How to Loosen Skateboard Wheels Maintenance for Beginners

How to Loosen Skateboard Wheels

If your skateboard makes a grinding sound or spins erratically, it may be time to change the wheel bearings. This can be accomplished by tightening or loosening the wheel bearing. Yet since you rarely have the essential tools on hand, that won’t be easy.

You will learn how to loosen skateboard wheels in this article.

Here are the Things you’ll Need

In other words, a skate tool is basically a fancy wrench designed specifically for a skateboard. There are several different methods that you may use around the house to adjust your wheels and bearings or tighten or loosen your skateboard trucks. 

You can get a wrench that fits the bolt you need to adjust the skateboard wheels with from your neighborhood hardware store. Skate tools are merely more practical than having multiple full-sized tools; they are not necessary.

How to Loosen Skateboard Wheels

There are not many sockets and wrenches needed. The size of the wrench you require will depend on the size of the screws on your wheel. 

For, how to loosen skateboard wheels you need the tools given below:

Wrench

The tools for loosening and tightening bolts and nuts, use a wrench. These instruments are known as open-end wrenches; they have straight-sided slots on the ends that fit over the area being loosened and are available in a number of sizes to suit certain nuts and bolt sizes.

Pilers

You can also use pliers, just make sure they have an adequate grip on the nut on both sides to allow you to loosen it as desired.

Socket Wrench

Bolta and nuts may be spun considerably more easily when using a socket wrench or ratchet. You may stop constantly refitting the wrench after each turn thanks to the ratcheting mechanism.

For, how to loosen skate wheels use the aforementioned tools.

If your skateboard wheel does not spin out of control or stop abruptly, you need to loosen the bolts. On the other side, you should slightly tighten your wheel if it wobbles and spins excessively.

  • The nut should only be carefully loosened using your preferred tool.
  • Turn it the other way around from the clock.
  • Flick it to see whether it comes to an abrupt stop. Continue doing this until every wheel can spin freely.
  • If you overdo it and a wheel starts to jiggle, go back and tighten it up a little. You must find the correct hit.
  • Hold your skateboard and shake each wheel individually to check that it is installed correctly, if they are too loose; tighten them if they slide sideways on the axles. Since loose wheels will creak while you perform tricks while skating, it will also result in inaccurate steering.
how to loosen skate wheels use the aforementioned tools

How to Loosen Skateboard Wheels

Make sure to heed the wise counsel to never lose the cars excessively before loosening them. Because it has an impact on your riding and significantly alters it.

The very simple three-step process for removing the skateboard wheels includes:

  • Using a tool that you prefer and is easily accessible, you can loosen the skateboard wheels. Whether it is a skating tool or a substitute like a socket wrench, or pliers. Now position the tool correctly and grasp the nut.
  • Simply turn the tool the other way, away from you. Try it out a few times, and when you have seen how the wheels adjust, assess. You can use it to determine just how loose or tight skateboard vehicles are.
  • If the wheels are rotating more quickly than they were before, you will need to lose them once more after a few more spins. To minimize wriggling, however, remember not to overly lose the board automobiles. Now, after spinning the nut a second time, your problem will be resolved.

How to Change Roller Skate Wheels

Make sure you have a skate tool before you begin changing your skate wheels or loosen trucks roller skates. Always a good idea, to clean your skates is easy if you have paper towels, bearing cleaner, etc.

  • To remove the nut securing your skate’s wheel to the axle, use the skate tool.
  • The nut should be taken off and stored, then take the wheel off. It is a good idea to clean up the various parts, including the axle and trucks, right now.
  • With time, they have a tendency to gather “gunk”, which is not only disgusting but also bad to leave on your skates.
  • Put the replacement wheel on the axle and tighten the nut with your fingers, or as tightly as you can without using a tool.

The nut can be tightened using your skate tool. It should be snug, but not so snug that the wheels are roughly the same tightness by giving them each a pair with your hand.

You could lose a wheel or hurt your skates if you have not tightened the nuts enough. You will be wobbling all over the place. This is only one of the benefits of making it a habit to inspect your skates before you lace them up.

How to Unscrew Without a Wrench

If you don’t have a wrench than don’t need to worry there are many other alternatives to unscrew without a wrench which are given below:

How to Loosen Skateboard Wheels

Duck Tape

You might be shocked to hear that while duck tape is helpful in practically every circumstance, it can also be used to loosen nuts. To create two 12 inch strips, first cut a section of the paper about 12 inches long. Then, tear the paper in half.

Create a strong tape strip by adhering one strip to the rear, wrapping the remaining strip around the nut with a tail of 6 to 8 inches, and pressing firmly to ensure it has bonded to the metal nut.

To quickly remove the nut, simply pull the duck tape tail in the direction necessary to loosen it.

2 Coins

Who would have thought that money might be a temporary tool? Place two large coins on either side of the nut. Two pence coins work greater for this.

To increase grip and twist the coins in the direction necessary to release them, hold them between the knuckles of your index and middle fingers.

Zip Tie

These lovely tiny toolbox add-ons can also be used in place of a spanner and are used to connect hubcaps and tidy up cables.

Put the zip-tie as securely as you can around the nut, then, using the zip-tail, tie and pull in the direction needed to loose or tighten the nut.

Conclusion

Nobody needs special tools to adjust wheels; everyone can do it. A ratchet and socket set or a couple of wrenches are all you need, however, a pair of pliers might also work.

Always explore alternatives if you lack a skating tool. You should now know how to loosen skateboard wheels. 

Hope so this article helps you to learn how to loosen skate wheels.

FAQ‘s

What is Skateboard Truck Nut Size?

Any skateboard/longboard truck with 8mm axles will accept the standard-sized axle nuts (virtually every truck has the standard 8mm axle size). These axle nuts’ thread size is 5/16’’.

can you use Skateboard Wheels on Roller Skates?

You can, indeed, There are no hardware issues because the majority of skateboards and skates use the same 8mm axle and have comparable core spacing. Pushing could feel a little more abrupt with a skateboard wheel because, depending on what you put on there, you might lose the flexible outside lip that the majority of roller skate wheels have.

How to make Skateboard Wheels Less Stiff?

Just use a paper clip to wiggle them out. In the following step, soak your bearings in acetone, nail paint remover, or rubbging alcohol. Make sure all the dirt and dust are removed before spinning them to dry. At this point, your bearings are clean and lubricated throughout.

How to loosen Skateboard Wheels when they are too Tight?

In order to slightly loosen the nut, use the wrench. Just turn it anticlockwise, then spin it once more. Push it backwards once again if it still comes to a sudden stop. Do this repeatedly until the wheels can freely roll.

Robert Henry-Author Skate Orb

Who Is Roy Harris

Hey there, I’m Roy Harris, and skateboarding is my life.
Growing up in sunny Southern California, I fell head over heels for skateboarding at an early age. From the moment I stepped on a skateboard, I knew it was my calling.

Similar Posts