How To Clean Electric Skateboard Wheels & Bearings – Most Simple Guide

Maintaining your electric skateboard is really important. You need to maintain it regularly to make sure your board will work properly. This means you should wash and maintain your bearings and wheels well. This article will guide
you the quickest and easiest way to clean electric skateboard wheels and bearings. Read on!

Prepare some tools

• Dish soap
• Lubricant (grease, or sewing machine/skateboard oil)
• Needle-nose pliers/thin screwdriver
• Socket wrench (½-ich) or ratchet
• Container with a lid
• Acetone
• Paper towels/rags
• T-tools

Get everything ready to clean

To clean the bearings and wheels, you need to remove them from the board. This task is not complete and only requires just a few minutes.

Take off the bearings

• First, use a T-tool (or a socket, ratchet wrench, whatever you have) to remove the nut off the axle. 
• Slide the wheel until the bearing comes out
• Pull the bearing out

Repeat with the other three wheels. Remember to put all the nuts into a container so you don’t lose them.

Note that a spacer may fall out along with the bearings. If it does fall out, store it in the container with the nuts. You will need to put it back later.

Take off the bearings shields

There are two types of bearings shields, one is a simple rubber shield. With this shield, you just need to use a screwdriver to pry it off, but be gentle otherwise you will damage it. The other one is a metal shield with a C-clip.
Use a pin to get under the clips, and the shield will pop up easily.

How to clean the bearings

Put everything on a table, and it’s time to clean! Use a clean cloth or paper towel to wipe off any dirt on the bearings. If you feel the dirt can be removed easily by hand, then the solvent is not needed.

Next, to clean the accumulated grease, you need to use a specialized cleanser or a mineral spirit, acetone, or citrus cleanser. Pour the chemical in a spray bottle and spray it on the bearings. The spray nozzle will make the grease
come off easier and faster.

You should not use WD-40, as this chemical will leave a residue that collects dust into your bearings. You certainly wouldn’t want this to happen!

In case you don’t have a spray bottle, you will need a jar or a container with a lid. Put the bearings and the chemical together and shake for one minute. Then take the bearings out and wash it under running water. Do this twice to
make sure the grease completely comes off. The solvent may be quite harsh, so make sure to wear gloves to protect your hands.

Use a paper towel to remove excess water, then use a hair dryer to dry the bearings completely.

The next step is to lubricate the bearings. Apply 2-3 drops of skateboarding or sewing machine oil to a thin towel and wipe around the bearings. You can apply oil directly to the bearings. Remember not to use too much oil, it will
spread to neighboring parts.

You can buy grease and oil in your local skateboard or bike shop, sometimes, I can buy it in a supermarket. They are pretty easy to find!

How to clean electric skateboard wheels

Cleaning the wheels is as easy as cleaning the bearings. Follows the steps below:

Step 1: Scrub

Use a rag (or a wire brush/old toothbrush) to scrub around the wheels. Don’t make it too hard or you will scratch the wheel. 

Step 2: Soak

Soak the wheels in warm soapy water for 10 mins

Step 3: Scrub more

After 10 minutes, the dry dust/mud may have softened, use the brush to scrub again to clean the dirt in the smallest nooks and crannies.

Step 4: let the wheel dry for 20 minutes. You can use a hairdryer to make it dry faster.

Reassemble the whole things 

Our cleaning is done, it’s time to put the parts back on and you’re ready to go.

Step 1: Reattach the bearings shields. Use your fingers to snap the bearings into their original place. 

Step 2: Push the bearings into the wheels. Put the bearing divider along with the bearings. Be careful in this step if you don’t want to be pinched. There are two bearings in a wheel, so you need to put the bearing at both sides of
the wheel. Repeat the process for other wheels.

Step 3: Put the wheels back on. Similar to when you disassemble them, now you put them back on their place using a socket wrench to screw the nut back on. Do it until all four wheels are secured in place.

Step 4: Double check the wheels and bearings. If the bearings don’t spin freely, then try to move the wheel around. They will snap into place well.

Now that you’re done everything, try riding around and feel the difference.

Regular maintenance is essential. You probably won’t get injured just because of old bearings and grimy wheels, but they can give you bad experiences. Good cleaning also makes your board look a lot newer. It is advisable to clean
your e-board every couple of months or after a ride on muddy terrains. Do this and your board will last years to come!