| Maintaining your skates is extremely important, not | | | | Adjusting the Plates |
| only to ensure the long life of your skates but for a | | | | The plates are adjustable on some skates, for |
| smooth, safe ride. Skates need routine cleaning and | | | | instance Soul Train and Blue Love makes. |
| maintenance and we have put together a guide to | | | | Independent adjustments of the trucks can then be |
| help you keep your skates in tip condition. | | | | made. This is particularly useful for artistic dancing and |
| Clean Your Skates Regularly | | | | freestyle skating. For tight turns and spins a narrower |
| With a damp cloth clean away the dirt accumulating | | | | setting is used. For most recreational skating a wider |
| on the outside of the bearings. Gently dig out any | | | | setting will be more appropriate and this will be the |
| embedded dirt. | | | | setting of most newly purchased skates. Experiment |
| Change the Wheels | | | | with the width of the trucks if you have adjustable |
| Check the wheels for wear and replace when the | | | | ones by making small changes and testing the feel |
| inside edges have a shaved off look or when you | | | | and control. |
| can hardly read the writing on the sides of the | | | | They are adjusted by loosening the locking nut on |
| wheels. | | | | the base of the truck with a wrench then adjusting |
| Wheel Nuts | | | | the spacing by moving the whole assembly on its |
| Every three or four months check the wheel nuts. If | | | | track. The locking nut must be securely tightened |
| you skate a lot you should check them more often. | | | | after adjusting and checked monthly to make sure it |
| Tighten with a half inch wrench just enough that | | | | has not worked loose. |
| they have no play but not tight enough to prevent | | | | When to Change the Bearings |
| the wheels rolling smoothly. | | | | After about a year, or six months if you skate a lot, |
| Toe Stoppers | | | | the bearings will need to be changed. When the |
| Roller skates have two types of stoppers, Carrera | | | | bearings start to make a lot of noise and skating is |
| types that are adjustable and non adjustable types. | | | | no longer smooth you will know it is time for them to |
| The non adjustable types need to be checked | | | | be changed. The bearings ensure that the skates run |
| weekly as they work lose from the vibrations caused | | | | smoothly. On each wheel a casing holds the ball |
| by stopping frequently. If they are loose use a | | | | bearings and they are damaged by sand or dirt or |
| screwdriver to tighten them as tight as possible. | | | | when being used when the ground is wet. Bearings |
| Adjustable types of toe stoppers do not become | | | | are readily available and can be easily changed. The |
| loose from vibrations so need much less frequent | | | | standard size is 8mm but check the size of your |
| checks. Once every six months should be enough. If | | | | skates before you purchase. |
| they need adjusting loosen the nut on the base of | | | | How to Change the Bearings |
| the stopper and use your hand to adjust the height. | | | | 1. Using a wrench remove the axle and pull out the |
| Trucks | | | | front wheel |
| Trucks can be adjusted for flexibility and control. The | | | | 2. Pop off the bearings from both sides of the wheel. |
| looser they are the more flexible, but control is | | | | 3. Place the new bearings onto the wheel and replace |
| harder, especially when skating fast. If the trucks are | | | | the wheel in the frame. |
| tighter flexibility is reduced but control is easier. It is a | | | | 4. Re-tighten the axle with the wrench. For aluminium |
| matter of preference and skating style so | | | | spacers tighten the bolts as much as possible. For |
| experiment until the amount of flexibility suits your | | | | plastic spacers tighten as much as possible then |
| style. | | | | slightly loosen. |
| Inverted kingpins are tightened with a wrench and do | | | | 5. Check that the wheels can spin freely. If |
| not have a locking nut. Standard kingpins have a | | | | necessary loosen the axle bolts slightly. Tighten the |
| locking nut which must first be loosened with a | | | | bolts more if wobbling occurs. |
| wrench. The king pin is then turned to adjust the | | | | 6. Repeat the steps for the back wheels. |
| tension. After adjusting the trucks make sure that | | | | Clean and maintain your roller skates for enjoyable |
| the locking nut is re-tightened. | | | | and trouble free skating! |