Inline Skate Bearings and the ABEC Scale

Your bearings are at the core of your wheels and reduce friction so you can skate smoothly and efficiently. Hence, they need to be maintained properly from season to season. If you think you need new, inline skate bearings, it's best to check your bearings for wear before you head to the local shop.


Checking for Wear

The following are Indications of major wear from a no-load, finger-flick, spin test, when one or more of your wheels:

a. Stick(s) periodically.
b. Require(s) a lot of force to spin.
c. Spin(s) freely for only a second or two.

In addition, the following are signs of major wear from a spin test with the skater as the load:

a. You hear a loud, grinding noise from your bearings when skating.
b. It takes a lot of effort on your part to pick up and maintain speed.
c. Your bearings are hot to the touch after a roll.

You may also want to replace your inline skate bearings if you decide to switch to a different type of bearing. You may want to change from shielded bearings to sealed or racing bearings.


Learning the ABEC Scale

Bearings are rated on the Annular Bearing Engineering Council (ABEC) scale. Ratings are numbered 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 on the ABEC scale. The higher the number is, the greater the manufactured precision of the bearing.

However, there are no required materials to meet the ABEC specifications. The bearings only have to be made to a certain precision. That's all!


Servicing your Bearings

Inline skate bearings usually come in sets of four to eight. Before you head out to your favorite sporting goods store, write down the information that