How Long Do Skateboard Bearings Last?

Skateboarding is a form of art, a lifestyle, and a sport that we young people love to do. In this article, we will talk about skateboard bearings, which are magical and essential hardware for a faster and smoother ride. For your kind information, skate bearings are essentially metal objects with a donut shape that lower friction by allowing a wheel to roll more quickly and smoothly.

After a given amount of time, every skater needs to replace their equipment. So, some of the riders have asked: How Long Do Skateboard Bearings Last?

The level of maintenance has a big impact on how long bearings last. Except for cleaning skateboard bearings to extend their lifespan, there is no absolute regulation. However, we have more advice, so let’s explore more tips!

How Long Can You Keep Skateboard Bearings?

Your skateboard bearings’ longevity will depend on a number of different factors. The most important work should be keeping the skateboard clean and lubricated or oiled. It will ensure an easy spin and longevity.

Sometimes it’s possible that the bearings won’t give the exact riding experience even after cleaning and re-lubing. In that case, simply go and replace them! However, you should plan on replacing the wheel bearings approximately every 85,000 to 100,000 miles. 

When you maintain and take proper care, skateboard bearings typically last one to two years. And remember that your skateboard bearings will deteriorate more quickly if they are exposed to excessive moisture, rapid jumping, or sliding.

What Leads Skateboard Bearings to Fail?

Wearing wheels and bearings can cause drag and even hub damage that ultimately slows down your riding time and it might cause major injuries like a torn ligament or broken ankle. Let’s have a look at the possible reasons that lead to the failure of the skateboard bearings.

1. When you miss cleaning, the ride experience can be slowed down by dirt, sand, or dust that ultimately gets into the bearings and sticks there. 
2. Jumping too much and making excessive rotations that might loosen the bearings.
3. You shouldn’t keep your skateboard’s bearings inside for too long.
4. using worn-out or weak bearings.
5. reuse of worn-out bearing spacers.
6. purchasing typical ball bearings of extremely cheap quality.
7. Tightening the axle nuts too much.
8. Utilizing unclean lubricant.
9. riding through salty and damp conditions.

Why You Should Replace Skateboard Bearings?

When the bearings become blocked with water, mud, sand, or debris, the bearings will begin to wear down. It may harm the automatic gearbox or constant velocity joint (CV joint) of the car.

Furthermore, riding on damaged bearings is highly risky as it may fall down at any time. Therefore, whenever your skateboard bearings begin to deteriorate or break, you should constantly replace them. 

It is said that you should replace your skateboard every two to three months, but it depends on the way you use your skateboard. You can also switch or rotate to extend the time of the bearings. 

Sometimes the main part of the wheel becomes fragile from the thin and sharp metal shrapnel. So, the replacement of skateboard bearings is important.

When Should You Replace Your Skateboard Bearings?

Some riders place heavy stress on the deck by riding on hard surfaces that end up damaging the skateboard. Some bearings will only last a few months, while others may potentially last a few years.

It is very common to replace skateboard parts. If your wheels stop spinning smoothly or your bearings start to squeak, you should replace them. Also, the metal components inside will eventually corrode and seize up after a certain period of use, so replacement is necessary.

Most often, rust or dirt within the bearing might cause it to break and wear out. However, if you can maintain and properly use the skateboard, the bearings typically last one to two years. Now let’s share some possible reasons that indicate when you should change the bearings.

• The time when the wheels stop spinning properly
• When you notice stiffness and roughness
• If balls and shields are missing
• When you find rusty or dirty board bearings
• If the skateboard gets damaged too much.

How Do I Make Skateboard Bearings Last Longer?

Buy a High-Quality Skateboard

Skateboard bearings that are less expensive never offer the best riding experience as they may fall at any time. So get a high-quality skateboard with bearings that can sustain hard use without breaking quickly if you want to lengthen the life of your skateboard bearings.

Considering that high-quality skateboard bearings are great with the core of your wheel to reduce unusual friction. Additionally, it will last longer than standard skateboards with bearings.

Skateboard Maintaining

To make your skateboard or longboard more stable and durable, maintain the bearings by riding properly, re-lubricating them, and making sure you replace worn-out parts. Riding over difficult surfaces may result in increased stress that leads to a quicker wear.

Check Outside of Covering

There is a possibility of decay even more quickly if you use a lot of slides and flip techniques while riding. A professional skateboarder may often use these bearings for 5 to 10 days. 

Therefore, regular maintenance of the outer casing of the bearings is required for excellent performance. Repair any deep scratches or cracks that were caused by the tricky moves by the skaters.

Purchase Good Skate Bearing Tool Set

You should use a good-quality bearing tool that can help you remove and replace old and new bearings. The bearings can be used without putting the board down and without sending the skateboard into danger. 

Regularly Clean The Bearings

Bearings get damaged when the dirt starts to grow. It is crucial to clean them after riding in dusty, wet, or salty conditions. Keeping your bearings clean is the simplest way to increase the longevity and performance of your skateboard. 

How do you wash them? Get a toothbrush and some rubbing alcohol to clean. While cleaning, you can use water, alcohol, or an industrial-grade lubricant like bearing butter. It’s also possible to extend the lifespan and performance of your bearings by using a cleaner like Bone Speed Cream until the outside casing breaks.

Just make sure there is no liquid in the holes in the center where the axle passes. After skating, removing the bearing spacers from the wheels is an important part of cleaning the wheels and bearings. After that, you’ll move more quickly and with less friction.

Change Bearing Spacers

Sometimes the bearing spacers will need to be changed since they can wear out. It is not advised to attempt to repair the old, broken spacer because doing so runs the risk of breaking another part. We actually need a balanced wheel to obtain the optimum performance and long-lasting ride.

Avoid Putting Oil on Dirty Bearings

Some individuals believe that by adding oil, their bearings will spin more quickly. However, it’s completely a misconception. In fact, applying too much oil might ruin your bearings since it can attract dirt and other grit particles, which can cause your bearings to degrade more quickly than usual. 

Only add oil when your bearings are clean, creating loud squeaks or other unusual noises. Also, you should try to avoid putting your weight on the board and wheels when ollieing. 

Avoid Skating in Rainy Weather

Sometimes, rain can be threatening and risky for skating. So, try to stay away from skating on wet, swollen surfaces and during the rain. There is a possibility of the bearings’ rapid rusting that may happen to make everything damp. 

How to Clean and Maintain Your Skateboard Bearings

How to clean skateboard bearings? Simply, keep your bearings greased, dry, and clear of particles. You can clean the skateboard with the help of some good tools. Simply, gather all the materials, and also you’ll need:

• Screwdrivers or pliers
• A ratchet or socket wrench
• A T-tool or skate tool
• A razor blade, thumbtack, or safety pin
• Lubricant
• Tiny container
• Toothbrush
• Latex hand gloves
• Paper towel
• Acetone or isopropyl alcohol.

Now let us share the best method for cleaning and maintaining the skateboard bearings:

1. Fix and clean the skateboard bearings by removing the nuts with a skate tool, socket wrench, or ratchet. 
2. Clean all the inner dirt by using a small quantity of solvent on the rag or paper towel. To remove dust or oils from steel, plastics, or rubber, use citrus-based solutions. Put on rubber gloves and work in a well-ventilated, secure environment.
3. Use a clean bucket or basin to soak bearings in acetone or another grease remover. 
4. Additionally, you can place them in a plastic, polypropylene, or metal jar and soak them in your cleaning solution.
5. You should speed up the drying process, then use lubricant, swap out the shield, and place the wheels.

How to Replace Longboard Bearings?

Now, we are sharing how you can change or replace the bearings on the longboards. Let’s have a look at this:

1. Place the skateboard on a flat surface and spin the first wheel’s nut counterclockwise. Undo the axle nut, and slide your wheel near the axle’s end.
2. Remove the washers from the space between the outer bearings and bolts.
3. Remove the second set of washers and the wheel from your board.
4. Detach the bearings.
5. Keep the wheels clean.
6. With the color shield facing outwards, insert the new bearing into the wheel’s center hole.
7. Turn the wheel around.
8. To get control of your wheels, follow the first four steps.

The Importance of Maintaining Bearings

Bearings have a great role in boosting the riding experience. Bearings will quickly become worn out if you miss out on taking proper care of the board. Therefore, you must correct the error on your skateboard bearings before the wheels are damaged.

Skateboard parts are connected to one another. Therefore, one issue will bring the entire riding experience to a halt. You can purchase the bearings separately to save some money. However, if the wheels become damaged, unfortunately, you will have to purchase both parts at once. 

FAQ

Final words

Well, it’s time to wrap up the article. We have shared the lifespan and how you can boost the staying time of your skateboard bearings. We also talked about how you can maintain the bearings to keep running faster and smoother. Keep it clean and have a good ride! Simple!

So, there should be no more queries about How Long Skateboard Bearings Last. Still, if you find any problems, feel free to leave a comment. We will be back to you soon! Apart from all of these, get a good quality skateboard that contains strong bearings for a faster riding experience.

Gabriel

Hi, my name is Gabriel. I am completed my MBA from private university and my subject was IT (Information Technology) and also I complete my graduation form South East University and Department from CSE (Computer Science & Engineering). I am author and blogger of this website who loves to write about different topics that are related to the board sport. From beginner tips to intermediate advice, I want to offer you quality content that will help improve your skill set and make you a better rider. Thanks for checking out my site!