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Cleanings Race Bearings

There are a lot of ways to clean a bearing, from the ‘shake them in a bottle of ’ treatment, to ‘boiling in a pot of water on the stove top’ - I kid you not, I’ve known it to be done. When it comes down to it, particularly for the pro skater, how you clean your bearings is very much a personal preference. At the end of the day, you’re going to skate them again (or maybe for the first time, if you’re a pre-cleaning fan) - so if you’re relying on your bearings to get you over the finish line first, you want the peace of mind that comes from loving the result when you clean your bearings your way.

Wish list

A wish list of gear for the cleanest bearing? For me, it’d definitely include some BSB Citrus Bearing Cleaner solution, a sonic-type cleaner, some newspaper, an air compressor, and SKF Speed Oil. Why? I’ve tried a lot of different solutions for cleaning bearings, and the one that stood out most and continually impressed me with its results was BSB Citrus cleaner. BSB is a clear, sweet-smelling citrus solution, available on it’s own or as part of a cleaning kit. These kits consist of a container with a packet fitted inside to hold your bearings and filled with Citrus cleaner. 

Cleaning in solution

A lot of time can be spent shaking, teasing and agitating the dirt out of your bearings. It can be painstaking to repeat clean individual bearings waiting for just the right result when the bearing is dried and spun. What gets that result? I’ve heard sonic cleaners do an excellent job in terms of thoroughness, efficiency, but not everyone has one of these at home, so in it absents, I recommend using BSB Speed wash. I’ve used BSB’s Speed Wash for some time now with great results. The reservoir is filled with cleaning solution and a mesh-bottomed basket placed into it, with your bearings inside, you then shake this for a few minutes then take out the clean bearings. Please note it is essential to have one side of your bearing open to the cleaning fluid. If you have shields on both sides of your bearings one must be removed prier to washing.

Unloading

So, you’ve taken the bearings out of your cleaner. When you set the bearings down, at any stage in your cleaning, you don’t want them to pick up new contaminants - so try not to use cloths, rags, or towels. A few sheets of newspaper are absorbent, provide a level surface to work on, and most importantly show you what comes out of the bearing. Tap your bearings face down on the newspaper a couple of times to shake out solution.

Drying… with more

Once cleaned in solution, a stream of air directed into the bearing, is perhaps the best way I’ve seen to dry race bearings - blowing out excess solution and most importantly - any remaining grit along with it. Air compressors are fantastic for this, but not always cheap or practical. They do save time and effort, and give great results. If you do use a compressor, don’t use too high a pressure on the bearing, particularly those with removable retainers - you can blow the balls right out of the bearing. In the absence of a compressor you can just leave your bearings in a safe spot to allow the citrus cleaner to dry. Once clean and dry the bearing should free spin freely without any noises, and is then ready for your favourite race oil.

Lubricating

When they’re all dry, get your oil in. Some people may like greases or ‘speed creams’, but for racing, be wary of anything that can leave a solid residue in your bearings. Examine the condition of a lube once you’ve used the bearing a few times, or once it seems to ‘run dry’ - some lubes that were great on application are now a mess that clogs up the bearing. How much oil? Personal preference there too. Maybe minimal for strictly racing, a little more for a training set that will go awhile before it’s next clean. A little less for just indoor skating, a little more for outdoor - the conditions go on, and it really depends on the oil, and what you want out of it. Test oils at practice - you’ll find what lets your bearings spin fast, survives a lot of skating, tolerates the heat, etc. - and know how much to use. I like SKF Speed lub. It’s Durable and fast, and if I’ve prepared a set of bearings strictly for a racing, I’ll give them 1 or 2 drop each of Speed Lube after a good clean is citrus cleaner.

World-class bearings

What bearings would I take into battle for the biggest races on the calendar? They’d be Bont’s new Jesa Ceramics or SKF’s Speedracer/ Speedskater, run in for a few kilometers, then cleaned in citrus solution and oiled.

Neil Jesberg
Bayside Blades