Clean bearings are going to roll smoother, roll faster, and will last much longer than dirty bearings. Dirt and grime foul the bearings and can cause pitting which make rotation uneven and rough. The following paragraphs have instructions for cleaning bearings with removable shields. If you do not have removable shields, then skip the following instructions. Cleaning and lubricating your bearings often will make them last a long time. Also try to avoid getting your bearings wet or sandy, as both of those are particularly bad for bearings.
The tools that you are going to need for this process include a straight pin, a small bowl or a metal pan, a bearing cleaning product, a small brush for cleaning such as a soft or a medium toothbrush, paper towels and clean towels or shop rags.
When dealing with removable shields you are going to want to insert the very tin of the straight pin into the C-rings end, which is responsible for keeping the shield in place on the body of the bearing. You should just gently pry away the C ring toward the middle of the bearing and work the pin around the circle. Now you can remove the shield as slowly as you can, making sure that you are not causing damage.
Now place the bearing in a container and flush it with the cleaner to get rid of contaminates. Citrus based cleaners work particularly well for this purpose. Use the toothbrush to remove grime and dirt. If the bearings happen to be particularly dirty, then this step may need to be repeated. Make sure that the solvent is changed with every rinse.
Once the bearing has been cleaned, make sure that it is patted dry gently using a towel that is clean and free of lint. Place the bearings on a paper towel and give them time to air dry. Now make sure that all of the water has had a chance to evaporate away before you move on to the next step in the process.
Once the bearing is completely dry you can add between one and two drops of a high quality lubricant to the bearing’s inside. A little bit of lubricant can really go a long way. Now you should rotate the bearing in such a way that the lubricant is worked into all of the moving parts, and make sure that all of the balls have been completely and properly covered in the lubricating agent for the best results.
Now replace the shield, placing it on the bearing and allowing the C ring to slip back into the groove that is just next to the shield. Now you can work the C-ring’s remaining length gently and slowly along that fitted groove until it has completely and fully snapped back into place. Now you can put your brand new clean bearings right back on your skates. Make sure that you spin them a bit to make sure that the lubricating agent is distributed evenly and to ensure that all of the wheels are spinning as smoothly as possible.
Photo Credits: joelogon
Related Posts -
Rollerblading Safely There are many people in the world that are taking pleasure in rollerblading for fun because it is an exciting sport and makes for a great workout. The sport is generally easy to learn, and learning the maneuvers is often also easy. Rollerblading allows you to be active physically and...... -
Surfing on a Budget Sometimes surfing equipment and surfing apparel can be really expensive, making this a difficult hobby to simply jump into. This is especially true if you are unsure about whether or not you would like to continue surfing. Why should you pay an arm and a leg for equipment that you...... -
Skateboarding Lexicon 180 - This is a term that refers to a half rotation. 360 - This is a term that refers to a single full rotation. 540 - This is a term that describes a 540-degree rotation while in the air. This is equal to one and a half full rotations....... -
Wakeboarding Rope Tips Part of having the best possible wakeboarding experience means you having access to the right wakeboard rope, as a wakeboard rope is what will link you from the wakeboard to the boat. The importance, then, of this wakeboard role is absolutely vital to making sure that you safely enjoy this...... -
High Tech Deck Skate Park Choices There is a great deal of interest in high tech deck skate park materials today as more and more people are becoming interested in the sport once again. As you watch the interest in skateboarding becoming more popular every year, there is more reason than ever for the innovations in......
Related Websites -
11 Useful Blogger and WordPress Tweaks, Tips, Tricks and Tools To Improve your Reader Experience Listed below are "11 Useful Blogger and WordPress Tweaks and Tools To Improve your Reader Experience". It will help in enhancing your visitors or readers experience. 80% of these list will make your visitors or readers come back for more. Try it to believe it. "11 Useful Blogger and WordPress...... -
Keeping your Closet Clean The closet is a part of your home that is easily capable of becoming overwhelmingly cluttered and dirty without a lot of work. Keeping your closet completely organized is truly essential to making sure that it stays clean and healthy. Here are some tips that are going to help you...... -
Boat Trailering Tips Whether you've just bought your first boat, or you are looking for ways to make it easier to transport your boat to and from the lake, there are a couple of things that you need to know. Boat trailering looks very easy, but there are actually quite a few things...... -
Spring Cleaning 101 - The Natural Way To Clean Metal Surfaces. Look around your house...go ahead, I will wait...I am sure there are some things in your house that are made out of metal, and these need to be cleaned just as much as anything else does. But instead of buying "made for metal" cleaners, you can clean them up and...... - Top 50 Frugality Blogs that Will Help You Save Money Miranda writes for Bankling, a new portal for personal finance information, which publishes a weblog, and a resources section that contains tools like the highest bank CD rates , the highest savings account rates, free mortgage rate calculators, and more. With the recession on, many people are interested in saving......