A guide to some basic skate maintenance and how to clean or change your bearings. You will need to clean or change your bearings after prolonged use or if they have become dirty from outdoor skating or skating in wet or dirty conditions.
You will need:
A skate tool that fits your axel nuts.
A bearing press/tool.
A bearing cleaning kit.
Speed cream/bearing oil.
Acetone (Nail polish remover).
First gather all your tool kit together and have some basic equipment to hand such as kitchen paper towels.
Firstly remove your nuts using the skate tool and take your wheels entirely off of the axle. Remove any dirt or hair (gross).
You can do this by wiping the axle with a paper towel - you don't need to use any water.
Next you can take your bearings out of the wheels by using a bearing press or bearing tool.
This will minimise the damage to your bearings and ensure they last as long as possible.
Then using a small thin tool such as a blade or a finger nail - ease the plastic cover off of the bearing to reveal the balls inside. (Don't worry they won't fall out of the casing).
They will look different depending on the brand of bearings you have.
Once you have removed the covers - check your bearings to see if there is any loose dirt or large bits of grit which are stopping them from spinning.
Now you want to thread them onto the bearing cleaning stem.
Once they are all bolted into place. Pour enough acetone into the container to cover the bearings.
Place inside and securely fasten the lid. (Follow the instructions with your cleaning kit carefully).
You can leave them to soak and give them a good shake to remove all the dirt.
Once they are clean - remove from the unit and allow to air dry on a paper towel - no need to rinse!
Check the bearings are free spinning again.
You can now add a drop of Speed Cream to each bearing to help lubricate and keep the ball bearings spinning freely.
Pop the covers back on and your bearings will be as good as new!
Carefully replace the bearings into your wheels using a bearing press or tool to prevent damaging them.
Enjoy the new fresh bearing feeling!
