[CatSkynr]

As I mentioned before, you want to use a “dry lubrication”. (Gun stores will carry this if you cannot find it, such as Otis and TriLube) Oil and stuff like silicone spray and especially WD-40 attract dirt. You can use these as a penetrating cleaning agent, but make sure you displace all this oil; otherwise you will attract dirt and you will be in the same boat as before.

Also, on your axial movement, you want to ensure when you reinstall your squirrel cage, you have checked your clearance to take this into account. As the motor turns the cage, it will have lift, like a toy helicopter, trying to pull the shaft from the motor. You will be, at this point, to the far end of your slack.

Most likely, if you have a rattling vibration noise it is not the motor itself, but the cage itself because of balance. This is why most cages you will see clips on the blades; like your wheels and weights, to balance the spin. You do not want to mess with these clips unless you have equipment to balance such things..