These are all elements that can rob your skates of performance and durability. Keep your skates dry, clean, and wheels rotated, and you can expect many happy miles out of your skates. So here goes:
You've been out rolling on the asphalt, getting back in shape or just maintaining the great shape you are already in, and you notice that your first and last wheels have flat spots worn on the insides. This is a great time to rotate your wheels as well as get in there with a paper towel and clean up your frames, wheels, and bearings!
FIRST THE AXLES:
You'll want to get your T-handled K-Tool hex wrench and loosen your axle screws or threaded axle shafts. Remove the axles and pull the wheels out of the frame. We find it's best to lay them out in order (first wheel through last) on an old newspaper. Now wipe out those frames really well with the paper towel.
Okay, now for the wheels and bearings. Let's keep those wheels in order!
THE BEARINGS NEXT:
If you have K2 skates with 5mm black steel axles (the diameter is smaller than a #2 pencil), the bearings can be removed by using the 'stepped down' end of the K-Tool Handle. Just push the middle of a bearing and the other bearing will pop out the other side of the wheel.
If you have 8mm aluminum axles (same diameter as a #2 pencil), you can remove bearings by prying them out with the metal hex-end of the K-Tool. Be sure not to dent the flat shield on the bearing. Okay, now take them all out. Get a clean paper towel and really polish them up. Make them shine! Turn them with your fingers. If it feels like there is grit in there, now is a good time to replace them. Push cleaned or new bearings back into the wheel hubs with their spacers.
NOW FOR THE WHEELS:
Please note the side that has the printed graphic on it, while keeping the wheels in order. On new skates, the graphic started out life facing the outside of the skate. It will soon be transferred so that it is facing the inside and moved to another position on the frame.
WHEEL ROTATION & REASSEMBLY!
Same Size Wheel Configurations: The front wheel, we'll call it #1, should be swapped with the #3 wheel, with the graphic now facing the inside. The #2 wheel should be swapped with the #4 wheel. You can do this on the same skate or swap wheel from the left skate over to the right skate - your choice.
HiLo Wheel Configurations: Some K2 Inline Skates have two different size wheels therefore they require a slightly different rotation pattern. Using a criss-crossing pattern as listed above swap the #1 wheel the #2 on the opposite skate and the #3 wheel with the #4 wheel on the opposite skate.
You’ve completed skate maintenance, now tighten those axles, and go have fun!