DEALING WITH COMMON ISSUES OF SKATEBOARD BEARINGS

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alvawitting
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DEALING WITH COMMON ISSUES OF SKATEBOARD BEARINGS

Post by alvawitting » Thu Sep 16, 2021 10:13 am

The most popular advice when people refer to the common problems with their skateboard bearings that they encounter while skating is to replace them. Though a set of bearings will not cost you an arm and a leg, there are still many possible ways to quickly fix these bearings.

From my experience and what I learn at a popular skateboarding website named SkateAdvisors, the reasonable cause for bearing issues is infrequent maintenance. Moreover, the great exposure to friction as well as the concussive impact of the bearings makes them more vulnerable.

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In this post, you will find necessary information about how to fix the most common problems with skateboard bearings and you can also learn some extra tips on how to avoid these issues or maintenance.

BECOMING RUSTY

This is the most popular one that every skateboarder has to encounter at least once in their life. Though you can skate on wet roads or under the rain, manufacturers do not recommend doing so since this can make the bearings more susceptible to being broken. Furthermore, skating on wet surfaces means the ground is slippery so accidents are likely to take place.

If water gets a chance to get into your bearings, it will gradually turn the metal parts rusty by eliminating all the lubricant on the surface. At first, you may not notice any difference or considerable impact; however, rusty bearings eventually cause more friction that can lead to a terrible accident or slow down your board.

Getting rid of these rusty spots on skateboard bearings is actually not very difficult but good preparation includes a cup, a toothbrush, a towel, acetone, and vinegar. The acetone is used to remove the rust and the vinegar solution is for soaking the bearings into it before taking it to dry.

If you are not in a hurry, I strongly recommend soaking the bearings in the solution for a night so all the dust and dirt can easily rise off the next morning. Unless you submerge them in the cleaning solution, washing the bearings with a toothbrush is such a burden.

Although I listed white vinegar in the list, I don’t think skaters should use it unless there are other choices. Vinegar is said to leave a greasy film after being clean even if the owners have dried them completely by using compressed air.

According to many pro riders at SkateAdvisors, prevention is always a better solution. Try to avoid wet surfaces or any puddles on your way and remember to dry and clean your board after every ride is a good habit to ensure the best working condition of your skateboard bearings.

STRANGE NOISE

If the previous problem can be avoided by some extra care while riding, fixing the noise coming from your bearings is a bit tricky. Skateboard bearings inevitably become loose and worn over time due to the excessive amount of impact and vibration they have to absorb. This is also a factor that causes the gap in between the bearings and water to make the way in.

From my experience, old bearings often make a rattling or squeaky noise which can distract skaters from their skating sessions. There are numerous causes for noisy bearings but I think the most common reason is the missing spacers. Occasionally, lubricant inside your bearings dries out which leads to the dramatic increase of frictions when the bearings start rotating.

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If you find out there is a missing spacer, just buy a new one at any skate shop and put it back in. skating without the spacers can become a nightmare to your skateboard, especially when you intend to perform tricks with a high level of intensitive. That’s the reason why I always remind skaters to check their boards carefully before and after each right to make sure that everything is working properly.

For the remaining reason of dried-up lubricant, go get proper lubricants for skateboard bearings and add them into your bearings. In case you are not clear about skateboard lubricants or can not determine which types to buy, don’t forget to check the buying guide for beginners at SkateAdvisors, see also: https://twitter.com/AdvisorsSkate

BEARINGS ARE DIRTY

Rolling on different terrains all day long creates the perfect condition for dirt to gradually build up inside skateboard bearings. Just like water, dirt drastically slows down the board or even causes serious damages to skateboard wheels. If you can avoid skating in dirty areas, always clean your board regularly every time you get back home.

Dirty bearings are more common than the two previous issues and skateboarders can improve the situation easily within a couple of minutes. By disassembling the skateboard bearings and cleaning them properly, I can assure you of a long-lasting set of bearings. As I stated before, most problems come from the habit of not maintaining them regularly; therefore, you should spend some minutes after each session to recheck the board and clean it immediately.
Last edited by alvawitting on Tue Nov 09, 2021 7:52 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Nick BC
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Re: Skins- off-season storage

Post by Nick BC » Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:14 am

In the freezer.



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Ziggy
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Re: Skins- off-season storage

Post by Ziggy » Thu Sep 16, 2021 4:14 pm

Fridge.
Cheers from Down Under



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Nitram Tocrut
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Re: Skins- off-season storage

Post by Nitram Tocrut » Fri Sep 17, 2021 12:38 pm

I usually try to keep my skin on my body where it belongs... although in my line of work we frequently lose some :P



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joeatomictoad
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Re: Skins- off-season storage

Post by joeatomictoad » Wed Sep 22, 2021 9:48 pm

...in the game.



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