MAINTAINING LONGBOARDS: A STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTION FOR BEGINNERS

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lavonwindler
It begins with a single step
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2021 6:56 pm

MAINTAINING LONGBOARDS: A STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTION FOR BEGINNERS

Wed Nov 24, 2021 6:57 pm

Longboards are mainly used for cruising and for some easy tricks so many people think that maintaining them is not necessary since longboarders do not abuse their boards like in traditional skateboarding.

Since you have to travel over different terrains, your longboard also suffers from great vibrations as much as doing tricks. Hence, it’s necessary to take care of your longboards frequently to expand their lifespan.

I think this instruction is quite clear and easy to understand, even for beginners who have little knowledge about skateboards. Hopefully, every reader coming to this thread can get what they are looking for.

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PROPER WAY TO CLEAN A LONGBOARD

Before moving to the first part of cleaning the wheels, let’s see what I have found about the differences between a longboard and a normal skateboard in maintenance which are differentiated at SkateAdvisors - my favorite skateboarding website sharing a lot of useful knowledge for skating lovers.

Longboards are popular for their long shelf life as they are usually used for cruising around instead of extreme tricks. Just like other conventional skateboards, the more effort you spend on taking care of your longboard, the longer it can stay with you.

Both longboards and other types of skateboards are vulnerable to water; therefore, remember to dry them up thoroughly whenever water gets a chance to intrude. However, drying your board under direct sunlight is not a good idea because it can make the deck fragile and sturdy after being dried.

Besides finding the appropriate place for your longboard, here are some tips to follow:

When cleaning your longboard, always use soapy water to get the dust off with a nylon brush. You may want to take the truck off before cleaning for better results.

When cleaning the grip tape, try to brush in circles as it helps remove the dirt effectively. You had better do one side of the deck at a time then move on to the remaining when the other is clean.

Once you have done washing, use a sponge to wipe off all the remaining water or soap to get a nice and dry board. The final step is to dry off the board with a towel and let it dry out for a couple of hours.

In order to get the best result, you need to know more than just these general steps. In the next part, I would like to show you ways to clean the deck, bearings, and wheels. In case some of these steps are unclear to you, you can always see the explanation at SkateAdvisors. And these explanations are all from the skateboarding experiences of author Robert Parker!

WHEELS

Whenever you notice that the wheels can not spin as fast as they used to be, I strongly recommend you take a look to see the problem. If you are lucky, there will be just dirt piping up inside the bearing that restricts the rotation.

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Unfortunately, longboarders get rusty bearings that need to be replaced as soon as possible. Another factor you may want to draw your attention to is the contact patches which suffer greater from wear and tear than any other parts.

DECK


As I stated before, water and heat are the enemies of skateboard decks since they make the deck become weak and can crack easily. Hence, I would like to emphasize the importance of drying off the deck immediately whenever it gets wet.

About the grip tape, it’s necessary to replace it when you can feel no grip from them. If you are using a plastic deck, the only way to increase the grip is to use proper skate shoes. Grip tape is the home of dirt so make sure that you clean it thoroughly.

BEARINGS

Your wheels can not spin as fast as they were brand new because dirt gradually gets into the bearings and sometimes makes them stuck. Besides taking the bearings out and cleaning them properly, an important step that not many skaters pay attention to is to lubricate them.

While you can use soapy water to clean other parts of a longboard, bearings need to be clean with mineral spirits or kerosene. These solutions are good at getting the dirt and rusty pieces out. For rinsing them, I think it is better to use 99% isopropyl alcohol so that there won’t be water left inside which can lead to great damages.

If you are unsure of which solutions to use when cleaning the bearing, you can visit SkateAdvisors and check out the recommendation from experienced skaters there. You should also follow skateadvisors author Robert Parker!

WRAPPING UP

With just some steps and tips above, I believe that every skater, even a newcomer can maintain their longboard as good as a pro does. The main purpose of me deriving this instruction is to help longboarders extend the life of their skateboard. Furthermore, following correct instructions will make sure that skaters won’t accidentally damage their board by any chance.
Last edited by lavonwindler on Fri Jul 22, 2022 7:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
ataraxy
Knowledgeable Kea
Posts: 1909
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 1:17 pm

Re: Date between emails

Wed Nov 24, 2021 9:49 pm

See viewtopic.php?f=50&t=40115&p=143880#p143880 for the answer.

If you want more details, check the earlier posts in that thread.
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