For you skaters out there, there's orders of magnitude more rotational friction from the rolling compression of your polyurethane wheels than there is in the viscous fluid movement of the grease in your bearings and the slight touch of the rubber seals. And that is smaller yet than the friction of the balls crushing silicates in the raceways as your really cool skate oil attracts dust and becomes a lapping compound. Your bearings will last a hundred times longer if you leave the grease in them. The friction is psychological. Unless your goal is to have the wheel that spins in the air longer than your buddies, save your bearings by keeping them packed with a lithium soap wheel bearing grease.

In my early years (1990's), I raced R/C buggies on an indoor dirt track. Pulling the plastic seals was the first thing we all did with a new set of bearings. We used W-40 to blow out most of the grease. Then we would fill an empty oil bottle with a needle tip. I would fill the bottle with Marvel Mystery Oil. It's a very light oil that gave just enough lubricant to make the bearings spin for minutes. At least for the entire length of this video. Of course this require cleaning and re-oiling every race, but that's what we had to do to cut that 10 seconds off our lap times. We also notice our electric motors batteries ran much cooler at the end of the race. It prolonged the life of both the motor and batteries.

Ok mechanical engineers, tell me how many years does a man have to crank that music box until that kind of a "ruined" bearing actually fails and music box stops working? A century...? ;D

I tried using simple green all purpose, but while it works to have it spin really well at the start, if I let it dry they tend to seize up. Any suggestions?

Rename to "How to make Fidget spinners spin faster/freely" and you'll go viral. No jokes, it's literally this easy.

How to completely fuckup any bearing 101.

You just saved me $25 and a trip to...wherever these can be purchased. I ordered 20 bearings from Amazon and my son said they weren’t spinning fast enough for his science project. Thank you!

You want to remove the grease from your skateboard bearings if they have any actually. You just need to replace that grease with a high-speed lubricant. I use liquid bearing or bones speed cream. Both are very quality thin lubricants. (liquid bearing is much cheaper though and its the same thing.) When it comes down to it. It's all about maintenance. After every ride on your longboard or skateboard, you want to wipe clean the outside of your bearings so less of a chance all that gunk will get inside of them. No matter what some will get inside though and that is why, depending on how many miles a month you put on your longboard you will want to open them up and clean them out. I put about 70 - 90 miles a month on my longboard on average. Sometimes much more if I have someone to go out cruising with. I ride every night. You can buy or make your own bearing cleaner kit. I make my own, it's easy, google it. I use 91% or higher isopropyl alcohol to rinse the bearings rather than water. And I highly recommend you do as well as you don't want to tarnish the track of your bearing its best you dont use water and if you must, use a hairdyer or a compressed air blower of some sort to dry them 100% And do it right away. Certain bearings use steel that is very high in carbon and will literally tarnish within minutes. Any sort of tarnish at all will slow you down ever so slightly and once the bearings start to tarnish the next thing from there is rust. If you do happen to go through water or get stuck in rain. Be sure to open up and either lube the crap out of and spin your bearings ASAP and clean / lube them soon as you have acess to what is needed to do so. Please do not stress too much over this though as in don't let it ruin your day, thinking your bearings are tarnishing. If you have been keeping up with matanince you should have more than enough lube in there to withstand repelling a little water for a short moment. And thankfully bearings are not too expensive these days. I remember for a good set of bearings you were looking at $70 bucks. You can get the best there is for 20 bucks and for 30 you can get the bearings with built in speed washers and spacers (Bones Red Race bearings is what I use) They are the best I have used so far. Don't fall for the swiss and ceramic nonsene they are made in china and even if they are swiss made, it doesn't make them spin faster or longer lol. The ceramic is coated in steel anyway... The only difference that would come from it is heat and trust me if you are skateboarding you are not even close to coming anywhere near max ABEC 7 heat tolerances. Let alone Abec 9 or even better Bones Reds that are made for skateboarding and dont even use the ABEC system as it doesn't apply to skateboard bearings. Also, don't use WD40. If that is all you have then sure it's better then water but the best thing you can do is use 91% or higher isopropyl alcohol. If it is anything less than 91% I wouldnt use it. With 91% or higher, you don't have to worry about tarnishing or blow-drying the bearings afterward as it wil all evaporate. And if you are going to use citrus cleaner (that is the usual stuff that comes with skateboard cleaning kits.) Be sure to immediately after taking them out of the citrus solution and shaking most of it off, rinse them in 91% alcohol. Because if that stuff is left on the bearings it can do the same damage as water if not more. If you have made it through this to the end of this comment, congratz I hope I could help you learn something. If you think I did well please give me an upvote. If you think I did poorly please comment as to why. I would like to learn from my mistakes and I would like to know if I am spreading the wrong infomation. Thank you!

Accidentally ordered the wrong kind of bearing and this helped me convert it into a free spinning like I needed, thanks! I didn't have any paint thinner, but a quick 2 second dunk into gasoline cleaned it up extremely well.

This is a fine example of doing what's appropriate for your intended use. Even without using graphite lubricant this is fine. You're not going to much affect the life of the bearings by using them in a virtually zero load low RPM demonstration motor. In fact, once you're done using them for that, you can re-pack them with grease, throw the sheilds back on, and they'd be good as new. And in terms of skateboards, the instant you land your first Ollie you've already done more damage to the bearings than I'm sure these would have in entirety of the time these were used in the motor.

Quick video on how I found I could make bearings spin much more freely by removing the grease. Good for electrostatic motors with light loads.

I grimaced so hard when you rinsed it out in water and then didn't add any oil back at all.. So much awfulness in just a few seconds.

Anything we can substitute for paint thinner? Would rubbing alcohol work?

Would this work when making a gravity racer/soap box . For a single race , not long distance

Thanks, this is just what I need. I've got a small toy that I've 3D printed and need less friction from a brand new bearing so that it'll spin freely for longer. It's not load bearing, won't see much use and I don't have to worry about dirt or water ingress. This worked perfectly. Thank you!

How to kill a perfect bearing. It needs breaking in by spinning. Just use a drill to do that...

If you want to rust out your bearings then definitely use this method.

wow tyam my skateboard didnt run well but when i did ur method wow it actually worked tysm

Does the paint thinner work cuz I bought some

if its exposed in a humid environment will it rust sooner or later

Here's what I did to clean my skateboard bearings when I skated.... bro they have bones bearing container.... take seals off... put in container... use citrus clesner... shake the crap out of it... open container pour cleaner out then put water in it... shake the piss out of it again to get the liquid to wash away all the guck whatever... than water is enemy to steel so... grab a blow dryer and literally blow dry all 8 bearings till there hot... than put seals back on they spun like crazy no oil or grease but that means u would have to this frequently cuz like the guy said metal on metal is not ideal for bearings but this was the method I chose and I had fun learning it this was like 10 years of trial and error than I watch a youtube video of some little kid like 17 or 18 telling how it's done like a master I first used gasoline just to say the least alright peace man

For in door hobbies that don't require high RPMs, dirt in the bearing is not an issue and the gritty sound it will soon obtain is not a problem , then GO FOR IT !

I always wanted to connect a music box to a regulated speed wind driven fan. Everyone loves wind chimes but I think it would be awesome to hear a melody when the wind blows. I bet you are the man that could do it.

as a longboard enthusiast for those using bearings for riding i would advise against using metal to touch the ball bearings, fashion something from plastic if you must, like a guitar pick cut in half but its not needed at all. also never run without the shields. paint thinner will work to remove, i like 50% rubbing alchohol because its more forgiving and let it dry fully before lubrication. Use a thin lubrication for longboards and do it every 150km or less. If you get them wet clean them asap because unlubed bearings get destroyed. Remember that how a bearing spins freely is not an indicator of how it performs under load, it will always appear to spin better before you add the lube but it wont perform better.

"Brake Parts Cleaner" will degrease them quickly in one shot without the risk of water exposure. Then lube with a graphite/moly blended dry lubricant.

Doing this is for better performance which compromise the longevity of the bearing. Do it according to correct functions

As a quick and dirty way to make a bearing quicker, this worked great.

This made my spinner go from a 15 second spin to a minute and 45 second spin. Thank you.

the best way to make a bearing spin faster: 1. take out the cover(seal) of the bearing 2.spray WD-40 on the bearing balls and try to spin it for a while to make the WD-40 spread on the grease 3.put the brearing into a container and put some alcohol and shake it for 1minute 4.put the bearing on a container again and put some hot water(not boiled water)and shake it for a minute again 5. get some towel,tissue, or hairdryer to make the bearing dry before it get rust and then your now ready to roll like a pro

Lool if u use your bearings to skate, then all you have to do is... Skate! After a little while they will start to free uo

Whither I buy these accessories for removing the protection shield and clean of my bearings? Thanks.

Then whats the least friction grease?

Good for DIY Fidget spinners...

if you want to win one skate race do it, he is right if you want your bearings to last for two years leave the bearings the way the manufacturer supplied them

I got a few questions. Everyone says water will rust them if i rinse under water but will they only rust if i domt use them for long times like if i use everyday they shouldnt rust right? Another question is i know bearings use grease so if i used this lube called speed cream just google it it comes stright up will this speed them up or slow them down ? Btw im using for a finger spinner

Great idea for the hip pocket of my brain.! May I suggest that a great way to frame it would be: "Adjusting Small Heavy Duty Bearings to Light, Free Spinning Applications" OK, I didn't say it would be a snappy title, just descriptive. Really liking your channel (brand new subscriber); a whole attic full of really cool junk (that's "junk" in the laudatory male tinkerer meaning).

Awesome video, I'd like to share some knowledge on this topic also. If you don't know who Gentry Stein is he's the Yoyo World champion and as you know, yoyo's are heavily reliant on insanely good bearings and some can even spin for 40 minutes. According to him, and the majority of the yoyo community, Lighter Fluid is the best way to clean a bearing. Pour some in a cup and shake for 15 seconds, or you can soak for 15 minutes. After that, put your bearing on a pencil (or whatever fits snug) and spin it out a few times or use a lighter and light the bearing which will instantly remove the lighter fluid remaining in the bearing. After cleaning the bearing with lighter fluid, put only 1-2 drops of thin yoyo lube on the bearing guard which will seep into the ball bearings then spin it a few times. Yoyo lube is designed for bearings that are constantly spinning at high speeds. The lube does not technically make it spin better/faster/or for longer durations, however, it does spin smoother and like greese it preserves the lifespan of the bearing and keeps it spinning as it should for longer use before wearing down. Hope that helps too! 👍

This video is brought to you by the wheel bearings industry, hoping you will need to buy new ones.

is there a specific name for these skate board bearings? and by any chance are their magnetically levitated ones, that have zero friction? probably not for skateboard use.

awesome and simple tutorial vid! great job!

If u want your bearing to run in short term then applied this method

What about when you put the shields back on ,;?

Thanks this was the only thing I needed

amazing and informative as always!

A drop of marvel mystery oil goes a long way 😉

It's 100% working. My spinner's time, Before-22 seconds After-132 seconds I am so happy Please do this must👍👍👍👍

Nice video

You are a cool guy and thanks for this video 👍

Little did he know, fidget spinners are gonna exist later on..

You can do this and still have the bearings by using a thin high quality oil. Like a fully synthetic 0W30 or a 5W30. The oil gives you free movement and still keeps the bearing balls lubricated. The seal removal depends upon conditions of use. If the environment you are using the bearings in is dusty or unclean for any reason, you'll be better off replacing grease with a synthetic oil and put the seals back on. But if the bearings are inside an enclosure where almost no dust or other particles get in and the bearings aren't going to be running high rpm, then you can live with the seals removed. For example, if the enclosure's air inlet and outlet ports have filters on them.

u can cut that inner flexible lip of the seal off n put that back on so it has some kind of protection n looks a little cleaner if u want that look

can I take off the wd-40 by using rubbing alcohol?

new title : How to make fidget spinner spin more.

Wd40 is not a lubricant, its never invented as one.

how do you add links to your other videos in the end?? Thanks

definetly going to try this tomorrow!

water？wow

Hair clipper oil literally makes a bearing spin out of heavens gate! I use it a lot in my gyroscope fidget bearings and they spin so fast and flawless! One time I spun a fidget after relubricating it's bearings and it literally spun for a full 4-5 minutes and I was super shocked!

Suggest shooting a bit of dry PTFE lubricant into them. I've got some by Ballistol that's an ether based spray, the liquid evaporates very quickly and the part is left with a thin coat of dry PTFE flakes. Other dry lubricant is graphite, but it's not nearly as slippery and is nasty to work with for the kinds of projects you're after.

what can I use other paint thinner

Of course this video went viral around the time of spinners.

Use sewing machine oil to relubricate.

Follow up - I did indeed clean the grease out of the MANY bearings in my invention and YOU DID save my invention! The bearings are spinning like crazy and I couldn't be happier! The only thing I'm confused about is that many people here said that WD-40 is NOT a lubricant, but it says right there on the can that it is. It specifically says "LUBRICATES moving parts such as: Hinges, Wheels, Rollers, Chains, gears". One of the comments here said they follow up by re-lubricating with sewing machine oil. But I opted to just follow your tutorial and not add any kind of additional lubricant because I had so many bearings that it took a long time to clean out all of them and so I didn't want to add anything before seeing if it might be needed. As it stands now, I see no need for any lubrication, so I'm leaving it as-is. I do have bicycle type chains involved in this thing and I might try using this for them too. Again - Thank You!!!

i have abec 1 bearings, how go i open them

disc brake cleaner to remove grease and clean ...ATF 2 drops per one on each side .done

Oil ok?

Thanks this helped a lot. Time to make the fidget spinner

would gun oil work as a lubricant?

goddamn, i just watched this video and went on to read some comments, people really miss the point of this video its not to make a bearing "better" or "more effective", this is purely for slow speed smoothness and performance, hence the goal of low friction". its a decent way to reuse besring for DIY but goddamn people, give this man a break

Thank you ~ I need this for make my fidget >,< I only got very slow spin bearing

WOW you are the wheel inventor!

so how about using a thin lubricant? like that made for locks?

Bearing size number ???

You can use dry lubricant instead of grease

We used to clear out bearings and just lube them very lightly with very thin oil in 1/10 touring car racing, it gave a quite a bit

Good to know! Thank you sharing!

Once the bearing is clean, try adding a few drops of mineral oil.

I've been in the bearing business for 25 years. First, that is a radial ball bearing not a roller bearing. You are making it a "free spin" by taking out any grease and replacing it with oil. Just because it doesn't spin freely doesn't mean it won't perform excellent. If you're a skateboarder and think an ABEC rating will make you faster that's really not the case. The bearing is higher precision and can go faster in let's say a high speed tool but once your board hits the pavement hard there goes any precision.

Yes it dose work I have seen it with pulleys they run much soother .

I believe you may have just saved my invention!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't ever use water on a bearing. Clean the F'n things when shields removed with gasoline and a toothbrush.... let air dry in the sun or forced hot air......and then regrease to about 2/3's quality grease ... and then replace shields.

I removed the seals and grease from my car's axles to drive faster while getting better gas mileage.

Acetone can be used to remove grease too

Can you use any paint thinner brand or only use this brand

That's a ball bearing....not a roller bearing

That's actually a ball bearing not a roller bearing

Thank you! I used this method to clean my skateboard bearings. It works great

OMG it actually works. Brilliant solution. Great channel. Keep up the good work:)

I thought getting the bearings wet make them rusty

you... you put the bearing in water???

RimstarOrg what can i use instead of paint thinner ?

Hey I just cleaned my skateboard bearings and lubricated them with oil and they are much slower any help?

Wd 40 consists mainly of kerosine. It was invented for Water Displacement hence the name. It is a terrible lubricant.

Wd-40 is not a lubricant that lasts. It dries up. Great short term, and cleans them pretty good though. Do this, but give them a drop of bones speed cream. You can get it for about $10 at a skate shop You can also clean them with windex fairly well, and hit them with speed cream. 3 in 1 oil also works pretty good

I use powered graphite in my bearings, in my skateboard wheels. Works awesome

hey there please help me out will you..?i kinda used acetone to clean my spinner bearing and what i think may have happened is that the acetone was of low quality and when it evaporated it kinda left a white substance among the balls of the bearing.now its almost stuck and not spinning..please tell me how to undo this..?i already tried scratching out the substance with a safety pin..but didnt work

Holy moly the hate haha. If you watched the video through he outlines usage scenarios.

Now I can fix my fidget spinner thanks : D

You can clean the grease out with brake cleaner. I would do it outside though as the stuff is stinky. You don't need to rinse after using brake cleaner.

This is a great method to make fidget spinners. Of course it is not for other heavy use.