Sample3

Saturday, March 5, 2005

Sample: Removing your Bearings
Part of Lesson #2: Advanced Maintenance

If you’re sure you have shielded and serviceable bearings, go to the next section, Removing your Bearings. However, if you determined that you have sealed bearings, skip the next section as your bearings are non-serviceable, at least in the conventional sense, and proceed to the section, Replacing your Bearings later in this lesson.

Removing your Bearings

To remove your bearings using the K-Tool or equivalent:

  1. With the K-Tool or equivalent, remove all eight wheels from your skates.
  2. Place the wheel in your right hand.
  3. Run the shaft of the K-Tool or equivalent through the hole in the middle of the wheel until the handle of the K-Tool or equivalent is flush with the bearing.
  4. Place the thumb of your left hand on the handle of the K-Tool or equivalent.
  5. Push the handle inward.
  6. Apply gentle, but steady pressure with your thumb. The bearings and spacer should pop out of the wheel.
  7. You may have to wiggle the bearing to free it up from the hub, but be careful. Do not apply excessive force to the outer shields of the bearing or you may warp, crack, or otherwise damage the casing material.
  8. Wipe off any dirt and grit with a paper towel.

Figure 3: Gently pushing the bearings and spacer out of the wheel using a K-Tool

To remove your bearings using a bearing removal tool:

  1. With the K-Tool or equivalent, remove all eight wheels from your skates.
  2. Place the wheel in your left hand.
  3. Position the bearing removal tool until it’s flush with the spacer in the middle of the wheel.
  4. Place the thumb of your right hand on the tool.
  5. Push the tool inward.
  6. Apply gentle, but steady pressure with your thumb. The bearings and spacer should pop out of the wheel.
  7. You may have to wiggle the bearing to free it up from the hub, but be careful. Do not apply excessive force to the outer shields of the bearing or you may warp, crack, or otherwise damage the casing material.
  8. Wipe off any dirt and grit with a paper towel.

Figure 4: Gently pushing the bearings and spacer out of the wheel using a bearing removal tool

If you have serviceable bearings like TwinCam or YAKs with two metal shields, you need to remove the C-rings before you can take off the shields.