Dirt and small stones in the road can slow down your skateboard bearing. You need to regularly maintain skateboard bearing. If your skateboard wheels are slowing down, it’s time to oil the bearings.
What do you do when there is no skateboard-bearing lubricant? Don’t worry, you can find alternative lubricants. What are the best skateboard-bearing lubricant alternatives? We will share with you the best solution in this article!
What are the best skateboard-bearing lube alternatives?
If you don’t have a skateboard bearing lubricant, here are the best alternative lubricants for you:
- Motor Oil
- Triflow Lubricant
- Lithium grease
- Vegetable Oil
- PAM Cooking Spray
It’s not hard to find these lubricants, even in your kitchen. They all have the same effect as skateboard-bearing lubricants. However, they are easier to find.
Motor Oil
The first recommendation is engine oil. You can find them at auto repair garages or bottles of engine oil you have.
It lubricates the bearing and protects it from some bad effects
Any engine oil that has an expiration date can be used on your skateboard. They are essentially the same substance as the skateboard-bearing lubricant. They can lubricate the bearing and protect it from some bad effects.
Triflow Lubricant
Triflow Lubricant is a good alternative. It is a synthetic product based on Teflon and is light oil.
TriFlow has a good anti-rust ability, reducing friction
This oil spreads easily and thoroughly lubricates bearings with the first few drops. More specifically, TriFlow also has a good anti-rust ability, reducing friction. In addition to making skateboard bearing more efficient. It can also protect bearings for a long time.
Lithium grease
Lithium is a fantastic product! It can be considered as the best alternative lubricant.
Experts recommend that using grease as a lubricant is better than oil. It reduces dust accumulation and better grips the bearings.
Lithium grease is an alternative lubricant that can protect skateboard bearing
Lithium grease is used for metal and plastic contact surface lubrication applications. It has good heat resistance, about 130 degrees Celsius.
Lithium grease is an alternative lubricant that can perfectly protect your skateboard bearing.
Vegetable Oil
The vegetable oils used in your dishes can also serve as alternative lubricants. It’s actually quite effective. You can use many different oils such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, etc.
Can use many different oils to alternative lubricants
Limit the use of olive oil. Olive oil is not the perfect choice as a lubricant for skateboard bearing. Due to some unique characteristics, it is not really good.
However, if you have no other choice. You should still use a little olive oil. Better to have lubricant than let the skateboard bearing dry out. It will require you to replace the bearing with a new one.
PAM Cooking Spray
PAM Cooking Spray is a fun alternative. This spray cooking oil can really help you lubricate your bearing. Instead of having to find a way to put lubricant in the bearings. You just spray on them.
This is a good replacement bearing lubricant. If you do not own some of the above substances. You can use this cooking spray!
In addition to using the alternative products that I specified above. You can also try with some of the following lubricants: Vaseline, 3-in-1 oil, sewing machine oil,…
Note: You need to pay special attention. WD40 must not be used as a skateboard bearing lubricant. WD40 is a solvent, it is very corrosive. If you put it on your bearings, it will dry out the bearings and draw more dust into them. Never use WD40 as a lubricant!
How do lubricate your bearings?
Once you have found suitable replacement lubricants you should proceed to lubricate your bearings. Follow these simple steps to lubricate skateboard bearing:
Step 1: Peel off the shields
To really get rid of the dirt present in the bearings you need to clean the inside. Pry the shields off with your razor blade or tool.
Step 2: Soak the bearings in alcohol or acetone for 20 to 30 minutes
You should use alcohol with a high concentration, usually above 90%. It is recommended to soak for at least 20 minutes to completely remove impurities. Let the bearings soak for as long as possible.
To soak for at least 20 minutes to completely remove impurities
Some people use gasoline or kerosene for soaking. What I mean is it’s too dangerous. It is easy to catch fire and affect your health. If the bearing is heavily rusted, you should use gasoline.
Step 3: Clean the bearing with a rag or pointed clip.
After soaking the skateboard bearing with chemicals to separate the dirt. You should use a soft rag or cotton swab to clean the inside of the bearing.
Often the old oil stains will thicken after a period of use. Use a cotton swab or light rag to remove the oil stain.
Small stones or dirt can get inside the bearings. A clip with a sharp tip will make it easier to remove them. You should do the whole process gently.
Step 4: Apply lubricant and reattach the shield
After cleaning and drying the bearings. Use a lubricant or an alternative lubricant evenly spread throughout the bearing.
You should apply lubricant or lubricant or replace it evenly throughout every corner of the bearing. The uneven application will cause the bearings to operate inefficiently.
You should use a moderate amount of lubricant. Using too much lubricant on bearings is counterproductive. It can suck more dirt into the bearings.
After ensuring thorough lubrication, attach the plates firmly.
Why do you need to clean bearings and lubricate them regularly?
Any device will work better when it’s clean. Especially your skateboard bearing. Bearings are the part of the skateboard that is closest to the ground. So you can skate in any place or position. Dirt and dust are also very easy to attach to the inside of the bearing.
Many people think that is normal. But not! Dirt in skateboard bearing will cause a lot of harm.
Avoid direct friction between metals
Cleaning and lubricating bearings with a lubricant will reduce friction. Especially the direct friction between metals.
The material that makes the bearings is metal, direct friction metals easily increase the temperature. And they can be abrasive to each other.
Cleaning and lubricating bearings with a lubricant will reduce friction
Moreover, the metal when the friction will make the bearings difficult to move. They often cause entrapment and non-displacement.
Lubricants act as mediators. It reduces direct friction and lowers the temperature.
Prevents wear and prevents rust
During operation, bearings may be exposed to rainwater. Strongly acidic rainwater can rust metals. When you clean and use lubricants for bearings. They will eliminate the risk of rust caused by rainwater. Lubricants act as a protective layer to keep bearings operating safely.
Avoid damage to bearings
Of course, cleaning and lubricating keep the bearings well-moisturized. It is not too dry for continuous operation. Dry bearings are easy to cause breakage or jamming of bearings.
When you are moving on a skateboard, a broken bearing will be extremely dangerous. It is difficult to handle such unexpected situations. To be on the safe side, you should clean and lubricate your skateboard bearing regularly.
Cleaning and lubricating keeps the bearings well-moisturized
When the bearings fail, you will also have to spend some money to replace the new bearings. Instead of having to spend money constantly replacing bearings, you should regularly take care of them. Cleaning and lubricating bearings help you extend their service life.
Make the skateboard work more efficiently
Cleaning and lubricating bearings will help your skateboard run more efficiently. Bearings have a direct effect on the speed of the skateboard. You can clearly notice this when you are just replacing the bearings or after cleaning and lubricating the bearings.
Best tips for you to maintain your bearing
Maintaining a good bearing will help you reduce the frequency of cleaning and replacing skateboard bearing. The jobs seem very small but bring many benefits. Try to do the following to get a better skateboard bearing.
Keep your bearing clean
To keep skateboard bearing clean, you should move in places with less dust. You should avoid moving through puddles or limit skateboarding in the rain. Water contains many impurities, which can rust your skateboard bearing.
If the bearing has too much dirt inside. Regular friction will wear out your bearings.
Keeping the bearing clean prevents it from rust and wear.
Regularly clean bearing and use lubricants
Cleaning skateboard bearing eliminates risks such as war, the appearance of rust, etc. Almost all risks of damage to the bearing will not appear.
The bearing will not dry out if you regularly lubricate it. The lubricant acts as an outer protective layer. It prevents friction and rainwater from touching the metal surface.
Limit the use of strong corrosive solvents for cleaning
Bearing cleaning is an important step. The cleaner the better for the bearing. But too strong cleaners like WD 40 will harm the bearing.
Strong cleaners like WD 40 will harm the bearing
It causes the bearing to be too dry and easily wears out the bearing. You should use mild detergents for skateboard bearing.
When using these substances, you should wear gloves and a mask to ensure safety.
Do not add oil to the dirty bearing
Some people who are lazy to clean will put lubricant directly into the bearing. This will do a lot of damage to the skateboard bearing. They will cause dirt to sink deeper into the bearing.
At first, you will find this very effective. These lubricants are actually diffusing dirt in your bearings. What you should do is clean the field bearings when using lubricants.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it necessary to clean the bearing before applying lubricant?
Be sure to clean the bearings before applying lubricant. Over a period of use, the inside of the bearing will have a lot of dirt. Cleaning helps the bearing perform better. And the effectiveness of the lubricant will also maximize its effect.
If you do not clean the bearings, even if you lubricate them regularly, the bearing will still fail.
2. How often should I lubricate my skateboard bearing?
Depending on the distance you go, the environment you often use the skateboard, the ball is lubricated. The actual lubrication process is the cleaning process of the bearing. Make it work better and need less replacement. You should lubricate and clean the skateboard bearing regularly.
3. Why should we use bearing lubricant?
Bearing lubricants has a huge effect. It helps your wheels work better. Protect bearings from dirt and rust. Without lubricants, bearings will dry out and break easily. At this point, you will be in danger and have to replace the bearing with a new one.
4. In the process of cleaning the skateboard bearing I lost a ball. Should I continue using it?
If you have lost a ball in skateboard bearing. Replace your bearing completely. When a bearing is missing a part, it is no longer complete and safe. Replacing a new bearing will be good for both you and the skateboard.
5. Can I use WD40 as a lubricant on the skateboard bearing?
The answer is no! Never do that! WD40 is a degreaser; they are not grease-like substances. In addition, WD40 is not suitable for skateboard bearings.
Many people use WD40 to clean old grease in the bearing. It works very well. Because the manufacturer formulated it to remove rust and grease. However, it is not for your bearing.
WD40’s strong detergent and corrosion will dry the bearings continuously. In the early stages of use, you will find it produces a good response. You clean bearing with it more effectively than with other cleaners. But after a while, it will dry out the bearings more.
The results will not be very good when you have to change the bearings constantly. It will definitely cost you a lot of money. Trust me because I did!
6. While cleaning the skateboard bearing, I accidentally bent the shield. Can I continue to use bearing? What can I do?
I’m sorry for you! For the bearings to work the shields must be flat. A curved shield will render the bearing inefficient. The bearing will roll rough and the sealing ring is not good.
The best thing you can do is replace the bearing with a new one. It will be more effective for both you and the skateboard. Otherwise, you can run the bearing with an outer shield. The inside of the bearing will not be shielded. The effect that it brings will not be high.
7. Should I buy an expensive skateboard bearing?
This is a question that a lot of people want to know the answer to. Whether you should buy expensive bearing or not depends on your financial capabilities.
In fact, expensive bearings always have their own advantages. When you have to spend more money on something. It can bring more benefits to you.
However, there are also many cases where expensive bearings do not bring the expected results. You need to find out before spending a large amount of money on skateboard bearing. Before buying, determine its features, materials, and effectiveness.
Many people are afraid to spend a lot of money buying expensive bearings because we still have to regularly change skateboard bearings. Even though skateboard bearing is expensive, it can’t be used until the skateboard breaks down.
If you have financial conditions and often move in flat locations. For example, a park or a clean location. An expensive bearing can last a long time and give you a great experience.
Sometimes cheap bearings are not bad. They can also be of great value!
8. Can I use coconut oil as my skateboard-bearing lubricant?
Yes! You can use coconut oil as a skateboard-bearing lubricant. It works very well and is often the preferred substitute for many.
9. I broke the cage while cleaning the skateboard bearing. Can I run my bearing without the cage?
No! Please don’t try. You should replace it with a new skateboard bearing. Bearings without cages cannot work. If you still try to use them, they will cause many dangers to you.
10. I don’t have time to clean my bearing. Is there a lubricant that will help me lubricate my bearing quickly?
If you are too lazy to perform the bearing cleaning step. You can directly lubricate it.
Regularly apply a few drops of bearing lube to your bearing. It helps your skateboard bearings run faster and not rust.
However, it will not remove any dirt present in the bearing. Over time, your bearing will wear out and become unusable.
I recommend spending some time cleaning the bearings. They will help your skateboard bearings work more efficiently and last longer.
What can I use to lubricate my skateboard bearings?
You can use skateboard bearing lubricants such as Speed Cream or Bones Speed Cream to lubricate your skateboard bearings.
Can I use Vaseline on my skateboard bearings?
It is not recommended to use Vaseline on skateboard bearings as it is too thick and can attract dirt and debris.
Is cooking oil good for skateboard bearings?
No, cooking oil is not recommended for skateboard bearings as it can break down quickly and attract dirt.
Can I use olive oil on skateboard bearings?
Olive oil is not recommended for skateboard bearings as it can become sticky and attract dirt, affecting the performance of the bearings.
Can you use WD40 on skate bearings?
No, WD40 is not recommended for skateboard bearings as it is a degreaser and can remove the lubrication necessary for smooth operation.
Is rubbing alcohol good for skateboard bearings?
Rubbing alcohol can be used to clean skateboard bearings. However, it is not a lubricant and should not be used as a substitute for proper bearing lubrication.
Can I use 70% alcohol to clean bearings?
Yes, 70% isopropyl alcohol can be used to clean skateboard bearings effectively. It helps remove dirt and grime from the bearings.
Can you clean bearings with soapy water?
Cleaning bearings with soapy water is not recommended as water can cause rust and damage to the bearings. It is best to use a proper bearing cleaner or isopropyl alcohol for cleaning.
What is the best cleaner for bearings?
There are various bearing cleaners available on the market specifically designed for cleaning skateboard bearings. These cleaners are formulated to remove dirt, debris, and old lubricant effectively. It is recommended to use a dedicated bearing cleaner for optimal results.
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Conclusion
Lubricant is an effective skateboard bearing protector. However, without skateboard bearing lubricant. You can use the skateboard-bearing lube alternatives we recommend. They are equally effective as specialized lubricants. Hopefully, our sharing will bring you good skateboard bearings.
