A Guide to Lubricants Used in Stroller Maintenance and Repair

[@BarnevognverkstedNo]

In order to keep our recommendations up to date, we maintain a 'Buyer's Guide' on our Patreon page (with a wide spectrum of models, and a lot of technical and lifestyle-related information), that we update regularly along with changes in the market. You can access it here: www.patreon.com/posts/stroller-buyers-37953864 As an independent, consumer-oriented reviewer, we have fewer revenue-streams open to us than the majority of other channels out there, so we do ask for a contribution for access to this guide, as well as our other Patreon content. Thanks so much for your help!

[@bugaboorepairguy7285]

For your thicker grease you can use silicone grease that is sold in most hardware stores as Tap Grease.

[@ibsw]

I have a Stoke Trailz that could use some maintenance, but I can’t seem to get hold of the Biral FIG. Is there any good alternatives for this particular grease on the Norwegian market now?

[@erikostman5576]

Isn't WD 40 quite a bad lubricant, I thought it was mostly for cleaning or opening bolts that are stuck?

[@BarnevognverkstedNo]

This is part of why it is good. You have to consider the application: in this case, we're talking about multi-part metal mechanisms which are often difficult for people to get to without disassembly, often including drilling out rivets. And in many cases rust has already begun. WD-40 can be sprayed easily into cracks between components and will first loosen the rust and then act as a lubricant. Of course it does not provide the same longevity as fully disassembling a mechanism and then using a proper grease, but, if used relatively regularly, it will work quite well in many situations.

[@bejacaa8966]

@@BarnevognverkstedNo It would be great if these caveats were mentioned in the video. WD40 and similar penetrating sprays are mostly solvents, with very little lubricant. I mainly use them for cleaning oil and grease off parts, not lubricating parts. If someone uses WD40 on a functional bearing, they may actually be reducing the amount of lubricant in it, not increasing it. I would prefer to use WD40 to clean out dirt and old grease, and then use a lithium grease spray to try to get some proper lubricant in there if there's a big enough crack to spray into.

[@amandabrown7332]

I have a baby jogger in Toronto Ontario - for the multi spray.. you said wd40 would be the equivalent? Also, for the food industry grease.. would Super Lube 92003 Silicone Lubricating Grease be the same as yout BiRALfig?

[@daphnepalka3619]

Thank you for the comprehensive review. We own an Uppababy Vista as well as an Uppababy Cruz 2019. We are extremely satisfied with the wheels performance of the Vista, however, the Cruz gets stuck a lot and won't move forward. I couldn't find the Fig multi purpose grease by Biral anywhere. Can you kindly provide a link? Thanks.

[@BarnevognverkstedNo]

The Biral FIG has gotten harder to get ahold of since this video, but CRC food grease works too, if you can get ahold of it. :)

[@climbthewallify]

Our babyzen yoyo wheels are squeaking. Which is the best lubricant to use? WD40?

[@digirepp]

Stroller brochure included with purchase indicated "A dry silicone spray (e.g. 3M 08897) can be used to lubricate the wheels; however, be sure to use it in a well-ventilated area. Avoid the use of oil or grease based lubricants (e.g. WD-40) as they attract more dirt and dust"

[@BarnevognverkstedNo]

dry sillicon spray has it's uses but does little for metal areas like ball-bearings, especially after rust has set in. Furthermore a lot of areas on strollers are difficult to access without major disassembly (often including the drilling of rivets), and since sillicon dries very quickly (ceasing to be a liquid that can run into cracks) it makes it impractical for most stroller applications, especially when we're dealing strollers that have been used for a while, not fresh out of the box. Lastly, dirt and dust are a reality, regardless of what you've lubricated with, and when dirt and dust get in your mechanisms, you can dislodge that dirt and dust with a spray like wd-40, but you can't with sillicon. Stroller manufacturers, in my experience (and I've worked with a few of them) are unfortunately not usually that good at understanding how their strollers will stand up in the real world over any real length of time, and their suggestion to use only silicon comes from the engineers in their design department, not the repair personell in their after-sales departments (for those brands that even bother to repair their strollers, and thus learn what is actually going wrong with their designs, rather than just replace them).

[@emblarosefjellhaug8346]

I just bought a multi purpose grease (universalfett from Clas Ohlson) for my Stokke Trailz, should I return it and get a good industry grease instead? If so, do you buy yours in Norway and where?

[@BarnevognverkstedNo]

Yes, you should probably just return it unfortunately. A multi-spray is good for the brakes and the folding mechanisms, but I'm guessing from what you bought that you might be having problems with the front wheels, and (if this is the case) on a Trailz, you should only use Biral F.I.G., which needs to be ordered online, or if you live in Oslo, we can help you out with this (just send us an email via the link on the channel homepage). Additionally, if you have the old-type front wheels (without suspension pads, see this video to see what I mean: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fp-QZaloic-Jm5o), then I would recommend contacting Stokke customer service to upgrade to the new ones, which were released specifically to deal with front wheel swivel problems :)

[@emblarosefjellhaug8346]

The Stroller Workshop thanks for the good reply. Yes, I recently bought a used trailz 2019 so it has the new wheels, but they don't swivel as well as they're supposed to, so I was gonna put some grease on them. Unfortunately I live in Bergen, but I will order it online then.

[@BarnevognverkstedNo]

cool, that should fix it :)

[@viviawaag863]

What do I need for Emmaljunga NXT? The shop said that I need teflon spray, and said not to use anything else. Their website just says silicon spray or grease spray. But I don’t want to ruin my brand new pram. Edit: They also said “DO NOT USE WD-40!”

[@Maika.Le11]

Amazing video, thank you

[@courtneylynn3844]

My joie litetrax 4 front when are soo stiff and just don’t turn anymore so hard to push and atm it’s killing my wrists!!! Only got wd40;?

[@antoinettehaughton9631]

I have a babyjogger city select and the folding mechanism is stiff. What would you recommend to loosen it up? Thank you. :)

[@BarnevognverkstedNo]

Lift up the handle and spray some wd40 into the mechanism and then work the mechanism a bit (on both sides), that shoud fix it unless it's a mechanical defect :)

[@bbygurl0314]

Where can I buy the fig grease I've been look for it everywhere my Disney minnie mouse front wheels have a swivel problem

[@i679n5]

Know this is far too many years later but for anyone else wondering - You can use a thick universal grease.

[@anne-sophiesavard5511]

Where can I buy the Biral FIG one? I like that it’s non-toxic. Can’t find it on amazon, I’m from Canada! Any other options ?

[@allllx]

molykote 44 is pretty similar

[@stephaniephan1038]

Hi do you have a link to where I can buy the fig grease? I live in Denmark

[@leed2246]

Could I use teflon grease instead of the FIG/silicone grease? For bugaboo front wheels general maintenance.

[@BarnevognverkstedNo]

I have never tried it. From reading online, it looks to be nearly the same thing, but with more protection against heat and corrosion, but beyond that, I wouldn't want to say. If you try it, and it works well, though, please post about it :)

[@leed2246]

@@BarnevognverkstedNo Thanks! I’ll give it a try.

[@vinitpatel8457]

I've tried to leave a link to a grease but YT removes it as it's from that J.Bezos Hardware & Co store. Would Silverhook SGPGT90 be a good sub for FIG?

[@BarnevognverkstedNo]

Yes, that's the same stuff. :)

[@albeetu]

Do you have the link to buy the f.i.g?

[@daisypinedabarron8202]

If I can’t find the Biral FIG what other greases would be the same to it here in California.

[@BarnevognverkstedNo]

Anything a bit thicker and silicon-based will work fine. Just ask at either an automotive supplies shop or maybe Home Depot? (I haven't been stateside for nearly a decade, so I'm not sure on this one :) )

[@allllx]

MOLYKOTE 44 is pretty similar