How to Clean Your Longboard Bearing Shields

Longboarding, or skateboarding, emerged in the first half of the 20th century in Oahu, Hawaii, as an alternative to surfing. Originally referred to as "sidewalk surfing," hobbyists would practice moves and tricks with hand-made longboards on dry land when conditions were not suitable for surfing. Skateboards were introduced to retail outlets in 1959 and have since increased rapidly in popularity, with skateboarding and longboarding having become popular sports in their own right. Cleaning the bearing shields on your longboard is essential to maintaining a smooth ride and lengthening the life of the board.

Things You'll Need

  • Liquid hand soap
  • Water
  • Thumb tack
  • Cereal bowl
  • Paper towel
  • Truck axle
  • Old toothbrush with soft bristles
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fill a cereal bowl with warm tap water and add two squirts of liquid hand soap to the bowl. Mix the soap gently with your hands.

    • 2

      Pry the bearings from the four wheels of your longboard using a truck axle.

    • 3

      Slide the thumb tack gently between the rubber or plastic bearing shield and the edge of the bearing case on the first bearing and pry upwards until the shield pops out of the case. Place the bearing shield into the bowl of soapy water.

    • 4

      Repeat Step 3 with each of the remaining bearings.

    • 5

      Scrub each bearing shield gently with your old toothbrush to remove dirt and excess grease.

    • 6

      Remove the bearing shields from the bowl of water and dry them thoroughly with paper towel.

    • 7

      Replace the bearing shields to the bearings and place the bearings back into your longboard wheels. Secure the bearings with your truck axle.