Skateboard Maintenance for Beginners

Have you got a new skateboard but not sure how to adjust it or maintain it? You do not have to worry; this guide will take care of most of your problems. The truth is that skateboards require minimal maintenance. You should note that the skateboard is a collection of components and parts, and sometimes an adjustment will make a lot of sense.

Cleaning Bearings

You have to ensure that your skateboard bearings cleaned and lubricated to ensure they remain in top condition. You should note that cleaning is a process. If the wheels are spinning as required, you do not have to lubricate them.

Adjusting the Trucks

The tightness of trucks controls how hard or easy it is for your skateboard to turn. It is a good idea to have tighter trucks. Soon enough, you will find it easy to control the board, and loosening trucks makes things quite easier, particularly for smaller skaters. Ideally, the process of adjusting the truck involves a single nut on every truck. However, you should avoid over loosen to a risk of having it fall off the kingpin. In fact, a full turn should have a noticeable change.

Grip Tape Bubbles

Whenever you grip a board, you should look for different pockets of air between the board and the grip. You can pop the bubble with the corner of a razor blade and then push the air out of the hole. Also, do the same for a newly gripped board. The more the board is skated, the more connected the board and grip become.

Adjusting the Axle Nuts

In a skateboard, wheels are attached to axels with a single nut. You should tighten nuts as much as possible to avoid the impending spin of the wheel. Ideally, it should feel a minimal amount of play as you try to move the wheel side to side. Occasionally, a nut will work itself looser or tighter than it was originally set and ought to be corrected.

Adjusting Truck Mounting Bolts

Every truck is intended to be attached to the skateboard deck by a set of four bolts and four nits. You should keep an eye on this. Usually, nuts have a nylon locking feature that loosens over time. If the nuts become loose, you should tighten them back. You should avoid over tightening them. Remember that you need to avoid embedding the bolt deeply.