Cleaning bearings
07-05-2006, 11:03 PM
#16
Brush off whatever external dirt you can (an old toothbrush works well for this) then blast the bearings with some motor spray, or if you really wanna get them clean, some brake cleaner (get the non-chlorinated kind if you can). Some people go through the trouble of taking off the metal shield, but I've done just fine with blasting them with the brake cleaner. You can also soak them in the cleaner (like in a glass jar) and then rinse them off with a couple more blasts of cleaner. Just be sure you don't get the brake cleaner anywhere near the plastic pieces of your car, because it might melt it.
After you've cleaned them off, let the fluid dry off completely and then re-lube the bearings with a light oil. A precision lube pen with a needle/syringe type tip works great for this. If you don't have any bearing oil, some Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil works great too.
Of course, you could also skip all this and just buy some new, rubber sealed ones at $1 each from Avid bearings that would stand up better to the dirt.
http://www.avidrc.com
After you've cleaned them off, let the fluid dry off completely and then re-lube the bearings with a light oil. A precision lube pen with a needle/syringe type tip works great for this. If you don't have any bearing oil, some Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil works great too.
Of course, you could also skip all this and just buy some new, rubber sealed ones at $1 each from Avid bearings that would stand up better to the dirt.
http://www.avidrc.com
07-05-2006, 11:45 PM
#17
you dry the car off with an air compressor and then give it a dusting of wd-40. This keeps it rust free.
07-06-2006, 02:28 AM
#19
if u got an old jewelry cleaner or u can use a fishtank pump that gives out bubbles ...strap a little container to the fish tank pump....
fill either the jewelery cleaner or the little container with metholated spirits/fuel/brake cleaner/dw40/rp7/wateva the hell u want except for oil or water,put a few peices of flyscreen at the bottom of the container....chuck in the bearings and fill up with the container with ur liquid......if u arnt in a hurry leave em in theyre for a few hours...if u are blast em with a liquid in a aerosol can to get the dirt off
fill either the jewelery cleaner or the little container with metholated spirits/fuel/brake cleaner/dw40/rp7/wateva the hell u want except for oil or water,put a few peices of flyscreen at the bottom of the container....chuck in the bearings and fill up with the container with ur liquid......if u arnt in a hurry leave em in theyre for a few hours...if u are blast em with a liquid in a aerosol can to get the dirt off
07-06-2006, 12:17 PM
#21
Originally Posted by pyro18t
SEE now that's what I'm talking about! great info guys. Can I use break cleaner on my teflon bearings? Is there a way that I can remove the teflon and then reinstal it once I'm done cleaning.
Jay
Jay
07-06-2006, 05:54 PM
#25
07-06-2006, 06:16 PM
#27
Tech Apprentice
avid is pretty good.
07-07-2006, 01:36 AM
#29
Go with the Avids and get the rubber sealed bearings for locations that will see heavy dirt exposure (i.e., drive hubs, etc.). They'll have a little more drag than the metal shielded ones, but will require little to no cleaning. Just brushing them off with a toothbrush should be fine.
Of course, if the bearing is in a sealed enclosure (i.e., the gearbox), then go ahead with the metal shielded ones, since there's less exposure to outside dirt.
Of course, if the bearing is in a sealed enclosure (i.e., the gearbox), then go ahead with the metal shielded ones, since there's less exposure to outside dirt.
