Bearing Lube
 

What do you use?

I know bearing can be bought really cheap now, and replacing is easy, and I have plenty of spares, but I do like to give mine a clean, blow out the crud and give them a fresh lube.

Back in the day (20+ years ago) I used to use various RC specific lubes that went on as oil, which dried to leave a grease. There was also canned non-RC stuff that I used.

I've bought replacement bearings that appear to have a silicone type grease in them, when you remove the rubber seal, and others that look to be lubed with an oil.

I'd like to find out what others use or recommend?
3-in-1 oil, some kind of grease, some specific oil or grease, silicone, etc?

I prefer to leave them with the standard grease. Once you start flushing them out and oiling them they wear out pretty quickly. That's why I don't buy the expensively un-lubricated bearings!

I doubt any manufacturers are putting a silicone grease in there, it would be very draggy. Something like 3-in-1 or a specific bearing oil would be the easiest for you to use at home.

I normally use my bearing as they come out of the packet but after a wet or a very dusty day I tend to blast them with motor cleaner or WD40 to get the moisture or rubbish out and then I use Trinity Royal Oil to lubricate. The only trouble is it's a bit like rocking horse poo and difficult to get hold of but the container of it you get lasts for ages.

When mine runs out and if I can't get any more I'll probably use some sewing machine oil as I believe it's fairly similar stuff.

But what is the standard grease?

I imagine rubber sealed bearings (which all mine are) would use something that would not attack the rubber seals. e.g. silicone based.

Or is a lithium based grease which tends to be used in 1:1 cars and machine bearings?

Some new blue seal ABEC-3 kits I got from "hobbybearingstore" on ebay seamed to be lubed with a silicone looking grease when I removed the seal on a new one.

Other bearings I've seen for sale on the Internet, mostly metal shielded seem to be listed as lubricated with a light machine oil.

I've been leaving them, but wheel bearings do tend to get packed up with crud, and not much clean stock lube left. When you wash out the crud, you wash out the original lube, but in most cases have a perfectly functioning bearing once it lubed up again. I did have an AE kit bearing break a ball recently, which sounded rough. I removed the rubber seal, and washed out lots of crud and a piece of a ball bearing. I replaced it, but the bearing had been left with stock lube, and was only 3 months old. I imagine if I'd cleaned and lubed this earlier, it would have lasted longer.

I tend to squirt a drop of Hudy bearing oil. Easy to use and works well..

I use brake and clutch cleaner to clean the bearings as its a solvent and dries leaving zero residue then any bearing lube from your local model shop to re-lube them up

Buds

i've been told by someone who knows what he's on about to use LM2 grease.

Both my local shops have said run them factory lube, then replace the bearings when they are dirty. And I can understand why they have said that :-)
One place doesn't stock a bearing lube, and the other place is totally out of stock of the hudy bearings lubes they list.

I use a drop of Avid Slip bearing oil in bearings. Mine came from JE spares.

Zx1 i think its called i know schumacher used to have it only used 2 bottles in a long time

That's a general purpose Lithium based grease. I've a couple of tubes of that with a grease gun in my garage for my old rangerover. It's a bit thick, but a guess thinly applied it will keep them smooth, once run in.

I've just found some lithium spray grease with PTFE. Might be worth a try.

I might try some different greases and oils in some wheel bearings to compare.

This: http://www.team-zx1.com/Micro-Lube

http://www.team-zx1.com/shop_images/..._Microlube.jpg

I've seen that applicator stocked in a RC few places...

is it an oil, or an oil that leaves a grease residue?

I got mine from Je spares it's really good gear

For winter racing outdoors I sealed up my axle bearings with TF2, which seems to be a light grease...

http://www.oople.com/forums/showpost...&postcount=377

Probably a lithium grease.

another one for Trinity Royal Oil, last lot I got was from DMS, was a couple of years ago tho and still got loads left :o

To be honest, if the bearings gritty, the damage is already done and is only fit for the bin. I run my with what is in them, if they got rubber seals, I will pop the seals and soak in car cleaner which breaks down compacted dirt, then into break cleaner and then allowed to dry. Grease is then used to pack the bearing and I use white diff grease.

I have found it more economical to buy cheap bearings and replace as needed than buying expensive ones and not getting much more life.