The
conventional skate wheel rotation strategy is not always the best one to
use, because different people wear out their wheels in
different ways, and sometimes those differences are
dramatic. Here is a more precise (and much more time-consuming) method:
-
Examine Your Wheels
While the wheels are still on the skates, examine them to determine
which wheels are the smallest (most worn) and which are the largest
(least worn). Look at each wheel to determine which edge - inside or
outside - is wearing down the fastest.
-
Make a Record
While the wheels are still on the skates, (A) make a record of which
wheels are the largest and which are the smallest, and (B) record
which side of each wheel is worn down the most. Do this separately
for each skate, so you will know exactly how you tend to wear out
your wheels. You can use our
Skate Wheel Rotation Worksheet to record
this information. If, during the rotation process, you want to keep
track of which wheel came from which position, you can mark each one
with a pen, or apply a piece of masking tape to each wheel, and mark
the tape with a pen.
-
Remove Wheels From Skates
For instructions, see
Replacing Inline Skate Wheels. OPTIONAL: If
you want to keep very precise records, you can measure diameter of
each wheel with calipers as you remove it from the skate. This is
completely optional, and not at all necessary, but if you want to
do it, there is a space on our printer friendly
Skate Wheel Rotation Worksheet for
recording this information.
-
Line Up Wheels by Size
Stand the wheels up on their sides, and line them up from smallest
to largest. Sometimes I use calipers to measure the wheels, because
they help me see, very quickly, which of two wheels is larger.
-
Set Aside the 4 Largest Wheels
The 4 largest wheels should be put in the front and back positions
on each skate. This will give you the most stability and the longest
possible wheel base.
-
Reverse the Wear Pattern on the Other Wheels
Your strategy for replacing the remaining wheels, should be to
reverse the wear pattern for each wheel. Look at your
Skate Wheel Rotation Worksheet to determine which wheel positions
(not counting the front and back) had the largest wheels. Put
the smallest wheels in those positions.
-
Reverse the Inside/Outside Wear Pattern
Look at the records you made before removing your wheels,
to see which side of each wheel, in each position, was the
most worn down. You want to reverse this wear pattern when
you replace your wheels. If you are wearing out the inside
edge of a wheel in a particular position, you should flip
the wheel in that position so the worn-down side is
facing out.
-
Put the Wheels Back on Your Skates
For instructions, see
Replacing Inline Skate Wheels
Next Rotation Strategy
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