Skateboard maintenance: bearings, wheels, truck tightness, grip tape and rain

TUREFF• •0

A skateboard needs very little looking after, but the little it needs makes a real difference. A board with gritty bearings, loose wheels and slick grip tape is harder to ride and more likely to throw you off. Here is what to check and how often.

Tools you need

A skate tool: a small T-shaped tool with sockets for the axle nuts, kingpin nut and mounting bolts, plus a screwdriver or hex key. One tool covers almost everything.
A rag, and for bearing cleaning, a suitable cleaning solvent and a bearing lubricant made for skateboards.

Bearings

Bearings sit inside each wheel, two per wheel. They are why the board rolls.

Signs they need attention: a grinding noise, a wheel that stops spinning quickly, or a rough feel.
Quick fix: spin each wheel and wipe the outside of the bearing. Sometimes grit around the shields is the problem.
Cleaning: remove the wheels, push the bearings out (the axle of the truck works as a lever), take off the shields if they are removable, soak in solvent, dry thoroughly, then add a couple of drops of skate lubricant.
Avoid: thick grease or general-purpose sprays, which collect dirt and slow the bearing down.
ABEC ratings printed on bearings describe manufacturing tolerances. They matter much less for skateboarding than the packaging suggests; cleanliness matters more.

Wheels

Axle nuts: tighten until the wheel has no side-to-side wobble, then back off a fraction so it spins freely. Too tight and it will not roll; too loose and it rattles.
Rotate them: wheels wear unevenly, especially if you power-slide. Swapping their positions now and then evens it out.
Flat spots: a flat patch from sliding makes the board judder. Small ones wear away; big ones mean new wheels.
Cracks or chunks missing: replace them.

Trucks and how tight they should be

The kingpin nut, the big nut in the centre of each truck, sets how easily the board turns.

Looser: turns more easily, but can feel wobbly at speed.
Tighter: more stable, but harder to turn and steer.

Adjust both trucks by the same amount, a quarter turn at a time, and test ride between changes. There is no correct setting; it is personal preference. Never loosen it so far that the nut barely holds the thread.

Bushings, the rubber rings around the kingpin, wear and crack over time. If turning feels uneven even after adjusting, they may need replacing.
Mounting bolts, which hold the trucks to the deck, should be snug. Check them now and then; loose ones make clicking noises.

Grip tape

Cleaning: dirt fills the grip and makes it slippery. A grip cleaning block or a stiff brush helps. Avoid soaking it in water.
Replacing: when it is smooth and no longer holds your shoes, peel it off with a little heat from a hairdryer and lay fresh tape. It is fiddly but a common home job.

What rain does

Most skateboards are not built for wet weather.

Bearings rust. Water gets inside and they become slow and gritty within days.
Decks soak up water and can lose their pop, warp or start to come apart in layers.
Grip tape loses grip and wet wheels slide easily, so riding on wet ground is genuinely risky.

If you are caught in the rain: wipe the board dry, take the wheels off, dry the bearings and add fresh lubricant. Let the deck dry at room temperature, not on a radiator.

When to replace the deck

Chips are normal. Replace a deck that is cracked, has lost most of its pop, or has razor tails worn down so far you cannot ollie. Share your maintenance routine or ask about a strange noise your board is making in the comments below.