Inserting & Removing Skateboard Bearings From A Wheel

[jacobcurry14]

Wat if u have chrome center wheels cause mine r like stuck cause theres metal inside the wheel PLEASE RESPOND

[skateboardtech]

@jacobcurry14 First try hitting the side of the wheel on a hard flat surface and see if it will slide out. If that doesn't work the bearing needs to be pulled by hooking something inside. This can be tricky. Find a nail with a head that is big but small enough to go inside the bearing hole. Hammer the nail in a piece of wood leaving the nail sticking out enough to still put the head in the bearing hole. Use the head of the nail to hook the inside of the bearing and then pull on the wheel.

[jacobcurry14]

@skateboardtech Thanks but will this damage the bearings or wheel i have bone swiss bearings and ricta wheels

[jacobcurry14]

@skateboardtech ok i got the bearings out but the spacer fell out too is that ok or what

[skateboardtech]

@jacobcurry14 Yes the bearing spacer is a lose pieces and is put between the bearings as the bearing go in the wheel. It is not attached to anything, but sits on the axle.

[jacobcurry14]

@skateboardtech K thank you very much now i can go watch how to clean them and keep on riding thanks again u rock

[BYEBYEBARBIEPWNS]

same with dcproductions thanks alot dude

[DCproductions101]

Thank so much I just got new bearings today feb. 25 and I didnt no how to take them out so I found your vid and it helped thank u again

[GEEderMexikaner]

@skateboardtech Have you ever used the Silver Skate Tool What do you think of it?

[skateboardtech]

@GEEderMexikaner I don't like it personally. I have had a bunch of these tools break. It's a nice idea to have it work like a socket wrench, but I always felt like I couldn't get enough force with it. And because I have had so many break I was always afraid I would break a good one. It breaks because its got a lot of plastic.

[howtowithjack]

this teach me so weal

[johhnyBoii]

Thank you :D! I was gonna spend 20 for the reflex tool tub nevermind :D

[XxGreatestGrafficzxX]

my bearings have a rubber shield on one side and a metal one on the other side. what way do i put it on?

[skateboardtech]

@XxGreatestGrafficzxX It doesn't matter. Rubber seals can be slightly more protective so have that facing out.

[294ongaurd]

What is your favorite truck? Mine is by far independent. 139 lows to be exact. 139 because i skate 8.00 and low because i like being low to the ground.

[skateboardtech]

@294ongaurd As you can see I have Indy's. Their bushing are terrible tho. When it comes to street trucks they pretty much function the same. I like independent because they are built to last. I wouldn't say they are the best, but it's what I ride sometimes.

[hway98]

@skateboardtech thanks. I only have one washer, so i'll get another, and I'm only doing it because i have the element flat bar rail, and when ever i grind it on my trucks it makes a huge scratch down the center of it. my friend told me if i dont do something about my kingpin (which sticks out farther than the actual truck) then it will screw up the rail.

[VansShoeGirl91]

I use my reflex tool to take out bearings, because sometimes if I use my truck axle to remove them I end up slipping and hurting my hand, but it seems easier to use the truck to put them in.

[hway98]

can someone please make a video on how down file down your king pin?!?

[skateboardtech]

@hway98 Is your kingpin sticking out past your hanger? You have a few options. Simply take your hanger off and file down the kingpin. Some trucks don't have 2 washers. If you only have 1 washer on the street side of your truck add one on the deck side on the baseplate. If you have 2 washers try using harder bushings that don't require you to tighten the nut down as much making the bushings stiffer.

[dhwithspeezy]

SPACERS!!! AHH!

[SuperJustice151]

THANK YOU!!!

[x20peoplex]

Do you have any tips on what parts are good to use as a beginner or what complete boards are good?

[skateboardtech]

@x20peoplex No I don't. If you want a decent beginner street board just go with a full complete board at a local shop. Avoid sporting goods stores.

[skateboardscience]

@skateboardtech: thanks for information on the bearing press. I did notice the press in the shop here is worn and wouldn't grip onto the bearings to lift them out- kept slipping off. So I think I know why you say they're crap. Well you have saved me money. I will use the axle. Keep skating.

[skateboardscience]

This info surprised me. I really thought a bearing press machine would set the bearings inside the wheel better than using the axle. Well Independent make a good press so I assumed it would work okay. I want to get one but have second thoughts after watching this VID.

[skateboardtech]

@skateboardscience Why spend money on a press when you can use a truck axle for free? Bearing presses like the Independent one are crap. From my years of experience working at a shop, they actually take longer to use and actually bend over time. So you'll end up with bearings that don't sit flat in the wheel. We eventually welded one to a 1" inch thick aluminum plate. Still wasted time, ha.

[simonandrewjoe]

with my bearings it looks fine to over tighten to press the bearing in because it wont touch the shield at all when tightening

[skateboardtech]

@simonandrewjoe Your idea would only work if there was a bearing spacer inside.  If you over tighten without a spacer you can warp and bend the shield and/or ball retainer.

[TheSpartim]

Witch are the best bearings my friends told me shake junt but a lot of other people say reds please help

[skateboardtech]

@TheSpartim Your friends are brand-washed. I've done a ton of bearing research, talked to manufacturers, and tested bearings. The absolute best bearings are Oust, which also makes Tensor's. They are the only bearings truly made for handling what skaters do to bearings.

[skatercookie123]

i tried putting in my bearings in my new spitfires. i tried and tried but i couldn't manage to push it all the way in. Help.

[skateboardtech]

@skatercookie123 Well let me ask u this. Does it seem like your bearing is in all the way, but the wheel looks to be a little off and it's making a kind of clicking noise or the wheel wobbles slightly? What's causing this is the wheel itself, not the bearings. Spitfire wheels are made poorly. The spot where the bearing sits inside the wheel is crooked. This results in bearing binding, and doesn't let the bearing spin they way it's suppose to. If thats not it, get someone with bigger muscles.

[skatercookie123]

@skateboardtech i thought it was the wheels too. i went and got some bones. they are much better.

[ChingChangChungAZ]

@skateboardtech spitfires are amzing whatta you talkin about

[skateboardtech]

@ChingChangChungAZ I'm talking about how the inside of the wheels are crooked. which means the wheels vibrate and don't roll properly. Are you brand-washed?

[ChingChangChungAZ]

@skateboardtech spitfires are one of the highest brands of skateboarding wheels out there and alot of pros use them

[ChingChangChungAZ]

@ChingChangChungAZ and no im not "brand-washed"

[ubugemindia]

i used my bearings for 1 month and i didnt luubricated the, and its really hard to get i out. How can i get it out?

[skateboardtech]

@ubugemindia You got to pry it off with a hammer and flat head screwdriver.

[ubugemindia]

@skateboardtech oh ok thxs

[SimlProductions]

What camera do you use for all of your videos?

[skateboardtech]

@SimlProductions I got the Canon T2i.  I needed a camera that could do great video and great photos. After doing research and comparing prices this was the best camera for what I needed. For filming skating there are probably a bunch more cameras that filmers would recommend. There is no wrong camera. It really all depends on lighting, angles, your ability to film good, and your creativity. Having an expensive camera allows for more manipulation and control over cheaper cameras.

[crbndecay22]

no bearing spacers?

[skateboardtech]

@crbndecay22 Yup. Most street skaters don't use them. I use them. I have another video coming out that explains the importance of using bearing spacers. Actually of lot of bearings don't come with spacers, are the wrong size, or the wheel does not accommodate spacers. So bearings spacers an be difficult to use sometimes, but are very important for handling loads.

[crbndecay22]

@skateboardtech yeah I notice they don't come with the bearings a lot of the time, but I never heard of a skateboard wheel not being able to hold a spacer. I ride down hill on my longboard so I kinda take it seriously. anyway dude Merry Christmas and you make pretty awesome videos:)

[skatemob1013]

have you ever even started to ride that board cause its in perfect state in every video lol

[narutoaccels]

what kind of wheels are those?

[skateboardtech]

@narutoaccels Some super cheap wheels I got just for this video.

[skateboardtech]

@SPTxNiNja11 I got your comment. Were you able to get your wheel to spin right?

[SPTxNiNja11]

@skateboardtech No but ill get a new Plan B for christmas :) but one more thing when i was cleaning my bearings the ball retainer fell apart :( can it be refixed?

[skateboardtech]

@SPTxNiNja11 Retainers break, and seem to be more common with Reds. Maybe it's just that more people ride them. No, you can't fix it. If your wheel is not spinning it could be 1 of 4 things. 1-The bearings are not lubricated correctly. 2. The bearings are not completely flat inside the wheel. 3. The axle nut is too tight. 4. The bearings are corroded.

[SPTxNiNja11]

@skateboardtech Yeah mine were reds bearings :( Thank you so much for all the information :) 1 like and 1 sub

[VansShoeGirl91]

some people are just dumb. I tighten my nut as far down as it will go, while still letting the bearing spin, not letting rattle at all. I generally use spacers, and I use both washers on my axle. I clean and re-lubricate my bearings about once a month. there is no hissing or rattling or any other funny sounds. new bearings generally take 12 hours of riding for them to be broken in, at least for me

[Emerica142]

I always felt like an asshole when I tell people that there bearings are bad because there too tight or no lube is inside there bearings.

[eVerProductions1]

you should of said after the new bearings are slow thing, that the best way to break em in fastest is to get rolling , and dont stop rolling or get off ur board for adleast 20-30 good minutes of strait rolling, my bearings would never break in for like weeks, then one day i decided to skate somewhere that took me like 20 min. to get to skating, without ever stopping or getting off my board and they finally started making the hissing break in noise when you roll them

[skateboardtech]

@eVerProductions1 This "hissing" noise does not mean your bearings have broken in. The hissing sound means you have no more lubricant in your bearings. So what u are hearing is metal on metal vibrations. It takes a long time (many days) to break in bearings. Despite what about every skater thinks, the HISSING SOUND IS A BAD THING! You may be able to spin your wheels for a long time when bearings are dry, but soon they will be ruined from the lack of lubrication. I'm making a vid all about this.

[eVerProductions1]

@skateboardtech ohhhhh, thanx for the info, likin the vids!! cant wait for the next ones to see what ur gonna show us

[skateboardtech]

@Upofit It's amazing how so many skaters don't know this stuff. There are other videos on YouTube telling skaters to tighten the axle nut all the way down to the bearing, and having the nut just on the end because they like the way it sounds when their wheels rattle. Absolutely ridiculous.