As a passionate roller skater, you may plan to enjoy your ride with friends. All of a sudden, you may face trouble with wheels moving. It will be a very unfortunate and awkward situation that will ruin your day for sure.
In this blog, we’re going to explain how to clean rollerblade wheels and bearings. Because, Skates Rider followers face such unwanted situations and ask every time – how to avoid this trouble? Let’s figure out why these problems arise for a rollerblade rider, when and how we’re going to fix this.
- Table of content
- Why Do You Need to Clean Your Rollerblade Wheels Including Bearings?
- When to Clean Your Rollerblade Wheels and Bearings?
- 4 Major Tasks to Clean Your Rollerblade Wheels and Bearings
- Required Tools and Equipment
- Final thoughts
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why Do You Need to Clean Your Rollerblade Wheels Including Bearings?
One of the most common maintenance issues of your rollerblade is your skate wheels and bearings become dirty and eventually create difficulties to move on. This is why you should clean your rollerblade wheels and bearings regularly to have a smooth ride all the time. In brief-
- To improve the performance of your skates
- To increase the longevity of wheels
- Clean roller skate wheels represent your personal image
When to Clean Your Rollerblade Wheels and Bearings?
Now, people also ask how often we should clean rollerblade wheels and bearings. It depends on how frequently you skate. In general, every rider should tune up their skates, wheels and bearings once every 1-3 months.
4 Major Tasks to Clean Your Rollerblade Wheels and Bearings
How do you clean rollerblade wheels as well as bearings? Here, we are going to discuss the procedure of cleaning rollerblade wheels and bearings which is divided into 4 tasks. The tasks are as follows-
- Knock-down the skates
- Wash the wheels and bearings
- Lubricate the bearings
- Reset the skates
Required Tools and Equipment
A list of tools and equipments required for wheels and bearings cleaning is given below –
- Multi-function skate tools/ inline skate tool
- Thumbtack
- Empty jar or a bowl
- Bearing cleaner
- Forceps/gloves
- Dry cotton cloth or a paper towel
- Air compressor
- Bearing oil
- Dropper
Follow the mentioned 4 major tasks one by one with subtasks to clean your rollerblade with perfection.
Task #1 Knock-down the Skates
In this segment, I am gonna explain the procedure of disassembling the skates step by step.
Step-1: Removing bolts and unfasten the wheels
First thing’s first, to unfasten the wheels from the skate, you can use multi-function skate tools or an inline skate tool. I prefer the inline skate tool. Place the skate tool into the center of the bolt. With a little pressure, turn the bolt counterclockwise. You will find the bolts are loosened enough to remove from the skate.
Step-2: Pop up the first bearing out of the wheel
For this action, use the long end of your skate tool to uproot the first bearing out of the wheel. At first, hold the wheel in one hand.
Then, take the skate tool in another hand and place it into the middle of the wheel at a 45-degree angle. Find the edge of the first bearing and pop it up by the long end of the skate tool.
Step-3: Remove the spacer
A spacer is a small cylindrical part that is usually a metal piece. It is placed between two bearings. When you adjust your skate axles, it helps to prevent wheels from jamming up. To remove the spacer from the wheel, just flip your wheel and slightly shake it.
You will find the spacer out from the wheel. Carefully place it aside with the bolts.
Step-4: Push the second bearing out of the wheel
Insert your skate tool through the gap of the spacer position. A gentle press from the opposite side of the second bearing will push it out from the wheel.
Step-5: Uproot the bearing shields
Generally, the bearing shield is made of rubber and fits closed with bearing balls. So, pry it out from the bearing carefully. Take a thumbtack in your hand. Use the tip of the thumbtack as a lever to pop up the shield.
Keep the shield aside with the set of bolts and spacer of each wheel.
Step-6: Take out the C-ring to remove the metallic bearing shields
The C-ring is a C-shaped metallic hoop that is very thin. It sits beneath the edge of the bearing. Its function is to hold the metallic shield in the right place.
To withdraw the C-ring, use a thumbtack. The pointy end of the thumbtack is set underneath the C-ring and taken out from the bearing.
Then, tap the bearing on a plain hard surface, thus the metal shield comes out.
N.B: If your metal shield is sealed, you should skip this step.
Task #2
In this segment, we’re gonna explain the procedure of washing wheels and bearings step by step.
Step-1: Put your bearings in an empty jar or bowl
Take an empty jar or a bowl and put your bearings on it. The bowl or jar should be flat and large enough to place all the bearings uniformly.
Step-2: Pour some bearing cleaner over the bearings
Cover the bearings with some bearing cleaner. Make sure the bearings are fully submerged by the cleaner.
You can use a specialized cleaner for rollerblade bearings. They are available in online and skates shops also.
Step-3: Stir or shake the jar to clean the bearings
Close the lid of the jar properly. Then shake it harmoniously to give the bearings a deep clean. Continue shaking the jar for a while.
After some time, you’ll find your cleaner becoming dirty, which indicates the dirt has come out. Then drain out the dirty liquid and pour some fresh cleaner again.
Repeat the shaking process until you find no more dirt or grease coming out.
Step-4: Take out the bearings from the jar and spread them in a fresh cotton cloth or paper towel
Take a forceps on your hand. Grab and pull out the bearings one by one from the jar. Place them on a dry cotton cloth or a paper towel to absorb the moisture.
You can also use a pair of gloves to transfer the bearings from the jar to the paper towel.
Step-5: Have a quick look at the bearings to make sure that they are cleaned properly
Grab a bearing between your thumb and pointer finger of one hand. Use your pointer finger of another hand to spin the wheel of the bearing. If you find that your bearing is spinning smoothly and fluidly, it means you’ve done a good job. Otherwise, you have to clean it again. Tap the bearing on a plain-flat surface to check for any kind of dirt or grease residue.
Step-6: Use an air compressor to air dry the bearings
Place all the bearings on a dry cotton cloth or paper towel. Use an air compressor to flow dry air through the bearings. It will make them well dry in and out.
Task #3 Lubricate the Bearings
Take a bottle of bearing oil and drop a few over the balls of the bearings by dropper. Spin the wheel of the bearing with your pointer finger to spread the oil. Bearing oil provides a smooth spin to your bearings.
You can buy bearing oil online or from skates shops.
Task #4 Reset the Skates
In this segment, we’re going to remind you of the reassembling procedure in several steps.
Step-1: Set the rubber shield back on the bearings to reassemble
Place the shield on top of the bearings. Double-check that it is set on the adjacent grooves and balls properly. Then set back the shield with a gentle press.
Step-2: Reset the metallic shield with C-ring
Reassemble the metallic shield on top of the bearing and lock it with a C-ring.
Step-3: Place the first bearing back into the wheels
Place the bearing into the center of the wheels. Make sure that the shield is facing up. Now, gently push the bearing downward with your thumb to insert it. Use the skate tool if you need to place it properly.
Step-4: Place the spacer back in the center between two bearings
Turn the wheel and insert the spacer through the center of the wheel. Make sure that the spacer is set vertically along with the center of the first bearing.
Step-5: Place the second bearing on top of the spacer
Place the second bearing in the center of the wheel and on top of the spacer. Press it by the thumb to insert the bearing as you did before.
Step-6: Reassemble the wheels to your skate
Take each of the wheels and slide back to the proper place in the skate. Hock up the bolts with your skate tool. Before tightening the bolts, make sure that all the wheels are equally spinning fast and smooth.
Final thoughts
This is all about how to clean rollerblade wheels and bearings. We hope you get the basics ideas to clean your rollerblade wheels and bearings. Now you have to do it practically to execute the knowledge.
I recommend you should clean your wheels and bearings once in every month if you skate daily. On the other hand, if you are an occasional skater, then you may clean the wheels and bearings at 2-3 months intervals.