Cleaning Ceramic Bearings

[trikesrule]

Who or what is the best way to clean Ceramic Skate Bearings for my Street Luge. I've been told to use Pure Alcohol but I haven't found anyone that can sell it to me. They look at me sideways with a smirk when I ask for it..........trikes

[phoenix]

Originally Posted by trikesrule

Who or what is the best way to clean Ceramic Skate Bearings for my Street Luge. I've been told to use Pure Alcohol but I haven't found anyone that can sell it to me. They look at me sideways with a smirk when I ask for it..........trikes

You could try:

Methylated Spirit (de-natured ethyl alcohol from any hardware store)
Rubbing Alcohol (Chemists/pharmacy)
Isopropyl Alcohol (used by litho printers)

Isopropyl is used in the fibre optics and electronic industries for cleaning - so is probably the best of the above.

Or maybe vodka!

[trikesrule]

I heard there is a Vodka that is 95% proof. Man might have to share a nip of that with the bearings on a cold night. Hic. ........trikes

[coln72]

Off topic Trikes, but how did you find the ceramic bearings? I'm looking at these for my new HPV this year (along with an alloy frame) and would like some info on them.

Back on topic, become friendly with your local schools lab tech they seem to have access to all sorts of good stuff.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by trikesrule

Who or what is the best way to clean Ceramic Skate Bearings for my Street Luge. I've been told to use Pure Alcohol but I haven't found anyone that can sell it to me. They look at me sideways with a smirk when I ask for it..........trikes

Hey trikes, my wife used to work for a firm that sold pure alcohol and she would make up a party punch with it !! Christ that was powerful, I recon it was as good as any octane boost. I read some years later that it can kill you. It never affected me---- now what was I doing

[terence]

Originally Posted by trikesrule

I heard there is a Vodka that is 95% proof. Man might have to share a nip of that with the bearings on a cold night. Hic. ........trikes

Venture into the local Pole community,the 95% is a little too tame for them,they have a 98% Vodka type drink!!

[trikesrule]

98% Jeepers!!! Gordo sounds like the wife makes a killer punch. VXB have a large selection Coln. I get mine off of Ebay usually. How do I find them? One word that comes to mind is FAST!!! Faster than steel balls. Just a tad bit more expensive (about 3-5 times the price of steel) though but they last longer accerate faster don't rust and don't get hot. Ordinarilly I wouldn't run ceramics except to run with the big boys in the World Cup Street Luge class I have to use them to keep up. Ceramics are 4%+ faster than steel balls.........trikes

[Mr.Jingles]

Originally Posted by coln72

Off topic Trikes, but how did you find the ceramic bearings? I'm looking at these for my new HPV this year (along with an alloy frame) and would like some info on them.

I've heard there is a job lot available from some British Formula Ford teams....

[Oldskool]

Kero or Shellite, work well

[phoenix]

Originally Posted by Oldskool

Kero or Shellite, work well

Shellite is petroleum based - mainly a paraffin/kerosene type liquid.

I would expect this to leave more residue than alcohol.

Is 'Kero' kerosine? If it is, that too will likely leave more residue than alcohol

It may be that any such residue would not cause any problems with these bearings.

[trikesrule]

Shellite and Kero both leave residues. Thats why I was wondering about Alcohol. I've used Acetone in the past with reasonable results but the US guys say to use pure alcohol. I haven't found any 98% yet but I'm still looking. Have a lead on a school here that makes their own as part of a school project. I'll be on the look out for dopy or passed out kids! ........trikes

[phoenix]

Try this.....

http://www.intertronics.co.uk/products/ctec1610.htm

it's 99% pure and anhydrous (nil water content)

You could also use brake cleaner

[Speedy1]

98% isopropyl is available at the local drug store / pharmacy
Bocabearings.com for the bearings

[Notso Swift]

Going back "Proof" alcohol is only half actual content
100% Pure is 200% proof

Anyway Trikes why not use them all the time, i have done 10,000k on my mine with no wear to speak of

[coln72]

That just answered another of my doubts about these bearings: their durability. If I can find some in the size I require I just might give them a go.

[Notso Swift]

Mine is a conventional bicycle, but I do weigh 95 kg, and the roads are variable, though bituman.
There are 2 bearings in the front and 3 in the rear hub, you can also get them for the cranks, but I do not have them.
They are definately faster, i am always on the brakes down rolling down hills, yes I have an advantage of weight helping momentum, but I am comparing before and after

[coln72]

Over a 24 hour race they will be advantageous, not so much in outright speed (in a straight line we are one of the quickest on the track) but in the effort required to maintain the lap times.

Just a matter of finding out if the bearings we use in our front hubs (drum braked) are the same as a standard bike's front hub .

[bludvl_x19]

Especially up that back straight, eh coln? I always found that a killer, one of the reasons that I hated the Marybourgh track, I could never get into a rythym.

Mick

[coln72]

Local knowlegde helps heaps

[bludvl_x19]

It wouldn't take much to ensure that there are no cars on certain parts of the track at certain times, making for some safe runs
Have your guys been to Murray Bridge?

(sorry to the OP for the hijack )

Mick

[Notso Swift]

Originally Posted by coln72

Just a matter of finding out if the bearings we use in our front hubs (drum braked) are the same as a standard bike's front hub .

YOu can either buy cartrige type or straight balls, if you have a cup and cone arrangement.
Most race wheels use cartriges these days (more's the pity, cheap asre manufactures, worse to service later) but if you have drums it is probably heavy duty, which means easily rebuildable, which means conventional cup and cone
Check e-bay

[coln72]

Nothing heavy duty about the front hubs. They run standard, replaceable bearings (guess what you called cartridge type) not abll and cone. We are running a truike, so the front end is nothing like a standard bike:
16" front rims which slip over an axle and are held on with one nut (sorta like a car front hub). We use the top style in the pic.

[trikesrule]

You should be able to get ceramics or hybrids straight off the shelf to fit those axles. VXB will have those. I just tested a new set of VXB' in my Street Luge. All good and a little bit quicker than the Hybrids. I train on the hybrids and race on full Silicone Nitrides (black ball and races). The white aren't as durable or as fast but they are cheaper (how bad do you want to win?). VXB finally sent me instructions on how to clean. Lift the seals (I always take the inner seal off)(don't take them right off as they go out shape) and stick the nozzle in there. Give them a blast with Citrus Spray if filthy. Dry with compressed air then a little spray of Tri-flow Aerosol will relube the ceramic balls. My next lot of bearings will have removable (non-touching) shields so I can see what I'm doing rather checking the colour of the crud running out under the seal. PS Alcohol not needed except for after..........trikes

[trikesrule]

Hey Coln you mentioned about the effort needed to maintain your speed. With my billycarts I look at two things to maintain speed 1 Momentum and Inertia (accelerative) building ability of the wheel(s). 2 The tyre slip angles. I guess the riders leg / leverage position is ultra important too. Recently there was a HPV race here in Hobart. It was already underway when I walked in. Next moment someones yelling out for me to come over. Fixed their broken CF holding the steering column. Interesting machines. If I had time I'm sure I could build more efficient machines than most of what was out there. Next time I'm in Vic or going thru there we should get together...........trikes

[Notso Swift]

Ahh greenspeed
I would be suprised if guys in Rowville couldn't point you in the right direction, give to the exact size and a couple of people who have done it before, I hear they are customer frendly.