Skateboard - Wheels and bearings explained
Toy wheels feel sticky on any surface because it dosen’t have any rebound. This is because they’re made mainly from rubber or plastic. Whereas a REAL skateboard wheel is made from a high rebound substace called urethane. Rebound is the memory of the wheel. Put it this way,all wheels flatten at a microscopic degree when they come into contact with the ground. A harder wheel press back against the surface faster than a soft wheel.
This action/reaction takes place over fractions of second. That is rebound. The wheel from my first skateboard did not have any rebound so it’s absorbing all the energy that is used to propell the skateboard foward. A soft wheel with high rebound can go really fast on rough surfaces because it kind of absorb the uneveness. But a hard wheel would have to roll over the uneveness with the weight of the deck and rider therefore losing speed. But a hard wheel would be REALLY fast on smooth surfaces like concrete,metal,wood,masonite,skatelite and others.
Then there is wheel with cores or commonly called a dual-durometer wheel. In a core wheel a plastic or a harder material that was molded separately is used for the center of the wheel. This creates an interface between the bearing and the wheel. So when you load the wheel for example when landing something big, a single durometer wheel can deform or ovalise and slow you down for a brief moment.
Cores provide a rock solid interface so you can roll away faster. But only bigger wheels or softer wheels need a core. In a big wheel,the core quickens the rebound from the center therefore speeding up a little. In a softer wheel,the bearing seat ovalise just by rolling. So a core prevents that from happening.
But a small wheel must not use a core because there is very little urethane left. That equals to decreased rebound. If you still use a core there will be no rebound left and it will be slow like a toy wheel. But if you like skating ledges,rails,benches(technical) you don’t really need a cored wheel.
Another factor affecting speed is the bearings. Those toys bearings won’t even spin and they jiggle like they’re gonna break or some thing. this is a bearing it’s in your wheels.Two for each
If you are EVER buying any bearing,don’t buy it because of the ABEC rating.Its for machines that runs at 100mph and over.and ALWAYS look for bearing with a delrin/nylon/acetal retainer or cage. Its always FASTER than a bearing with a metal/steel/brass/bronze retainer or cage
acetal retainer
Another thing to look for is a bearing labryinth seal
NOTE the inner ring has a grove/indent in it
or an inner race step.It looks like an L instead of an U like a labryinth
Mini Logo bearing with a inner ring step
This litte little things REALLY helps to keep out dirt/dust/grime/sand ect. if you’re skating dirty/dusty enviroment. To name a few bearing with a labryinth seal is RockinRon Rockets,Bones Swiss labryinth and Inner race step Mini Logo Bearing,Ousts,Ninja but theres more then what I listed.
A really important part is knowing the name of the parts on the skateboard.Heres a webpage http://www.activemailorder.com/Acti…ds_101.aspx?j~& and another one http://www.skatewarehouse.com/skateology.html
Keep enjoying skating
More to come:,How to make and use your own bearing cleaner,Other parts of the skateboard explained