Do you own a roller skate? If you do then you must already be aware that smooth rides are the key to your enjoyment. But how to ensure that your roller skate wheels always remain smooth? The quick answer is – ‘by cleaning the bearings’. So, how to clean roller skate bearings using household items?
Using the roller skates regularly deposits a lot of dust & grime on the skate bearings. This is one of the major causes of performance decay. Clean bearings ensure that the wheels rotate smoothly thereby offering you faster & smoother rides.
In this article, we will be widely discussing how to clean inline skate bearings using simple techniques at home. To know more, you need to keep tuned till the end.
How To Clean Roller Skate Bearings With Ease?
It is very easy to clean the ball bearings of your quad skates at your home only. For this, you would require a few basic items and a little knowledge regarding how to separate the bearings from the wheels.
Is this your first attempt to clean roller skate bearings? Well, no need to panic as we have got you covered. We must be illustrating the entire process and also would be mentioning the items that you might require for the cleaning process.
First of all, let us try to identify the items that you might require for this so that you can keep them handy. If you can arrange for a multi-purpose skate tool then it would be best but even if you are not able to do it we can still manage with some tools from your household.
Let me list down the items for your ease.
- A socket or ratchet wrench or pliers
- Bearing remover
- A big container
- Warm soapy water
- speed cream
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Paper towel or cotton rag
- Skating lubes
Now that we know about the items required, let’s get started with the process.
How To Clean Roller Skate Bearings at Home?
The process begins with the removal of the wheel bearings which also includes the removal of the wheels from the roller skates.
So, let us get started now. All you need to do is follow the below-mentioned steps.
Parts Dissemble
Removing Nuts
By using the skate tool or the wrench that you have, loosen the nuts. To do this, locate the nut in the center of the wrench and rotate it in an anti-clockwise direction. This needs to be done for all the remaining wheels too.
Skate Wheel Removal
Once you are done with this, now it’s time to remove the axle from the wheels. For this, you need to hold the wheel in your hand and pull it out so that it gets separated from the wheels. You will have to repeat this for all the other wheels as well.
Bearing Removal
You need to place the tip of the bearing removal tool on the center of the wheel. But before you do that, look for a button on the back of the handle and press it.
Once the bearing remover successfully sits on the top of the bearing release the lock and pull the bearing out. This needs to be repeated for all the other wheels.
Cleaning Process
Wheel Cleaning
Check the level of dirt and grime at first. If they can be removed by simply rubbing them off with a cloth, use cotton rags to get them cleaned. If they are too dirty, prepare a soapy cleaning solution using hot water in a container and keep the wheels dipped for around 15-20 minutes.
After that get it out of the solution and use a toothbrush or a paper towel to rub off the dirt and grime from the surface of the wheels.
Bearing Cleaning
Inline skate bearings are usually made of metal, so you should avoid making them wet. Do not use any soapy solution for them. At most, you can use a bearing cleaner to clean them. Simply use a paper towel or cotton rags to gently rub the dirt off the steel bearings and you are done with the cleaning.
You can also use rubbing alcohol to clean off excessive dirt.
Re-assembling the parts
Put Bearings inside Wheels
Once the cleaning is done, put some bearing lubricant or Bones speed cream before you reassemble the parts. Now, you need to put the bearings back into the wheels. For this, you can simply push them back using your finger or use the bearing remover to push them in.
Tightening the Wheels After the bearings, it is time to slide in the axle and put the nuts on. After you have done this, use the wrench to tighten the nuts to the fullest. After this is done, it is recommendable to loosen the nuts by 1/4th turn so that the wheels can roll freely.
Read Also
When Should You Clean Your Bearings?
The bearings are a key part of the roller skate wheels. Therefore, the slightest of issues that they face will immediately get noticed as they will start degrading your skating performance.
It is advisable that you check your bearings for dirt and grime deposit at least once a month if you are using them less frequently. For skaters who use their inline skates on an everyday basis, it is good to do a bearing check-up once every 2 weeks to ensure the performance is always high.
How Do You Know When To Clean Your Bearings?
Well, the obvious signs are performance issues. Once there is a lot of dirt on the skateboard bearings or roller skate bearings it will make your wheels get stuck while they roll and therefore would deprive them to rotate freely.
You are surely going to lose high speeding options once the bearings are filled with dirt. Even riding at pace can become difficult in such circumstances.
If such things are happening with you and your roller skates even, this is the alarm. Go get your bearings cleaned now.
Do not forget to lube them well while restoring them after cleaning.
Do You Need To Clean Your Bearings or Go For a Replacement?
This is perhaps among the most asked queries by beginners regarding roller skate bearings.
Well, you can always replace your bearings but the question is whether it is the right time to do so or can your bearings last a little longer.
To know this you need to check if the bearings got rusted. If so then the only option you have is to replace them. This is usually due to negligence.
If you are investing in new bearings, I would recommend you to opt for Bones reds bearings. Also, try to get a bearing cover as well for better protection.
If the grime deposit is less, I would suggest you simply opt for cleaning the bearings than replacing them.
Conclusion
The roller skate that you possess can be like your best friend provided you care for it. This is such a thing that requires attention and once you take good care it will allow you to excel in the park.
Caring for your sealed bearings is not at all a time taking phenomenon and as discussed here you can easily do it at your home with some basic things which are present in almost every household.
Now that all the queries regarding your query – ‘how I clean my roller skate bearing’ have been clarified, it can be expected that you would follow the article and get the bearings of your roller skates cleaned at least once every 2 weeks. You can also guide your friends on how to clean roller skate bearings so that they can also skate smoothly.
Answer People Common Question
- How to choose the right roller skate bearings?
The easiest way is to look for a stamp that is usually present on the bearing shield or rubber shield of the roller skate bearings. They can exactly tell you what to opt for. Choose ceramic bearings for the best experiences.
- How to put bearings in skate wheels?
The basic step begins with a push of your finger along with the bearing remover onto the bearing, pushing it deep into the skateboard wheels. Once done, it is time to tighten the nuts.
- How to maintain rollerblade bearings?
The first thing that you need to do as part of the maintenance activity for the rollerblade bearings is to keep an eye on them. Routine checks for the rollerblade parts would ensure high performance.
- Can anyone learn to roller skate?
Yes, anyone can learn and use roller skate to enjoy a ride at the skate park around their neighborhood. If you too want to learn, don’t wait, just go ahead and begin today.
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