I bought a used Stradic off eBay, it’s in descent shape, but doesn’t reel nearly as smooth as my other identical model of this reel. It’s noisier, as slightly more resistance when you reel.

I took it apart, cleaned it, greased gears and oiled bearings, the insides seemed very clean, none of the bearings were stuck on and all seemed descent.

Any tips on making it smooth? Should I try replacing bearings? Some say the bearing on the bottom of the pinion gear is usually to blame, thoughts?

Need to test the bearings…I have a tapered rod that I use that can put a slight load on the bearing and spin it to see how smooth it feels…also excessive wear of the main and pinion gear can cause the reel to not feel smooth…also check the shims on the main gear…may be missing a couple