SkaterTube

How To Change Skateboard Bearings

Slam City Skates2 skaters recommend it · 2 mentions, 2025 to 2026
YouTube
54K views · 4 years ago · Tutorial · Beginner

Slam City Skates shows how to swap skateboard bearings without a bearing press, using trucks and axles to seat new ones. Covers bearing direction and how tight to set the axle nut.

Why skaters like it

Linked in beginner threads as a low-risk way to change bearings without special tools, plus axle nut advice so wheels spin free.

MaintenanceSetups#SlamCitySkates#Bearings#AxleNut#Wheels#Setup

“… Don’t tighten the axle nut all the way down. You want a little “play …”

u/moogstone · Full comment

What skaters said on Reddit

u/abertheham2026 · 3 points

this method works for me [VIDEO] and as long as they’re not super tight in there needing a lot of leverage, it feels really low risk — very little pressure/torque should be necessary. They do make fancy tools for it but I’ve changed a lot of skate bearings and never found them necessary. For super small/delicate parts it’s worth a dedicated tool, but skate bearings are 100% made with durability in mind.

View on Reddit
u/moogstone2025 · 1 points

Hey. 1) No adverse affects will happen. Just make sure you seat the bearings in all the way. 2) Don’t tighten the axle nut all the way down. You want a little “play”. 3) You want the axle nut to be secure, but not all the way down. You should be able to move your wheel back and forth just a tad, and the wheel should spin freely without binding. Watch this video. [VIDEO]

View on Reddit

Skaters also recommend