Being a regular rider, you should understand the importance of longboard maintenance. Proper upkeep results in excellent performance and long-lasting use of longboards. Longboard consists of several parts among which bearings and trucks are the most sensitive ones and require regular maintenance. Well-maintained bearings provide better acceleration and improved agility whereas trucks ensure high responsiveness and better control over the board. Both play an essential role in making a ride smoother and stable.
Using a defective longboard can be quite dangerous for riders and pedestrians. Therefore, it’s necessary to keep a check of all parts of longboard before going on a street trip. Make sure that every piece is in excellent condition and won’t break down during the ride. The bearings should be perfect enough to provide a good spin whereas trucks have to be well-lubricated to allow smooth turns and stable ride. There should be no breakage or crack in the deck as it might lead to the hazardous incident on the trip.
Being a regular rider or professional skater, you will need to conduct proper maintenance on a daily basis. From checking the functioning of each part of cleaning them, you are required to do it all on alternate days. The more a longboard is used, higher the maintenance it needs!
To enjoy the better performance of your longboard, make sure you carry out regular cleaning and maintenance. If the board has got wet, dry it before you place it in the closet. Mud from the wheels and trucks should also be cleaned after every ride because it might eat the wheels and jam the trucks. As far bearings are concerned, you don’t need to take them off every other day because it might consume a lot of time. Just clean and lubricate them every once a week.
Further, in this article, you will find useful information about proper maintenance of longboard. This guide will help you to enjoy better performance of your longboard safely. However, some essential things are required to carry out longboard maintenance. You will need a few tools such as screws driver and nuts. In addition to tools, lubricants, alcohol spirits, paper towel, detergent and hair dryer are also needed. With these all items, you will be able to keep the longboard clean and well-maintained.
Separate and Keep Small Parts in Different Containers
Firstly, disassemble the longboard by taking bearings, trucks, wheels, and deck apart.
Once all parts are separated, make sure you keep small parts such as nuts and screws safely in a container.
Metal parts should be kept in a metal container with alcohol spirit poured into it.
Parts of plastic should be dipped in detergent solution to clean the dirt and grease.
Clean or Replace the Bearings
Bearings come with a cage and cover made up of nylon. Use a pin to remove that cover. While picking out the metal cover with the pin, it might flip away so be very careful because you don’t want to lose it. Once the cage ring and cover are taken off, wash them with spirit to clean the dust particles. If bearings have worn out, replace them with new ones. Otherwise, just pour all parts of bearings in the alcohol solution.
Make sure you don’t clean bearings and other metal parts in one container. Dirt and dust particles that come off bearings can be hard to clean from other components. Use the screwdriver to stir the bearings in the circular motion in the solution to make sure that it reaches every single corner and carry out proper cleaning.
Washing the Plastics and Rubber Parts
Drying the Parts
Setup and Finalization
Proper Adjustment
After proper cleaning of each part, the most crucial step is to adjust them all together. Sometimes, readjustment causes functioning trouble. The reason can be extra tight or lose parts. You need to make sure that every piece is placed in its right place and is not unnecessarily tight or loose. After setting it up, check the longboard very carefully by standing on it and giving it a slow roll. You need to make sure that trucks and wheels are working well together. This quick trial will let you locate the problem in the longboard assemblage. Make sure you try it with your particular riding style to know if there is any minor or major issue.
Be very careful when putting all parts together. Missing a single nut can lead to unwanted incidents. Every part plays its crucial role in the overall performance of the longboard hence don’t skip or lose any part. Never compromise on the maintenance of your longboard especially if you use it regularly. To avoid injuries and accidents, keep every part in the best condition by checking and cleaning them regularly. Always replace the broken or damaged parts with new ones instead of fixing them. Don’t put your life in danger to save just a few pennies!
Conclusion
Well, now you have a complete guide to maintain your longboard in excellent condition. Carry out these steps correctly and enjoy the improved performance and better rolling of your road buddy. As good longboards are quite expensive, with these tips, you will be able to extend their life and improve their performance. Keep one thing in mind, the more actively you use a longboard, the higher maintenance it requires to roll well!
