How to use a Skateboard Bearing Press (and why you need one)

[@elonce01]

I got a press couple of months ago and love it. So much so, I ask my homies if I can use it on theirs. "Bring your wheels and bearings on over!" haha

[@FreestyleTricktips]

Hah, I know what you mean - they're weirdly satisfying. I used to absolutely hate putting bearings in brand new uncored super-hard wheels, but the pleasing *thunk* when the press pushes them in is oddly addictive.

[@GenePavlovsky]

This tool looks nice and convenient to use, even if it's more or less designed for a single purpose and a single size of bearings. Since I already have various tools in my workshop suitable to do the job, here's what I use: To pull the bearings, I use a Nexus 51-0B1 precision internal extractor, you put it in the hole, and turn the adjusting bolt with a wrench. The part inserted into the wheel expands, and it contacts the inner race along its entire circumference. For cored wheels, it's just an easy hand pull to get the bearing out, they are not tight. If the bearing would be more tight, a slide hammer (e.g. a Nexus 52-01) can be attached to the puller. I haven't had to use it, though. The disadvantage of this method, compared to the tool you are reviewing, is that you have to fiddle around with a wrench to tighten/loosen the extractor. It definitely takes longer than what you show in the video. However, the extractor is able to remove even built-in bearings, working against whatever little chamfer there is at the end of each built-in half-spacer. At least it works with cored wheels, I am not sure it would work if the bearings would be there more tight. I don't know if the hook on the tool you're reviewing would be able to handle built-in bearings. To press the bearings, I use a basic lever-operated tabletop arbor press (I have a small 1-ton model) and a suitably sized socket with an outer diameter of slightly under 22 mm (the outer diameter of a 608 bearing). The bearings are pressed in one by one, but it takes approximately the same amount of time as in your video.

[@GenePavlovsky]

When you push the bearings in using this tool, the pressure is applied to the outer bearing race (what you called "ring"), where the friction (against the wheel) is, which is good because it doesn't apply axial load (thrust) through the balls. But, quite obviously, when you use the hook to pull the bearing, the force is applied against the inner race, and so this axial force goes through the bearing balls. And there is no other way to do it, really, since there is no access to the rear side of the bearing. The hook puller also contacts the inner race only on one side, so the force is not applied evenly. For non-cored wheels, once you remove one of the bearings, you can remove the spacer and then push the remaining bearing from the behind, e.g. using the biggest socket that will fit through the wheel. For cored wheels, you have to pull both bearings. After you remove and reinstall the bearings for cleaning multiple times, even if one uses the super nice bearing press with integrated puller, the bearings will have uneven axial load applied to them multiple times. So, it may appear that we're doomed and we'll have to buy new bearings all the time. However, practical experience doesn't seem to support this. This issue is a bit exaggerated. There's indeed an ideal way to push and pull bearings - force should be applied to the race where the friction is - which is the outer race for a bearing installed into a bore like our case, or the inner race for a bearing installed on a shaft. But, in a lot of cases it's impossible due to lack of access. Is that a problem? It depends... Ball bearings are mostly used for radial loads, but they are still rated to take a certain (significant) amount of axial load. When the installation/removal force is applied through the balls, it's not ideal, but if it's under the bearings rated axial load, it won't cause any damage to the bearing. Consulting SKF's documentation, a 608ZZ bearing has a rated static radial load (C0) of 1370 N. They also provide a formula to calculate the axial load carrying capacity, for single row deep groove ball bearings with inner diameter

[@TruthSeekers1989]

Hey thankyou for sharing, I'm curious do you think the nexus internal extractor is better for taking bearings out? Better as in not as likely to damage it?

[@GenePavlovsky]

@@TruthSeekers1989 I think that any "proper" bearing puller (one that pulls axially) would be better (safer) than a tool that pries the bearing out at an angle. But a big factor here is, how tight are these bearings in the wheel? Longboard and Surfskate wheels are relatively soft and so they usually use a plastic core on the inside. I guess it would depend on the specific make/model of the wheel, but for all of my cored wheels, the bearings are pretty easy to push in / pull out. This means that any kind of puller would likely be safe to use, just because a big force is not needed to pull out the bearing. I have a couple of regular skateboards with hard non-cored wheels. With these, it takes quite a bit of pressure to push in the bearings, and also some pulling force to get them out. It might be that even with my axial puller, I am slightly damaging the bearings with each removal. These days I'm also using this one (in the 608 variant), which is a nice durable design and is more affordable than Nexus: www.bearingprotools.com/collections/hub-bearing-tools/products/bearing-puller?variant=6945652408378 The beauty of this one is that you don't need a slide hammer to use it (although it may be used with one, as well). Wipe the inner race and the extractor with a clean rag (perhaps with some alcohol) to make sure it's not oily, insert the extractor, tighten the nut, push from the other side using a hand press and a 8 mm steel rod (or an M8 bolt) inserted through the wheel. If the extractor slips and comes out without the bearing, do it again but tighten it a bit more. You can also use a hammer (recoilless or regular) instead of a hand press. This extractor doesn't have fragile parts that may break. On the Nexus, the lips that grab the bearing from behind are pretty thin. They are good quality heat treated steel, but can still break sometimes (hasn't happened to me so far). The advantage of Nexus is that each extractor can cover a (rather small) range of sizes (e.g. 6-8 or 8-10 mm), but if you are often working with a specific bearing size, it's not a problem to buy a tool that can only work with this one size. The BearingProTools extractor has a tapered bolt that may slowly wear with time, but will not break. They also sell replacement tapered bolts at a really low price. I really recommend this company's tools, good quality and not expensive. I also bought their headset press (for bicycles)

[@xpndblhero5170]

I love the look of the moonshine boards and the fact that they are symmetrical and have the rail cutouts.... I want to get one so badly just to try it out, it would be my first freestyle deck since the late 80s. 😁

[@FreestyleTricktips]

Symmetrical decks are such a game changer. The one thing I hate more than anything is _slightly_ directional decks - where they almost feel symmetrical, but one end's just different enough to throw you off. It's really annoying.

[@backoffice5310]

Super important video lesson. Well done!

[@trexslapfight]

Just ordered this exact tool, thanks for the how to.

[@EggSpence]

I never knew I needed this, or that it existed for that matter

[@FreestyleTricktips]

It's one of those things that I'd heard about every so often but never actually had a chance to use one. Now I have, I'm a total convert; I properly love the damn thing.

[@northernboardersfreestyle7548]

I was just thinking of getting one of those. Great video.

[@FreestyleTricktips]

Like I said, they're a smart investment if you're doing a lot of bearing installation or servicing. And as a bearing press is likely to last you the rest of your life (unless you're a spectacular idiot and do something ridiculously stupid with it), that one-off cost is definitely worth it.

[@yoyoskates]

Definitely needed to push in / pull out regular bearings without a built-in spacer. I have a set of reissue Gyro wheels that feature an aluminum hub and basically there is no other way to pull them out.

[@FreestyleTricktips]

I have a set of rollerskate wheels lying around here with an aluminium hub, and I've not even tried installing bearings in them yet. I'm curious how tight the tolerances in them are.

[@GenePavlovsky]

06:20 Doing this will also damage the axle threads over time. The bearing races are hardened and will deform the thread eventually.

[@FreestyleTricktips]

I'd never considered that - that's a good point. I imagine it's probably an even bigger problem when the axle ends are already damaged from not using offset wheels, too.

[@GenePavlovsky]

@@FreestyleTricktips I guess these are the reasons some skate tools come with a (re-)threading die.

[@angusthomson982]

if you find some washers the right size you can do the same thing by tightening the axle bolt until the bearings are in or the biggest socket on a skate tool works ok although can be a bit fiddly not sure about removing them though

[@FreestyleTricktips]

That's not a great plan as you're still only pushing on the central part of the bearing - and the point I'm making in this video is that if you don't push both "rings" in unison, you're potentially damaging the raceways. To do what you're talking about properly, you'd need to find/buy two flat washers with an 8mm inner diameter, a 22mm outer diameter, and enough thickness to withstand the pressure of installing the bearings without bending. At that point, you might as well just get a bearing press - it's faster and less hassle.

[@skatinpeyton7212]

I honestly might have to invest into one of these

[@FreestyleTricktips]

Yeah, like I said in the vid: definitely worth it if you're doing a lot of setup or maintenance. Just makes life a lot easier.

[@TruthSeekers1989]

If i have both bearings in a wheel with spacer will this tool beable to take it out? I only ask because yours only had one in and i feel like if there are both bearings in and its in the tighter wheels that the hook thing wouldnt push the spacer back so it can hook on, curious what you think?

[@FreestyleTricktips]

As long as the spacer is a regular spacer and not a built-in one (as seen on Biltins, Zealous, and Seismic Tektons), you shouldn't have an issue regardless of the wheel being used.

[@dadricriggs]

Which brand of bearing press would you reccomend?

[@FreestyleTricktips]

Honestly, from what I've seen, I don't think there's a whole lot of difference between different brands. The big thing to factor in is whether it's a portable one as shown here, or a workbench-mounted one. I think the portable ones are better as they give you a bit more flexibility; it's not like there's so much force involved that you need to be physically bolted down to a workbench somewhere!

[@squidsh0rts]

What about built-in bearings like the Tektons? Does the bearing puller hook on to them well?

[@FreestyleTricktips]

Sadly not. I thought I covered that in the video but I must have skipped over that without thinking. Due to the way built-in spacers form a closed tube inside the wheel, there's nothing for the puller to push out of the way and nowhere for it to grip onto as a result.

[@GenePavlovsky]

Many companies are offering built-in bearings. Each bearing has a half-spacer sticking out on one side, and a a smaller lip on the outer side. So in the end neither spacers nor speed rings (washers) are needed when these bearings are used. However, I am wondering, what is the "proper" way to remove these bearings? Once the wheel is assembled using built-in bearings, there's no gap left between the two half-spacers, they are touching each other, there's only a slight chamfer on each one's end. With the regular bearings + a "floating" spacer in the middle the spacer can be pushed out of the way, so the hook can hook up on the inner lip of the bearing. But with the built-in bearings, the two half-spacers are fixed. I am guessing that this tool's hook will not work?

[@FreestyleTricktips]

That's true - this won't work with built-in spacers. I was just talking to Gesmer at Seismic about it, and he thinks the hook might be able to get enough purchase on that chamfer to get you started, but if it works, it'll likely only work on wheels with cores; the bearings tend to sit too tight in the imprecise bearing seats of a "natural"/uncored wheel.

[@GenePavlovsky]

@@FreestyleTricktips Thanks. This makes sense. I guess I should stay away from uncored wheels, then :)

[@jacobhughes-gartin1057]

Would there be any benefit to having one of these bolted onto my work bench, or is it better to be able to move it around?

[@FreestyleTricktips]

I spent a bit of time thinking about this, but I came at it the other way: are there any benefits from having one bolted to the bench? I couldn't see any. For me, I like being able to take mine back into the office for when I want to build boards up in relative comfort. That's especially useful in the winter when my little workshop is absolutely freezing!

[@Cheap_Skate]

😅 The advantage is that your employees and customers have more trouble nicking them when they're bolted to the service table. 👍

[@GenePavlovsky]

I think it would make sense if you did this many times per day, every day. Like if you operated a skate service shop. Or if you have unlimited workbench space, then why not? Otherwise, you can screw it to a slightly larger wooden base, and when you need to use it, clamp this to your workbench with a pair of screw clamps. You could also just clamp the tool in your bench vise (use soft jaws to avoid marring the tool), which is bolted onto your workbench.

[@aidenmortensen3666]

im probably gonna get a bearing press simply just because pushing bearings in a 99 hardness wheel with the axel its really hard for me (i have very weak arms) and im scared of pushing the shield in and damaging anything

[@FreestyleTricktips]

Honestly, that last one - pushing in and damaging the shield - is one of the most important reasons why more people should be using a bearing press. And, for that matter, a well-made skate tool - too many of the cheap T-tools end up damaging the shield.

[@aidenmortensen3666]

@@FreestyleTricktips do u have to have spacers to use a bearing press? at the moment i dont use them ( i cruise for now until i get a hang of tricks)

[@FreestyleTricktips]

@@aidenmortensen3666 You don't have to, but you should really always use spacers, regardless of what you're doing with the skateboard and how you're installing the bearings. Spacers are good and there's literally no reason to not use them.

[@darkXwolf17-UD]

Say can you use your skateboard truck to push tour skateboard bearings in? (If you don’t have a bearing press)

[@FreestyleTricktips]

You can - that's how most people do it (including me, until I got a bearing press). It's not ideal but it's by far the least bad of the non-press options.

[@darkXwolf17-UD]

@@FreestyleTricktips thnx also what are some good cord wheels you’d recommend. Seismic is definitely one of them but are there any others?

[@FreestyleTricktips]

@@darkXwolf17-UD Cored freestyle wheels are rare because they're more expensive to make and represent more of an investment in tooling than uncored ones. The only other ones I can think of are Mode's Sunburst wheels (which they're not making at the mo because the cost of manufacture has gone up since the pandemic started in 2020), one version of the Decomposed Mantis wheels that I've never even seen in person, and some Momentum Kevin Harris wheels which have the not-so-great distinction of using some of the worst urethane I've ever seen in a wheel.

[@darkXwolf17-UD]

Thnx for the insight also if using the truck is a imperfect method ti push bearings in what about using another bearing on top of the one you want to push In would that be a good solution? Also if I can’t afford a bearing press what are other alternatives besides using the truck and putting one bearing on top of another?

[@GenePavlovsky]

@@darkXwolf17-UD It's a common trick to use an old bearing (or in this case just an old bearing''s outer race would be enough). Another common method is an appropriately sized hex socket. Most people who own tools have a socket set (or several), and one of these sockets is usually more or less the right size.

[@masterroshi4714]

Fine then, I'm going away. Lol

[@VladQuake]

I first put a bad metal bearing on the truck

[@FreestyleTricktips]

That's not a bad plan, to be honest. It's definitely a decent work-around. Doesn't do anything to improve the process of bearing removal, though.

[@furiousstyles7998]

"Pushing in a bearing is really diffffficult" - freestyle skateboarder

[@FreestyleTricktips]

I wouldn't say the issue is that it's difficult. The problem is doing it WELL. No point buying expensive bearings if you're going to mangle them before you even get a chance to roll on them!

[@TimeDistortKilo]

Yeah but with Seismic wheels the bearings just fall right into the core so...

[@FreestyleTricktips]

Yeah, a good cored wheel generally allows the bearing to go in without much force; using this with a set of Focus seems a bit OTT sometimes, but it's still a lot cleaner and easier than using a truck axle, especially for removing the bearings after use. But with uncored/"natural" wheels? This thing is an absolute godsend.

[@mitchwalcott]

Oddly enough, I asked last week for a Bont bearing press for my upcoming birthday when my Dad asked what I wanted. I have found that the various Tekton built-in bearings I have been putting in various Seismic wheels do not always seat properly. Some wheels do not spin as freely as others, even though the bearings and wheels are brand new. I attempt to put them on as accurately as possible using trucks, but there is still enough inconsistency for a slight wobble in some of the wheels during testing. I had been using the following technique in this video from Pantheon Longboards to fix the issue, but my hope is that a bearing press will give me the precision I desire. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4Olo5KehsqraZY

[@FreestyleTricktips]

That's an unusual problem; Tektons and Seismic's cores are literally designed to be a perfect match. I've never had any issue getting the two working together, even with the ol' Truck Install setup. Wobble is actually a separate issue and related more to core/bearing seat alignment than it is bearing placement. Slight wobble is generally fine and to be expected to some degree on all wheels, regardless of brand. As Seismic themselves state, "aerospace tolerances are impossible to deliver at affordable prices." There's a certain amount of "fudging it" across your whole setup - for instance, how many axles are truly 8mm (or even 7.95mm) outside of super-high-end CNC trucks?!

[@yes11889]

I kinda doubt the pressure from your own arms and strength are enough to break the bearings people have been doing the trucks thing since the dawn of skateboarding and they never have problems and if you recently greased your bearings like they should always be when you put them in it's even easier to get them in properly without using that press

[@FreestyleTricktips]

You're not going to shatter a bearing pushing it in with the truck, sure. But you are risking damaging the races, and while that might not matter with $10 throwaway junk, if you're spending serious money on decent bearings, it's worth investing in the proper tools - especially if you're going to be stripping and relubing them regularly. Each twist-to-remove and push-back-in is extra stress on the bearing it really doesn't need to be going through.

[@GenePavlovsky]

Indeed it's quite unlikely to break the bearing using arms or fingers. You could potentially damage/deform the soft rubber seal, possibly leading to increased friction. But yeah I would say the risk is low. But still, if you have a (home) workshop with a bunch of tools, it's just easier and faster to do it with a proper tool.