As a skater, you understand that skateboards wear out fast, and you often find yourself in need of new parts. Depending on how you ride your skateboard, some parts wear out more quickly than the others. Worn-out parts of skateboards are the pride of skateboarders. These are signs that they are skating hard.
However, damaging the parts in non-skating ways can break your skateboard way faster, and replacement expenses are not less. Skateboard parts have a naturally short lifespan, and ignoring them will make them wear faster. Fortunately, caring for your skateboard is not hard and doesn’t need tons of tools. All it takes is a little help of your common sense and some grease, and your skateboard will be in top shape.
Deck
Most new skaters scrape the tail of their deck on the pavement to stop. That is wrong. There are a few safe ways to stop without damaging your skateboard. One of the common ways is hanging the back of your foot off the skateboard, dragging it on the pavement. The friction will help slow your roll. Moreover, you can hop off and run while picking up the skateboard.
Using the tail to stop wears it down, creating a razor tail. The razor tail affects your pop, and then the deck will start to chip. Your skateboard naturally takes a lot of abuse as you ride it and do some tricks, so scraping the tail would cause more problems.
Furthermore, you must protect your skateboard from heat and water. Remember that decks are made of wood, and the elements mentioned can cause the layers of your deck to expand. This will weaken the epoxy that is keeping the layers together.
Bearings
The bearings are the only part of your skateboard that is continuously moving, and they are operating close to the dusty ground. While the bearings have a shield to keep the debris from getting through it, dust still can get through this shield, causing some troubles on your skateboard. The dust, if mixed with the lubricant, can slow the bearing. Hence, damaging the surface of race and the balls.
You can keep your bearing safe by regular cleaning. You may use any water displacement lubricant that is solvent-based for cleaning. These products are good at eliminating road grimes and old grease. Soak the bearings in it for a moment, spin them in different directions and wipe them, then let it dry. Don’t forget to lubricate them regularly.
Trucks
Loose trucks can cause some severe problems. It may result in wobbling, noticeable rattle, and imprecise steering that may lead to accidents. Ignored loose bolts widen the deck’s pre-drilled holes over time. Thus, the trucks will always be loose, and stress cracks on the baseplate will soon appear.
Make sure to tighten the bolts often by using a 3/8-inch wrench and securely fitting screwdriver. Don’t use pliers on nuts as it can smoothen its corners. To tighten the bolts, tightly hold the screwdriver and turn the nut. Do not turn the screwdriver as it may trip the bolt heads. Moreover, keep the bolts tight enough by stopping once they have reached the grip tape.
These are some of the essential things that you should remember in taking care of skateboards. While they are known to wear fast naturally, it doesn’t mean that they can’t smoothly run as they age. Following these simple guidelines can help you prolong your skateboard’s life and make your ride smooth and safe.
Leave a Reply