Separating the Wheels and Bearings
Remove the nuts from your roller skate wheels using a wrench. Use a socket wrench, ratchet wrench, or the wrench side of a multi-function skate tool. Place the wrench over the nut in the center of 1 of the wheels and turn it counterclockwise until the nut comes off. Repeat this for each of the remaining wheels.Tip: If you don’t have a wrench or skate tool, you could use a pair of pliers. Grip the nuts between the jaws of the pliers and turn the pliers counterclockwise to remove the nuts. A multi-function skate tool has multiple attachments for working on different parts of skates. You can buy one online or at a skate shop.
Slide the wheels off the axles and put them on a flat work surface. Grab a wheel and pull it off the axle that it sits on, then place it on its side on a flat work surface like a table or workbench. Repeat this for each wheel.
Use a bearing remover to take the bearings out of the wheels. Press the button on the back of the handle of the bearing remover and insert the tip of the tool into the bearing in the center of 1 of the wheels. Release the button on the handle to lock the bearing remover in place, then pull it out to remove the bearing. Repeat this for each bearing. You can purchase a bearing remover online or at a skate shop. Always remove the bearings when you clean your skate wheels, so you don’t get them wet.
Cleaning the Wheels and Bearings
Fill a container with warm soapy water. Choose a container that is large enough to submerge all 4 wheels in. Fill it with enough water to cover the wheels completely, then add 2-3 drops of liquid dish detergent. Stir the mixture with your hand or a utensil until it gets foamy.
Soak the wheels in the soapy solution until dirt starts coming off the wheels. Place all 4 wheels in the container of warm soapy water, so they are fully submerged. Leave them to soak until you see pieces of dirt and grime separating from the wheels and floating around in the water.Tip: If you just want to clean some light superficial dirt off the surfaces of the wheels, you can mist a paper towel with a liquid window cleaner spray and give them a quick wipe-down while they are still on the skates, rather than removing and deep-cleaning them. If your wheels have metal centers, don’t soak them. Prolonged contact with water can cause them to rust. Instead, just get a cloth or paper towel wet in the warm soapy water and use it to wipe off all the non-metal parts of the wheels. If the wheels aren’t very dirty, you can just soak them for 5-10 minutes to loosen the light grime on their surfaces.
Wipe dirt and grime off the wheels with a clean rag or paper towel. Lift a wheel out of the soapy water solution and wipe it off thoroughly with a clean rag or paper towel. Wipe off the outer surfaces of the wheel, the center, and all the nooks and crannies. Repeat this for each wheel. If the wheels are super dirty and you can’t wipe all the grime and gunk off, you could use an old toothbrush to scrub them clean.
Dry the wheels off with a fresh dry towel or paper towel. Wipe the excess moisture off of each wheel with a clean, dry towel of some kind. Set the wheels on a towel or paper towel to finish air drying. Always hand-dry first and let the wheels air dry completely before you put your roller skates back together, so the metal parts like the axles and bearings don’t get wet.
Use a clean cloth or paper towel to wipe dirt and grime off the metal bearings. Hold 1 of the metal bearings that you removed from the center of the wheels in your hand and use your other hand to wipe dirt and grime off all the surfaces of the bearing with a clean, dry cloth or paper towel. Repeat this for all the other bearings. Most roller skate bearings are enclosed in a protective dust shield that makes them almost maintenance free. All you have to do to clean them is wipe superficial dirt off the surface of this protective casing. Don’t use the soap and water mixture to clean the bearings. Always avoid getting the bearings wet.
Putting the Skates Back Together
Push the bearings back into the wheels using your fingers and a bearing remover. Use your fingertips to insert the bearing back into the center of 1 wheel. Press the button on the back of your bearing remover’s handle and insert the tip into the bearing, then release the button and push the tool down firmly to set the bearing securely in place. Press the button on the handle again and pull the bearing remover out. Repeat this for each bearing and wheel. Make sure the wheels are 100% dry before you reinsert the bearings or they can rust. Some multi-function skate tools also have a side that is for pushing bearings back into wheels.
Replace the wheels on the axles and screw the nuts back on. Slide 1 of the wheels back on an axle, put the nut on the end of the axle, and use your wrench or multi-function skate tool to tighten the nut completely. Repeat this for each of the remaining wheels.
Loosen each nut by about 1/4 turn, until the wheel spins freely. Use your wrench or multi-function skate tool to loosen each of the 4 nuts by at least 1/4 turn, or until each wheel spins freely without rattling. This will ensure that your wheels and bearings have maximum mobility, but are still stable and securely attached to the axles. If the wheels rattle when you spin them, tighten the nut until they don’t. Otherwise, your wheels will be too loose and not stable enough to skate properly and safely on.
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