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How To Clean Skateboard Wheels
Are you a regular skater? Then it will be easy to detect any malfunction through the movements of your skateboard. At some point after several uses, your skateboard may feel sticky. When it does just know that it is time you give your wheels a proper cleanup.
The wheels and bearing of your skateboard can easily get blocked with a build-up of dirt. Mud on your skateboard wheel bearing can keep the wheels from spinning properly as they should, this dirt may cause you to slip, slide or even lose balance while riding.
Fortunately, cleaning your wheels and bearing is considerably easy and requires some disassembling and a cleaning mixture (liquid soap), and some cleaning tools. And of course, once you can put your wheels in place, you can ride comfortably and safely.
Take these steps below carefully then you are good to go.
How to Clean Skateboard Wheels
- Remove wheels with a wrench from the axle; place your skateboard upside down with its wheels facing up, use a 1.3cm sized socket wrench to twirl, and remove the axle nuts on the exterior part of the wheel and then put them aside. Keep all the wheel equipment removed together in a place carefully where you can easily lay your hands on it and assemble them later. You will need every one of it to fix back after wash. So don’t lose them.
- Gently pry the bearing out the wheels with the truck axle; take one of the wheels and place the center against the metal rod bound to it (called the truck axle). Utilize the rod to pop out the bearing off the wheel. Then use this same procedure for all four wheels and keep this bearing where you can lay your hands on them anytime. Keep the wheels and the wheel bearing distinct from each other so they are simpler to clean. If you find it hard to remove the bearings then try to use a screwdriver to poke out the bearing. To get the sides of the wheels facing you, then insert the tip screwdriver in front of the wheel, twist it to release the bearing. Once you remove the bearing from the wheel, a bearing spacer will drop from the center of the wheel.
- Wipe off the surface of your wheels with a rag and brush to clean off dirt; use your hands to loosen any rock or graphite then use a rag to mop hard and then if there are any super dirt that requires scrutiny, pick up a toothbrush and scrub any mud or soot hardly. And if you aren’t getting it right just chill, this is not the concluding step.
- Soak the wheels in soapy water; fill up a bucket with warm water and add up 1 or 2 spoons of liquid soap. Stir the combination properly until foamy and soapy then soak for about ten minutes. Just let the wheel sit in soapy water alone and not the bearing because it is made of metal hence, it can rust. The warm water will help you undo any stuck-up dirt and soot.
- Scrub the wheels and wipe with a rag; remove the wheels from the soapy water and give them a good scrub with the brush and this is the point where you get to wash harder leaving it sparkling clean. Make sure you wipe the wheels in and out to remove small rocks or granite hiding in the nooks and crannies. Then with another rag dry the wheels or set them aside to be air-dried completely before reassembling to avoid slips. While waiting, begin to clean the wheel bearing.
Here’s how to clean your skateboard bearing.
Cleaning your wheel bearing you may not be needing soap and water. So I guess it will be quite complicating. Therefore, you will require solvents like acetone, isopropyl alcohol to clean them and lubricants such as oil or grease to lubricate them for proper function.
- Use a pin to gently pop the shield from your wheel bearing. If your shield is made of rubber, you did have to be careful to avoid puncture and if made of metal, there should be a c shaped clip fastening them in place. So use your pin, get the clip out gently and the shield away.
- Put your solvent in a bowl to cover the bearing wheels.
- Place the wheel bearing parts in the bowl containing the solvent and let sit for few minutes. Then tap gently the tools at the bottom of the bowl to remove embedded soot. Lay each of them on a paper towel to dry. While waiting, dip and swirl the shield in the solvent to also remove dirt.
- Almost done! but remember you have to relubricate the bearing before putting together and be sure it is dry before greasing and just a little like 2- 3 drops is fine to have the balls in the bearing cover.
- Gently place the shield back over the bearing and use your fingers to put them in place.
At this point, you can now reattach your clean wheels and bearing together and fix them back to your skateboard.
To clean the skateboard Grip tape;
- Utilise a soft wire brush to scrub the grip tape after soaking in a bowl of water and removing all embedded dirt, dry with a rag or leave to air dry before using a grip gum to remove surface grime. It should also be noted that the grip tape does not last long so look out for it carefully for you will eventually have to change it.
Finally, if these steps are followed thoroughly, you will leave your skateboard wheel neat, and also in very good shape, and free from a clumsy ride.