Buying your own roller skates for your skating activity is a great idea. This means that you are not inconveniencing anyone and that you are free to skate at anytime that you want. That’s great, isn’t it?
However, it’s not just all about buying a new pair roller skates. Buying a new skate requires you take good care of it and maintain it so that it lasts as long as possible. If you don’t do this, your skates will develop so many issues that you won’t be able to handle.
Some skaters have laid out different complains about one issue or the other that they have been experiencing with their sites. However, one of the most notable complains is about those saying that their skates pull to one side when they are skating. This is a common issue many skaters out there face and trust us to provide a way for you to fix them.
What Causes Your Skates to Pull One Side?
There are so many reasons why roller skates is constantly pulling to the left or right. One of them lies in the bushings in your truck. Bushings are hard, plastic pieces in the truck that slides in between in the direction that you are turning. They are flexible and are measured in durometer or hardness.
If you are constantly turning in one direction, let’s say left, your bushings can get squashed to the left side. If it’s right, then your bushings will squash down to the right.
Another possible cause is the bushings could be damaged and you don’t know it. If you notice any crack in them, it’s a sign that they are the cause of your skates pulling to one side. You will need to replace them with a new one.
Apart from the bushings, the nuts and the kingpin wiggling could also be the reason why your skates are not moving as it should. They might be a bit too loose, or not set straight. All you need to do is tighten up the loose bolts. Most times, when you tighten up the bolt, they will sit straight, so you won’t have to do anything else again.
The axle might be another reason why your skating in one direction. This is not very common, but can happen to roller skating brands. A bent axle can destroy the wheels and even the bearings inside. Check the axle to know if it’s bent. If you discover that one of them is bent, then it’s the cause of your not skating straight. This can mess your skating up pretty bad.
The cushions is another possibility. If they aren’t parallel or end to end, it means that they are distorted. You need to disassemble and assemble them, and make them sit properly.
The wheels of the skate could also be the problem. If you constantly turn towards the same direction, the wheels on that side will wear down and friction will further wear them down. Some wheels wear faster than the other and this means that the affected wheel will be one or two diameter less than the others, resulting in your roller skates pulling to one side.
It could also be that you are just starting out and that you are not used to the balancing. If your roller skate is new, then you shouldn’t have any problem going straight with it, unless it has some faulty parts.
Worn down pivot cup could also be another good reason. Pivot cups can wear down, just like bushings and when they do, they can cause your skate to roll in one direction. The pivot cup is located in the base plate, behind the kingpin. So you have to remove the kingpin to get to it. Open the pivot cup to see if it still fits in properly or if it has developed any crack. If it has, replace it.
The base plates can also wear down, just like other hardware. If you skate aggressively, the base plate will be deformed and cracks will begin to appear near the mounting holes. This is another cause of your skate pulling to one side.
How to Fix this Issue
Fixing the issue of your roller skate pulling to one side is simple. If the bushings are damaged, then you should simply have a new one fixed. Sometimes, all it takes to correct fix this issue is to lean on the opposite side of the skate that’s pulling to one side. However, that would only work if the bushings are fairly new.
We made mention of tightening the bolts if they are loose. Yes, this will help set the roller skate straight. Threading the bolts through the holes in the skate will straighten it up and steer in the appropriate direction.
Straighten the axles if one of them is bent. If you can’t straighten it, replace it with a new one or better still, get a new roller skate boot.
If replacing the worn out wheels is not feasible to you, try swapping them with other wheels or flip them. This will make the new wheels wear down equally.
Check the base plates of your skates to know if they are moral or twisted. Check your mounting holes to see if there are any signs of tears in the skate. If the mounting holes are elongated, then it means that the base plate needs to be replaced.
Roller Skates and Maintenance: How to Know When Your Skates Need Maintenance
Like we stated in the intro, you need to care and maintain your skates to make them last long enough. Regular maintenance is necessary and you will find it easy to maintain your skates if you can identify the problem associated with it.
How do you know when your skates need some maintenance? There are obvious ways to detect that out. Obvious signs include noticing your skate starting to pull to one side, hearing clinging noises from the cushions and bushings, etc.
If your skate wheels aren’t rolling the way it should, it could all boil down to the following reasons;
- So much dirt and debris has accumulated inside the bearings and other parts of the skate, making movement uneasy.
- The nuts are loose.
Now that you know the problem, it’s time to address them.
- You should clean and dry your skates each time you use it. Whether you are skating indoors or outdoors, chances are that the skates will pick up some dirt, debris, and sand from the surfaces that you skate on. Not to mention the fact that the sweat from your feet can introduce dirt and liquid to the hardware of the skates. This is why it’s important that you clean and dry your skates after use. Use a soft, dry cloth to do a quick wipe-down on the skates and wheels. Do not dry them with a hair dryer or sit them in front of a fire. They can distort your skate boots and ruin them for good.
- Tighten and adjust the nuts, cushions, and the bearings. The fast movement and vibration that happen while you roller skate can cause the nuts in the skates to loosen up. Inspect your skates every week and make sure that the nuts aren’t loose. If they are, simply tighten them.
- Clean your skate bearings between 1 – 3, depending on how frequent you roller skate. Skate bearings accumulate a lot of debris and dirt and as a result, these causes friction. The more you skate, the higher the accumulation. Make sure you clean your bearings to remove the dirt and debris to enable easy and freer movement.
Conclusion
There are quite a number of reasons why your roller skates pull to one side. We have enumerated and explained possible reasons why we thing it happens and of course, have come up with possible solutions to address them.
Caring and carrying out a periodic maintenance on your skate is one sure way of saying that you want to use it for years to come. All you need to do is carry out the maintenance tips explained here. Tighten all loose nuts, skate appropriately, and ensure that you use the right maintenance tool for each purpose. Tools like bones bearing puller should be used to remove and install bearings into your wheels. Reflex tool and elephant wrench should also be used to lock nuts and do a couple of other tasks.
