LUBRICATING THE BEARINGS
Remove a a seal from one side of the bearing and add two or three drops of ZeroDrag ZX-312 oil. Then replace the seal and your done. ZX312™ is a lightweight, high rust preventative, super speed oil and provides strong bonding at the ball contact for unprecedented smoothness of travel. This will also help in reducing the drag and increasing bearing life. A couple drops of this oil is all that's needed, DO NOT OVER LUBRICATE!
Note: For best performance use ZeroDrag ZX-312 oil, but any of the oils or gels marketed by other manufacturers will work. The rules of lubrication are:
A heavier the lubricant, will last longer and you won't need to lube your bearings as often, but it will slow the bearing down. A lighter lubricant will allow your bearings to spin faster with provide longer free spin, but you'll need to repeat the process more often.
WHEN TO CLEAN YOUR BEARINGS
Spin your wheels, if there is any noise from the bearings, you should clean and lube them. Bearings should be cleaned every 4-8 weeks depending on usage. (For example, if you skate in wet or sandy conditions, you should clean your bearings immediately.
SEAL REMOVAL
All ZeroDrag bearings have easily removed rubber seals. By inserting a pin or similar object into the bearing where the inner race meets the rubber seal you can gently pry the seals off.
Other brands that use C-Clip style metal shields. using a push pin or similar object to pry the C-Clip end out of its groove. Turn the bearing over and tap in on a hard surface, letting the shield fall off.
Bearings that have non-removable staked shields usually can't be opened at all and should just be replaced.
BALL RETAINER REMOVAL
Although ZeroDrag have Nylon ball retainers that are removable, we recommend only removing them if there is a lot of packed in dirt. Bearings with metal ball retainers (steel or brass) cannot be removed.
WET BEARINGS
If you've been caught in the rain and your bearings are wet, remove both seals and and spray out the inside of the bearings withWD-40 This will absorb water and keep them from rusting until you can clean them. This needs to be done as soon as possible or the bearings will rust and need to be replaced.
CLEANING ZERODRAG BEARINGS
With both seals removed place the bearings into a plastic sealable container, an old margarine dish works great. Fill the container with enough cleaning solution to cover the bearing. ZeroDrag recommends using environmentally safe citrus cleaner, but mineral spirits works too. Place the cover on your container and shake it gently for a minute or two. then open it and check the bearing to see if they're clean by holding the inner race and gently rolling the outer race with your finger. If they are still gritty or rough clean them again using new cleaning solution. NOTE: To conserve cleaning solution you can strain the fluid using a coffee filter in a funnel. Once the bearings are clean repeat the process one more time using rubbing alcohol as a final rinse. Then set the bearings on paper towel to dry. The alcohol will dry quickly, then oil the bearings and install the other seal and you're done.