Y-carriage bearings sound scratchy / rough sliding on rods
When assembling the y-carriage, the bearings moving on the rods sound very rough and scratchy - this doesn’t seem normal ? Feels like it would make printing very noisy and damage the rods? I was careful not to over-tighten the U-bolts as instructed, just tight enough to hold bearings in place & so they won’t rotate by hand. Please advise -
RE: Y-carriage bearings sound scratchy / rough sliding on rods
All bearings need to be properly lubricated. I personally would go for a name brand grease rather than the tube Prusa now provides.
As a temporary measure, you can put some light oil on the rod and see if the bearing feels better.
RE: Y-carriage bearings sound scratchy / rough sliding on rods
o.k., thanks. It's just weird that nothing is mentioned in the assembly manual about that. Any recommendations on brand-name grease ? First time here, so not familiar with that type of stuff -
RE: Y-carriage bearings sound scratchy / rough sliding on rods
@jp-printer
as you have the Prusa grease I would use that, and if found deficient, replace it at your leisure later...
My second Mk3S is running fine with the Prusa Grease,
My first Prusa Mk3S is running fine with bicycle grease
My Mk2.8 Frankenprusa is running fine with Slugslime Oil...
and my mk2 (Upgraded from Mk1) now Mk2 MMUv1 printer is using geneal purpose LM2 Lithium Grease,
the oil may be less satisfactory than the grease as oil gravitates to the bottom of the bearings, but this printer is on loan at the moment, so I haven't checked it recently ... no complaints from the person borrowing it!
3D printing is not a High stress situation, so it's unlikely that you need the ultimate protection of high end products...
but you need to choose for yourself which advice to follow
I do suggest that you mark the linear rail tracks on the outside of the bearings, using an indelible pen, to make alignment easier when the ball tracks are obscured by grease during assembly
regards Joan
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
RE: Y-carriage bearings sound scratchy / rough sliding on rods
I personally like Superlube as found on Amazon.
Thingiverse has a great grease injector for lubing linear bearings - and it fits the Superlube tube. There is also a good cap so you can
leave it on the tube.
But it bears saying - anything is preferable to the way Prusa delivers the bearings. They seem to have a shipping oil, not intended for long term use.
RE: Y-carriage bearings sound scratchy / rough sliding on rods
I understand that Superlube Grease, comes in different 'weights' I believe the heavier weight grease does not work well in linear bearings...
which part number did you find satisfactory Robert?
regards Joan
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
RE: Y-carriage bearings sound scratchy / rough sliding on rods
It sounds like you need to loosen the U-bolts holding the Y-stage bearing a bit. It's entirely possible to tighten them enough (and it's not very much) to crush the bearings. Trying backing down a bit and see if it rides smoother. FYI, the same can happen for the X-axis by overtightening the extruder back cover screws.
RE: Y-carriage bearings sound scratchy / rough sliding on rods
I understand that Superlube Grease, comes in different 'weights' I believe the heavier weight grease does not work well in linear bearings...
which part number did you find satisfactory Robert?
regards Joan
All I can say is that this is the one I purchased - and I am quite happy with it. Look at the reviews - some by MK3S owners::
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0081JE0OO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And here is the linear bearing grease packer. It has a link to the cap:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1128781