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CLEANING THE BEARINGS
2020-08-18
The bearings must be opened and cleaned periodically, the period will change depending on the terrain on which we skate.
To clean the bearings they must be removed from the wheels. Once disassembled, the cover is disassembled with the needle of a pin, thus exposing the chamber and the balls that form the bearing. This is the area that needs to be cleaned and then properly greased. For this there are various oils and gels. On our YouTube channel you can find a video where we explain it to you in a very simple, cheap and fast way.
FILMING:
Like any mechanical element, a bearing needs a previous run-in to smooth out ball and race irregularities and offer better performance.
Said pre-rolling can be done "naturally" (skidding) or "artificially" using a drill. To do this, take an 8 mm screw and insert all the bearings. Close the assembly with a nut and make sure you have a spare screw and insert this excess into a drill, as if it were a drill bit, in this way you can simulate a road trip comfortably.
LUBRICATION:
A basic rule of thumb is the thicker the lubricant the longer it lasts, but it does rob you of a bit of speed. The lighter, the more it runs but you will have to lubricate them more often. There are also specific lubricants for skate / longboard bearings.
Lubrication serves to:
Friction and wear reduction,
Better bearing cooling,
Prevent or delay bearing contamination,
Increase its useful life.
Certain greases have sliding and friction characteristics that best match the needs of the skate. In addition, they prevent a better penetration of dust or water into the bearing. It is important not to go overboard on the fat percentage. By putting little it favors the slide.
MOUNTING:
If the bearings are armored, it does not matter, if you have one armored side and the other sealed or exposed, obviously we will place the armored side towards the outside and the open one towards the inside of the wheel, which will protect it from dirt.
The spacers or spacers placed between the bearings fulfill an important function. When tightening the nut, that force is transmitted to the shaft and do not press the bearings, as it will slow them down. There are 8, 10 and 11mm. Make sure you use the correct measurement: A narrower spacer would slow us down and a wider spacer would push the bearings out of their position. Some bearings such as the spacers are incorporated.
The washers are positioned so that the tightening of the nut is fully transmitted to the inner race, without any friction to the outer race.
The wheel nuts should not be too tight, it is normal that they have a little slack.
