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DIY: How To Assemble Your Trucks, Wheels, and Bearings

Published by Heather Peterson, The WordSmith | Grace Seelye, Photo on 23rd Sep 2015

Arbor Summit 70mm 78a Red Wheels

You look like a sharp whipper snapper. Learn to assemble your trucks, bearings, and wheels faster than the other guy. Daylight is burning! Build it up and go skate!


You will need:
-1 Skate Tool
-2 Trucks
-4 Wheels
-8 Bearings
-4 Axle Nuts
-8 Speed Washers


#1 

Trucks come with a hanger, baseplate, kingpin, bushings, speed washers and axle nuts (nylon locknuts). Unscrew the nuts on the end of the axles (the ends of the hanger) and put them aside. Remove the outside speed washers. Place them next to the nuts. There should be 1 speed washer on each axle. 

Caliber 10" 50 Degree Black Out Trucks



#2
Grab 4 of your 8 bearings. Each truck gets a total of 4 bearings (2 on each axle). In this step, slide one speed washer onto each axle. Examine both sides of your bearings. If the bearing has only one shield, place the bearings with shielded sides facing in (toward the hanger), and exposed sides facing out.


If the bearing is double shielded, it can be set on the axle either direction. 



#3
Next, slide 1 spacer on each axle.



#4
Repeat step two with the other 4 bearings. Facing the outside of the bearing (or shield) facing in (toward hanger), and the exposed side facing out (same as in step 2).

At this point each axle has one speed washer, bearing facing in, spacer, and another bearing facing inward.



#5
Now, grab your wheels. Hold a wheel in each hand with the outsides facing one another. Press the wheel hubs (middle of the wheel) onto the outside bearings and push inward at the same time. You will feel them lock in to place or hear a click. 


#6
Slip the wheels off the axles and examine the bearings in the hub. They need to be sitting flush and snug. If they are not, slide them back onto the axle and try the previous step again. Make sure to push evenly on each side. 


#7
Now, there should be one bearing in each wheel. The axle should have a speed washer, bearing and spacer still sitting on it.

Similar to before, place the wheels in both hands, this time with the inside of the wheel (the part that faces the trucks) towards the hanger. Put the wheel hub onto the axle (it will fit easily over the spacer) and push evenly on each side. The same click or lock in feeling should happen again. 


#8
Without removing the wheels, check to make sure the bearings are sitting flush to the wheel hub. If they are not, try the previous step again. Don't forget to push with equal force on each side.

#9
Next, place one speed washer on each axle, on the outside of each wheel.



Then, hand thread one axle lock nut on each axle. Tighten them down until there is no slop, but not so tight that the wheels stop rolling. 


#10
The truck should be totally assembled. There should not be any extra pieces of hardware. Repeat the same steps for the second truck. 

Congratulations! Everything is assembled and ready to be mounted. If you need help with building your trucks to your deck, check out next weeks article!