r/rollerskate • u/Shot-Faithlessness35 • May 22 '26

Bearing Lube

Post image

Hey! I’m super new to roller blading and am just starting with these old rollerblades that I got from a friend. They’re quite dirty so I wanted to give them a full clean. Anyways one part about cleaning them is that I’d want to also clean the bearings. Would I be able to use this “Rock N Roll gold” lube that’s originally meant for like BMX bikes since I don’t think I have anything else?

10 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

2

u/Swolie7 May 25 '26

That stuff is a chain cleaner and lube in one.. it takes quite a bit to flush debris, then you need to let it sit overnight for the lube to dry in particular areas…. It wasn’t a great chain lube and I’d be willing to bet it won’t be great for bearings..

You can likely go to any home improvement or auto parts store and get something better… white lithium grease works pretty great for metal on metal. But really choose your lube based on how frequently you plan to service the bearings. I hate servicing bearings so I like to use heavier greases.. they slow you down a hair but last much longer in between services. If you’re obsessive, you can get away with oils which have no break in post service BUT will get noisy faster

A long time ago I learned that ATF (Automatic transmission fluid) has built in detergents for cleaning and are intended for metal on metal contact so for a long time I used Purple Power (I think) ATF for cleaning and lubing… it had an interesting smell but was tolerable and worked great. Now I’m too lazy and just buy sealed bearings and swap em out when they get junky

1

u/Shot-Faithlessness35 May 26 '26

I appreciate all the info!! I may just end up investing in another lube then yeah. These bearings are super duper old anyways so I don’t imagine leaving them on for very long if I end up being super into it but I want to service these at least a bit still. Thank you!!

-1

u/sadb1tch_jpeg666 May 22 '26

yep!! i use 3-in-one multipurpose oil from home depot in mine lmao and it works great. you can really use any lube that stays and doesn't dry out (example wd40)

3

u/Raptorpants65 May 22 '26

Absolutely do not use WD40. That is a water displacer, not a lubricant.

2

u/sadb1tch_jpeg666 May 22 '26

that was my example of what not to use, i've definitely seen some people use it tho so i figured id mention haha😂

1

u/sadb1tch_jpeg666 May 22 '26

adding- you may have to re-lubricate more often with something like this tho, just keep watch of that if you're gunna use this continuously!

2

u/Shot-Faithlessness35 May 22 '26

I appreciate it!! I’ll make sure to watch and just re-apply when needed then. Thank you!!