If you consider yourself a reckless ripper dips your board in harsh rides, you probably want to learn to extend your skateboard’s life. Since choosing the Best Skateboard for Cruising had taken you sometime around the market, don’t ruin it too soon before you can afford a new one. Obviously, reaping out of your board doesn’t make it last longer, but you got no way to halt the excitement. Fine, it’s better to put your skateboard to a maintaining section to get it back to 100% shredding capability.
What you need
You will need to gather up some tools specified for the skateboards. Purchase a kit, and these tools will help you maintain, fix or adjust the board the way you want. Plus, it will save you from digging around the toolbox to find the right stuff.
A kit will get you:
- A kingpin
- Axle nuts
- Base nuts for trucks
- A Phillips head
- Hex screws
Did you get the bunch? Let’s move to the first step.
Tuning up bushings
It is a common sense to a lot of people, but it will really help fine tune your ride. You’ll be able to turn faster and stay steadier. Tighten these bushings gives the board more stability, whereas loosening those up makes it a little more carving.
The biggest adjustment will go to checking the rear trucks by the tail. This party is controlled by your back foot, which makes the most drastic change. If you really want to loosen up, take the tool and free it a bit but stick to the security regulations. Then you will fine-tune the nose truck until things feel right to you.
Note that as you ride, the bushings are going to break. So, to make it easier to squish down and condense, you might need to adjust them over time to figure out the best ride for you.
Bushings come in different duro from soft, medium to hard. The harder ones are more stable, so if you go for more hills or lock into a straight line, pick these tough guys for higher speed.
For more curvy cruiser down, go softer in the duro of your bushing. Loosening them will make them more responsive and turn fast.
Extend the life of the wheels
You might have noticed that if you do more slides on either backside or toe side, the wheels on that side generally wear faster. That said, one side is thicker than the other. So, one way to stop that from happening is to rotate the wheels.
Basically, you will take your wheels off and switch them, not only side to side but also nose to tail. Swap them in the X pattern. Also, some wheels, like Baloo Orangutan, are center set. You can flip them around to even out that worn out pattern.
Bearings
Bearings play a role in giving you the speed you want. Bearings with a higher number of ABEC standards have better quality and cost more money. But you will get more roll time out of them and quicker acceleration. There are bearings out there that have no ratings at all, typically, the ones from Bones. Though they don’t commit any ABEC number, they still rule extremely well.
If you notice that your bearings create a lot of creaking noise or go rust, it’s time to slip them out. It would be fine if you can clean them thoroughly. A bearing cleaning kit will come in handy in this case. You can get them from any skate shop.
How to clean your bearings
It will save you tons of money if you know how to clean your bearings with the kit. You can tell when the bearings are dirty because they generate whining sound when rolling. Rust bearings will slow you down gradually. But it could be hard for beginners to notice. So, grab your kit. Or you can customize one set for yourself, but make sure you have:
- A container with the lid equipped a bar of metal with a tightened nut to separate bearings
- Cleaning agent. It can be acetone or isopropyl alcohol. Avoid citrus cleaner and WD-40
- A razor blade
- Some towel papers
Clean your bearings following these steps:
Step 1
Pop out the plastic shield on your bearings with the razor blade. Do this with care. If you are a kid, ask your parents to help you out.
Now you got the shield out, one or one both sides. You actually got an option to take the metal balls out of the casing, but unless you have specific tools, you can skip that step.
Step 2
Fill in the container with the cleaning agent. Screw your bearings into the separator, dunk to the container and shield the bottle.
Shake the container to wash out every dirt, particles, and lubrication in the bearings for about 2-3 minutes.
Take the bearings out and check if it’s washed thoroughly. You can redo the step to make sure everything is taken out. It is fine to soak the bearings for a while until it is immaculate.
Step 3
Dry them using towel papers. If you have an air compressor, blow out all the remaining drops in every corner. Make sure there is no liquid left inside of the bearings.
You can rinse them with water before drying out, but it’s really important to leave no water in there, otherwise, it will rust out your bearings.
Step 4
Once everything is through, add some drops of lubricant, and put back the shield. Gently snap the plastic in, give it a little spin test. Now it’s ready to go.
Grip tape
It is where your feet go so that it can be pretty dirty. You can use the Windex spray to clean this area.
Spray the liquid on and use an old toothbrush to scrub away the particles.
Spread some paper towels on the board; pat them down to absorb the liquid.
For the bottom of the deck, you can also use the Windex but if it has graphics, don’t scrub the board too hard or, it’s better just to use water.
Fixing the squeaky trucks
The noise usually comes from the pivot-cup bushing in the base plate rubbing against truck hanger. For a quick fix, people recommend using WD-40, lubricant or baby powder. But those are not lasting methods, not to mention the fact that they can make a mess and attract dirt.
The more effective solution is to use household paraffin wax. It is a derivative from petroleum that is not soluble in water. Shred the wax into small pieces. Take out the truck hanger and put the wax shavings in the pivot cup.
Grab a big pinch of wax and pack it inside the hole. It is not necessary to fill the cup up, just cover the wall or surface of the pivot cup. Use your fingers to spread it around. Rub the pivot with wax as well as coat the surface of the hanger where the bushings touch. So, for the next ride, you no longer feel any loud noise from your board.
Final thoughts
That is pretty much how to maintain your skateboard. Cleaning your board with these popular techniques will definitely improve its lifespan. One small thing is to keep your board away from water. If you did have some random splashes today, check your board in every corner to blow out every drop. Also, don’t ride on cracking wheels or squeaking bearings. The broken equipment may cause accidents. Maintaining your wheels will help you safely enjoy your rides and add more peace in mind in every time you hit the road.
