Maintain your skateboard
Learn to clean, tighten, and inspect a skateboard’s wheels, trucks, bearings, and deck using basic tools, working safely under adult supervision.
Step-by-step guide to maintain your skateboard
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Step 1
Lay a towel on a flat table and place your skateboard upside down on the towel.
Step 2
Use the skate tool to remove the axle nuts from all four wheels.
Step 3
Slide each wheel off its axle and put the wheels on the towel.
Step 4
Push the bearings out of each wheel using the axle or a bearing tool and place the bearings in the small container.
Step 5
Look at each bearing and spin it with your finger to check for rust dirt or rough spinning.
Step 6
Pour isopropyl alcohol into the container and gently shake the bearings inside to clean them.
Step 7
Take the bearings out and lay them on a paper towel to air-dry completely.
Step 8
Put one small drop of bearing lubricant on each bearing and spin the bearing to work the oil in.
Step 9
Press each cleaned and lubed bearing fully back into its wheel until it sits flush.
Step 10
Put the wheels back onto the axles and hand-thread the axle nuts onto each wheel.
Step 11
Use the skate tool to tighten each axle nut until the wheel spins freely without side-to-side wobble.
Step 12
Inspect the trucks kingpin and deck mounting bolts for cracks stripped threads or loose parts.
Step 13
Use the skate tool to tighten any loose mounting bolts and the kingpin nut until they are firm but not over-tightened.
Step 14
Take a photo or write a short note and share your finished skateboard maintenance job on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of a skate tool, isopropyl alcohol, or bearing lubricant if we don't have them?
Use a correctly sized socket and wrench in place of the skate tool to remove axle nuts, clean bearings with rubbing alcohol or a small amount of citrus degreaser if you don't have isopropyl alcohol, and substitute a drop of light machine oil (3-in-1) for specialized bearing lubricant.
My wheels wobble after reassembly or a bearing won't come out of a wheel—what should I check or do?
If a bearing won't come out, push it out using the axle as the instructions say or use a bearing puller, and if a wheel wobbles after reassembly loosen the axle nut until the wheel spins freely without side-to-side wobble and ensure each bearing is pressed fully flush into the wheel.
How can we adapt this skateboard maintenance activity for younger or older children?
For younger kids have them lay the towel, hand you the skate tool, sort wheels on the towel, and take the final photo while adults handle axle nuts and bearing cleaning, and for older kids let them perform all steps including inspecting and tightening the trucks' kingpin and deck mounting bolts with supervision.
How can we extend or personalize this activity after finishing the cleaning and lubing?
Rotate or swap wheels to even wear, keep a short maintenance note or photo log of which bearings were cleaned and any tightened bolts, consider replacing worn bearings or decorating the deck, then share your finished skateboard maintenance job on DIY.org as instructed.
Watch videos on how to maintain your skateboard
How To Clean And Maintain Skateboard Protective Gear? - Skateboard Daily
4 Videos
How To Clean And Maintain Skateboard Protective Gear? - Skateboard Daily
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Facts about skateboard maintenance and safety
⚙️ Bearings use an ABEC rating but cleanliness and lubrication often matter more for smooth, fast rides than the ABEC number alone.
🛹 A standard skateboard has 4 wheels and 2 trucks—keeping them properly tightened helps you stay balanced and land tricks safer.
🔧 Most skateboard repairs can be done with a single skate tool (it combines common socket sizes and a screwdriver/Allen key) — no power tools needed.
🏁 Skaters tune truck tightness for purpose: loose trucks help turning and tricks, tight trucks give more stability for downhill or cruising.
🧽 You should remove and clean bearings with a safe solvent and dry them fully before re-lubing—water and dirt are bearings' worst enemies.
How do I teach my child to maintain a skateboard step-by-step?
What materials and tools do I need to maintain a skateboard at home?
What ages is skateboard maintenance suitable for?
What safety precautions should we follow while learning skateboard maintenance?
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