How to properly clean an Electric Skateboard? (2023 Guide)
Keep your electric skateboard clean by cleaning it carefully after each ride. First, use a wet towel to wipe off the electric skateboard to avoid water or dirt on the electronic components. After that, use a towel to wipe the board clean.
If you want to keep your skateboard in good working order, you need to know how to clean and maintain the parts and when to replace them. Before we begin, double-check that you have all the necessary equipment. Toolsets for skateboarding are available, but you can use your own.
- Depending on the hardware, you’ll need an Allen wrench or a screwdriver.
- For your kingpin, baseplate, and wheel nuts, use an open-ended spanner.
Contents
Setting Up the skateboard for cleaning
You must first remove the skateboard from the bearings and wheels before cleaning and lubricating them. For the most part, it’s a quick and painless process.
Disconnect the wheel bearings and clean them out:
Remove the axle nut first with a socket, ratchet wrench, or T-tool and remove the bolt. The innermost bearing may be seen by sliding the wheel. Next, remove the wheel bearing by pulling it out from the hub. Afterward, switch the wheel over and go through the procedure once more on the opposite side. So, you don’t end up without the nuts and wheels; keep them someplace secure.
You Must remove bearing Shields:
You may now remove the bearing shields from the wheels because the bearings have been removed. It’s easy to peel off a rubber shield with a screwdriver but take care not to harm the components underneath. In contrast, metal shields feature a C-clip that must be removed before you may remove them. To remove the clips, poke them with a pin or use a tiny screwdriver to pry them open.
Look at Balls in The Cage and The Bearing Cage:
You’ll be able to see the bearing balls and cage once the shield has been removed. Keep in mind that removing the wheel bearings will also remove the spacer. Keep this somewhere secure; you’ll need it when you’re ready to put everything back together again.
Cleaning Bearings
Wipe the bearings clean with a clean cloth or paper towel. If the dirt can be easily removed by hand, the solvent is unnecessary. Next, use a specialist cleaner like mineral spirit, acetone, or citrus cleaner to remove the grease.
Spray the chemical on the bearings. The spray nozzle will help remove oil more quickly. It would be best to not use WD-40 since it leaves a residue that accumulates dust in skateboard bearings. You don’t want this to happen, right.
If you don’t have a spray bottle, a jar or container with a lid will suffice. Shake the bearings and chemicals for one minute. Then remove the bearings and wash them.
Repeat twice to remove all oil. Wear gloves to protect your hands from the strong solvent. Remove excess water with a paper towel, then dry thoroughly with a hairdryer.
Next, grease the bearings. Wipe the skateboard’s bearings with a thin cloth soaked with skating or sewing machine oil. You may lubricate the bearings directly. Don’t use too much oil, and it will spread.
Cleaning Wheels
Wheel cleaning is as simple as bearing cleaning. For this, the first step is to scrub. Scrub the area around the wheels with a cloth (or a wire brush/old toothbrush). Make it difficult enough that you do not scratch the wheel.
After this, soak the wheels in warm soapy water. Soak them for almost 10 minutes. Then again, continue to scrub after ten minutes if the dried dust/mud has loosened, re-scrub with the brush to remove dirt from the smallest nooks and crevices. At last, allow 20 minutes for the wheel to dry. You may speed up the drying process by using a hairdryer.
Reassembling the electric skateboard
Now that we’ve cleaned everything up, it’s time to reassemble.
Replacing the bearing shields comes first. Snap the bearings back into place using your fingertips. Soak the bearings into the wheels. Put the separator with the bearings. To avoid being pinched, take caution throughout this stage. Each side of the wheel requires two bearings; repeat for the other wheels.
To replace the wheels, this is what you have to do. Firstly, use the socket wrench to replace the nut. Do this until all four wheels are secure. Finally, recheck the wheels. Tilt the wheel if the bearings are stuck. They’ll fit snugly. Try riding about now that you’ve finished everything and feel the difference.
Maintenance Tips
Bearings:
It is critical to keep your bearings in good working order regularly. One can do this with the help of the maintenance oil or lube.
Take precautions to ensure that no water enters the wheel bearings. It is possible that the bearings will become faulty and will need to be changed because of this. When the bearings in the wheels are damaged by water, you will hear a scraping noise coming from the bearings.
Battery:
Please make sure that you connect the charger to the electric skateboard first and then plug it into a standard power outlet. When the battery is fully charged, unplug the charger from the wall outlet. If you are not going to be using your electric skateboard for a long, you must charge the battery at least once a month.
Motors and wheels:
While cleaning the wheels and motors, take care to ensure that no water gets into the engines. It is critical to keep water, sand, and stones from getting into the engines’ intakes. When the profile is less than 5mm thick, it is time to replace the wheels.
Bolts and screws should be adjusted:
It is essential to inspect and adjust the bolts and screws consistently. Because while driving, a great deal of vibration is emitted into the environment. With a T-tool, you can inspect, tighten, and adjust the most critical bolts on your vehicle (trucks & wheels).
Conclusion
Regular upkeep is necessary. Old bearings and dirty wheels won’t hurt you, but they can be unpleasant. A clean board also looks newer. So cleaning your e-board every few months or after a dirty ride is recommended.
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