How to Clean Skateboard Bearings | Tactics

Cleaning your bearing is essential for fast long-lasting bearings. It'll save you money in the long run and is kind of fun to do anyway. We'll give you step-by-step instructions on how to clean your skateboard bearings and give you a few tips for making it a smooth and easy process.
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[@tacticsboardshop]

Do you clean your bearings or do you just get new ones? 🤔 If you have any questions, check out the full guide here: www.tactics.com/info/how-to-clean-skateboard-bearings

[@Jose-ee4qv]

How do you lube pressed in bearings?

[@Youngjesus316]

I’m 23 and I was gonna do that

[@GloryRenault]

i clean them then i get new ones For spare parts

[@magicskyfairy69]

I would just ride trash bearings and never replace them unless they straight up broke. So many wasted years

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

I keep washing it w/WD-40 till they're clean 😁

[@joe4095]

When I was 7 years old, I just took the wheels off and then just wash them with water. God I was stupid.

[@Unknown16]

Joe that pained me to read

[@Mystninja]

It's ok I forgive you.

[@Mrmannycalvera]

This youtuber from Barcelona Spain washes them with floor detergent and water and then sewing machine lubricant. The weirdest tutorial ever. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5StgnehaLybadU

[@emmanhgl4878]

Washing it in water is fine

[@zayaanmahajanoriginal6035]

@@Mystninja like literally what?

[@souptime8017]

nothing more satisfying than gripping a board for me.

[@734wheeler5]

Never ever gets old. Especially setting up new wheels. Or a fresh board.

[@Ascendedninja6]

Same. I got it down to where I don't get any air bubbles.

[@shanemurphy415]

Ascended Ninja 😳

[@Axolotl4865]

if you’d seen my first griped deck you would say otherwise

[@ettnollbajen9945]

My dream job!

[@dipadyck]

I think it’s important to note that if you decide to use rubbing alcohol, PLEASE make sure the percentage is high. Let’s say you use 70% rubbing alcohol. Your wheels will rust from the 30% water. 91% and up is the best for cleaning bearings.

[@cyckablyat6987]

Thank you for that almost made the mistake just now

[@Cobalt985]

If it all evaporates it won't make a difference. Just make sure it evaporates.

[@madz3343]

Welp... rip my bearings

[@GasGotti]

@@madz3343 lol no bro they’ll be completely fine. Sure the 70% take a bit longer to dry, but it will not damage them at all bud. Just make sure you use the proper amount and type of lubricant. I have bearings that are almost as old as me and I’m about to be 35.

[@AaronKyroo]

⁠I did the same😢

[@icarusshepherd1724]

I watched this at least 10 times even though I just cleaned my bearings last month. This is ASMR for skaters

[@Lazy_Prophet]

After skating on & off for 25 years, I just learned You don't have to leave that wiggle room between each wheel if you use bearing spacers. They're not pointless after all lol. This is one of the best videos I've seen for cleaning bearings, rubbing alcohol is also a good solvent.

[@demondevin1710]

i didn’t know that i’ve always used bearing spacers and left that wiggle room i’ll try tightening it more thanks man

[@mrgee918]

The spacers are only effective if they're in contact with both bearings. Then they'll all move as one unit. Have speed washers on both sides. Now you should be able to reduce the wiggle room and the bearings wheel will still spin freely.

[@josephsaunderson4124]

Thanks this is really helpful i tried and realised it made a difference and it was actually a bit more secure

[@rekato3457]

This is helpful I'm thinking of buying a skateboard later

[@BlackPriest001]

Spacers do reduce the rpm, not sure how much but it was a huge topic.

[@city_hippie1017]

Literally just cleaned my bearings last week 😂 but I saved this video for next time! That bones bearing cleaner is amazing & that bones speed cream 👌

[@whoatemycereal419]

fr tho they were worth the money

[@dillyb54]

i've been using the same bearings for a year almost without cleaning them idk how they even work still

[@Sb-hj1om]

Basically get a wrench unscrew the nut take out the bearing and stuff and remember how it was placed so you can do it the exact same, then you’re going to get a piece of tissue rub the bearing on the inside and the outside and you can put in olive oil or motor oil to speed the board up and yeah you put everything back in it’s really easy and it takes about five minutes for every single bearing!

[@Sb-hj1om]

I mean 1 min for every one

[@ronniesunshine1163]

I've had mine for 10 years. Just realized I'm supposed to change or clean them since one of my trucks broke

[@Mystninja]

I have bearing that a 10 years old and all I do is a seed and bleed with 4 in 1 machine oil. I had industrial photocopying machine oil that was the finest and bleed more dirt out.

[@aislinnosborn2587]

Try 6 years 💀💀💀💀💀

[@pseudocubing2939]

Low key the best tutorial for cleaning bearings out there

[@gorryman]

Tactics really is the best , their product descriptions on the site are the best down to the mm , and now these vids super thorough helping out the newbs

[@Lazy_Prophet]

I love Tactics, great shop, but I disagree about the product description, not much info on their decks.

[@achidifrick6124]

I'd recommend to not use a plastic container for your acetone. its likely to dissolve it if highly concentrated or in contact for long enough. Also, any alcohol like ethanol or methanol will probably remove oil and grease much more easily. In the lab we often use alcohol, then water, then acetone. And a little tip is that blowing on it or any other Nitrogen source will speed up the drying of the acetone. Good luck. :)

[@hervyvalentino6664]

Can you use ethyl alcohol to remove the oil and grease?

[@irv1075]

@@hervyvalentino6664 ethyl alcohol is ethanol. According to Frick, yes you can.

[@sembouzen1936]

What is better between alcohol, ethanol and methanol? I have a ton of methanol in my garage, i can use that right?

[@NotSandhorst]

What if i use hand sanitiser?

[@inactive67]

@@NotSandhorst the other cr@p in there could cause issues. Just go to wal mart and get iso alcohol.

[@vincenzollamas]

good video. i recently discovered wrapping a thick cloth over the wheel makes prying the bearings out SO MUCH EASIER.

[@obadd3634]

I dont know why the bones bearing cleaner kit is so expensive. Good video though.

[@sergalcube1003]

Isopropyl alcohol and plastic tupperware work just as well.

[@itbelikethat-]

That’s how they get cha

[@thesodathief]

Its worth the investment it just saves a lot of time and effort i got mine with speed cream for only 15$ on amazon

[@DRIFTA999]

its 15 bucks ?

[@chadhakala]

Do what i did: get a long skinny banana pepper glass jar, a long threaded 🔩, and some plumbing orings and stab it through the jar. You can make the dividers with a pen tube and viola.

[@gregblau8082]

Soaking them in windex overnight works wonders. I had to skate home in the rain and my bearings were trashed the next day. I went down to the local shop planning to replace them, but the guy told me to try that first. It made them good as new

[@paulpiedalue9147]

Thank you very much for this comprehensive lesson I found it extremely informative easy to follow and I easy to understand I had the sealed abec 7 bearings but I was able to clean them and they're performing just like you thank you so much I will be watching other videos shortly

[@littlerobot2340]

Dayum I've skated for 15 years and have never done this

[@MadiBarness]

Same 💀💀💀 I'm just glad to know why my skateboard is such shit now

[@llrated1238]

Would you just buy new ones every 3 months🤣

[@KandiKlover]

I didn't even know you could to be honest. Thank goodness because I just found one of my boards from 2012 still with the Bones Swiss in there but they kinda dry now.

[@Ryangetsgainz]

Skid Teiqii

[@larryjimbob]

With Bones reds (what I do is....) take out the dust covers with a pin. Then use the pin to very carefully lift out the clasp holding all of the ball bearings. Push all of the ball bearings together in one spot and they, and the centre, will dop out . Now all parts can be cleaned more effectively. To put them back together again reverse the process. Put all ball bearings together at the bottom of the outer ring, sit the centre on the top and push the balls apart to lock in place. Space them out to match the clasp and click back in......job done 😊

[@larryjimbob]

How many of you knew that you could completely take them apart to clean? 😊

[@larryjimbob]

.......Skating since 1987

[@Cobalt985]

@@larryjimbob Only because that's what I do when greasing up bike wheels :)

[@squashua7727]

I've used wd40 to rinse and clean my bearings and then lubed them up with 3 in one oil and it's worked well for me

[@FuckOnYouTube]

same except it attracts dirt I've noticed

[@james6028]

@@FuckOnKZbin try using less oil and wipe off any excess after reassembly

[@morrishoutman9079]

Damn the intro tho

[@FluffSharkIRL]

if there's one thing i've learned from working in maintenance, it's that cleaning a bearing doesnt fix the damage already done to the bearing. I personaly perfer to just swap my bearings out since they arent all that expensive anyways. if you'd really want to clean the bearings you would have to clean them a multiple times to get rid of most filth which to me doesnt seem time efficient. also, if im going to spend money on cleaning utencils i might aswell get new bearings :^)

[@fucin]

year old post haha its more like an investment vs sunken cost thing buy $10 bearings you wont feel bad after a while buying another set, but when you buy your 11th you realize you couldve bought $100 bearings and a $5 bottle of speed cream still be using them and have $5 left over

[@meYogii_]

so satisfying, thanks for sharing, now i'm gonna go clean my bearings.

[@Nirvezz]

i remember how skaters would just drown their bearings with wd-40 and they wouldn’t believe me that it would dry and wreck them without lubricant

[@AliJr_MetalGames_MetalGuitar]

I did that just yesterday lol

[@kxvinn_3950]

I always use wd 40 lol and they never had that problem

[@Cobalt985]

@@kxvinn_3950 WD-40 is extremely inadequate for lubing bearings. Once it evaporates it leaves a very thin film of wax that wears away quickly. Using WD-40 WILL cause your bearings to score and die prematurely.

[@andychillin2579]

Damn I’ve been washing them with water and using wd-40 while making them tight with no washer in between I can’t believe it

[@oshunrose5303]

Six months later I finally find a bearings cleaning video that is simple to follow. 👌🏿

[@hiphophippi2646]

Really Great Video. I cleaned like 4 boards today since i had everything already to go. I had to move the bearings a bit to fit the covers back in. They wouldn't just pop in like I saw in the video. Very smooth tutorial. That BearIng Cleaner kit, looks nice to have just sliding them up and then securing with the wing nut and shake. Never seen that before. Thanks again.

[@heyattlam5468]

I used regular household orange cleaners to clean my bearings, have done it twice, works great, even deals with rust lol

[@yoa9960]

wtf are orange cleaners

[@ratbitch5125]

Shshhshahaha just a citrus based cleaner

[@Lazy_Prophet]

@@yoa9960 essentially d-limonene

[@joesr31]

@@ratbitch5125 like dish soap?

[@Chickenjawn]

Wait in the video he said u have to rinse it if u use a citrus based cleaner but did u do that? Cuz the whole point of this video is that u don’t use water

[@BaldingSasquatch]

White Lithium Grease is about some of the best lube you can buy for your bearings. Have had a pair of Swiss Adale bearings for 4 years and clean them every so often and lube with them WHITE LITHIUM GREASE and they spin like new each time

[@tacticsboardshop]

Nice! I'll have to try it out. Where's a good spot to procure some White Lithium Grease? 🙌 - Tim

[@smoo6650]

thanks, I'm just learning how to skate and I wanna learn to take care of my board too. really good video.

[@antoniomars8241]

havent cleaned my bearings sense 2012 still work perfectly fine, no idea how but im gonna give this a try

[@ubosh3901]

Been using WD-40 my whole life, and it's been working perfectly fine for me

[@Bigguybigguybigguybigguy]

This was genuinely helpful for everything bearing related thank you very much

[@dominickbreceda2718]

If any of y'all have 2 of these things props😹💯

[@isaac7116]

I just did the rubbing alcohol one and it worked just fine. If you don't have any you can just buy it at a local store it's like i think $10 for a big bottle.

[@newend2116]

im set

[@Bbarm97]

I have a small bottle with a tiny little syringe tip (really tiny like 0.05mm hole) for the lubing part. i touch every single ball slightly with it and it gives much better results. you only want the balls to be lubed, anywhere else it might cut the speed down.

[@Inliner242]

Very well presented as well as informed. This video was explained well & quite clear to understand. Great job!

[@tsuzukimurphy64]

if you have the metal shields you can remove them by gently denting the middle of the shield with a i screw driver of metal punch and it will pop out but it will break the shield.

[@feels3401]

Can't we replace metal shields with rubber seal?

[@donofhellfire3126]

You saved me bruh ny wife gave me this board and I was devastated when it fell in the Mississippi River and retrieved it and the wheels sounded like death thank you so much

[@wangfeng175]

Very very good! The steps you talked are very clear!

[@nikolasparadis7722]

Very nice vid, clear and informative : good work! I don't know, but some people have probably already did so. I mean, telling you that metal bearing are easy to open, without breaking them down. And just cleaning it without opening it.... God, maaaan! You leave there a lot of filthy crap!!! Anyhow! Thanks for sharing!

[@robbiehenderson3633]

I’d also recommend giving the old bearings a rinse in warm soap water (dawn/dish soap preferred). Blow dry the bearings dry or let them dry out naturally before oiling. Acetone destroys your bearings and isn’t as effective as rubbing alcohol or citrus cleaner.

[@ivantorres605]

Hey on some videos I’ve seen that people use water to do something after using alcohol and I wanted to know if that is true

[@Capitan_Chaos]

Water is going to mess them up. Talking from experience.

[@smellysmall2262]

I’m good at the shaking part

[@JonnyDIY]

Lol I skated seriously for almost 20 years and we all just used wd40 to clean and lube our bearings. And we rode the hell outta those things. Never had any issue. Just cleaned them regularly

[@PDXDario]

bro that was so weird to see my local park in Eugene Oregon just randomly pop up in a bearing cleaning tutorial, sick shredding

[@jamesamestil7407]

The best Vid on the subject! Ty for your time to put this tutorial together! I just got bones cleaner recently, nice item to add to your online order if you need to reach a certain amount to get free shipping. Otherwise, yeah the brush and open container, or a closed container-shaker is as good.

[@markpettifer9993]

This is great! Thanks for giving more details on alternative solutions for cleaning and lubing 🤙🤙

[@shadowcard6923]

Walmart super tech red lithium grease is what I use afterwards. It keeps grit out better. For all the longboarders, get S9 blaze bearing and replace their outer shield with a rubber shield and use marine grease instead, it’ll better protect your bearings during wet slide sessions

[@saladeduturfu3810]

Does the bearings still spin well with marine grease?

[@stephenbanda2908]

Thanks for this vid. Clear and easy to follow, I appreciate it

[@twindr4kes]

I just take my bearings apart and deep clean them. Boom roll just like new 🤩

[@skinnyfishin2357]

You should do a tutorial for a deep clean where you disassemble the bearings

[@MapleBar777]

Safety pin is definitely ideal and NOT a razor blade as the sharp edge has a tendency to cut the shield...just like what happened in this video.

[@stageiiwappie950]

Pressed in metal shields can be taken off too although more tedious, u can clean the bearings and use them without shields just fine. I skate like 2$ aliexpress bearings like this just fine

[@At_rgb]

I have been skating the same bearings for almost one and a half years. Before that I have always cleaned my bearings, oiled them etc. They never lasted two months. Just dont skate in the rain and in mud, they are allowed to get dusty because if you ride your board enough it'll get clean itself. My bearings are Reds for 20 bucks

[@Pikmin012]

I think I agree, I have bearings that are years old that still spin fast and long, I've never done anything to them, never needed to replace them either. I decided now to try and clean and lube a set for the first time, just to see what happens (the bearings are from 2017, but still spinning fast) I hope your anecdote doesn't come true for me 😄

[@sleepwalker29]

Bearings actually have grease packed in them. Oil repels grease. So WD40 oil will remove the grease from your bearings. Bones Speed Cream might be grease. I never used it. I cleaned a old pair of Independent bearings not knowing they are $3 for new ones. Then I packed them with brake grease, and they work like new 7 out of 8 bearings. Oil wears off in minutes, and you are back to grinding metal. Then steel shielded bearings are best, because your ball bearings will not explode out of the bearings with nylon shields. And steel shields are not always removable. So it might be best to buy Independent or CCS steel shielded bearings. You can also bend the bearings from hard impacts. So it is best to replace them often, and buy cheap steel shielded bearings. Bones bearings are over priced. I bought 26 ABEC 9 bearings for $16 that are red like Bones Reds. Also your polyurethane truck bushings are supposed to have grease between the bushing and metal surface to keep it from squeaking. That is how you install polyurethane plastic bushings for cars. That's why your trucks squeak. My 1993 Gullwing Shadows have rubber bushings that squish out when tightened. Rubber bushings are better than these new plastic ones. Sort of like rubber car suspension bushings verses polyurethane.

[@jamesryan4325]

Try Riptide bushings. Super high quality urethane that doesn't speak!

[@Cobalt985]

Hm, this isn't something I considered before. I think I'll use Parktool Polylube grease I have sitting around instead of mineral oil after reading this.

[@Ekkykk]

who can tell me how i can clean bearings without special items. i have only aceton and car oil

[@user-st7rq3sn7v]

Don't bother with the acetone. if you can get some cheap Mr clean (green one cuts grease) and a sewing needle, you're good to go! After you've cleaned the gunk out, drying takes an extra step. tear a strip off of a sheet of paper towel and roll it nice and tight. Press that into both sides of the bearing with your fingers then the needle. Car oil *will not* make for a fun ride for long! 3in1 works fine or you can go with chain oil for bike chain which is available everywhere.

[@ayhamkalthom7927]

@@user-st7rq3sn7v i used olive oil thinking it would work as an alternative, i think I fucked uo

[@kidspark9668]

Best method/tutorial out there😍

[@march11stoneytony]

Best video on the subject

[@justinsamupindi]

Thank you, this video was really helpful 👍

[@grimshady]

Hey, my bearings have pressed metal caps, how do i lubricate them?

[@fosho1570]

Good tips 5 stars for me Also very satisfying

[@LarissamCooper]

this was incredibly helpful thank you!! and fast!!!

[@evalord8005]

I haven't cleaned my bearings once in the ten years I've owned my skateboard, it's also been left out on my deck in the sun without being ridden for years and it's been snowed on countless times too... I really hope I'll be able to ride this poor mistreated thing again lol

[@markandrewpiano]

Thanks for the tutorial. Super helpful!

[@tacticsboardshop]

Hi Mark! Thanks for checking it out.

[@yabuyab8406]

Am beginner and it's pretty cool what you did thanks much

[@roberts3423]

I used a tiny needle to remove the rubber layers on the bearings, placed the bearings in gasoline, shaked the container, dried the bearings, applied WD-40 and spinned them. Had some really rusty bearings that didn't move at all, now they are like new again.

[@efeburakcan1404]

are still good or now they re bad?

[@itsfuego3715]

God bless you! Never give up thanks for the information this helps alor

[@bondo9876]

can i use ethanol to clean bearing?

[@MrZombieTurds]

Definitely helpful info! *subscribed*

[@Turkey_b0i]

I used wd-40 on my old bearings I got new ones for no reason and I haven't touched the other one is in like a month so I wonder what they're like

[@user-el5tn9fp6g]

Turkey does lego YT WD-40 is not good for cleaning bearings it attracts dirt

[@jacobjarvis1335]

I guess you could say WD-40 will leave those Bones dry

[@xandiebombs5802]

This comment didn't get the appreciation it deserves

[@TheReal_DeanD]

Hmm very cool and helpful tutorial. I’m surprised no spacer between the bearings was needed for each wheel. I really never saw that before.

[@Lazy_Prophet]

Lol, that's funny, opposite for me, I never knew bearing spacers were important. Without them you can't tighten the axel nut very tight, like he said, that's why the "wiggle room" is necessary.

[@expensivemagic4754]

Thank you! this video is perfect!

[@sarthakpuri9847]

Thanks bud! ;)

[@peterhenson823]

Great video man!

[@dustobitepeepee838]

In my country its cheaper to buy new bearings

[@piotrpomykalski7579]

Thank you sooo much for this video

[@fletzyproductions1190]

0:23 ok thats all i needed

[@oook5771]

This video is great dude I'm broke asf rn and my bearings are super dirty rn

[@rogerdavis9962]

Thanks guys...

[@Monsterfiend23]

This was super helpful thank you!!!!

[@moonstrifflimestone5493]

very helpful, thank you!

[@Ijwtcawn]

If y’all don’t got money take them and put under water and spin and clean and use a hair dryer to dry them so no rust and then use lube and it’s amazing

[@vinneyboombotz727]

back in Late 1970's we only had nsk german speed bearings..when dirty pop them out ,thrown in coffee can,soak in red gasoline.slam on counter,dry off ....done!!!!!!!

[@Lazy_Prophet]

Back in the 70's people did a lot of drugs too.

[@circassianassasin5423]

I‘m a mechanic and we learned a lot about bearings. It’s not ur fault that inline skated are designed like this. Bearings are very very sesitive. They have an inner and an outer Ring and a cage where the metal balls are in. If you press them in somewhere or drag them out you should always do that on the part that is mounted. In this case u would push the bearings on the outer Ring into the wheel. Bearings never have oil, they are lubricated with grease. I would dry them with a Hairdryer. But i would recommend to clean them in oil. But thank you.

[@samuellambertmurrayduncan1412]

Rode my first and brand new skateboard into a muddy puddle, now the wheel is all locked up. Gonna try this

[@theskateboardunboxer6220]

Nice video, keep up the good work!!

[@victoro3176]

If you live somewhere where it doesn’t rain very much don’t use shields. No shields mean all the gunk flys out of ur bearings. Don’t know how shieldless bearings hold up to rain tho. If you do run through a puddle, take your bearings out. One at a time, hold them with pliers or something above a flame so the water evaporates. Then clean them and definitely lube them up.

[@tjangel2212]

I live in Washington it's always, skated the same bearings for 5 years no shield's never cleaned them never had any issues

[@claudioronchetti6752]

Finally probably I've learn how to clean my bearings..

[@georgeetboom7719]

Thanks mate

[@michaelvaldovinos5552]

Really helpful man thanks

[@lisapet160]

Thanks!

[@apolloray4376]

I've been using goo gone since I was 12 And not only do they clean your bearings but they also keep them greased up but don't collect dirt.

[@funwheels3307]

Skate instructors suggest soaking the bearings overnight in engine oil (which isn’t as thin as the lubricants you recommended), maybe you want to give it a try next time?

[@seansiquig]

i just bought bones speed cream but it didn’t come with the rubber cap to squeeze single drops, what gives ???

[@ronnirman6096]

hey, i dont have any solvent can i use nail polish acetone? thanks

[@tacticsboardshop]

Yes! Nail polish remover works great. Cheers! - Tim

[@yesssss6417]

Does it work?

[@larryjimbob]

Ive used white spirit before

[@lunarfox3352]

I can't thank you enough I love fast bearings

[@Pat_Gunter]

I would add that the shield's should also be washed in the rubbing alcohol. Wash them in the leftover rubbing alcohol after you do the bearings and lift the bearings out of the liquid.

[@playab0yyy]

I'm curious why you load the bearings into the container with the exposed side facing up. Wouldn't you want that side facing down so it's easier for the solvents to flush out while shaking (the same way you smack them onto the paper towel afterwards)?

[@markifi]

2:09 you can remove pressed in covers, just won't be able to re-use them probably. but sometimes you can even re-use them?

[@h6nky]

About a year ago I tried cleaning my bearings for the first time. But for some reason all of the ball bearings just fell out the bearings it self. Was there a reason for that?

[@tacticsboardshop]

If the balls just fell out, then that bearing was already broken. If the internal cage breaks, then there's nothing holding the ball bearings in place, and when you take the bearing out it just falls apart. So you didn't do anything wrong, sometimes you can be skating a busted bearing and not even realize it. Cheers! - Tim

[@Nicholas-iu9jb]

Nice now all I need is all of that stuff

[@carlyle6071]

Okay this doesn’t have to do with cleaning my bearings. I recently just got a bearing upgrade and I put them in my wheels. And whenever I do my tricks, slides, or pivots, the noises just got quieter. This doesn’t affect my skating negatively tho. What do you guys think? It’s pretty bizarre lmao