Pedal Maintenance 101

[rrv24]

Hi all!
I’ve owned a set of Tama Speed Cobras for about ten years, and over the years, I’ve disassembled them maybe 2-3 times and lubricated the bearings based on this video:

I thought I was due for another clean, and I was just reading the comments and saw that someone mentioned that the bearings are not actually meant to be lubricated as it removes the existing grease and shortens the lifespan. I also saw someone else talk about replacing the bearings with skateboard bearings.

I’ve never really had this discussion with other drummers, so if anyone could give me more information on what the best procedure is to keep my pedals smooth, I’d really appreciate it!

 

[C. Dave Run]

Pearl DemonDrive uses Ninja bearings. Ninja bearings are skateboard bearings, and Pearl does not hide this fact. They also come with lube for the bearings. I think its okay in both instances.

 

[prodigy4299]

Skateboard and inline skate bearings usually have a relatively thicker lubricant from the factory, compared to what you get when you buy bearing-specific lubricant. The original stuff is meant to be a touch less efficient, but with a longer lifespan. At least on inline skates, once you open up the bearings and start lubing them, then it's something you have to do relatively often (compared to unopened ones).