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Do I Need To Clean My Bearings? When? How?
SHOULD I BE CLEANING BY BEARINGS?
Yes. Whether you skate indoors, on trails or in the rainƒYour bearings will get dirty. You will either need to learn to clean them, or be content buying new ones fairly frequently. If like me, you can't afford to be buying new bearings ever 3 months. Many bearings are inexpensive these days, so if you want to avoid cleaning you can. But when you spend some cash on quality bearings, you want them to last.
WHEN?
When you should clean your bearings depends on your skating habits and your skating environment. People skate differently as to if and how they avoid dirty or wet areas. Some skaters skate hundreds of miles per week, while others just a couple of miles on the weekend. When you start to hear your bearings or notice loss of speed (or spin), that may be a good indication that they are in need of some attention. Noise doesn't necessarily mean your bearings have gone bad, but there may be some dirt in there that can cause damage down the road. You really don't want to put them off too long or you will permanently damage them. Use your best judgement. It costs less to service them than it does to replace them. When you are replacing or rotating your wheels, this would be a good time to go for it. On that same point, it is a good time to rotate your wheels if cleaning your bearings.
HOW?
The instructions are pretty straightforward, but there are a few small details that may help. First, you will need some bearing cleaning solution. Sonic has been making quality skate products for as long as I can remember. They are best known for their clever skate tools (Pro Tool & Gripz Tool). The Sonic Citrus Bearing Cleaner Solution is a "jolt of Vitamin C" for your bearings. It's made with orange and lemon extracts for extra degreasing power, and has a clean, fresh scent. This is the same solution that you find in the Sonic Turbo Wash, which is simply another mechanism like the Bones Cleaning Unit to dunk your bearings into the solution. DO NOT use WD-40 to clean your bearings! I know that stuff works miracles, but it is not good for bearings. Sonic Turbo Wash comes ready with solution to drop your bearings into. Otherwise, pour some solution into the cleaning unit of choice, filling up to about 1/3 of the way. You can always add later, but too much will result in overflowing when you add the bearings.
Items Needed
The Bones Bearing Cleaning Unit makes the job easier than ever. It even comes with step by step instructions. This perfect little device is where you will mount your bearings onto, then submerge into the cleaning solution. Cleaning bearings has never been easier. It's pretty self-explanatory by just looking at the thing, but directions are provided. Assuming you were able to get your bearings removed from the wheels (see changing bearings in ïtips & tricks'), check to see if they are sealed or not. Do they have a shield on one or both sides? If just one-sided like many of the Bones (Reds, Swiss, Crap, Etcƒ), you'll see just a thin plastic shield on one side. You will need to remove this with a pick or tweezers or something before dropping into the solution. Failure to do so may ruin it. If shielded on both sides, it is a bit more difficult. Some just dunk the whole bearings as they are into the solution. The correct way would be to remove the ïc-ring' clip so the shield can be taken off. There is a c-ring on either side, so choose one and use a thumb tack or tweezers to get it out (don't lose it). Gently tap the bearing on its side and the shield should come right off. This is a little more difficult and where some get frustrated and buy new bearings. Once you've seen this or done this once, it is easy.
You now are ready to assemble your bearings onto the stem of the lid of your cleaning unit. Make sure you place your bearings so that the open side is facing down. That way all the ïmuck' (that's a technical term for gunk) can fall to the bottom. You'll see license plates, apple cores, tires, and all kinds of stuff coming out of those things.
Now is when you will need the Sonic Super Oil or Bones Speed Cream to lube your bearings back up. Remove the bearings from the unit and dry with a lint free towel. The directions say you'll need just a couple drops of oil. I found I needed a couple more than that. Drop it in and spin your bearings to work it in. Super Oil works well. Bones also has a lubing agent called Bones Speed Cream that works even better in my opinion. Pick one, but don't pick none. You MUST lube the bearings before reinstalling back into the wheels. Otherwise you'll feel like your skating on grass. Remember to put your shields and c-rings back on (a lot easier than taking them off) and you are ready to mount back into the wheels.
I find the process pretty easy. Easy enough so that it may be foolish not to attempt. It really doesn't take all that long and you'll get faster each time.
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