Skateboard Bearing Spacers - What's the point?

Bearing Spacers seem to be one of the most mysterious components in skateboarding. They really shouldn't be, but there's not much accurate information or guidance out there coming from the manufacturers. Bearings can be found in many, many mechanical devices and rumour has it skateboard bearings originally came from sewing machines (?) I don't know how true that is but what I do know is there's an awful lot more accurate and detailed information about bearings coming from the mechanical engineering industry where they are most used and that's where the basis of my information comes from, its well documented and standardised.
However, What I'm talking about today is bearing spacers and why you should used them and how they should be correctly chosen and installed for best fit and performance.
I hope you find the video useful.
Thanks for watching I really appreciate your support and feedback in the comments section, follow me on instagram for a more up to date feed of what I'm doing @neil_hester_skateboarding
#Bearings #Spacers #Skateboard

[@haaake]

This is the only video on the World Wide Web that actually explains bearing spacers properly. I found Bones and Bronson bearing spacers are the only ones that are consistently the correct width to properly connect the inner races of the bearings. Whenever I use them in Bones or Spitfire wheels they give the proper amount of width. Really the wheel manufacturers should probably include spacers with the wheels and make sure they are within spec.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Thanks 😊 feel free to share it around if you think it will help some people. I totally agree with what you say too that’s also pretty much my experience 👍🏻

[@DaveLee247]

I agree, most definitely!

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Thanks 😉

[@memorysometimers3067]

Actually a lot of people don’t know about the channel Rat Vision Skateboard Tech. Their last video was 7 years ago so they drifted off but the videos are spectacular explaining skateboard parts.

[@memorysometimers3067]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYG5c4WZaZKhirMfeature=shared

[@TheParkBadBoy]

Never really understood spacers until now, thank you!

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Happy to help!

[@sk8a]

The skateboard industry in general has always been a little hazy on finer points like this, bushing size and even really important things like deck companies not giving the wheel base of decks! Spot on advice about bearing spacers, great stuff. I also found bearing spacers help to keep the two bearings parallel to each other also helping them run smoother. Wheels are pretty good in general but over the years I have had wheels with less than ideal tolerances and the spacer helped correct that! Washer - bearing - spacer - bearing - washer - nut every time!

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

100% ! It’s good to hear there are so many like minded people out there and I feel really lucky you follow my channel too 😉👊🏼

[@FuckBalls64]

I'm a total fine details nerd. When I took NHS's little advice video in using spacers and washers, I noticed a definite improvement in bearing speed, longevity, and even overall comfort of riding right away. The comfort of riding could very well be a placebo thing, but I could never imagine not using them now!

[@PP-hx5it]

My bet would be, they make more money when people brake stuff when they are using them wrong.

[@memorysometimers3067]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYG5c4WZaZKhirMfeature=shared

[@ocnightflyer1359]

Thank you, sir!! I'm 47 yrs old & sk8nng since age 12. Not using spacers is a new concept i hear some talking about and IS CRAZY 2 ME. OVER🎯

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

👍🏻👊🏼

[@Springemz]

Long video but very informative, the fact that you measured and tried with many different wheel brands is awesome, thank you a lot. Now it still have to somewhat find spacers somewhere because no shop sell them ahah

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

I’m glad you found it useful, bones do include them with some of their bearings (usually the more expensive ones like Swiss) and some small old school local run places stick them because they understand the reasons why etc but I can definitely appreciate they can be fairly hard to find sometimes.

[@dereism4478]

This explanation of the usefulness and application of spacers was extraordinarily informative and educational-very much so-though the final demonstration of the concept done whilst sitting seiza on an circular Indy mat with a board on a wood floor just about broke my heart with warmth and kinship… That was just lovely. I hope all is well over there :)

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Thank you 👍

[@jackgannnon5000]

Mad vid bro . I didn’t bother putting spacers on that came with my new modus titanium bearings but I’m gonna put them on now for sure . Cheers

[@azazelreficulmefistofelicu7158]

My father shared a glimpse of his knowledge with me, since then I use bearing spacers and clean and grease my bearings. Unless you use some weird cleaning product they last forever. I was unable to explain the reasoning behind the use of spacers beyond an sliding axle, now I can share this vid and problem solved. Thanks a lot, now I have an excuse to check my wheels and spacers and to clean and grease my bearings.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Thanks 👍🏻 I’m glad you found it useful 😉

[@musicantd]

I grease my steel bearings but information online says do not grease ceramic bearings. I usually use ceramic these days, but have some very good steel bearings that I won't discard unless they are irredeemable.

[@xwgasaxe]

This is the best video I’ve seen explaining exactly how spacers work, it’s such a minefield of misinformation especially from stores. I can’t help thinking that a simple way to test the length of the spacer would be to push one bearing in, drop the spacer in and check to ensure it sits above the wheel inner hub as a simple method for stores who are fitting these to peoples boards and not setting them up correctly.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Thanks! I’m glad to hear you found it useful. Your suggestion would be a good start however you need to be careful the spacer is not too long or it won’t allow the bearings to seat into the wheel fully so it’s a very close fit that might be quite hard to “eyeball”.

[@xwgasaxe]

Yes that’s true. It’s a bit of a shame that the wheel manufacturers haven’t agreed on a standard yet.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@@xwgasaxe 👍🏻 I think the skateboard industry is so disorganised and “Maverick” it’s a wonder any kind of standards ever really developed but I think engineering precision is going to be a big ask 🤔 but maybe one day 😜

[@xwgasaxe]

The wheels are still poured Urethane and then spun to remove bubbles, the bubbles are drawn to the centre and are quite visible when you inspect that area. It’s no wonder that this area has a wide tolerance. I’m looking at having a set of wheels machined from Thermoset Polyurethane 95duro. The tolerances we can work to are 0.1mm.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@@xwgasaxe Yes the urethane is poured but I've never seen them spun to remove air bubbles (centrifugal force would dictate that it would send the bubble outwards rather than inwards to the centre). the air bubbles you sometimes see in the centre are usually due to it getting trapped against an extreme angle or edge of the mold usually of 90 degrees or more called an undercut (in this case the bearing seat). Usually in urethane or resin casting you would place the poured molds in a vaccum chamber to "De-Gas" the resin before it cures which forces out any trapped air bubbles, but again I've not seen any wheel manufacturers do this which is probably down to the time and cost involved, rather opting to use urethane formulas with a low viscocity where air bubbles generally expel themselves through gravity after pouring unless trapped by an undercut even the method of poring is done in e very specific way to avoid trapping air. Also the urethane can be De-Gassed before its poured to expel as much air accumulated from the mixing process before pouring. Wheels are usually machine dressed on a lathe after they are cured to leave a nice finish on the outside but maybe they should be making them slightly larger than required in all dimensions and doing the same on the inside too (again ive not seen any do this). I think the discrepencies in measurements of the wheel core are due to shrinkage of the urethane when it is finally cured. Having some custom wheels machned is a nice idea if you can find the right kind of urethane but in my experience its a minefield to find the perfect formula which is why brands like Bones and Spitfire keep theirs a closely guarded secret. Lots of people have cast their own DIY wheels but they never seem to ride quite as well as the big brands, let me know how you get on with yours 👍👊

[@howardroark3670]

Thank you so much for the explanation. It makes perfect sense. I'm 50 and getting back into street skating after a 10 year layoff. It's tremendous fun trying to get back all of the tricks I use to be able to do. Thumbs up for the video!

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Good on you for getting back into it 👍🏻 I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the video 👊🏼

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Good on you for getting back into it 👍🏻 I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the video 👊🏼

[@daiblaze1396]

Totally made sense. I am setting a board for learning. Trying to educate as much as possible first. I was wondering if they were mandatory. I happened to have some with the bearings. I've put them on but I felt that something was wrong. Mine do not touch the bearings enough I guess now. I can't press the nut to the maximum without getting the bearing stuck. I am already happy with the speed of my wheels for now but they do not rotate as freely as yours. People should leave the past behind and try new things !

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

I’m happy to hear you found the information interesting and useful, sorry to hear the spacers are a little too short, it seems like a very common thing. Really the wheel and bearing manufacturers should come together and agree on some standardised sizes but it seems like that’s not going to happen.

[@Bawkr]

Totally worth it. When I was a dumb kid I ditched my Reds spacer, great bearings unfortunately sold them without the spacers lol. I was curious what the heck the spacers function actually was, will definitely be running them if I get another skateboard.

[@CynicusRex]

For the first time in seven years I've tightened the bearing nuts. Thank you!

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

👍🏻👊🏼

[@chrisxshock]

This just helped me a ton! I legit just upgraded my bearings and deiceded to give them a run. After watching this I installed them perfectly and I'm kinda stoked! First time in 30 years...

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

I’m stoked to hear that 😉👊🏼

[@chrisxshock]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding yo, These are awesome, I love how I can tighten it all the way and the wheel is still perfectly spinning! Like why did I never do this before!?

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@@chrisxshock I guess not that many people know and those that do haven’t passed on the information, even the skate companies don’t seem to bother. So I thought I would do it 👍🏻

[@chrisxshock]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding I have been skating since 94 and EVERY skate shop says, "you don't need those!" and so i throw them to the side! haha. I built a new board out this week and was like, "hmm maybe I'll try them?". And that's how I found this video. Thanks again!

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

It’s weird huh ! They wouldn’t come with some bearings if they weren’t meant to be used. I have an engineering background so it made perfect sense to me but I guess people who work in skate shops come from all kinds of different backgrounds. I was taking to a guy in a skate shop close to me and he had no idea what wheel base on a deck meant so it seems like you don’t necessarily need much product knowledge to work there. Anyway I’m glad you found it useful and are rolling well 👍🏻

[@sideways_fun]

Great video. Well explained & more useful info than any other bearing vid out there. I measured my 10mm spacers after watching this & found they varied up to 1.2mm either side of 10mm. Manufacturing quality mostly, but something to factor in is any spacer made of aluminium can be squashed & deformed if overtightened.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Thanks I'm happy to hear you found it useful, I agree the variance in manufacturing and even the wheel cores is often too slack to have any solid chance of precision, I would hope nobody would crank down the nuts so hard they they would deform a spacer they really dont need tightening down "that" hard but i guess there's always the possibility.

[@sideways_fun]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding i have salvaged many parts from all sorts of boards & apart from previous wear & damage, not all aluminium is created equally & some cheap stuff is really soft. I recently got me some new indi trucks, dragon formula wheels & big balls bearings. I assume these relatively highend components are fairly precise, so likely my spacers are to blame for 2 of the wheels binding slightly. I have several boards setup of various styles & all my better spacers are being used. I just ordered some branded ones in a hope they will be better quality & closer to the 10mm i need, but who knows. Lol.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@sideways_fun 👍 Uless they are literally made of tinfoil you shouldnt squash them, the nut doesnt need cranking down just pinching hand tight, you can even back of the nut a fraction of a turn to help the wheels free spin without them rattling. the most common issue ive seen with binding is from inaccurate bearing seats in the wheel cores themeselves even with expensive wheels and they you have no choice but to back of the nut until they free spin.

[@sideways_fun]

@@NeilHesterSkateboardingi myself do not crank the wheels so tight to deform the spacers, but they do have ring marks from the inner bearing races. i am just looking into getting a lathe to machine the ends of the truck & inner wheel bearing seat perfectly flat. I may even chamfer it as only the very last mm needs a lip to seat. That would also remove any burrs dragging on the shields.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@sideways_fun you sound very keen ! I’m not sure all the effort will result in a huge benefit or difference but if you enjoy the process then go for it 👍🏻

[@tomjohnston5116]

Great explanation now I can deal with bearings with confidence that I know what I’m doing and get rid of that pesky wheel rattle, now when I hear that rattling I will know my nut is loose !

[@nekro9t2]

Good vid, very informative and clearly explained. I think I used spacers back in the day but never really knew how to select the correct ones so they always ended up rattling.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Thanks very much 👍🏻

[@75YBA]

I’m so glad someone explained this succinctly. All the best!

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

I’m happy to hear you found it useful 👍🏻

[@10isawsome]

Thank you SOO much for this video and the others you've done! I've been skating for about 5 years now now never even knew about bearing spacers!! I'm excited to see if I can feel a difference next time I skate:)

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Cool I’m glad you found what I do interesting, thanks for your support 👍🏻

[@williamdefortier8205]

Wheel manufactures should supply the correct spacers with the wheels. I've always had issues with spitfire wheels. This video made sense of why I was having issues. Skateshops here in SA don't keep different size spacers. I always use spacers. Bearings last longer , spin and ride better

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Totally agree, I’ve found the spacers that come with bones Swiss fit my two sets of spitfire formula four full conicals if that’s any help to you.

[@saulorocha3755]

So obvious but some skaters still believe spacers have no use (some think it is an old timers thing that was proved wrong). Thank you for the video. Another thing that pisses me off today is the standard wheels that don't cover the truck's axles nuts, which I think is crazy since the wheel's offset would protect the axles and bolts from being damaged in falls.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

I think it’s mostly younger skaters post 2000’s era who don’t know or don’t understand because in the mid 90’s there was the phase of ditching everything possible from your board such as rails and risers and getting as minimal as possible, older skaters probably remember the days when they were more common but that’s probably regional and what influences are/were around you 🤔

[@thetony1973]

If I put a longer spacer in my wheel that may be 1mm more than my core, when I tighten up all the way, I can actually see my wheel moving a bit over the set up, it's not loose but the wheel seems to move a bit side to side even if tightened all the way, as if you don't have an exact match to the core there's movement even when tightened all the way? Great video, really well explained, mate, cheers.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Yep that makes sense because the spacer being slightly too long is pushing the bearings out of the seat in the wheel core slightly. In actual practice this is not a huge problem because at least the bearings are not being side loaded by over tightening with a gap between them and the spacer (i.e. the total opposite to your situation) so I wouldn’t worry about it. 👍🏻

[@thetony1973]

Thanks a lot for replying and so soon, that makes me feel better, coudn't work it out, excellent stuff Sir, thanku.@@NeilHesterSkateboarding

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@@thetony1973 no problem 😉

[@TheYeaRdPr0jEcT]

When I get home imma check my spacer size!! Thanks for the info. Gonna subscribe!

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Cool 👍🏻👊🏼

[@joshsmith159]

If the spacers are too small for your wheel you can just add an extra speed washer

[@SuriSanJose]

This is very helpful, and it explains a lot. I want my bearings to last. Thank you for this.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

I’m glad to hear you found it useful 👍🏻

[@carlosdemare1599]

You can put your hand behind small objects to help your camera auto focus lock onto the object rather than the background

[@yes11889]

Absolutely amazing video explanation was good and gave me information about spacers I wouldn't of thought of in the first place like how there supposed be a certain size for the wheels thanks a lot 👍

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

I’m glad to hear you found it useful 👍🏻

[@JohnAnderson4242]

I have only one set of wheels where the spacers fit the wheel / length correctly. Other attempts all failed. I like the set I have that work.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

You might need to find some different size spacers for the wheels they don’t fit, it’s also entirely possible that some wheel makers fail to pay attention to the standard spacer sizing and could just not fit probably because of that.

[@craiggoodson5250]

Great stuff.👍 I have found the exact same thing as what you're saying. Due to manufacturing variances in tolerances I've had spacers of ever so slightly different lengths from the same batch. I tend to buy a few sets of spacers so I can measure them to find a good match for whatever set of wheels I plan on running. Too short and the bearing will bind when the nut it tightened. Too long and the wheel can slide/slip back and forth on the bearings.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Exactly that 👍🏻 . it’s so weird that no bearing or wheel manufacturer gives any information on this so it’s commonly known but I guess they don’t really care and maybe presume most people don’t either 🤷🏻

[@craiggoodson5250]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding to be honest I was also glad to see someone else (besides myself) using a set of calipers to measure spacers. 😂 🍻

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@@craiggoodson5250 😆👍🏻 Viva la attention to detail 😉

[@AB-rc1sz]

This is why I found this video! Unfortunately, I have yet to find any spacers that are the right length for any of my wheel sets. They either bind or prevent the bearings from seating. This put me in the "what's the point in even bothering?" club of not using them at all.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

A hack for spacers that are slightly too short is to drop a speed washer in alongside it to take up the gap.

[@shred4days485]

Outstanding video, never thought about the core space size for the spacer before and it possibly binding in there. Please keep making more informative videos, also heads up i cracked the inner race of my bearing by overtightening the axle nut on one wheel and a chunk fell off i used the spacers that came with my bearings, i noticed we have the same bearings, i think, super swiss 6. i didnt go much past snug but it was enough pressure to crack it, it still rolls luckily.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Thanks, I’m happy you liked it 👍🏻 and thanks for the kind words 👊🏼 Wow that’s crazy you managed to crack the inner race, I usually do just pinch them tight and don’t go crazy tightening them I was just trying to prove that I had done them up so they wouldn’t go any further for the purpose of the video in case anyone didn’t believe me when I said they were fully tight and were spinning so freely. I would think it possible to crack cast aluminium but not machined steel but I guess if the steel is quite high carbon content it could be more brittle, even then it would probably crack from being smashed around if you hadn’t tightened them up and left them a bit loose. Mine are the big ball Swiss and I also have the regular Bones Swiss .

[@shred4days485]

​@@NeilHesterSkateboarding Me too i thought it was a piece of the spacer at first but nope. Maybe its uneven pressure of the spacer that caused it, the spacer had a few gray grind marks on it from previous tightening, im thinking of investing in stainless steel precision spacers. Spacers arent doing anything in there if the axle nut isnt tight right?: Ive noticed axle nuts can loosen abit after a skate session.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Hopefully it was just a one off, usually spacers are made from some quite light aluminium and bearing raceways usually pretty strong steel or stainless steel so I would expect a spacer to crush before a bearing core break but I guess it depends on the brand and model as to what they are made from and potentially any manufacturing defects 🤔 even with a wheel but not fully tight as spacer being installed will still help the bearings with side loads such as excessive force when wheel sliding etc so still worthwhile having them. Also wheel nuts can come loose if the nylon ‘nylock’ material in the nut thread becomes too worn it no longer grips properly and holds the nut tight. Replacing the nuts with new ones will resolve that.

[@webix1448]

Thank you

[@Kyle_w]

Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Thanks !

[@QXZ9027MKII]

Top notch Sir, much obliged for the insight.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

I'm glad to hear you found it useful 👍

[@musicantd]

Can't thank you enough for making this. I recently started a thread in a forum complaining about the design of quad skate trucks. I have had two occasions in the last year where a wheel has come off the left side of a quad skate. First time I suffered a leg injury (almost a year ago) that is still painful. 2nd time I was LUCKY... it happened while I was standing still on grass. I have quad-skated 30+ years before a wheel came off. Right side truck nuts would seem to be safe, but left side, if you don't use spacers, can't have the truck nuts tightened beyond where they leave the bearings to rotate. Those nuts will experience frictional forces against the bearing shields that tend to unscrew the nuts and they can (and in some cases will!) work their way off the truck axle and the skater is thrown to the ground. You didn't address this point in the video, perhaps you were unaware of it. Anyway, I am now by virtue of this video in a position to order appropriate spacers and hope they act as you say, leave my wheels able to spin freely and have the truck nuts seriously tight. All the videos and extensive info at skate part sites never addressed this crucial information. My idea when I started the thread in the forum was that the left side axles on quad skates (I'd think skateboards too) should be reverse threaded to prevent the nuts from working their way off. However, assuming this video is correct, spacers should make that unnecessary. I'll add one more thing: I heard that king pins can simply snap! I heard this a few months ago from the x-ray technician who was photographing my hand. I explained to him that the king pin on my left skate had snapped (4 months after the wheel came off), and I was suffering a badly sprained finger... which still hasn't really healed. When that king pin snapped, the front wheels shot out 20 feet ahead of me and down I went. I don't know of a way to prevent king pins snapping other than, I suppose, changing them out with some frequency. Oh, one more thing... I was trying to place your accent. Are you Australian? Oh, another thing. I have thin speed washers at the inside of my axles but no not on the outside beneath the nut. Even without that extra washer the nuts don't allow any of the axle to protrude, IOW the axles seem not long enough. Yet another washer is going to make that worse. Tightening down the nuts (by virtue of using spacers), should make that unimportant, but I wonder why my axles seem not long enough. These are OEM Sure Grip trucks and lock nuts. BTW, I have always ridden Kryptonics 78A 70mm wheels (on the streets and occasionally the sidewalks).

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Hi Dan, I'm glad to hear you found the video useful. I cant really speak for quad skate trucks as I have no experience with them but the concept should be generally the same as long as the manufacturers adhere to some kind of slight standardisations such as the usual/general two options of spacer sizes available out there, I would have thought the axle lengths should be pretty much the same between different manufacturers. For a nut to losen it sounds like either the nylon insert of the nut is worn to the point where it is no longer working as intended (to lock the nut onto the axle thread) or the bearing centre is somehow binding against a crushed and non free spinning bearing. either way it should not be happening and having spacers installed may well fix the issue. with regards to the washers theya re there to prevent the bearing dust covers coming into contact with the nut edges and also provide a true flat surface against the bearing centre and hanger of the truck. Yes kingpins can break but it doesn't tend to happen too often om skateboards these days thankfully. inanswer to your question about me, I'm English, from London and my accent is a typical southern one for the UK. I hope that helps :)

[@musicantd]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding Thank you, Neil, for your reply. London! I have a cousin at Oxford, should visit now that the pandemic isn't preventing that. I do wear my bicycle helmet and gloves when skating. Have only skated Kryptonics 78A 70mm wheels (which eventually wear to 60mm or less). I'm skating pretty good bearings, more ceramics than steel. Don't know what's up with the axle lengths, definitely seem short by at least 1 mm. They should be OEM Sure Grip trucks. Maybe those Kryptonics wheels aren't standard dimensions. The wheel that came off about a week ago (while I was standing still on grass), it was a new Sure Grip OEM locknut and the bearing I had checked within the last 50 miles (I'm skating 10 miles most days). The last couple 10 mile skates I've done is after applying thread locking compound (and waiting 24 hours) to the left side truck axles. Testing a test setup (an extra truck) with the compound, the compound is definitely doing its job of holding onto the axle, which is a relief. I figure to order spacers as soon as I determine proper dimensions, i.e. in a day or so. I would think that skateboarders would have their king pins break more often than quad skaters, at least the ones who don't do tricks (I don't). Well, the skateboarders who do tricks! I figure I should replace my king pins with some frequency, that accident had consequences, it's been over 6 months and the finger, while not broken, was badly sprained and I'm still doing stretches, trying to get it to behave.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@@musicantd cool 👍🏻 There’s a nice skatepark in Oxford I’ve been to, have a look back at my past videos to see. I hope the thread locking compound holds out which I think it should 👍🏻

[@vorpalblades]

Hardware check weekly. C'mon, man...

[@musicantd]

​@@vorpalblades Well, I check my skates not weekly, I DO IT DAILY! Just after I remove my skates after my daily (except when it rains) 10 mile street skate I observe all 8 wheel nuts to see they haven't begun to work their way off and I spin all the wheels to see they're spinning freely. Since started using thread locking compound, no issue with wheels coming off.

[@hollywood5703]

The spacers I see on Amazon are universal, with a smaller center to go over the axle, and the outer section.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

I wouldn’t trust anything from Amazon , either go visit a skate shop or buy some Bones Swiss or Bronson G3’s that include them.

[@paulopaixao9648]

Hey! Thank you so much for this video. I never understood why some skaters use spacers and others don't, but now I know. 🙏 One question. Could you please tell me the exact spacer measurements you use for those SF F4 wheels and the Bones bearings? My setup will be very similar, the only difference will be the bearings. I will use the normal Bones Reds. Thank you in advance.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

I’m afraid I can’t as they are in my wheels on my board and I’m not planning on taking them apart soon but they are the ones that came with my bones Swiss bearings.

[@markprice2225]

Guess I'm not getting those new Slappy Sti trucks. I mean, I can just get some new Ace Classic 55s for 44 bucks shipped! Stage 4s the reissues are fire too! 151s or larger only tho

[@thebrownfamilyriders]

Awesome! Great video keep it up!!!! It looks so fun!!!!!!

[@YourBoiEli06]

I have a question, I keep trying to install my spacers but some wheels free spin perfectly while others will slow down 3x faster with the same items used, I installed all spacers properly but I feel like I’m still doing something wrong, everything is cleaned recently so nothing is dirty preventing performance, any advice from anyone would be appreciated.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Some wheels do no have totally accurately aligned bearing seats even from the same set, model manufacturer and factory which can make the bearing sit slightly off centre or too shallow, you can try loosening the nut just a fraction of a turn (not so much that the wheel wobbles) and see if it relieves any pressure, or if it seems like the spacers are too short and doing the nuts up properly tight is slowing them down you can try this little hack of adding an extra speed washer against the spacer before adding the second bearing, this will effectively make the spacers slightly longer. I hope that helps.

[@tylero2112]

My bearing spacers rattle when not fully tightened down but when i tighten it fully down there is no rattle and the wheels spin just fine. Wondering if its still okay .

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Sounds fine to me.

[@adamdusen]

Thanks for such a great video that properly explains this. Is there such a thing as too tight though? Because whenever I tighten the nut all the way with my spacers in the wheels don't seem to spin well at all. In theory shouldn't you be able to tighten them as much as possible? Could this mean more speed rings are required to make sure the wheel isn't being squeezed onto the end of the truck?

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

I’m happy to hear you found it useful 👍🏻 yes you’re right you should be able to tighten all the way like I do and the wheel still spin freely, sounds to me like your spacers could be a tiny bit too short, one jack that you might want to try is dropping a speed washer or shim washer in along side the spacer to make it fraction longer before putting the second bearing in and see if it helps.

[@Lilacsinostara]

So a spacer thats too short ..say 1mm or .0878 mm or something is basically like having no spacer at all because no contact between bearing inner surfaces and spacer so when u tighten the bolt the spacer is non functional rattling around of wheel core??? Excellent video best you tube video out there explaining wheels and spacers

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Not necessarily entirely useless, if you think about 1mm that’s essentially half a mm either side of the spacer, there’s a little bit of lateral movement in a bearing (tolerance) some more than others e.g. Bronson RAWs are incredibly loose and rattly compared to bones Swiss or NMB precision machine bearings , so this lateral movement could still take up that gap depending on the forces exerted on the wheel, also bear in mind the wheel has a certain amount of rebound or flex too so there’s always a potential a slightly looser fitting spacer could still be beneficial and stop too much lateral force being applied to a bearing. Obviously if it’s way too short it’s not going to do any good at all but it should be possible to find some spacers the right size and worst case you might be able to squeeze a speed washer in the gap to act as a shim and take up the difference if all also fails. I’m glad to hear you found the video interesting , thanks for your kind comments 👍🏻

[@kevinmorrice]

my local skateshop always includes them for free because as the owner said "its the condom of skateboarding, you never know when your going to need them but you have them in case"

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

🤣👍🏻

[@kevinmorrice]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding i love it when local skate shops actually get stuff like that, i once bought a board to put together together and the owner threw in 3 sets of free spacers because the wheels i had picked would wheel bite if i turned to quickly, i offered to pay and they said "nah, its good, its what we do, just find what feels best and keep the others in case you get different wheels"

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@@kevinmorrice cool , yeah that’s why real Skateshop’s were always better than online shopping.

[@thetony1973]

Hi mate, Ive got some rollerbones wheels, and the core is too shallow for my 8mm spacers, so my bearings stick out a bit, any advice, because I cant find spacers that are less than 8mm, thanks Ant.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Hi, I'm afraid i have no idea with Roller Bones wheels but i think Bones do make some dedicated bearings for roller skate wheels and they do make some with integrated spacers so maybe they do have some that will fit.

[@blarghblargh]

hmm, goofy question. If I tighten down my wheels solid, they seem to slow down slightly. If I put a speed ring inside between the spacer and the bearing (so as to lengthen the spacer), tighten down, then pull the wheel out a tiny bit, it spins at full speed. is it normal for a wheel to rub slightly up against the bearing? They are somewhat soft wheels (new 93a dragons). I guess it's possible I tightened them down too much without spacers in them, or with too-short spacers in them, and maybe I made an indent in the edge of the inside of the wheel? kinda seems like a wheel needs to have its bearing seat either super flat or even a bit conical? and/or that the wheel needs to actually kind of hover and align on the bearings and not get knocked too far in/out? also, would it be weird to use speed rings inside next to the spacers, if I don't want to bother getting longer bearings? I know it would be annoying when taking stuff apart, but I'm thinking it should probably be fine during operation. Edit: if I don't want to get longer *spacers*, not longer bearings.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Some wheels aren’t made as accurately as they should be and putting an extra speed washer inside between the bearing and the spacer can often be a perfect fix to give you just that little bit more length, I’ve certainly done it and recommended doing it in the past and it worked great so I’d suggest doing that too.

[@blarghblargh]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding awesome! Thanks for the reply :)

[@blarghblargh]

Also, I figured out in the time between if I yank the wheel back/push it in a few times, it seems it stops rubbing, even without extra internal speed rings. I think I was partly confused because my bearings hand spin more freely if the inner race wasn't anchored on some of the wheels. Decided that has more to do with the bearing and its condition than the seating tho. Glad I know how these things should be seated now, and that I can tighten the nuts completely down, if the spacers etc are setup right.

[@MasterChief0093]

Every spacer I find is 10.2mm. I’m trying to find ones that are 11mm for my bones rough riders 59mm. The 10.2’s aren’t long enough to hold the inner ring on the bearings.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

A little hack for you: slip an extra speed washer in on top of the spacer before putting the second bearing in, that should make up the difference 😉

[@TheParkBadBoy]

the wheel spins a lot better when setup correctly.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

👍🏻

[@oswig1768]

Will bones spacers work with my Spitfire f4 wheels?

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Yes they should, they work for me in my full conical F4’s so as long as they haven’t got different cores depending on the model for some reason 👍🏻

[@Simcore999]

It is ok I am mostly frustrated that my e-Vehicles that I bought over the years had no speed-Rings and I had to search a lot because I was doing the same as you show in your video and kept knowing there was something extremely wrong with my bearings...

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

If your spacers are only a tiny bit too short you can make up the gap by dropping another speed ring in on one side against the spacer before putting the second bearing in, it’s a hack but it works.

[@Simcore999]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding Do you mention that in the video

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@@Simcore999 I don’t but I’ve mentioned it in the comments of my other videos about bearings, and I intend to make another video explaining sometime soon. Ideally you want to get the right size spacers for your wheels from the get go and that’s just a hack.

[@Simcore999]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding That is the reason for my initial comment, in the first place

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Well there you go 👍🏻

[@palleh7742]

I don't think you should confuse with showing spacers that isn't skateboard spacers,then it's not at all that confusing. I normally only se shops selling all in the same and right size. And about having the axelnut tight does really slow down the performance on the wheel that I have tried.

[@paulr3556]

I just got evolve AT wheels and bearing spacers are too long that I have, thus whole wheel slides left n right, time to get the dremel out? As not using spacers at moment due to side movement.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

I would seek out some spacers that are the correct size for your wheels.

[@stargo1148]

Does it matter if the spacer is too big and stuck inside the wheel core (like you showed in the video) if you have the axle nut not tightened fully on the axle? would it just act as a washer then? Regards.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Yes, you don’t really want that as it will slow your wheels down,

[@shred4days485]

Hey, where did you get the steel spacers? They are so much more durable than the aluminium ones you usually see in shops.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

I’m sorry I really don’t remember 😕

[@akbardenia7100]

Thanks bro 🫡

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

👍🏻👊🏼

[@JMS_89]

Yeah but you ever notice the wheels it self shift side to side when tighten? I noticed when I put spacers they don't sit evenly in the wheels. I use the spacers that come with bearing sets I buy from the shop. I Tried it with spitfires, Bones an OJs an all the same

[@tylero2112]

Yeah I noticed there's always a little wiggle. But when I tighten them all the way down on the axle the rattling goes away. So I figured the bearing is fully being seating idk but the wheels work just fine

[@Scharfster]

where did you get those small black spacers? I have the spitfire conical fulls 53mm

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

They are the ones that come with the Bones Swiss 🇨🇭 Bearings.

[@1MantisPhoenix]

Do you put 4 washers per wheel then? One inside, one outside and one on each end of the spacer? I swear I just saw an image of someone recommending that?

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Not usually but if your spacers are too short to meet up with the bearing on the inside you can drop a washer in there to take up the gap.

[@samp1568]

when do you know if you need to change the bearings on a longboard?

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

if they are rusted or not able to spin freely and cleaning them does not solve the problem you might need to replace them. but i would always try to clean them first.

[@Sk8ter-Dad]

Just wondering which spacers you use on your spitfire wheels? Im using bones reds and formula 4s. Id like to order spacers online but dont want the wrong size 😅

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Currently using the ones that come with my bones swiss bearings (which I use now) but I don’t think I measured them and don’t remember the size off hand.

[@mattcrowley2456]

Thanks for this vid but im having some problems. I got a new set of 56mm 97a nano cubics and Bronson g3s which is how i found this. The spacers that came with the bronons seemto be the correct size, smaller diameter and longer depth, but when I tighten the axle nut down all the way the wheel barely spins. Even if i leave some play, the new set up doesnt spin as well as the 56mm 93a dragons i was replacing which i discovered were installed without spacers AND without even the speed rings. Any idea what the problem is here?

[@mattcrowley2456]

I think one of the bearings was not fully seated as i redid it and it Def spins a little better but still kind of poorly not as good as the old dragons without spacers and speed rings. Not a good as when you spin them at the end of the vid either. Thats free spinning though, which doesnt really matter right? As they are meant to perform under weight?

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@mattcrowley2456 yeah sounds like it should be ok, you can back the nut just a tiny bit to the point where it’s almost rattling and it should be fine.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Obviously really pushing on the wheels once they are mounted to really make sure they are 100% seated on both sides is important 👍🏻

[@mattcrowley2456]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding thanks. Im new to this. Appreciate the info and fast reply

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@@mattcrowley2456 no problem 😉 enjoy yourself skating 👊🏼

[@ron8935]

A little further information that is not being mentioned especially when he shows the three spacers side-by-side on the popsicle stick.... The smallest one on the right is for roller skate wheels and gets mistakenly mixed into skateboarding...... The width of the spacer and the amount of axle that protrudes from the hangar of a truck are a precision alignment that was decided and standardized in 1976.... There is no deviation, just poor quality and gimmicks....

[@mytorment]

About 7:30 everyone sighs in understanding 😅

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

I hope the visual explanation helped, I’m not the best at articulating what I’m trying to say and it seems like a subject steeped in confusion so I did my best to clarify the details.

[@mytorment]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding I actually fancy myself a mech wizard and could not for the life of me figure a purpose for them but it's same reason I use two washers per wheel, keeps the centre shaft of the bearings tighter and more controlled, I love bombing hills and freestyle so always tighten up, these little loops are now my best friend 👍😇🫒 nice one brother

[@mytorment]

To counter tightness I practically saturate my bearing with grease/oil, use those little red straws and gently inject the bearing until the capillary activity holds it ie. no air inside, it won't last forever but it rides soooooo good for a few days, CFC grease however has gotten mad expensive, damn hippies, machines burn more petrol if they're not well greased 😋😇🫒

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

The biggest problem is the inaccuracies of wheel manufacturing different urethane compositions can shrink or expand inconsistently as it cures so really wheels should be machined into tolerance after they are cured but it doesn’t seem like this happens they just just cleaned up in the outside with a lathe for presentation. I’ve seen bearing seats so out of alignment in wheels it make the wheels look buckled before. Precision bearings just don’t have a good time in non precision manufactured wheels which is why some people think non precision bearings like Bronson RAWs are fast, they are just incredibly loose tolerance so they rattle and bash about more but they don’t last any where as long as precision bearings and obviously get full of crap quickly too.

[@Simcore999]

This makes no sense because there is either one side or the other seizing up when tightning the nuts a lot( The spacer spins on the axle, the way you show at the end)

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

If it siezes up when tightening your spacers are too short for the cores of your wheels, what I show at the end is the wheel fully tight and the spacer is not spinning it is being held by the bearing centres and the wheel nut all being tightened down together. The only things moving are the ball bearings around that tight centre assembly.

[@Simcore999]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding No I think the lack of speed-Rings is the problem( I doubt they were integrated in the nuts you had:-)

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@@Simcore999 I used speed washers on both sides

[@Simcore999]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding At what time-Index please?

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

16:39 onwards

[@Just_SK8]

It seems that manufacturers themselves don't know this. Buy any complete pro skateboard and you'll find that you can not fully tighten the bolts or the wheels will seize. Even expensive landyatchz cruisrrs. So it suggests that manufacturers don't know that the spacer must be longer than the core.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

It’s just poor attention to detail, urethane shrinks as it cures so you have to do some careful calculations dependent on the actual urethane formula used and/or machine the surfaces after curing to an exact measurement but it’s a cheaper manufacturing process to not bother. At least that’s how I see it.

[@Just_SK8]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding well skateboarders will be even less likely to get correct what even manufacturers fail to do. It sounds like I would need to seek out various sizes of spacers. Skate shops seem to only stock 1 or 2 choices. I wonder what percent of people using spacers have the correct size. Because the conclusion might be that Yes, spacers are useless most of the time because most people have the wrong size. Even p rod said in his latest video that the spacers just loosely wiggle around in the core so he sees no need for them

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@@Just_SK8 well you can be aware of it rather than ignore it and do your best to match your wheels and spacers , generally that are about right I find the ones that come with bones Swiss bearing fit just right for my spitfire formula four full conicals. All I set out to do was explain how they should be and how to check yourself unfortunately I can’t do anymore than that. It’s a well known thing in engineering but it seems the skateboard industry is quite short in engineering knowledge 🤷🏻

[@Just_SK8]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding I appreciate your explanation. I'm just frustrated that companies haven't made this simple. I'd suggest that every pack of wheels should tell you the core measurements and recommend what size spacers to use with them. I just checked my local online and currently the spacers for sale don't even tell you their measurements. But then, I don't know my core size anyway. Archaic

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@@Just_SK8 👍🏻 I’m totally with you, I think the apathy for the detail is such a “skateboarding” thing , don’t care just skate etc etc. And the fact that you can do just fine without them and replace the whole set of cheap crap bearings with another set a month later they’ve become disposable. Where-as a high quality set of bones Swiss can quite literally last you a lifetime if you look after them. But people just don’t care enough. I think in the downhill skating world it’s a lot more widespread knowledge but many street skaters for example like the janky rattling sound of broken loose bearings they think it sounds cool 🤷🏻

[@therealskatedad]

What do you do when your spacers are just a little bit longer than the inner core of your wheels, you tighten everything down, but the bearings still move side to side a little in the wheel? Like, after I land a 180, I can feel the wheel shift sideways a little.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

If it’s just a tiny bit like 1mm it shouldn’t be a big deal but if it’s more than that I’d look to get some different spacers that are a better size, did they come with your bearings? And which bearings and wheels are they ?

[@therealskatedad]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding yeah, it’s probably 1 mm or less. I just put some Bronson ceramics into my spitfire formula 4 classics. Using the included spacers.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

@@therealskatedad I don’t think that would be a big deal as long the wheels still feel like they are rotating just the same because the combination of the two bearing and the spacer all sandwiched together tight creates a solid structure.

[@parsifalgoetz1237]

Your bearings don‘t even need to spin, without pressure. If you grease your bearings well they won‘t spin more than 2-3 rotations. I allways grease my bearings with Lithiumgrease , every winter, after cleaning with aceton. I use cheap SKF bearings- no special skateboardbearings: they are doing their Job for more than 10 years now.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

You’re right spinning them by hand is no indication of how well they work but without spacers you can over tighten them to the point where they are being side loaded too much, or if you leave them too loose they will suffer from side load impacts and get damaged prematurely so my point in this video was to show how spacers help with that when installed properly. I used to use SKF, NMB, NTN, NSK, GMN etc bearings in the 80’s but I do like bones Swiss these days which suit me needs very well.

[@parsifalgoetz1237]

I always use spacers too. I've been having discussions with all my friends for years about how they should do it better and that their bearings and axles would certainly last longer. But I always fall on deaf ears, and I've given up lecturing my friends

[@parsifalgoetz1237]

Ceramic ball bearings are not an option for me, as I usually ride softer 90-97a wheels without a core. the bearings often take a beating just by driving down a curb or doing an Ollie with my 220lbs…

[@dneck]

How do I find the right spacers for every wheel? Most shops will have at most 2 kinds, if any in stock. Ordering online, you're not going to get a super precise measurement. Seems like the only way is to have a chest full of 20 different sized spacers, then measure each and every set of wheels you try, and then find the corresponding spacer from your $80 spacer toolchest? I think spacers are the single most maddening aspect of skateboard hardware and madness! Just say no to spacers, lol.

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

In my experience there aren’t that many different sizes and the ones that come with bones Swiss bearings fit great in my spitfire wheels and fulfil their intended purpose perfectly so I don’t feel like it’s as complicated as you suggest. I don’t have a chest full of different ones just a few that I’ve accumulated over a few years. I don’t change to different wheels very often, I find what I like and stick to them so maybe there’s a positive outcome from sticking to one reliable combination. Bones also make some “race” versions for downhill skaters that have built in spacers but I’ve not tried them yet. The Bronson G3’s and Ron’s Rockets I bought also came with spacers that seem to work fine for the same wheels so maybe even if it’s not published anywhere the bearing makers are generally supplying an agreeable size. I think you have to be open minded and want to use them or you’ll just convince yourself it’s not worth it but for me I’ve had a set of bones Swiss with spacers in for about 4 years now and they still run great so I’m happy to keep on using them.

[@markifi]

i don't get boutique brand bearings when there are perfectly good bearings from NTN, SKF, or Fischers Automatische Gusstahlkugelfabrik for less money where you only miss part of your money spent on marketing

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

There are some slight differences. On My personal close inspection it seems like skate specific bearing are made to slightly looser tolerances which means they spin more freely under much lighter loads (a persons weight), the brands and types you mention are designed as precision machine bearings and made to withstand a lot more force and operation over longer more stressful applications which is great because they will no doubt last longer but are also usually packed with grease and have a tighter tolerance so dont spin quite so freely. Skaters prefer fee spinning bearings its just a thing and they do feel faster to ride on the relatively low speeds of a skateboard. A machine precision bearing will last many thousands of hours under load in continious operation which a skateboard bearing wont. They are just designed for different purposes but theres nothing to stop anyone buying and using machine bearings, its all we had in the 80's but these days there are some (not all) skate designed versions that feel better to the rider. choice is there, buy what you prefer.

[@Simcore999]

At 21:09 you imply that they work bad and I suspect it is from your lack of using proper speed-Rings, not the nonsense of using faulty bearings to try to make a point on always using spacers

[@NeilHesterSkateboarding]

Now you are not making sense, the rings I use are from independent the truck manufacturers, nothing wrong with them. I’m sorry you feel like I’m doing something wrong but I have multiple videos showing what I do works just fine and I wanted to share the information with others too , if you don’t like it that’s ok, I’m not going to please everyone all of the time. Have a nice day 👍🏻

[@Simcore999]

@@NeilHesterSkateboarding How is me writing that you imply they work bad at 21:09 not making sense to you

[@dneck]

yeah until wheel companies start including them with the wheels, to be the perfect size to accommodate, I'm in the no spacers gang. It hurts to do so as a gear nerd. I know we should be using them but why if it's only going to fit in some wheels and not others, with great variance in sizes? Not worth the trade off to me. skate bearings are cheap overall. A set of even bones swiss is around 50 USD now and if you just clean with degreaser and re lube with 1 or 2 drops of speed cream, they should last at least a year or two if not much longer. No spacers here. As much as I want to use them! Rat Vision (RIP BEST CHANNEL EVER) has a video where he measures with calipers and the variance is just way too far off.

[@V-187]

👍🏽

[@biccypequeno]

Spacers are pointless