How Often Should I Clean My Roller Skate Bearings

Before a game nosotros try to become together as a squad and practise an evening of skate maintenance, which often leads to bad lube jokes (probable due to the fumes of all the cleaning products). It's a slap-up way to bond as a team and last time it lead to united states of america all painting our nails the same colours in training for the bout.

Last week I went ahead and cleaned 2 total sets of bearings on my own. Without the distraction of lube, fumes and blast polish, I figured I would document how I do it and share with y'all.

Things you'll need

Containers, muddied bearings, bearing puller, a small screwdriver or nail file, cleaning agent of your choice, rags, canned air, lube, etc.

**DISCLAIMER: My way isn't necessarily right, merely the procedure is what I've picked up from reading, talking to other derby gals and asking questions at skate lath shops. If your way works for you, keep doing it!!!! If you see me doing something glaringly wrong, delight speak upwardly!!!!!

Removing your bearings from your wheels…

The best way is to get a bearing pusher/puller. Almost multi-apply skate tools take them. Below is a video of how to get them out. It'due south sort of a wiggling/round-and-circular motility. It's easiest to pull from the dorsum of the wheel, and then button your tool through the middle of your cycle to popular the other one through and out.

Begetting tools are available at most skateboard shops.

How to tell if your bearings are muddy…

If they await like this…

I know the focus is off, only yous tin even see the grime on the bearings in the background.

Then they are dirty.

If you hold them between your fingers, give them a spin and they make grinding noises or don't fifty-fifty spin to the count of ane, then they are muddy.

Wiping surface dirt from your bearings help a trivial, but if little grains of dirt become defenseless between the balls inside the bearings, you demand to take them apart for a deeper clean.

Before I go on, inspection…

It's of import to also audit your bearings for loose parts & make sure they aren't lopsided. Remember nosotros are putting a lot of pressure on our bearings by near always leaning in one direction. I've never had it happen to me yet, merely I imagine bearings will eventually start to bend over in the direction yous're leaning in over time, especially if y'all don't rotate them. So if they are clean, lubed but still don't coil well, they should be ditched or made into a keychain decoration.

Taking autonomously your bearings…

Before y'all take autonomously your bearings yous should wipe all surface dirt away with a towel. My bearings have removable crowns on the back. Yous must be careful when removing them to avoid peachy or breaking the shield. I use a small eyeglass screwdriver to gently pry the crown off the back.

The dollar store sells cheap little screwdrivers perfect for this job.

At that place are many dissimilar styles of bearings on the marketplace and how y'all take them autonomously varies. The bearings shown above take an easy-to-remove crown. Nonetheless if you lot also remove the condom shield on the other side, the little balls will fall out and whorl all over your floor. Don't do that if you have these types of bearings. A commenter below said that with these types of bearings its usually easier to remove the safety shield and continue the crown in place. So do what works all-time for you lot. (Thanks to Rink Rolled for the info)

Bearings that take two rubber shields on both sides usually take spacers in betwixt the bearing balls to hold them in place. Use a safety pin to pry out both sides of the rubber shields.

Bearings that are fully encased in metallic, aren't able to exist taken autonomously to be cleaned (to my cognition). But Rink Rolled says this…
"Bearings with metal shields can be cleaned (except cheap sealed ones). Metallic shields are held into place with a metal C-ring along the outside of the bearing. The C-band can exist removed with a pin and the shield will come up right off."

Edited to add (Dec. 23, 2011)
I institute this nifty video that shows the different means to have apart bearings. Check it out!

What to use to clean your bearings…

Once all my crowns are removed, I put all my bearings in 70% rubbing alcohol. Better nonetheless, if you tin detect 99% alcohol (yous ordinarily accept to ask for information technology backside a pharmacy counter) do it. Paint thinner and kerosene also work merely they stink and those are hard on your peel. Bearing-specific cleaner purchased at your local skate shop is also an choice. Some use environmentally friendly options besides, but exist careful in what you choose because if there is any film or residue left on those footling balls, they won't roll nice. EG: Dish soap isn't great for bearings.

Soak em if you got em!

My rookie mistakes!

The first time I washed my bearings I used soap and water. I allow them soak too long and the piffling balls were literally rusting before my eyes. If you're going to use water, make certain you have a way to dry them FAST! When I saw them rusting, I panicked and grabbed my pilus dryer and frantically started blow drying them on the hottest setting. Don't do that either because it kinda shrinks the outside rubber shield which helps concur your bearings together. If you take a hair dryer with a cool setting and want to endeavor that out, go for it. More about drying your bearings below.

Cleaning the crowns…

One of my teammates told me to not wash the crowns with chemicals or rubbing alcohol as information technology tin can break down the plastic. I don't know if it's true or not, simply now I requite them a warm soapy h2o bath and get the dirty grunge of lube and dirt off with a toothbrush, while I permit my bearings soak in the alcohol. Then I rinse them in h2o. To finish the crowns, I requite them a quick rinse in the rubbing alcohol, to ensure any leftover residue is gone, so towel dry.

The crowns get really gross when mixed with your lube and clay.

Cleaning the bearings

I give them a skillful scrubbing with a toothbrush, shake them in the booze and echo until they are make clean. Then I towel dry out them to go rid of the excess wet.

Brusha, brusha, brusha

Don't have a brush? Here's an even BETTER option!

Afterward you lot take them apart, put all your bearing pieces in a water bottle, fill information technology alcohol and shake it for 20 minutes. This advice comes from Coach Pauly himself! Nether nearly circumstances, the friction of shaking the bearings in the alcohol is plenty to go them clean.

Edited to add (Dec. 23, 2011)
Below is a nifty video that explains in detail how to clean bearings. Some of his techniques are different than what I outline, so you lot can cull what works best for you!

Drying the bearings…

If yous utilize pigment thinner, that stuff evaporates very speedily. Other cleaners may need a little help to dry before the bearings start to rust. If I can't find 99% rubbing alcohol and use a lower pct, I use canned air and give them a blow to brand certain. Just if yous're lucky to know someone who owns a mini air compressor, that's a cheaper alternative. Requite them a proficient blow to ensure all moisture is out of the bearing.

Its recommended you have more than than one tin can handy for this chore because the cans freeze up and lose their blowing power with constant use.

Inspect your bearings

Make sure the balls are smooth, no pits and the inside track is clear of droppings or other problems.

Putting your bearings back together…

Using the little screwdriver that I used to pry off the crowns, I position each individual ball to approximately match up with the sockets of the crown.

Sometimes yous need a steady surgeon manus...

And then I press the crown in. If everything'due south lined up overnice, information technology should snap in hands. Conscientious not to push likewise difficult to crack or break your crown.

Dont force information technology! Utilise your screwdriver to reposition balls while the shield is sitting loose on top if its not snapping in easily.

If you have the bearings with the spacers in them, all you lot take to practise is snap the safe shields in place.

What if your bearings fall apart during the cleaning procedure?

Sentinel this video…

Add the lube…

This tin be done before putting on shields/crowns or subsequently. But it besides depends on the kinds of bearings y'all accept and how they are put together. I've done it both means, mainly because sometimes I forget before replacing the shields. I do one drop on opposite sides of the exposed bearing, though I'm told one driblet is likewise good enough or mayhap do 3 drops for skilful measure. You don't demand to use skateboard lube for this. You tin can get to Canadian Tire and purchase 3 in one automotive oil and use that besides. Speed cream that hairdressers employ for their clippers and other devices is simply fine too. Essentially, whatsoever kind of lubricant on the market that is meant to reduce heat and friction will work on your bearings… another Charabanc Pauly tidbit.

Requite them a spin…

Put the finished bearing betwixt your fingers and requite it a spin! It should have a nice WHHHHHIIIIIIRRRRRRRR sound (but not tin-sounding, otherwise you need more than lube), come to a smooth stop and whorl for a decent amount of time. If yous hear odd noises coming from your begetting or if it stops abruptly during spinning, you probably shouldn't use it anymore. Or you lot can endeavour to soak them overnight and requite them another shake or castor to try and make them come back.

Keeping your bearings cleaned and maintained is a good manner to extend the life of your bearings which in turn, helps you relieve money. Make sure you give yourself a couple of hours to practice this process and it's way more fun doing it in groups.

Happy cleaning!!!!

**EDITED TO ADD Talk to your local skateboard shop tech guy for more information about cleaning bearings! They skate in fashion more dirty/nasty areas than we generally travel as well and are a wealth of information! They also sell fancy cleaning containers to assist clean your bearings more effectively!

49.699000 -112.807000

Source: https://diaryofarollergirl.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/how-i-clean-my-roller-skate-bearings/

Posted by: highfillspither1966.blogspot.com