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Step 1
Clean and oil the blade and the wheels. Giving rollerblades a quick cleaning will get sand, grime and dirt out of the moving parts and will let you spot bearing problems quickly. Use a damp cloth to get the dirt off and then follow up with a few sprays of WD-40 oil.
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Step 2
Spin each wheel. Hold one of the rollerblades by putting your hand into the skate and turning it upside down. With your free hand, give each wheel a firm spin. If the wheel spins smoothly and continuously for a few seconds, then the bearings are probably fine. If the wheel won't spin freely or if it seems to jam to a halt then you probably have wear or problems with your bearings.
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Step 3
Remove bearings from wheels that didn't spin correctly. After you identify wheels that might have a bearing problem, take the wheels off of the skate to check the bearings. Pop the bearings out of the wheel, clean them with a cloth and oil and give them a once-over to look for visible wear. Keep an eye out for dents, cracks or bumps in the bearing's casing.
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Step 4
Replace the bearing and give another spin. After you've cleaned the wheels, axles and the bearings themselves, you should check once again to see if the wheel spins freely on its axle. Give it the spin test. If the wheel spins nicely then everything is okay. If the wheel still has trouble spinning, then the bearing probably has undergone wear and damage that is difficult to see, so consider replacing the part.
