields in a cup with the alcohol and I wipe them really good especially the inside and pop them back on and I am good to go.

[m477]

Go to a CVS or equivalent and buy 100% acetone (full strength nail polish remover). It works way better than alcohol. An old toothbrush helps too.

[LebowskisRug]

I Googled "can acetone dissolve plastic" and got a ton of links like this that said to never use it to clean plastics as it can degrade the plastic: https://www.millerplastics.com/how-acetone-affects-certain-plastics/

[logjammin]

My bearing cages...retainers whatever they're called aren't melting from the acetone. I use a little Tupperware container that is for salad dressings n shit. Put enough acetone in to cover all of em. Shake for a minute real good, dump it, repeat a couple more times til the acetone is still clear after shaking. Tap dry each bearing a couple times onto some paper towels and then let it air dry for like 10-15 minutes. I used the same method with rubbing alcohol and it didn't clean nearly as good as the acetone. It's even more of a "dry" liquid than 91% isopropyl alcohol. I just get the acetone from Walgreens in the nail polish section.

[LebowskisRug]

Rubbing alcohol won't clean as exhaustively, but it seems repeated exposure to acetone can degrade the cages. They might not turn to sludge, but it sounds like acetone can effect the integrity. Iso will be pretty damn close with no downsides. Maybe with skateboards it doesn't matter to people. Even if bearings are $50-$60 for expensive ones I wouldn't want to break them any sooner.

[Dong Hanglo]

The best results I’ve felt are from doing a pretty half-assed job of cleaning bearings. Here’s my process;
Roughly 2in on isopropyl alcohol in a pint glass. Dunk an old toothbrush in it and scrub each bearing for about 5 seconds and then drop them in the glass after each is brushed. Once all of them are in the glass give it a little swirl and then strain them out through your fingers. Shake off some of the liquid then set them down. Take a bic lighter in one hand and a bearing in the other and pass the flame quickly over each bearing to get all the alcohol removed, 5 seconds or so. I’m using 3 in 1 lubricant from Harbor freight($5 for a lifetime supply)these days but use whatever you like it’s all basically the same thing. Dab a corner of paper towel with lubricant and barely touch a few of the ball bearings. Go super light on re-lubrication. Lube up your axels lightly as well. Dry and dirty axels are worse Than dirty bearings. Now go push really fast and enjoy the ride.

[OhioGuy]

I regret getting the Swiss Six because . . . they’re too good. My God, I can’t go back to cheap bearings. I’m ruined now 😲

[Bill Salt]

I ride Bronson Raws cause there no best bearings.

[manysnakes]

I ride Bronson Raws cause there no best bearings.

There’s no best bearing, but there’s definitely a worst and it’s Bronson Raws.

[LebowskisRug]

Agreed, Raws were worse than Cheapshots for me actually and never wore in.

[Bumba]

How are y'all cleaning your bearings? I've always been too lazy to do it and came up in the 'just remove the shields and never clean them' era

I remove the shields and cages and wash them in plain water (mainly just the cages). The metal parts get dunked into rubbing alcohol and spun around (be careful the balls don't pop out). Everything dried abd and reassembled with 2 drops of speed cream. I'm not super anal about getting them spotless because they're just going to get dirty again but I do like to get the big bits of crud out and keep them lubricated every 8 months

[Whicker]

So I love my Swiss 6, but I'm terrified of ruining them. Every time I swap wheels I freak out that I damaged them. It started raining the other day on my way home and they probably got wet so I took them apart and cleaned and relubed them.

Just wish I could not worry about them as much lol.

[LebowskisRug]

If you are just a bit careful to not bend your shields, not force them into the wheel doing something dumb (a friend used to literally put the bearing on the truck and hammer the wheel on), and just clean them per almost any Youtube video you should be fine! Skate bearings are built to withstand a lot of impact and the 608 bearing size is used in a shit ton of industrial applications for all sorts of shit. If you keep your shields on and use any sort of sensible lube they will probably last you several years.

[OhioGuy]

Question: Can your bearings make your wheel get tighter over time?

I thought I had axle slip, but I moved the wheel and now it’s tightening on the new axle. Very strange. Maybe they aren’t in deep enough 🤷🏿‍♂️

[Frank and Fred]

Question: Can your bearings make your wheel get tighter over time?

I thought I had axle slip, but I moved the wheel and now it’s tightening on the new axle. Very strange. Maybe they aren’t in deep enough 🤷🏿‍♂️

Yes. Use washers on both sides, tighten your wheels down to make sure the bearings are sitting properly, loosen your wheel until is spins freely. Keep a tool nearby, as you may need to do this again when you skate.

Not many wheels have the bearing seats complete squared and lined up, and this can also cause a wheel wobble or bind. Best to have a little bit of play once the bearing is sitting as deep as possible. If spacers fit properly in the wheels you have, this might also help.

[OhioGuy]

Expand Quote

Question: Can your bearings make your wheel get tighter over time?

I thought I had axle slip, but I moved the wheel and now it’s tightening on the new axle. Very strange. Maybe they aren’t in deep enough 🤷🏿‍♂️

[close]

Yes. Use washers on both sides, tighten your wheels down to make sure the bearings are sitting properly, loosen your wheel until is spins freely. Keep a tool nearby, as you may need to do this again when you skate.

Not many wheels have the bearing seats complete squared and lined up, and this can also cause a wheel wobble or bind. Best to have a little bit of play once the bearing is sitting as deep as possible. If spacers fit properly in the wheels you have, this might also help.

Thanks! It’s funny, this happens when I decide to not uses spacers all of a sudden 😂

And I need to get a new skate tool. Used to have two, but now I just have one at my house.

[rocklobster]

Should have never ventured in here, now I'm thinking of treating myself to some Swiss or Swiss 6. Any discernable difference between the 2 if they are the same price?

[OhioGuy]

Should have never ventured in here, now I'm thinking of treating myself to some Swiss or Swiss 6. Any discernable difference between the 2 if they are the same price?

My Swiss 6 are great, outside of the above issue which probably has nothing to do with ‘em. Don’t know if they’re better than the normal ones though.

[Frank and Fred]

Swiss 6 seem to last longer for me. And I don't have to clean them as much. Currently have some Swiss 6 that are going strong 2 years plus with zero maintenance. Less balls, less worries....

[devils acrobat]

Habe been running the Quantum Atoms for 9 months now and they are incredibly fast. They got noticably slower at one point, then I cleaned them and added the graphlo lubricant and they were fast as hell again. Coming from swiss 6 and regular swiss I would say they are on par or better than the swiss 6. The atoms were way cheaper though. If they hold up for another year I am totally sold on these.

[Frank and Fred]

Big fan of quantums also but they have not lasted me as long as Swiss 6. Nor do I find them faster. Still very worthy of support.

[moonordie]

Should have never ventured in here, now I'm thinking of treating myself to some Swiss or Swiss 6. Any discernable difference between the 2 if they are the same price?

Had both, both feels the same to me with the difference that 6 lasts longer in my experience.
Best bearings ever.