De- and regrease Chinese linear bearings? How?

Hi,

I've splashed out on a few 8 and 12 mm linear bearings, simple LMxxUU stuff. Should I degrease those, are they packed with some concervasion stuff, and pack regrease with something else to make them run smooth and last (although the latter is relative)? I know I do on regular ball bearings I use for RC car racing, but these items are very different.

Cheers,

Hugo

Once I disassembled one LM8UU bearing and removed the balls. I tried to replace them with german quality balls, but the diameter was wrong.
I could've washed the parts and reassembled it. But finding the bad balls with flat spots on it, is not very practical. I replaced them with IGUS drylin bearings and never bothered about it ever since.

The stuff they are packed with is called "grease". It's probably all they will need for the next 5 years.

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Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

Alot of Chinese bearings and linear rails come coated in anti rust treatments for storage and transportation, not grease. You can tell because the rails bind and feel rough in their movement. In fact I'd go as far to say that most bad reviews of Chinese rails are from people who didn't clean them up first...

A heavy spray of WD40 in all the bearings works well, then slide it up and down a few times till it's smooth. Wipe away the excess WD40, let it dry and apply an appropriate lube. I use silicone or Teflon spray. It's not heavy stuff, it's quite light and is applied in a similar manner to WD40. You can also get grease versions of these. A little goes a long way and too much grease attracts dirt that ultimately wears down bearings rather then help them.

I've used high quality bike grease/lube in the past, it's often easier to come by and works in a pinch.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2017 01:27PM by Origamib.