How to Rotate Rollerblade Wheels for Roller Hockey
Rotating the wheels on a pair of roller hockey skates is a regular necessity given the high amount of wear and tear they experience. Regular wheel rotation will improve the longevity of your wheels, bearings, wheel rail and even the boot. Rotating your wheels is an easy process that takes very little time and requires only basic hand tools and a clean well-lit place to work.
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver and wrench or 2 Allen wrenches, depending on your brand of skate.
Instructions
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Rotating Roller Hockey Skate Wheels
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1
Unscrew each wheel, one at a time. Pull each wheel out and away from the skate. Place them on the table without changing the order in which they came off the skate or flipping them over. Keep the mounting nuts and bolts in a small bowl or container so they don't get lost.
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2
Rotate the wheels on the table. Move the two outside wheels to the inside and the inside wheels to the outside. Flip the wheels over so that the side that was formerly facing the inside of the boot will now face the outside.
In the case of roller hockey goalie skates, which have five wheels, you'll want to move the toe wheel to the back and then move every wheel up one spot. Then flip the wheels over like normal.
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3
Place the wheels back into the wheel rail just as they were on the table. The wheels should now be flipped around and moved from either the outside in or the inside out.
Refasten the mounting nuts and bolts. Finger tighten them all first, then proceed to tighten each one a quarter turn at a time from one end to the other. This reduces strain on your wheel rail and can prevent bending and warping.
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Tips & Warnings
In the case of goalie wheels, it is imperative that you maintain as flat a surface as possible on your wheels. Rotate your wheels as often as every other week if you are a serious player.
You may want to take this time to apply a small amount of lubricant to your bearings.
This is also a great time to inspect and replace any mounting hardware that may be getting loose or is damaged.
Most hockey wheels will have designs or logos only printed on one side. Use this to help keep track of which side should face out.
Failure to replace broken or compromised hardware can result in serious injury. Check all nuts and bolts for defect and damage.
Do not over tighten or cross thread bolts. Doing so can cause them to break loose under the stress of play, which will likely result in injury.
Some high-end in-line wheels, especially for goalies, are asymmetrical. If this is the case for your wheels, do not flip them over. They are designed to work specifically for one side only.
