So I found dirt in my front diff case as arrma forgot to tighten screws from Bulkhead to chassis. My bearings where fine when I got it this winter and ran it no more than 10 times and now another 10 days. But I ripped everything apart and found all my bearings had lost grease and were rough. It makes no sense as I have a sealed tyranny and the output to the rear bearing was toast also. I thought sealed bearings were water resistant but thnk again. So to all running in water will kill your bearings. I even blew them out with compressor and dried by wood stove. Maybe arrma bearings are just not that good but it is most likely me.
Kraton To all those who run in snow/water
- Thread starter turn2burn
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
When you blow bearings out with compressed air, you are blowing out all the factory grease. Did you repack the bearings after cleaning? Your problem if not, is just that.
Sealed is a term that is a little misleading I think. They keep most debris out, but water will get through, especially as the "seals" wear with use.
I suggest either cleaning thoroughly by removing the seals, then repacking..or, buy new and plan on replacing routinely.
I do blow my rigs with air, but only when dry, and try avoiding the bearings and fans.
This past winter, say February, I treated my Xmaxx to a full set of TRB bearings. I removed the seals from all of them and packed with HT red grease. Curious to see how long they hold up. I do run in snow, but I let everything "drip dry"..in an unheated garage, LOL. Sometimes they're still icy from the last bash, a week or more ago..
I suggest either cleaning thoroughly by removing the seals, then repacking..or, buy new and plan on replacing routinely.
I do blow my rigs with air, but only when dry, and try avoiding the bearings and fans.
This past winter, say February, I treated my Xmaxx to a full set of TRB bearings. I removed the seals from all of them and packed with HT red grease. Curious to see how long they hold up. I do run in snow, but I let everything "drip dry"..in an unheated garage, LOL. Sometimes they're still icy from the last bash, a week or more ago..
Diem Turner
Yes...I have a Premium Member
Premium Member
Rig of the Month Winner
Build Thread Contributor
If you're running in wet conditions or, worse, in the winter where roads have been salted you're going to want to increase the frequency of maintenance in general and specifically your bearings. When I used to run my Infraction in inclement winter weather, I would do a full vehicle cleaning and bearing service after every outing. And I don't mean a day or a week later. I mean imminently upon returning home. The salt will turn any steel screws on the vehicle red with rust in no time flat. I made a habit of spraying a healthy amount of WD40 into a mason jar and brushing the entire car down with it after a thorough cleaning and letting it soak in overnight. The following day I would then give the car a light wipe with a paper towel or cloth. I think it's worth it personally as it really helps keep the car in good working order and looking nice but, as always, YMMV. 
I don't do salted roads, just my own property. I do enjoy rusty screws though, and I especially enjoy rusted on bearings!! That's a good time right there!!If you're running in wet conditions or, worse, in the winter where roads have been salted you're going to want to increase the frequency of maintenance in general and specifically your bearings. When I used to run my Infraction in inclement winter weather, I would do a full vehicle cleaning and bearing service after every outing. And I don't mean a day or a week later. I mean imminently upon returning home. The salt will turn any steel screws on the vehicle red with rust in no time flat. I made a habit of spraying a healthy amount of WD40 into a mason jar and brushing the entire car down with it after a thorough cleaning and letting it soak in overnight. The following day I would then give the car a light wipe with a paper towel or cloth. I think it's worth it personally as it really helps keep the car in good working order and looking nice but, as always, YMMV.
I just don't care what they look like myself, sure, I try and make them look good at least once, when new.. then, they're all my red headed step-children!!
Well.. I wouldn't go that far.. personally. It is amazing how long these things will run even when neglected. I've removed bearings than I couldn't turn with pliers! From an rc that I was just driving!? What's worses is, after soaking them in PB Blaster, I got them spinning, greased, and put em right back in!!
Everyone has their ways of using and maintaining things though.
I just find that following the book ruins alot of the fun..diff fluid, yeah, it probably has some, spins smoothly.. same for the bearings, they spin, great!
SrC
RC is a lifestyle choice
Lifetime Premium!
Premium Member
Excellence Award
Hospitality Award
Build Thread Contributor
- Messages
- 22,472
- Reaction score
- 30,879
- Location
- Queens, NYC
- Arrma RC's
- Fireteam
- Infraction
- Limitless
- Kraton 6s
- Mojave
- Notorious
- Outcast 6s
- Typhon TLR
+1
Yeah any BB will fail at some point. Some will just explode, Usually the cheap stockers do this, mostly the Inner Hub BB's. Even TRBRc's and the rest.
Regarding The loose bulkhead and dirt ingress, that was the OP's mistake for not checking over the model before running it.
For those that run in the Snow/ wet, DON'T. Unless you don't mind replacing BB's and parts often. Please, No crying here, if you do so...
All Chromium BB's will rust in a heartbeat. No, none of them are WP. Period. You can use Marine grease in them, will last a bit more, but water ingress WILL happen anyway , with water ingress, comes the dirt with it. Learn to take your BB seals off, clean and regrease them. 1/3 filled with grease. No more. Or the Seals and Cage will pop out. An exploded BB will result. Compressed air directly at them will only ruin them, like stated above, you are just forcing in more dirt and pushing out the grease. Just adding insult to injury. Every BB needs to be removed after every single Wet run. Is that practical? NO.
Consider SS BB's.
I only run my slow Crawlers in the wet stuff and streams. SS BB's with Marine Grease etc. What Crawlers are all about. And I am ok with any consequences.
Just not with my fast bashers however. Motor's, ESC's etc just cost too much. Fast spinning BB's just don't stand a chance in the wet.
Despite what they say , RC's are just not WP or WR. Keep them from getting wet in the first place.
Last edited:
Me too.. but that particular time, I REALLY wanted to "play"!! We had some fresh powder snow.. it was magnificent. Like "Stallone face"!!I throw my bad bearings in the trash...I'm not re greasing them.
Hector_Fisher
Very Active Member
I live in washington. I've driven my Kaiju in water/mud/snow almost every time i've taken it out (almost every week during the wettest part of the season) for the past 7 months. Still haven't changed from stock bearings on the chassis (August of last year). Just recently changed the motor bearing since it was running hot. If muddy, i usually just rinse with water and put in our warmest bathroom tub to dry quick.
Bearings are a consumable item, you'll have to replace them eventually. You can stretch out their life by performing regular maintenance, but that's all a judgment call. How often "regular" is is up to you. Servicing and regreasing after every run will make the bearings last a long time but eat up alot of your time. The opposite side of the coin is that you can service less frequently and then replace with cheap bearings more frequently which costs money.
Choose where you stand on that spectrum and set up a service regiment. I tend to lean towards the cheap/replaceable bearings side.
Couple of notes:
1) Don't blow off your trucks with compressed air.
2) Rinse with low pressure water and/or scrub with a brush after muddy runs.
2) Keep doing what you're doing and drying your trucks quickly in a warm place.
Bearings are a consumable item, you'll have to replace them eventually. You can stretch out their life by performing regular maintenance, but that's all a judgment call. How often "regular" is is up to you. Servicing and regreasing after every run will make the bearings last a long time but eat up alot of your time. The opposite side of the coin is that you can service less frequently and then replace with cheap bearings more frequently which costs money.
Choose where you stand on that spectrum and set up a service regiment. I tend to lean towards the cheap/replaceable bearings side.
Couple of notes:
1) Don't blow off your trucks with compressed air.
2) Rinse with low pressure water and/or scrub with a brush after muddy runs.
2) Keep doing what you're doing and drying your trucks quickly in a warm place.
Diem Turner
Yes...I have a Premium Member
Premium Member
Rig of the Month Winner
Build Thread Contributor
Just for s 'n giggles I gave my spool bearings an unscientific test a week or two ago. Just to see how they're doing. These are still the two original bearings that came with this spool from Joe Diaz, which I purchased in March of 2021. So they've seen a little over two years of speed running service in my Infraction.
s 'n giggles I gave my spool bearings an unscientific test a week or two ago. Just to see how they're doing. These are still the two original bearings that came with this spool from Joe Diaz, which I purchased in March of 2021. So they've seen a little over two years of speed running service in my Infraction.
Hector_Fisher
Very Active Member
That's some fidget spinner quality there!!!Just for
Diem Turner
Yes...I have a Premium Member
Premium Member
Rig of the Month Winner
Build Thread Contributor
IKR? Did you notice how it rolled back at the end? That's from the imbalance caused by the weight of the grub screw.That's some fidget spinner quality there!!!
biggman100
Very Active Member
- Messages
- 1,011
- Reaction score
- 1,004
- Arrma RC's
- Fury
- 4x4-Mega
Other than either servicing, or, in my case, just replacing the bearings after every few runs in the winter ( i always ruin the seals trying to get them out, so, replacing them is just easier for me), i don't really replace much in the way of parts, and, i do a lot of heavy winter running, so, where are you running that you are replacing parts? Other than arms a couple times on an Arrma hybrid i built (which was at a skate park), and a bulkhead and arms on a Losi 22S (which was partly my fault for slamming into a huge pile of ice almost head on trying to avoid a car in a parking lot), i rarely break anything, even when its 40 degrees F out.
I hear ya. That's life in a climate that only has 2 seasons..July and winter!!
For the record, I totally agree, water ruins bearings, following specified maintenance guidelines, and all that will provide longer service life and maximum performance. As well as plastics break more easily in the cold.. I just can't take it that seriously..it's like going to bible school.. "I just can't want to!"
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #20
It's not my mistake they forgot to tighten the screws, I took out the front diff, all difs, and checked them. That one was impossible to see from the inside of the case which I also checked pinion gear. The thin bearings I couldn't get the seals off without damaging the races. I was just running on a frozen pond. Any time I tried to take a bearing apart I could never get it together again.
I did try to not blow directly on bearings. Are you guys talking about just the bearings at wheels? The center diff housing is pretty protected and sealed. Also the diff bearings requirs complete disassembly, not hard just time. Never would drive in salt. I would guess I went out onthe pond a little over 5 times.
I don't like the idea of wd40 or pb blaster as there solvents with acetone and contaminate screw holes for thread lock.
For 25 bucks I just think I'll swap em out. TRB makes good bearings? I'm amazed at where water got after lightly spraying it off. But it's a good point about that and air compressor. I guess for winter I should just plan on replacing them every few months. Years back there was this stuff called banana lube that made a seal of dust around the bearing. I wonder if green slime could be used the same way.
I also dontknow how much fun with these tires mud would be. Those tests look interesting.
I did try to not blow directly on bearings. Are you guys talking about just the bearings at wheels? The center diff housing is pretty protected and sealed. Also the diff bearings requirs complete disassembly, not hard just time. Never would drive in salt. I would guess I went out onthe pond a little over 5 times.
I don't like the idea of wd40 or pb blaster as there solvents with acetone and contaminate screw holes for thread lock.
For 25 bucks I just think I'll swap em out. TRB makes good bearings? I'm amazed at where water got after lightly spraying it off. But it's a good point about that and air compressor. I guess for winter I should just plan on replacing them every few months. Years back there was this stuff called banana lube that made a seal of dust around the bearing. I wonder if green slime could be used the same way.
I also dontknow how much fun with these tires mud would be. Those tests look interesting.
