Clean bearings are fast bearings. Dirt and gunk will inevitably build up on the inside of your bearings and cause the ball bearings to slow down or seize up altogether. If you want your skate bearings to last, regular maintenance is key. Minor issues can be solved by dripping a few drops of lubricant on the outside of each bearing, then giving them a spin. If that doesn’t help, you’ll want to give them a deep clean.
We’ll teach you to clean your skate bearings in 5 easy steps. Follow along or jump to one of the steps below:
Remove Wheels
Remove Bearings & Shields
Soak Bearings in Cleaner
Dry and Re-Lubricate
Replace Shields and Mount Bearings
Tips:
People sometimes confuse cleaning skateboard wheels with bearings, thinking that they need to clean their wheels when in fact you only need to clean your bearings.
Longboards use the exact same bearings as skateboards, so this process will also work for longboard bearings.
If your bearings have metal shields, your ability to clean inside them will be limited, but still beneficial. If they have rubber shields or no shields, you can easily bring them back to life by following the steps below.