There are many different options in terms of oils and greases for skateboard and longboard bearings, and in reality any light oil, such as sewing machine oil, will work. However, I myself have spent hours researching the different properties such as viscosity, film strength, durability, run off time, etc as more of a hobby.
The best lubricants for skateboard bearings are the ones you can get in the hardware store! Tri-Flo can’t be beat as an all in one cleaner and lube that doesn’t slow you down, and is easy to apply without doing too much.
They are less expensive, serve multiple purposes, and if you know what parameters to evaluate for (viscosity and film strength) you can make a good choice.
There isn’t really one page that describes the different commercially available, as well as home-made lubricant alternatives out there, so I decided to summarize my findings here. The information is probably overkill, but if you are a bit of a nerd then this info will be for you.
What is the purpose of the lubricant
There is going to be a balance between longevity of the lubricant, vs friction reduction. Bearings run dry will have minimal friction if new, and if they don’t have any load (read weight on the board) applied, but the minimal friction advantage won’t last longer than a few sessions. Once a few impurities and minor damage inevitably comes to the bearings with use, the addition of a lubricant to coat the imperfections will help reduce friction.
The other purpose of the lubricant is protection from the elements, notably moisture and rust.
Any lubricant that is hydrophobic (read all lubricants used for bearings!) will give protection from moisture and rust as long as the surfaces are evenly coated. With lubricant spinning out, drying out, or even settling due to gravity, the even coating is lost as is the protection from the elements.
Contrasting that, lubricants that are thicker (higher viscosity) and especially greases, once coated on the surfaces will protect the surfaces from the elements for significantly longer, at the expense of increased rolling resistance. The increase in rolling resistance wouldn’t be noticed for downhill, or electric riders, but someone who is long distance pumping, surfskating, or park skating likely would notice the difference.
What conditions will you be riding in
If you are riding in the park, or long distance pumping, or carving around the neighborhood on a surf skate, I would highly recommend using the lightest possible lubricant. It will lead to noticeably less pushing, and more speed at the park.
You would have to reapply lubricant more frequently, but there are some methods and options that don’t really require removal of the bearings and shields each time if that is not your thing.
If you are on an electric board, or a downhill rider, other factors such as wind resistance are going to far far outweigh the differences in resistance in the bearings between a light grease and a thin oil. In this situation – the grease would take the win for most.
If you are a commuter – both options are feasible though most would prefer a low maintenance grease. I personally would use a light oil / cleaner with a method that does not require removal of the wheels and bearings for reapplication – and I would carry a very small bottle of this around so I could apply after a wet ride right away if needed. I haven’t had any problems with this at all!
How often will you be servicing your bearings
I have different intervals for my boards. For my commuting board, I typically clean or at least re-lube the bearings with a clean / lube combination after every couple of weeks of daily use. I use a light lube for this, as I prefer the easy efficient ride I can get from less pushing and pumping.
I also have a modified penny type board where I have added grip tape to the plastic deck for use in the rain. On this board I use a light molybdenum fortified lithium grease, as this resists water and washout much better. I might change this once a season at the very most, if that – the grease lasts!
For most riders not using an electric powered board or scooter, the light lubes below would be an option for:
- People who are comfortable opening up their bearings, cleaning with a solvent, and then reapplying lube on a semi frequent basis (eg every few weeks if daily use)
- Using an easy to use cleaner/lubricant combination such as Skanunu, WD40 followed by 3in1, tri-flow, or a homebrew solvent/oil mix – where the bearings don’t have to be removed and instead they can be flooded and spun.
For the second option, it is controversial as people will say you are simply flushing dirt further into the bearings. This is certainly true, but there are purpose made 2 in 1 formulations, such as from Skanunu, that are meant to be applied to the bearings while still in the wheel. The solvent in the formulation emulsifies the dirt, and the wheel is spun hard to allow centrifugal force to spin out the solvent and dirt out of the bearing.
This makes it very easy to flood the bearing with the solvent/lubricant combination, spin out the excess, and be left with a coating of lubricant. See below for what I have found to be the best options for this.
What properties of the lubricant are we interested in
Viscosity:
- Thinner gives less resistance, less friction, and is best for long distance pumpers, surf skaters, as long as you are willing to reapply frequently
- Thicker gives much better staying power. Light greases will protect for a whole season, and as long as not overapplied most will not notice the difference once they are actually riding the board vs free spinning a wheel
- Measured in Cst at different temperatures. Lower numbers are thinner
Film strength:
- A measure of how much pressure the lubricant can withstand before it disperses and thus allows for metal to metal contact
- A thin, low viscosity lubricant typically has less film strength, whereas higher viscosity lubricants will have higher film strength
Cleaners added to the lubricant:
- Most lubricants on the market are pure lubes – meaning you have to clean the bearings with a solvent before application
- Some purpose made skate lubricants, such as Skanunu, have solvents and sometimes detergents added to help clean at the same time. The solvents evaporate and the lube is left behind
- This is most useful for frequent application without removal of the bearings and wheels
What are some commercially available options branded for skateboards and longboards
Bones Speed Cream: this is likely the most popular, and most widely-available option. From the MSDS it appears to be about 80% synthetic oil, and 15% petroleum oil with a few additives. The dominance of synthetic oil would increase the film strength, as most synthetic oils have a film strength test of 2000-5000 psi. The MSDS was posted on a board, I can not find a pdf copy so it may not be accurate. If it is though, it definitely is not just sewing machine oil, given it is a predominantly synthetic oil.
The MSDS did not have a viscosity rating in Cst, but it’s density was 1.1-1.15 (water is 1) whereas sewing machine oil is around 0.82. Thus, its more viscous than sewing machine oil or triflow oil (0.78). This would match my experience that it is only slightly more thick than triflow, but similar to 3 in 1 (density is .86 -.90).
Skanunu Lube and Cleaner: this has been discontinued though the pure lube can still be found. I include it because it was the first skate branded lube that was developed to be able to apply while the bearing was still on the board, without pre-cleaning. The solvent component of the oil would wash out the dirt, evaporate, and the remaining oil would act as the lube.
I used this with quite good results – but it is a thin lube! It had to be reapplied frequently, perhaps every couple of rides but it did work as intended. It made cleaning and maintaining bearings fast and easy as long as you remembered to apply it after most rides.
I contacted the company multiple times but never could get an MSDS. Another writer had posted that he was able to get a copy, and it seemed to be alcohol as the solvent and some sort of liquefied animal fat as the lube.
Monkey Loob: this seems to be a very similar product to Skanunu, being a solvent based cleaner, rust preventative, and lubricant. It is said to leave a wax based dry lube after the solvent evaporates. I have asked the company for an MSDS and hope to hear back soon.
Oust Met-ol Speed oil: this is thought to be an upgrade from the usual oil in that when temperatures rise due to friction, the viscosity increases thus increasing film strength and protection. The manufacturer states to apply every 6 hours of use.
It is said to be a light lube, thus the reapplication frequency. This is one I have not used myself but I include it here because it is held in high regard.
It is a synthetic oil, and thus its film strength is likely to be adequate and between 2000 – 5000 psi (the range for a typical synthetic oil).
I have contacted the company for an MSDS.
What are the best alternatives to skateboard and longboard branded lubricants
Sewing machine oil: this is the classic replacement that is suggested and a good, cheap, light alternative. The MSDS states it is: “ refined petroleum mineral oils of the paraffinic type, composed of alkane and cycloalkane hydrocarbons, with lower contents of aromatic hydrocarbons.”
It is a very light viscosity at 9.6 cSt @ 40°C.
It’s film strength is unknown, but likely to be low. Synthetic oils have the best film strength, whereas mineral oils / petroleum oils have less strength. Mineral oils, such as in sewing machine oil, has a film strength of typically around 500-1000 psi.
Great for speed if not overapplied (2-3 drops per bearing is enough) but may not protect as much for as long.
3in1 multipurpose oil: Widely available, and has low amounts of detergent for cleaning, as well as corrosion inhibitors. This makes for a readily available, if thicker, alternative to all in one purpose made products such as skanunu.
Around 97% is a heavily treated petroleum oil, with 3% additives for cleaning and corrosion protection. That means it is mostly lube – vs it’s WD40 cousin which has much more solvent.
Viscosity is thicker than sewing machine oil at 23 cst at about 40C.
Film strength is unknown, but again petroleum / mineral oils tend to be around 500-1000 psi, and given it’s higher viscosity than sewing machine oil, likely has a better film strength.
Note: I have used this as a “flooding oil” to clean and then spin out the excess, but it seems too thick for this. I have done this by soaking removed bearings with their shields off, as well as applying it to the bearing while on the board. It does not work as well as it seems too thick for easy spinning out of debris, and there is too much left over in the bearing which increases resistance.
While 3-in-1 claims to clean, lube, and protect, it is at least 97% lubricant. The only additive I could find on some MSDS sheets
Applying 1 maximum 2 drops to a clean bearing works well though.
WD40: Automatically the thought would be going to what everyone else says… “WD40 is a solvent not a lubricant” etc – but in reality it is a mix. Yes, it was originally developed to displace water, and it is quite useful for this. It is a mix of a solvent which is very useful for cleaning bearings, with a light lubrication. When the solvent evaporates you are left with a light lube.
WD40 is 60-65% solvent, and 30-35% petroleum oil as a lubricant.
Unfortunately, the lube dries out readily or is spun off relatively quickly. The film strength is also quite weak, similar to other lubricants, making this a poor choice unless you reapply very frequently.
It is a very low viscosity solvent / oil – at 2.79-2.96 Cst at ~40C. This makes it about 1/3rd the viscosity of Singer’s sewing machine oil. This very light viscosity makes it excellent for flushing bearings whether they are removed and the shields off for cleaning, or as a quick cleaning and spin down while on the board.
For a product with such low viscosity, it’s film strength is quite high for a petroleum oil at 1200 lbs, tested by ASTM D3233.
I couldn’t find any data on the viscosity of the oil once the solvent has evaporated, but I would imagine it is still very thin. It doesn’t last long, and dries out or is spun out quickly. Reapplication every few rides would be needed.
Note: it makes an excellent cleaner that can be done prior to application of a pure lube.
Triflow: this is my favorite! It is a mineral oil with Teflon additive, very low viscosity, and has added corrosion inhibitors as well as cleaners. 50-75% oil, 25-50% solvent. It should, based on the composition, be similar to WD40, but it never gets a bad rap for being used as a lubricant, and few seem to know it is a cleaner with its solvents also for some reason.
Very light viscosity – my preferred oil for bearings when long distance pushing or surfskating. Most MSDS report it as simply >20 Cst but I have found one MSDS showing the value 7 Cst. The true value is likely ~ 17 Cst as the triflow marketing materials have a viscosity of 15 Cp units, which you divide by it’s density to get 17 Cst. This seems about right.
Film strength – this beats WD40 as expected given the slightly higher viscosity, and the addition of PTFE which helps with both friction reduction and pressure resistance. ASTM D3233 testing gives it a rating of 3000 lbs.
Triflow also makes for an excellent corrosion inhibitor, especially given its light viscosity. This is why I use it even if it is damp out, through puddles, or a dizzly commute. A 5% salt water spray was done and Tri flow protected from rust for nearly 170 hours, vs a military standard of 16 hours and besting a regular thick machine oil. There are better rust inhibiting lubricants that are thicker, namely Fluid Film – this is rated to 750 hours. This bests WD40’s 72 hours by far.
Mobil 1 0w20 Synthetic motor oil: is likely one of the cheapest alternatives. I got this to experiment with making a “homebrew” like lube similar to that used in the bicycling community. The idea behind these home formulations is to have a solvent component (such as mineral spirits) mixed in with motor oil in a 3 or 4:1 ratio. This allows for the mix to clean and penetrate into bicycle chain rollers.
I started looking for options such as this when skate marketed similar 2 in 1 products like Skanunu was out of stock. When mixed with mineral spirits, it certainly worked well as a cleaner, but it felt like too much eventually spun out.
It is considered a low viscosity motor oil – but at 40 C the viscosity is 44.8 Cst.
I mixed this with mineral oil, and once the mineral oil was evaporated the bearings were noticeably slow, seemingly even harder to maintain roll than with grease. This was after using it liberally as a cleaner / flush and then relying on the residual to lube. I wouldn’t recommend this one.
White lithium grease: with or without molybdenum additive, this is a great, easily accessible grease that would work well for a commuting board for those who don’t want to deal with their bearings much.
The molybdenum additive is an “extreme pressure” additive, increasing film strength, so is recommended above the regular white lithium grease. There are other lithium greases with different additives, and for those frequently in the rain aluminum may be a good option as it is the most waterproof version.
All greases are of course thicker than oils, but allows for drastically less frequent application and negligible spin off. The key is to not pack the bearing, not even do 1/3rd full as some recommend.
Applying 2-3 match-head size amounts is more than enough. What can also be done is to dissolve the grease in a carrier such as paint thinner, and put into a drop or squirt bottle / syringe to apply onto each of the balls in the bearing. The paint thinner will evaporate, leaving a very light coating of grease that has been carried deep into the bearing.
Viscosity at 40C is 227 Cst. Surprisingly, the film strength is reported as around 300 lbs, by ASTM D3233 testing. This is likely due to the composition of the base oil I imagine, and is rated for the lithium greases without additives.
Even a simple PTFE dry lube spray as ASTM D3233 scores of 4000 lbs.