What Other Things Can I Use To Clean My Skateboard Bearings Without Wd-40

Download Article

Download Article

Over time, grit and grit can collect in your skateboard'southward bearings and hurt your power to shred some sick moves. Cleaning the bearings will subtract normal habiliment-and-tear on your board, increase its speed, and prevent the wheels from seizing up. The terminal thing you want is to consume pavement. Luckily, the procedure is like shooting fish in a barrel enough to practice at home.

1. one

   Assemble the necessary materials. To brand this job go faster and get you back on your board sooner, having the right tools at the fix is a must. The necessary items are listed below under Things You'll Need. In item you'll need pliers/screwdriver, a socket wrench or ratchet and a skate tool (or T-tool). Yous'll also need a bearing pole.^[1]

2. 

   2

   Remove the skateboard'southward wheels. Yous tin do this easily by using a socket wrench, ratchet or skate tool to loosen the nuts holding the wheels in identify. You may need to concur your board steady and apply firm force per unit area to intermission the bolts loose.

   Ad

3. three

   Store the removed parts in a safe place. It'southward like shooting fish in a barrel to lose or misplace a necessary nut, washer, or some other part when you lot're working on your board. To prevent this, consider putting the parts yous're not working with inside a plastic handbag.

   • For each wheel removed, you should have a commodities and one to two bearing washers.

4. 

   4

   Free the bearings from the wheels. The bearing will occupy the cadre of the wheel and will be round in shape. After removing the wheels, you can gently pry out the bearings with a screwdriver, or pull these out advisedly with needle-nose pliers.

   • If you don't have a tool available, put the cycle on the truck like yous're attaching it, but make sure simply one bearing (out of the two for that wheel) goes on the truck. Then wedge the bearing out, using the truck for leverage.
   • Some boards accept an boosted spacer between bearings called a speed ring. You should remove this later freeing the first begetting.
   • If yous don't have a bearing puller, you tin can utilise a thick metal rod (sparse enough to fit through the opening of the bearing where the beam usually goes through), touch the bearing on the opposite side when inserted the metal rod, and gently tap the rod with a hammer. However, doing this may damage the bearings, so yous must be very conscientious.

   Advertisement

1. 

   1

   Clean off major dirt and grime. Be sure to do then gently, to avoid grinding dirt into the bearings. Gently rub the bearings with a dry rag or paper towel to eliminate all obvious dirt.^[two]

   • If the grime is particularly bad, use a moderate corporeality of solvent to the rag or paper towel, to help cut through the gunk.

2. 

   2

   Set up a cleansing solution. Using a clean bucket or bowl, fill information technology with the acetone or a grease cleaning solvent. Mineral spirits or rubbing alcohol piece of work well, are relatively cheap, and are less harsh than some cleaners. Fill the bucket or bowl but plenty to submerge the bearings.

   • If you lot decide to employ acetone, please think to article of clothing gloves, as this solvent is quite strong.^[iii] Note that not every boarder recommends the use of acetone, and y'all may cull to use a milder solvent instead. Wear gloves when handling acetone!
   • If you lot employ a milder solvent, similar mineral spirits, you may have to wait a petty longer for the bearings to become fully clean.

3. 

   3

   Pop off the bearing shield caps. Take the bearings in hand and using a small, thin object, like pivot, paperclip, or the point of an X-acto knife, pry the rubber shield from the begetting. These caps are usually black or cherry-red.^[4] After removing the cap, you should run into tiny metal balls.

   • If you have difficulty doing this, try to insert the pointed object betwixt the rubber cap and bearing housing, then gently pry until the cap comes complimentary.

4. 

   iv

   Soak the bearings in the solvent. Now the bearings are prepare to be put in the cleaning solution. Swirl the bearings around in the solvent for about 5 minutes, then let the bearings sit in the liquid for about ten minutes.^[5]

   • If the grease solvent has considerably darkened, yous may need to advisedly drain the solvent and add some more to the bucket. Do this as many times every bit necessary until the bearings look clean.

5. v

   Remove and dry the bearings. Before removing the bearings, fix a level, safe place where these can dry. Lay down paper towel or a rag, remove the bearings, and allow enough time to pass until completely dry.

   Advertizement

1. 

   one

   Accelerate the drying. Let the bearings dry out for well-nigh 10 minutes. You can speed this procedure by using canned air to spin the begetting. Aim the canned air into the open up side of the bearing and spray. If information technology doesn't move, employ your finger to spin the bearing and spray the air while the bearing is already spinning.

2. 2

   Utilize the lubricant. It is all-time to use lubricant specifically intended for skateboard bearings. You should only need two or three drops of lubricant in each bearing. After applying the lubricant, spin the bearing to distribute throughout the begetting.^[six]

   • Do not use: Cooking oil, motor oil, or anything that might gunk upwards the bearings or create stickiness. WD-40 is likewise not recommended, equally it lasts a short time, junks up the bearings, and can dry out bearings out, counteracting the lubricant.
   • Instead, use a Teflon-based rather than silicone-based lubricant.^[seven]

3. 

   3

   Replace the bearing shields. The shields should pop into identify without much difficulty, but have intendance to brand sure the seal between the bearing shield and bearing is complete. Check to ensure that there are no gaps.

4. 

   4

   Reinsert the bearings. Replace the bearings into the wheels by pushing each firmly with your finger into the wheel every bit far as you are able. Bulldoze the bearings home by pushing the wheel down onto a skateboard truck as hard as you tin can.

   • If your board came equipped with the bearing spacer (speed ring), exercise not forget to put this between bearings just as you establish it.

5. 

   five

   Refasten the wheels. At present that the bearings are in the wheels as far every bit possible, reattach the wheels dorsum to the trucks. Remember to put one washer on each side of the wheel. Then tighten the bolt until the wheels are firm, but not stiff.

   • The wheels should jiggle slightly subsequently reattaching.

6. 

   half dozen

   Make sure the wheels are fastened correctly. Tightening a nut as well much can hamper the wheel'southward ability to spin. Test each wheel by hand, spinning each to make certain every one moves freely.

   • If a wheel doesn't spin or is hard to spin, loosen the commodities that holds the wheel on the truck slightly.

   Advertizing

References

Add New Question

• Question

  What tin you utilise to make clean skateboard bearings?

  

  Jon Depoian is a Skateboarding Teacher and the Possessor of Intro2Skateboarding, an arrangement based in Orange County, California that provides professional private, habitation-school, later-school, birthday party, and summer camp skateboard lessons for beginners and experienced skateboarders alike. Jon has over 21 years of skateboarding experience and over ten years of skateboard instruction experience. He also has all-encompassing experience producing street skateboarding videos and skating competitions.

  

  Skateboarding Teacher

  Proficient Answer

  

  Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert reply.

  The easiest way to clean bearings is to simply spray them with a Teflon-based lubricant. The other technique is to take the bearings off, pop off their little rubber shields, put lubricant on them, and wash them in a cup. The latter is more time-consuming, but cleans the bearings out more thoroughly.

• Question

  What kind of canned air do I use?

  

  Any type of air duster works; an air compressor works fifty-fifty amend.

• Question

  Should I take the grease out and use low-cal oil if my bearings are new and packed with grease?

  

  Use grease. It's longer lasting. When it heats up from riding, it becomes more than liquid like and less like jelly. After riding, information technology cools dorsum down and gets like jelly again. It won't drip out every bit much as oil, and you won't have to clean your bearings as much.

• Question

  Can I use deodorant instead of solvent?

  

  George Higgins

  Community Answer

  I would highly discourage it. If you desire the all-time performance I recommend cleaner from Basic or another professional person skate company. Chances are, if everyday things worked merely as well, then skate companies would have no reason to make fancy cleaners.

• Question

  What if the bearing breaks while I am taking information technology off, then what?

  

  If you break information technology you'll have to buy a new one. At a shop perhaps. Y'all can always take ane off a junk lath.

• Question

  How do I remove the bearings from a skateboard?

  

  George Higgins

  Customs Reply

  You need to unscrew the wheels and bearings together first. In one case your wheels are off you need to take the actual bearings out of them. To do this, y'all can unremarkably use a screwdriver to pry them out. If that doesn't work endeavor the start tip for footstep four and alternate putting pressure with your thumbs on opposite sides of the cycle. Yous should hear it squeaking every bit it is coming out if the begetting is very tight in the wheel.

• Question

  Volition this process work too if I accept previously used WD40 to lubricate my bearings?

  

  Information technology should work fine. WD40 doesn't last as long as a proper bearing lubricant.

• Question

  Will this process piece of work as well if I have previously used WD40 to lubricate my bearings?

  

  Don't use wd40 They will ruin your bearings. They eat at the balls, so they don't gyre anymore.

• Question

  Will this process work as well if I have previously used WD-40 to lubricate my bearings?

  

  Information technology volition work well, but avoid using WD-40 again and instead buy a bearing lubricant from a skate shop.

• Question

  What kind of alcohol should I apply?

  

  Use 99% isopropyl booze. Don't utilise 70% isopropyl alcohol, which is meliorate for sanitizing hands.

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to go a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertising

Video

• If yous are familiar with this process, feel free to gently remove the plastic shields on the bearings first.

• WD-40 can exist used as a cleaner merely not a lubricant for bearings. Using WD-40 tin can severely decrease the life of the bearings.

Advertisement

• Exercise not use h2o, but in the outcome that the bearings get wet, dry thoroughly earlier replacing.

• Habiliment gloves when handling acetone. It is very combustible, is harsh to the peel, and gives off many fumes. Only use acetone in a well ventilated identify.

Advertisement

Things You'll Need

• Acetone (or a grease solvent, like mineral spirits)
• Lubricant
• Needle-nose pliers/thin screwdriver
• Paper towels/rags
• Plastic handbag (optional)
• Skate tool (also called T-tool; optional)
• Socket wrench (½")^{[8] [9]} or ratchet

About This Article

Commodity Summary X

To clean skateboard bearings, start past removing the wheels from your skateboard and using a screwdriver to pry the bearings from the wheels. Then, gently rub them with a dry out rag or a paper towel to remove any visible dirt and grime. Next, use a pin or paperclip to pry the rubber shields from the bearings. After that, submerge the bearings in some cleaning solution, like rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits. Swirl the bearings around for five minutes, and then permit them soak for 10 minutes earlier taking them out and letting them dry out. For more tips, like how to grease and reassemble the bearings, go along reading!

Did this summary assistance you?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 205,522 times.

Did this article help y'all?

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Skateboard-Bearings

Posted by: phillipspritioneatch.blogspot.com

Share this post