Vintage wheels

**Yabi.Youth** · 04-25-2007 08:07 AM

wow my first thread. ok ummm... alright I'm into old school skateboarding and like you've probable guessed I have a pretty vintage board. K so I need some help and instructions on how to service the (loose bearing) wheels. I need to know how to take out the bearings and put everything back in place. So yeah if anyboady can help that would be awsome. (by the way I have serched this up on google but I couldnt find crap)

**EBasil** · 04-25-2007 10:25 AM

Yabi, the loose-ball wheels come apart the same way modern wheels does except that, as you pull the wheel off, the races separate and the balls fall out. Catch all the ball bearings and dump all the parts into a bowl.

For servicing them, polish the cones (races) and consider replacing the balls with new ones. When you reassemble things, you'll receive the joy that many before you have experienced and, after you find all the balls you drop and put them back together, it will be time to adjust them. Loose ball wheels adjust by tightening the locknut on the axle: more tension until you remove slop, but loose enough that they don't bind. It can be hard to get them perfect, so be willing to compromise toward slightly loose. Lube them with a mountainbike chain lube that dries, and you'll be golden. Wet lubes are a bummer in loose ball wheels.

**IGSA-1** · 04-25-2007 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by EBasil

Yabi, the loose-ball wheels come apart the same way modern wheels does except that, as you pull the wheel off, the races separate and the balls fall out. Catch all the ball bearings and dump all the parts into a bowl.

For servicing them, polish the cones (races) and consider replacing the balls with new ones. When you reassemble things, you'll receive the joy that many before you have experienced and, after you find all the balls you drop and put them back together, it will be time to adjust them. Loose ball wheels adjust by tightening the locknut on the axle: more tension until you remove slop, but loose enough that they don't bind. It can be hard to get them perfect, so be willing to compromise toward slightly loose. Lube them with a mountainbike chain lube that dries, and you'll be golden. Wet lubes are a bummer in loose ball wheels.

To add to what Erik said, Here is how you install the bearings. Set the wheel face down on a table. Now take the truck with the backside cone installed next to the hanger and put the axle into the hole in the center of the wheel. Next drop the individual bearings into the backside of the wheel. Here is the tricky part... You need to hold the wheel with the backside bearings installed tight against the cone (hanger) and flip it over so that you can install the frontside bearings. If you don't hold it tight, all of the bearings will fall out and you will need to start over! Now drop the balls into the frontside and then install the frontside cone. Once you have the frontside cone in place you can finally let go of the wheel without worrying about all of the balls dropping out. Now add the locknut and adjust accordingly.

It's been about thirty years since I last did this and I can't say that I miss it! Loose ball bearings are a total pain!

**Yabi.Youth** · 04-25-2007 07:27 PM

O wow. Thanks guys, thats awsome. Alright but I have a problem and its thatt when I take off the wheel, the bearings dont come falling out. So Im guessing I have one of those wheels where I cant replace the bearings right?

**EBasil** · 04-26-2007 07:16 AM

I think the cups are just stuck in there. Take a picture of it, so we can check it out.

**Yabi.Youth** · 04-26-2007 04:47 PM

Yeah, I dont think their stuck. Cause its not only one wheel its all of them. But I hope their just stuck and not busted. anyways here are the pics. I tried to get better pics but the only camera I have is my phone. by the way the wheels are from a company called "Marco Polo Industries". I have never ever heard of this company...