When you are skating, your bearings play an important role. They allow you to keep your board moving smoothly and quickly. Without bearings, friction would prevent you from getting a good skating experience. However, to make sure they function properly, you must know how to take care of them.
Find out how to get bearings out of skate wheels so you can clean, fix, and replace them as necessary. Below, we have a detailed list of materials and step-by-step instructions. Keep going until the end.
Page Contents
Step-by-Step to Get Bearings Out of Skate Wheels
What To Prepare
- A socket wrench or a pair of pliers
- A small box to safekeep the nuts
- Bearing puller (optional)
Step 1: Loosen the nuts to remove the wheels from the truck’s axels
Unscrew the nuts at the end of the axles to pull the skate wheels with a socket wrench or a pair of pliers. Grip the nuts with it and turn counterclockwise.
Set the nuts and any washers into a small box for safekeeping. If you lose them, you will not be able to reassemble your skate wheels.
Step 2: Push the wheels back to the tips of the truck’s axles
Now, put the wheels back onto the axles, but do not push them all the way in. Simply slip the axle into the wheel enough so that its tip will hook inside the bearing. In other words, the tips should not be touching the board wheels, just the board bearings.
Step 3: Remove the bearings
Start prying to pop bearings out of skateboard wheels. Imagine as though you are opening the cap of a bottle. Make sure you do this gently and slowly to avoid causing damage.
If you are using a bearing puller to remove bearings from wheels, all you need to do is push the tip into the bearing and pull. It helps to flip the wheels over too.
Step 4: Wrap up the process
After you take bearings out of wheels, set them aside for cleaning. If you intend to replace skateboard bearings, though, you can throw them into the trash.
And you are done!
Now, you can go ahead and change skateboard bearings into new ones.
Other Ways to Take Bearings Out of Skateboard Wheels
Alternative Way #1 – Using a Vice & Hammer
You can take off skateboard bearings with these two handy tools. Place the wheel on its side in the vice, then tap its edges with the hammer. It is best to start with little force and exert more if necessary. Do not be aggressive right away to avoid causing damage.
Alternative Way #2 – Thermal Expansion & Contraction
It might come as a surprise, but it is totally possible to take bearings out of wheels with just heat and ice. Using a hair dryer with high-temperature settings, start by warming up the wheel. Next, dunk it in a container with ice water. The bearings should come right off. You can get bearings out of longboard wheels with this method too.
The Important of Cleaning, Fixing, or Replacing Skateboard Wheel Bearings
1. Cleaning
When you go skating, dirt, dust, and debris get lodged into your wheel bearings. Unless you take measures to remove them, they will accumulate over time. The build-ups can clog your bearings, preventing them from spinning freely and causing them to make noise.
In addition, they may lead to the pitting of your balls and races, which increases friction. This, in turn, releases extra heat and causes your wheels to stop abruptly. You can fall and sustain severe injuries as a result. So, it is incredibly important to keep your wheel bearings clean.
2. Fixing
Like any other sports gear, skateboard wheels can run into problems, such as:
- Turn on their own
- Spin slowly or stop altogether
- Wobble
These issues can worsen your skateboarding experience. They might also cause accidents that are otherwise avoidable. For example, if you are speeding down a street with your skateboard and it suddenly halts, the person behind might crash into you.
If you spare time to fix your wheel bearings, these problems will not arise. Hence, it is safe to say that fixing bearings is extremely crucial.
3. Replacing
Skateboard wheel bearings do not last forever, so you will eventually have to bid them goodbye. Typically, this is when they have gone rusty or have lost their balls and shields.
If you skateboard with wheel bearings like these, you will certainly not have a good time and will likely get injured. You might also snap or break the skateboard after an accident. And ultimately, you will have to shell out more money to get a new skateboard.
Therefore, removing skateboard bearings and replacing them when necessary can save you and your budget! Never be stingy about sparing time for replacements.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I replace my skateboard bearings?
You should replace your skate wheel bearings when they cannot spin smoothly despite just being cleaned and lubed. It is also necessary to remove them when you notice signs of wear and tear.
Replacing the wheel bearings of your skateboard at the right time is very important to make sure you are always safe while going skateboarding. It also ensures that your skating sessions will be fun.
How do I know if my skateboard bearings are bad?
Conduct the Wheel Roll test! Simply roll all your skateboard wheels at the same time, using the same amount of force, and watch them.
If one wheel stops before the others, there is a good chance the bearings on that wheel are bad, and you will want to replace them. To be sure, you should do the test several times.
How long do skateboard wheel bearings last?
Skateboard wheel bearings can last between 1 and 2 years on average. However, this is with the condition that they are taken care of properly.
The service life of wheel bearings also depends on other factors, such as frequency of use. If you like to perform jump tricks on your skateboard, your skate wheels might wear more easily too.
Is it OK to replace just one wheel bearing?
When you take out skate bearings, it is totally fine to replace just the faulty one. By doing so, you can save time, effort (heading to the skate shop and carrying out the removal process), and money. There is no need to replace the bearings in pairs.
Conclusion
Now, you know how to get bearings out of skate wheels quickly and easily. There are only four simple steps to follow.
Being able to pop the bearings from your skates enables you to clean, fix, and replace them properly when necessary. As a result, you can keep your skateboard accompanying you for a long time.
Feel free to bookmark this to refer back to it in the future. If you have other thoughts or questions, reach out to us in the comments down below.
Harrison is a skating enthusiast who picked up the sport during her student exchange years in Canada. She has been a skating coach for children and teens for 3 years and now holds classes as a freelancer. Harrison entwines her experience leading skating classes in the content published on Cora to help readers fall in love with skating, just like she did.
