Some inline skaters don't know that their bearings in their
blades need to be serviced on a regular basis. Doing a
cleaning and lubrication after every eight to 16 hours use
will give a smoother faster ride. It also extends the life of
the bearings which are not cheap to replace. Not all bearings
are serviceable. ABEC-3's and above are serviceable. If you
are not sure what type bearings you have check you owners
manual or call the store you purchased them from and ask. If
the type of bearing is not listed in the specifications that
come with your blades then they are most likely to be semi-precision, therefore unserviceable.
The first thing you need to do is collect all your
materials. You will need the following items: two 1/2 quart
jars, 16oz. paint thinner (mineral spirits) or citrus solvent, 1oz. lightweight
lubricant, safety pin, toothbrush, 2 large rags (1 1/2 sq ft),
5/32in allen wrench, skate tool, and air compressor with
needle blower attachment (optional). After gathering your
materials you must find a suitable workplace. Make sure the
area you choose is well ventilated since you are going to be
using paint thinner. Also you will want to choose a spot that
won't be damaged by spilled paint thinner or grease. Now that
you have chosen a workplace lay all your materials out on one
of your rags in an organized way so you can still lay four
rows of four bearings out.
After you have your workplace arranged it is time to
start the task at hand. Start by removing your wheels from the
rocker assembly. This is done with the allen wrench point of
your skate tool (Note: A skate tool is a three way tool one
point is an allen wrench, anthor is a bearing pusher, and the
last one is a phillips screwdriver head.). Some skates require
two wrenches to remove the wheels. One wrench to hold one
screw to keep it from turning while you remove the other one.
Once you have removed the first screw place the long end of
the 5/32in allen wrench in the screw hole. Inside the hub
there is a slot shaped like the allen wrench so you can hold
it still while you unscrew the other screw. If you have
standard Inline Skates you should only need one allen wrench or
one skate tool because they only have one unsecured screwhead.
Once you have removed all the wheels it is necessary to
begin removing the bearings from the wheel. Use the skate
tool's bearing pusher to push the axle out of the bearing. The
bearing and axle should pop out of the wheel. The other
bearing you can push out with your finger. Repeat this process
for all your wheels.
Now that all your bearing are laid out before you. You
can begin disassembling them. Find your safety pin, open it, and
pick up a bearing. On the inside edge of your bearing is a
locking groove that has a C-shaped safety ring in it. Use your
safety pin to remove that safety ring. The shield should fall off
now if you tap it. When the shield comes off you should see the
ball bearings and the brass holding ring. At this point pour 8oz.
of paint thinner in one of the 1/2qt jars. As you remove the
safety rings and shields place them in the jar along with the
axles to soak for approximately 15 to 20 min. After letting all
the pieces soak you should start removing them one by one.
Sometimes the shields stick together so ensure that none are
stuck together. Use a toothbrush to clean between the brass ring
and ball bearings or a needle blower if available. Pour the other
8oz. of paint thinner in the other jar. As you clean each bearing
place it in the clean paint thinner. As you remove the shields
and safety rings from the dirty paint thinner wipe the clean with
one side of your rag and place on the rag you have all your
materials laid out on. After cleaning all of the pieces remove
the bearings soaking in the clean paint thinner one by one drying
each one with the clean side of your rag.
Finally it is almost time to start putting things back
together. Place one shield in each bearing and pop the safety
ring into place. One side of the bearing should still be open lay
the open side up. After laying out all the bearings open side up
you place three small drops of lightweight lubricant in each
bearing. After placing the lubricant in you can place the other
shield and safety ring in.
After all the bearings are finally put back together you can
place one in each wheel. Then take the axles and place one in
each of the bearings in the wheels. Now push the other bearing on
the axle and what do ya know? your wheels are put back together.
Replace the wheels so that they are properly rotated for wear.
When tightening your wheels make sure not to overtighten. You can
tell if they are to tight if the wheel does not spin freely.
I hope you have now successfully serviced your inline
skates. You should not have any extra safety rings if anything
you may have lost one or two since they have a tendency to fly
out across the room when removed. If you did lose one do not
worry you can just place the shield in the bearing and put it in
your wheel facing the inside of the wheel. I am sure this will
make your skates last much longer.