Looking for a fix for tough cam locks

I have a few camlocks that i bought a year or two ago. I'm just now getting my brew stand together. As im checking all the connections i find that the cam ears on the femal pieces are reall tough to close. There is an orange/red o-ring in the female connection. Is there a good way to help break these cam fittings in? Should i look at replacing o-ring with gasket that might be thinner or softer? I saw some replacement gaskets bargain fittings and was thinking of trying them but though I'd ask you guys first.

Mine ended up going smoothly after I used them a few times

You could change the gaskets in them for these... It's what's in all of the cam lock QD's I have. Getting them to close isn't that difficult. Sure, it's not always as easy as the ball lock style QD's I was using, but those had their own issues too.

Run the system with hot water and work the cams and practice moving hot water around.
They should loosen up after use.

The silicone o-rings compress easier than the silicone gaskets in my experience but whatever seal you use, they get easier when you have used them a few times.