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WHEELS
Wheel maintenance is something people just don't seem to do, or at least do enough of. It's been my experience that most people seem to skate until their wheels are so worn out, that they are beyond rotating. You can get so much more life from your wheels and save a lot of money if you take the time to rotate them. What I mean by rotating is switching the most worn wheels with the least worn ones and flipping them around since they wear on the insides. This is something that should be done as soon as you begin to notice that material is wearing off the wheels.
There are several ways people rotate wheels. I'm going to explain my way, which I believe is the most accurate. When your wheels are new, they are all the same size. As you use them, they wear. As they wear, they change shape and size. The wheels get smaller, and also worn out on the inside skating edges. They all wear differently and to different sizes. When this happens, they no longer contact the ground at the same time and the skates develop a rocker.
Assuming you already know how to remove the wheels, you will need a tool to measure the outside diameter of them. This tool is called a caliper. You can find an inexpensive plastic one at most hobby or art supply stores. You can even make something out of cardboard. Basically, you are not really concerned in an accurate number for the wheel size, but rather you want to compare the diameters of the wheels to see which one is larger and which one is smaller. You will be using the tool as a gauge. Notice when comparing sizes, where the smallest wheel is located. If you're skating correctly (with the proper technique) you should notice that this will be the back wheels, even though the front ones look more worn. You may also notice that the wheels on one skate wear faster than the on the other skate. If this is the case, you should switch the wheels from skate to skate as well. Compare the wheels on each skate, place the largest wheel where the smallest one is and the next largest next to that one. Basically, you should be placing the largest in the back, the next largest in front of that one and so on until the smallest is in the front. Also, you want to place the wheels (flip the wheels around) so all the worn edges facing out. Don't worry about which side the lettering is on and also don't worry if your not flipping all the wheels. You just want to make sure that the sides with the least amount of wear are all facing in.
One more thing I should mention, some skates use spacers in the frame where the axles go through. These spacers usually act as a boss for the inner race of the bearing to rest against as well as allowing you to rocker the wheels (position some of the wheels so they are raised higher then the other ones giving the skates a rocked effect). I don't recommend this for general skating, It is better suited for hockey, or trick skating (cones etc.). Your skates will be faster and more stable with all the wheels level. When reinstalling your wheels, make sure these spacers are positioned the same way on both sides of the frame. It's a very common mistake I see a lot (to have one up and one down). This will cause the axle not to be aligned correctly. Now your wheels will again be as flat on the ground as possible. That's it! Now what about servicing bearings? GLAD YOU ASKED……..
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