Removing Skateboard Wheel Bearings
Unscrew the nut that holds the wheel on the axle. Use the socket on your skateboard tool to remove the nut on the end of the axle. If you don't have a skateboard tool, or it doesn't have a socket, use a crescent or socket wrench. Wheel nuts are usually ½” (13 mm), so use that size. Take the nuts off of all four wheels at once if you are changing all of the bearings. Set the nuts somewhere that you won’t lose them. If you know for sure which wheel is the problem, only remove the nut and bearings from that wheel. Skate shops usually use a tool called a bearing pole.
Slide the wheel to the end of the axle. You will use the axle itself to pry the bearings out of the wheel, so don’t slide the wheel all the way off of the axle. Move the wheel toward the end of the axle so that only the bearing is still on the axle. If your skateboard tool has a bearing puller on it, feel free to use that to remove the bearings rather than the axle. If you want to use the bearing puller, take the wheel completely off of the axle. Be sure not to lose any washers that are between the wheel and the axle.
Pry the bearing from the wheel. When the axle rod tip is just inside the bearing, use leverage to pry the wheel away from the skateboard truck. Place the heel of your hand on the bottom edge of the outside of the wheel. Place your fingers on top of the wheel and use leverage to pry the bearing out of the wheel. Think of the motion you’d use to open the tab on a pop can or pry a bottle cap from a glass bottle. If you are putting new bearings in the wheels, then it doesn’t matter if you break the current ones. If you are going to clean the bearings and put them back in, be gentle when you are prying them out of the wheels. If you are using a bearing puller, insert the tip into the bearing so it hooks the bearing’s edge and simply pull the bearing out of the wheel.
Remove the second bearing from the same wheel. Flip the wheel over and insert the tip of the axle rod into the second bearing. Repeat the prying process to remove the second bearing from the wheel. Set the bearings aside to be cleaned, or throw them away if you are putting new bearings in the wheels.
Cleaning Skateboard Wheel Bearings
Wipe dirt and buildup off of the bearings. Take a paper towel or old rag and dampen it with water. Wipe the bearing down, removing any visible debris from the bearing. If you didn’t notice any problem with the functioning of the bearings, a quick wipe might be sufficient cleaning.
Pop the rubber guards off. Use a small screwdriver, paper clip, or razor blade to pop the guards off. Slide the tool under the rubber guard and gently pry it off. Be careful not to slice the rubber guard or damage the rest of the bearing in the process. It’s not absolutely necessary to remove the guard, but you can clean the bearing more thoroughly if you do. Some bearings have more than one guard that you must remove before exposing the bearing balls.
Soak the bearings in bearing solvent. Put the bearings into a glass jar, and fill it half-full with a bearing-specific solvent bought at your local skate shop. If you don’t have this, high-purity rubbing alcohol, carburetor cleaner, or lemon juice all work fairly well. Let the bearings sit for about 10 minutes, depending on how dirty they are. If your bearings are significantly rusty, it may be best to buy new ones rather than simply cleaning the ones you have. Cleaning and lubricating the bearings may be enough to get them functioning again.
Shake the bearings around in the jar. After the bearings soak in the fluid, swirl them around in the jar to further loosen any debris or buildup in the bearings. You may see lots of dirt that has already been removed, but a quick swirl helps finish off the cleaning. Swirl the jar for about one minute.
Remove the bearings from the jar and dry them off. Dump the cleaner out of the jar and lay the bearings out on a towel. One by one, wipe them with the towel and dry them as much as possible. Move the balls around in the track to dry all sides. You won’t get the bearings totally dry, but get them as dry as possible. For a more complete drying, use a hair dryer or fan to evaporate all of the moisture.
Spray or wipe the bearings with lubricant. Before you put the rubber guards back on, lubricate the bearing balls. Cleaning is important, but without proper lubrication, the bearings still won’t work quite right. Use a few drops of lubricant from the skate shop, some motor oil, or speed cream used by barbers on electric razors.
Pop the rubber guards back on and put the bearings back in the wheels. After you’ve cleaned and lubricated the bearings, put all of the guards back on. Then put two bearings back into each wheel, eight in total if you removed all four wheels.
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