Fitting Bearings into a Scooter Wheel

This guide outlines how to install and take out bearings in metal-core wheels for scooters, all without any specialised tools.

When you've set bearings into skate wheels, you've likely found the task straightforward. Simply pressing them in with your fingers and extracting them with an ordinary skate tool usually suffices. This ease is largely due to skate wheels having a plastic core. However, the same ease doesn’t apply to scooter wheels. These are crafted with a metal core, making it significantly more challenging to secure bearings, as the metal offers no flexibility.

Hence, if you need to fit or extract bearings in scooter wheels featuring a metal core, some tools are necessary. Although special tools are available, they come at a cost. Thus, we demonstrate a method that avoids these specific tools. Nonetheless, we always advise using high-quality professional tools to prevent any potential bearing damage during the process.

Installing Bearings in Metal Core Wheels

Necessary tools:

Axle bolt with screw
5 additional or used bearings
Hex key

Steps to fit your bearings:

Employing an axle bolt and 5 additional/used bearings, press the bearings uniformly into the core of the wheel, thereby minimising bearing damage.
Should the bearings fit too snugly, place a metal washer (minimum diameter 22 mm) on either side of the bearings. This approach disperses pressure more effectively and mitigates the risk of harm to the bearings.

Extracting Bearings from Metal Core Wheels

Required tools:

Axle bolt
Hammer

Steps to extract your bearings:

Initially, align the spacer (situated between the bearings) centrally, preventing the axle's passage.
With the hammer, strike the axle (positioned across) to expel the bearings from the opposite side.

Note: There is a potential risk of harming the bearings when removing them if you have a self-centred spacer.

In our demonstration, a flange-free spacer (non-self-centred) is employed, simplifying bearing removal while reducing potential damage.

If utilising a self-centred spacer, a screwdriver must be used to tap around the bearing's inner ring for removal, which can easily damage the bearings.

Consult our Buying bearings guide to gain comprehensive knowledge about bearings.