Everything About Skateboarding Bearings and Wheels

If you use a skateboard then it’s important to know about its bearings and wheels. Every skateboard wheel has two bearings and if you want your skateboard wheels to roll smoothly then good quality bearings is a must. The space between the bearings can be filled with the help of a spacer and the small metal cylinder prevents the bearings from moving to the center of the wheels when it comes to tightening the axle nut and getting damaged. The spacers are useful to make sure that the bearings are parallel with each other. For soft quality wheels, spacers are advisable.

If you purchase the skateboard bearings from a reputed shop online or from a local shop then you will not find it challenging to get the size you need.

Role of bearings in a wheel:

There is an outer ring and a small inner ring in the bearings and just between these rings there are small steel balls. This helps the wheels to turn. On each side of the rings there are covers known as shields and it helps the bearings to remain clean. They are located inside the ball cage and it keeps the balls in its place.

You can also choose to skate with ball bearings without shields, which are open or semi-open. If you do skate with open or semi-open bearings, they will indeed be more susceptible to contamination, but they will be somewhat faster. Many skaters enjoy the slightly louder sound of a skateboard with open bearings.

Role of ABEC 3 bearings

It is said that if the ABEC rating of the bearings is legendary, then it will be fast as well as better. Here ABEC stands for Annual Bearing Engineers Committee and this standard is decided for understanding how fine the rolling elements will be. High ABEC rating means low tolerance for any types of errors during the manufacturing process. Rating will help to decide the quality of bearings in the skateboard, but it is also a fact that RPM’s have been achieved even when skating is low so the role of the rating is not required to get a bearing.

ABEC 7 or 9 bearings have the potential to reach 20,000 to 30000 RPM and for a 54mm wheel, it will correspond to a speed of over 200 kilometers per hour. This is the reason why some manufacturers renounce ABEC ratings, though it can still guide you to get that first impression of the bearing quality. When it comes to speed and relevance of skating, ABEC rating is futile to some extent because the impact of skateboarding on the bearings is very different than industrial use traditionally.

This is why one should buy only skate tested bearings as they are more resistant and are designed to meet the skateboarding goals. So, when it comes to performing landing tricks or other tricks of turning, the bearings will do a good job. The exciting and new developments keep taking place in bearings. These days you can get the skateboard bearings that are made of titanium or extra hard balls made of the tempered ceramic. The special technologies are used for increasing the lifespan of the bearings and they are quite expensive as well.

Cleaning the skateboard bearings:

The wheels of electric skateboards need to be kept in good condition if you want to have a wow experience during skateboarding. The bearings should be well maintained. There are some simple rules that you can follow and keep your skateboard in good condition.

• Water is not good for bearings as the bearings will rust and therefore, make sure the bearings should not come in contact with the water. Never skate in rain. It is good for the deck as well; else you may even get injured on wet ramps or concrete surface. The dust should not settle on the bearings. It can spoil the bearings. So wipe the bearings every day.
• When you oil your bearings, make sure the bearings are thoroughly cleaned. For ball bearing maintenance, it might seem a tedious task, but if you want to extend the life of bearings then taking care of it is necessary.

Cleaning process: You just need a lubricant and a container for cleaning along with a cleaning solution. Remove the rubber cover and shields from the bearings carefully. You can do this with the help of a safety pin. Now slide the bolts to the bottom of the container lid which includes wing nut and the spacers. The bearing balls should face upwards and the cage they sit is located downwards. Take some cleaning solution and fill the container with it. Reseal the lid now. Now, shake the container and let the bearings be soaked in it so all the grime can be removed. Now, remove the bearings from the bolt in a careful manner and let it dry. Once dried, take two drops of lubricant and put the shield back. It’s all set now.