How To Clean Skateboard Bearings
How To Clean Skateboard Bearings
I m going to show you two ways to clean your skateboard bearings - a fast, easy way that is OK for your bearings, and a longer, more complicated way that is far better for your bearings, but takes a lot longer. You should clean your skateboard bearings if your bearings have slowed down, seem kinda mucky, or if they make a gravely, junky sound when you spin your wheels. To avoid getting to that point, you should really clean your bearings fairly often, even when they are only a little dirty, or just haven t been cleaned in a long time. Cleaning your skateboard bearings like this from time to time will increase your bearing s lifespan, and improve your skateboarding experience (translation - you ll have more fun!).
What you need:
First, you ll want to remove your skateboard bearings. You can clean your bearings without removing them, as I ll show you later, but you won t get them very clean that way. To clean your skateboard bearings well they need to have been removed from your skateboard wheels. Not sure how to do that? Pause for a second and read How To Remove Your Skateboard Bearings. It s quick and easy.
You also need some rags, towels or paper towels - this will get messy, so if you are going to clean your bearings in the living room of your house, make sure you put down a lot of towels. And, you might not want to wear your favorite clothes.
This is where things split between the quick and better cleaning methods. I recommend using the quick method if you have cheaper bearings ($20 or less), or if you plan on wearing your bearings out fast anyway. The problem with the quick method is that the cleaner contains surficants and perfumes that aren t the best for skateboard bearings. So, if you spent $50 or more on skateboard bearings, and want to keep your bearings as healthy as possible, use step 6, the "Best Method", listed below
But, for the rest of us, here s what else you need! I highly recommend Tri-Flow Superior Lubricant. You can pick it up at most hardware stores.
I like Tri-Flow because the spray nozzle makes it super easy to use, and Tri-Flow is designed to not leave any residue behind. do not, I repeat DO NOT use WD-40, or anything like it! WD-40, and other cheaper lubricants leave behind a film that actually collects dirt and dust. I used WD-40 on my very first set of skateboard bearings, long ago before I knew better, and they were dead in a month... The key is to clean your bearings with a lubricant made for it - you want the bearings lubed up, but you don t want any sticky film or residue left behind.
Now, here s where the "quick and easy" comes in. Hold the bearing, and using Tri-Flow, blast the snot out of it. Aim around the edges of the bearing, try to blast into every edge you find.http://en.lily-bearing.com/sitemaps/skateboard-bearings.htm