Cleaning Swiss bearings

[kpeach122 0]

I just bought Bauer vapor xr5's and want to keep the bearings in good shape so was just wondering what to use to clean them cuz the rink I play at has so much dust and my wheels/ bearings are pretty bad by end of games

Thanks

[MoritzG. 0]

just open them carefully with a screw driver and put them in a bowl with cleaning alcohol (be sure that there is no water included). i normally let them there for 24 hours. after that i lubricate them. thats pretty much it:)

[romdj 26]

I personnally use wd40

[kpeach122 0]

To lubricate them? I've read that wd40 is bad for bearings

[romdj 26]

well it washes well and it lubricates too, but I add some lubricant gel for bearings afterwards...

[Vet88 674]

Lots of different ways. I know a speed skater who soaks them in petrol overnight, next day leaves them out for 1 hour them lubricates them with speed cream. I've used isopropol alcohol, mineral turps works just as well. I've heard of people using simple green and water but you need to be able to blow dry the bearings afterwards.

Don't do what one kid at our club did, he took out the inner frame and the balls from multiple bearings and mixed them all together in the cleaning fluid. He then discovered (and so did I to my surprise) that all the balls are different in size and he / me could not get them to fit back into the frames. Had to scrap the whole set of Mission Swiss bearings in the end. You can completely disassemble the bearing but be careful to make sure you keep the balls in the right order.

[kpeach122 0]

I can use same method for abec 7's right

[Vet88 674]

Abec rating doesn't matter, you can use these processes for any bearing. As an aside I prefer speed cream to oil when relubricating the bearing. I find that with oil and on a dirty rink the dirt just runs around in the bearing causing havoc, with speed cream the dirt gets trapped in the cream and gives you longer periods between cleans ie when your bearings start to rattle and stop. Downside is it requires more effort to remove and replace. Wash every few weeks versus wash every 2 months or so.

[wetwilly17 6]

well it washes well and it lubricates too, but I add some lubricant gel for bearings afterwards...

it will work well for washing, but it is way too thin to be a lubricant for bearings. just make sure your bearings have no traces of wd40 left before you put lubricant back in the bearings. one of the reasons wd40 is good for cleaning is because it dissolves grease...

[kpeach122 0]

Ok, thanks for the help. The XR5's are really nice skates btw if anyone was looking into buying them