Discover the oil, grease, and lube for your RC car’s ball bearing. Learn maintenance tips and find the right lubricant for optimal performance.
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| List | Notes |
|---|---|
| Oils | Best Oils for RC Ball Bearing – Liberty Oil RC – Tri-Flow Superior Lubricant |
| Greases | Best Greases for RC Ball Bearing – Cow RC Udder Butter – ProTek RC Premier Blue – Mobil 1 Synthetic |
| Cleaning | For Cleaning the bearing before adding oil – Brake Cleaner (WD-40 will also work but only use it as a cleaner) |
| Tips | When you are done reinstalling your bearings, lightly coat using a “dry” silicone lubricant spray (like MOO-Slick silicone spray) on the outside of the bearing, this will help stop dirt and water from getting in. Note: MOO-Slick silicone spray can be used on the whole car to repel dirt and water. |
Grease vs Oil for RC Bearings
Oil may offer better performance for high-speed applications but requires more frequent application. Grease provides less maintenance as it stays in place longer and a better protection barrier between metal components (also better in higher temp) but it may not offer the same level of performance in high-speed scenarios.
- Our Reconamadation – Genareal any light synthetic grease will give you the best balance between speed and longevity but if you need more performance oil is what most racers use.
- Our Oil Picks – Liberty Oil RC – Tri-Flow Superior Lubricant
- Our Grease Picks – Cow RC Udder Butter – ProTek RC Premier Blue – Mobil 1 Synthetic
How do I replace the oil in RC bearings?
- Remove the bearings from the RC
- If you have a rubber-sealed ball-bearing we recommend only taking the seal off one side
- The reason – in case you can’t properly fit the seal back on you can leave it off and run it on the side that gets less dirt
- For most other bearings you can do the process without taking the bearing apart
- Clean the bearings thoroughly to remove any existing oil or grease – brake cleaner (works best) but any solvent that beaks down oil will work (like WD40)
- Allow the bearings to dry completely before proceeding.
- Apply a thin layer of bearing oil or grease
- Spin the bearings to distribute the oil evenly and check for smooth rotation.
Tip – When you are done reinstalling your bearings, lightly coat using a drying lubricant (like MOO-Slick silicone spray) on the outside of the bearing, this will help stop dirt and water from getting in.
FAQs Frequently Asked Question(s)
- What are the drawbacks of using dry lube on RC bearings?
- Dry lube’s main drawback is its ability to corrosion protect when it gets wet or humid.
- Dry lube around the o-ring (diff o-ring, shock o-ring) can get in between the o-ring, this can disrupt the seal and cause leakage.
- Is it good to use WD-40 on RC ball bearings?
- No, and Yes, WD-40 has low lubricating properties so it’s generally not recommended to use as a lubricant, but is good (at removing dirt and water) to clean bearings with WD-40 before you add the oil or grease.
