How to Clean Skateboard Bearings: A Step-by-Step Guide

By Ryan Barnes

Cleaning your skateboard bearings is one of the essential parts of maintaining a smooth-running board. If you don’t clean them regularly, they will eventually stop spinning and slip out of their grooves.

This step-by-step guide on how to clean skateboard bearings will show you how to easily remove dirt, debris, and buildup from your skateboard’s bearings with simple household items like baking soda and water.

How to Clean Skateboard Bearings: Process

Since cleaning your skateboard bearing is an important task, it must be done with care. There are different steps in which you can clean your skate bearings and maintain your bearing’s performance.

But before we jump over the steps, it’s essential to gather pre-requisites so that you don’t have to jump looking for things while you clean your bearings.

Things You'll Need

Lint-free cloth
A bowl
Water
Skate tool
Safety pin
Solvent
Bearing lubricant

Steps for Cleaning Your Skateboard Bearings

Step 1: Remove Wheels

First, remove the wheels from your skateboard to access the bearings. The bearing is located in a groove on either side of the truck. Gently shake out any dirt and debris from the rut, and remove any hair resting on top of the bearing.

Step 2: Remove Bearings and Bearing Sheilds

With the skateboard wheels removed, you can now remove the bearings and ball bearing shields. The metal shields will be on one side of either truck (if your skateboard has two trucks) or in a groove between each set of four skateboarding wheels.

The drive comes out with gentle pressure applied to it from a flat surface, while the shield is lifted off using a flathead screwdriver.

The drive, shield, and bearing will come out as one piece if you do it correctly. The large metal ring is the bearing, while the trim ring with bearings on each side is called a “bearing cup.” It may take some time to get used to removing these parts from your bearings – don’t give up!

Step 3: Soak Bearings in Cleaner

You can soak the bearings in a cleaner like WD-40 or Armor All or citrus cleaner to help get off any dirt and grime, and other sticky substances on the surface.

It is essential to make sure that you have enough space for both bearing cups – sometimes, they will be stuck together with substance from one bearing cup getting onto the other when removing them from each other.

Step 4: Dry then Re-Lubricate

Dry your bearings with a towel, then re-lubricate them. It’s essential to keep the bearing cups separated and not mix lubricants on either side of the cup – this will help ensure that you’re using the right lube for each part.

We recommend using skateboard-focused lubricants like Bones Speed Cream or Pimp Juice, but you can use any light/lightweight oil. Pour a small amount into each bearing cup and spin the bearings with your hands until they are fully coated in the lubricant. This should help keep them running smoothly for months to come!

Step 5: Replace Shields and Mount Bearings

This is the final step of this process. Replace the rubber shields to the position, and make sure to mount your bearings correctly into the wheels with the help of axle nuts![1]

Simply put, then in the place where they were removed from. Make sure you are facing the right way, and then push down firmly to make a seal. Once it’s done, you’re ready to roll your skateboard again!

Note: It’s important to note that if your bearing cups have lube on them, it is not necessary for there to be any inside the wheel. So just put one drop of lubricant into each cup before you put them back on the board.

Bonus: Clean the Inside of Your Board

After you’ve clean your bearings, it’s a good idea to clean out any dirt and other debris from inside your board as well. Grab a brush with bristles that can reach deep into cracks and crevices to remove anything stuck or left behind by these pesky creatures!

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