Do you want to extend the life of your skateboard bearings? Then you need to clean them on a regular basis.

Skateboard bearings tend to last a bit longer when maintained properly. Grit and dust may accumulate in the bearings of your skateboard over time. In fact, this will greatly affect the ability of your skateboard to make great moves.

But by cleaning your bearings, you will be able to decrease normal tear and wear on your skateboard. This will also increase your skateboard’s speed and prevent the wheels from grasping up.

If you think that cleaning your skateboard’s bearings is a difficult task, you are wrong. In fact, the process is pretty easy and you can do it at home.

To help you in maintaining your skateboard’s bearings, we’ve created this article. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to clean skateboard bearings.

Step 1: Collect All The Needed Tools

The following are the tools that you need when cleaning skateboard bearings.

• A skate tool
• Ratchet
• Socket wrench
• Screwdriver
• Pliers

Step 2: Remove the Wheels From Your Skateboard

Using a skate tool, socket wrench, or ratchet, loosen the nuts that hold the wheels in place. In this step, you will need to hold the skateboard steadily and apply some firm pressure in order to break the bolts loose.

As a piece of advice, when removing parts make sure to store them in a safe place.

Step 3: Take the bearings out of the wheels

After removing wheels, remove the bearings gently using a screwdriver or you can use needle-nose pliers to pull out the bearings, but make sure to do this carefully. You can do this as if you are opening a bottle.

Step 4: Remove the bearing shields

Once you have got the skateboard bearings from the wheels, get inside to the cartridges. However, if you are lucky enough your skateboard bearings will have one shield only, but most of the time, you will need to take off one of the shields so that you can get to the cage and balls. To remove the shields, prize one shield off using a small screwdriver.

Step 5: Clean the Skateboard bearings

Clean major grime and dirt gently so that you will not grind the dirt to the skateboard bearings. Rub your bearings using a paper towel or a dry rag to remove all noticeable dirt. But if the grime is too bad, consider applying a moderate amount of solvent to the paper towel or rag to cut over the gunk.

Step 6: Soak your bearings

Fill a clean bowl or bucket with a grease cleaning solvent or acetone and then soak the bearings. Make sure that the bearings are fully submerged into the solution. To ensure the entire bearings are exposed to the cleaner, you can spin them. After that, you can utilize a soft rag to get rid of the remaining dirt and allow the bearings to completely dry.

If you have decided to use acetone, you need to wear gloves since this type of cleaning solution is a bit harsh. But if you want to use a less harsh cleaning solution you can always use rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits, in fact, they are more affordable.

Step 7: Grease the skateboard bearings

After cleaning the bearings make sure to dry them completely, actually, you can use a hairdryer or a compressed air camp when drying. By doing this, you are certain that there will be no rust formation is left.

Nevertheless, for greasing the bearings, the only lubricants that you use are skate bearing grease, electronic oils, and sewing machine oils. Such lubricants perform well since they are thinner types of oils that are specially made for smaller parts.

When greasing, all you need to do is apply two to three drops of oil for every bearing. Once you have applied the oil make sure to spin all the skateboard bearings you make sure that they have a touch of the lubricant. After you remove the excess oil from the bearing by wiping off a paper towel or cloth.

Step 8: Reinsert the skateboard bearings

Push every bearing into the wheels intensely to reinsert it. Then drive home the skateboard bearings by pushing the wheels down on a truck make sure to do this as firm as possible.

However, if your skateboard comes with a speed ring or bearing spacer, don’t forget to place this between the bearings as you found it.

Step 9: Reattach the wheels

Last but not least, reattach the wheels. On every side of the wheel, you need to put a washer then tighten the bolts ’til the wheels are firm. After reattaching the wheels, they should wiggle slightly.

By simply following these nine easy steps you will be able to clean the bearings of your skateboard without any hassle.