Pedal Maintenance. [Archive] - Music & Musician Forums

playwithfire

12-07-2005, 02:47 PM

Well I did some maintenance to my pedals today and I thought I might as well remind everyone on here how important it is to do. Upkeep on your pedals is very important, if you neglect them they will start to seize up, slow down, and squeak. Personally, the procedure I apply to my pedal maintenance is to disassemble the pedal completely, and clean every part with q-tips. It's not uncommon to go through more than 2 dozen q-tips. I clean all dust, grime, and built-up residue from oil on the chain, etc. I then check the condition of all the moving parts, see if any are wearing. I then apply high grade motor oil to all moving parts, including the chain, bearings, spring, etc. You might ask why bother oiling the spring, but I do because it makes sure it glides along nicely on the spring rocker. Also remember to change your springs on a regular basis, they get stretched out and weak, so replacing them is important if you want a resistant action. After doing all of this you will feel like your pedals are brand new, they will be clean, and play like a dream :).

Plan B.

12-07-2005, 02:49 PM

I should probably do this, I've NEVER cleaned my pedals, ever.

Unless you count vacuuming all the dust bunnies under them every few monthes.

:lol:

Jomofo

12-07-2005, 03:09 PM

^I'm on the same page as you.

It's a good idea though. Thanks for bringing it to my attention! :thumb:

aznriceball

12-07-2005, 03:10 PM

im not touching my pedals. because if i do i have to look at the ugly imprints they leave on my carpet. but then again, i must :(

playwithfire

12-07-2005, 03:27 PM

PWF: here for all your pedal inquiries, questions, need. ;).

FL3P

12-07-2005, 04:27 PM

Very nice thread, great idea! :thumb:

l3n

12-07-2005, 08:34 PM

Thanks for the reminder, now I've got to get my *** moving..

puppet.master

12-07-2005, 08:45 PM

Double Bass Jim

12-07-2005, 08:52 PM

Excellent advice.

It's a wonder what simple care can do to prolong gear and make it more playable in the future.

Killjoy

12-07-2005, 09:07 PM

gee i think need to clean my pedals

playwithfire

12-07-2005, 09:49 PM

pwf
what pedals you got

and whats the motor oil grade like 10w30 or what?
oils confuse me

i would prolly clean my pedals alot more but im afraid i wont be able to get em back to gether properly

i dont think its all that easy to take ic's aparty anywayYou don't have to take every piece apart... thats what the q-tips are for... and for applying the motor oil. I usually use 10w30, or 5w20.

As for pedals, I'm using a Sonor for 2 more weeks, then it's all 5002 :).

Half Life

12-07-2005, 09:51 PM

I agree man. I cleaned my IC's the exact same way you did a little while ago...Q-tips, oil, and all :lol: I must say it truely does make a difference in performance. I think it's something everyone should do every now and then so all that great gear they spend their money on doesn't crap out on them because of the lack of TLC :cool:

Brokensticks

12-08-2005, 11:40 PM

I really need to clean mine. Thanks for the heads up.

LoneStarDrummer

12-08-2005, 11:57 PM

it's especially important to remove all that old lube for all the poeple whose drums are in a room that gets cold during the winter. when the grease gets cold and gathers up grime it can really make you pedals feel sluggish.

Tim

12-09-2005, 12:20 AM

i just cleaned my pedals on monday. quite nice. no more squeak lol. there was a little rust spot on the bearing that caused it to squeak but i took care of that. motor oil=only lube for pedals baby.

SonorKen

12-09-2005, 12:31 AM

I too do pedal maintenance several times a year. Don't forget to do whole kit maintenance. Hi-hat stands, cymbal nylons, cymbal felts, need attention as well.

A little tip I have for you guys, don't use WD-40 on your pedals.

Tim

12-09-2005, 12:33 AM

yeah i use this very light motor oil on my pedals. as far as stands i just wipe them really good. same with heads, dust likes to get in the spots you cant clean so its best to take the rim of sometimes. Cymbal sleeves get changed every 2 months here for me. i just cut my own.

Double Bass Jim

12-09-2005, 04:21 AM

Maitenence on the drum kit is SO important, keeping your gear in top shape should always be #1 on your list.

Wizz

12-09-2005, 10:36 AM

I cleaned my whole kit yesterday

Feels proud

playwithfire

12-09-2005, 12:40 PM

Yeah, WD-40 is killer on the pedals, it'll slow 'em down and squeak 'em up like there's no tomorrow.

Josiah

12-09-2005, 12:49 PM

Ain't that the truth jim!

Gear will last forever if you maintain it proper like. Example, my main kick pedals DW5000's, 3rd generation I think. Just prior to the model that put bearings in the heel plate. I bought this pedal in 1998. It's prob seen 1,000+ gigs and 10x that in playing time.

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/570/dw1fj.th.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dw1fj.jpg)

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/4383/dw29uz.th.jpg (http://img341.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dw29uz.jpg)

Le_boosh

12-09-2005, 03:39 PM

A little tip I have for you guys, don't use WD-40 on your pedals
damn! *goes to garage to get motor oil*

Talos

12-09-2005, 03:52 PM

Ive never touched my pedals, sometimes I tighten or loosen both the springs but nothing else lol So what does cleaning them actually do as stupid as it sounds?

playwithfire

12-09-2005, 03:57 PM

Gets rid of buildup, get's them relubricated. They'll feel smoother, be easier to pedal, and won't squeak. They'll also look nice :).

Double Bass Jim

12-10-2005, 12:03 AM

rockindrummer

12-10-2005, 01:30 AM

PWF, full cleaning guide? That'd be great if you could write one out.

playwithfire

12-10-2005, 02:41 AM

Well I'll put it on my list of articles. My "Guide to Pedals" should be posted soon. Next on the list is "Pedal Parts, Purposes & Definitions". The Complete Guide to Pedal Maintenance will be after that.

Maybe I should change my user title back to MX Pedals Expert :lol:.

Josiah

12-10-2005, 12:52 PM

That's actually a fantastic idea. I'd suggest doing it in print though, I've never seen a book of that kind and I bet it would actually sell.

saars

12-10-2005, 01:37 PM

I'm wondering... when so often should you replace your springs?

rockindrummer

12-10-2005, 02:09 PM

Well I'll put it on my list of articles. My "Guide to Pedals" should be posted soon. Next on the list is "Pedal Parts, Purposes & Definitions". The Complete Guide to Pedal Maintenance will be after that.

Awsome man. Those guidee should all be very helpfull.

Bone

12-10-2005, 02:13 PM

I'm wondering... when so often should you replace your springs?

Never really. People say they wear out, stretch, etc. Ok I'll buy that.

What do you do to maintain tension on a adjustable spring that has lost a lil... put it a lil tighter. Considering I got a good inch of room to go. I don't think I'll be wearing out my springs ever.

Also, I'm pretty sure that people who say that have really no idea. Unless the muscle structure in their body remained identical over time. It's far more plausible to atribute the "worn spring feel" to you simply getting better, strong with those muscles used for the motion. Combined with the fact you can simply adjust the tension if they become a lil weaker.

No, it's a gaint scam to replace your pedal springs.

Double Bass Jim

12-11-2005, 02:22 AM

I've never had a spring ever fail or mess up on me once... Not once.

Bone

12-11-2005, 03:21 AM

I just have this theory about the spring makers is all... they're in cahoots with the spork people!

I don't have to maintence my pedals. I don't know why, they don't seem to get dirty. They are in cases when in transport, only on stages for a few hours, on a carpet.. my personal carpet wich is cleaned after most every show. Can't have those wood chips I tell you!
So the pedals seem to stay very clean. Sometimes I have to use a provided by setup, most often that's new/floor model stuff. Rarely have to backline setups, in those cases I'll fly pedals/stands ahead with my oats.

pearlmark

12-11-2005, 09:05 AM

yesterday i was to meet my dad in local music store, i was drooling over a mapex janus double kick pedal when my dad came in. He came over and asked me did I like it and I told him it was sweet. He called over the store guy and told him he'd take it.... and a 17" aaxplosion crash for christmas! I must take good care of both