What Roller Skate Tool Do I Need?
Roller skate tech and hardware can be a bit overwhelming. Not all skate products are compatible, different brands and different kinds of skates need different parts. The same goes for the tools that we use to adjust and maintain our roller skates. To make your life easier, we are going to breakdown each kind of roller skate tool so you can get the one that is compatible with your set up.
T-Tool
Are suitable for skateboards and can help you adjust some roller skates. This tool is ideal if you have roller skates with a bolt-on toe stop as it has a Phillips head screwdriver attachment to loosen or tighten your toe stop bolt. It also has the sockets to fit 8mm truck axle nuts and most kingpin nuts (non-click action).
Y3 Tool
The Y3 tool is similar to some of the crab tools you can receive with your complete roller skate set ups, but the Y3 is more ergonomic and it’s size helps give you a bit of extra leverage to adjust your skate parts. A Y3 is the perfect tool for skates with an adjustable toe stop that is held in place with a nut and washer. It has an open wrench tool to loosen or tighten the toe stop nut and has the correct size sockets to adjust 8mm axle nuts and standard kingpin nuts (non-click action).
Y4 Tool
If you have a PowerDyne Reactor series plate on your skates, this is the essential tool for you! It has the correct socket sizes to adjust your 8mm axle nuts and click action kingpin. You can also adjust a standard kingpin nut with the 11/16” socket. It even has a removable socket head to reveal a 5mm allen key for toe stop screws. Talk about nifty.
Tube Wrench and Roll-Line Tool Kit
All new Roll-Line plates come with a tool kit. This kit includes allen keys for toe stop screws and kingpin lock nuts for click action plates, wrenches for pivot pins and a tube wrench for kingpin nuts and 7mm axle nuts.
Bearing Pull Tool
A bearing pull tool, like this Bones one, can help you remove and install bearings in your wheels. Simply press the button on top as you insert the tool into the bearing and release the button to allow the lugs to sit behind the bearing race. Then you can pull or push the bearing in and out the wheel. This tool can require some serious muscle power if you’re trying to use it on wheels that have solid nylon hubs or have a high hardness rating.
Bearing Press
A bearing press can seem like a serious investment for a skate tool, but we can assure you, if you’re a conscientious skate maintainer or like to change wheels often, this tool is a lifesaver! Bearing presses have a hook to help remove bearings from wheels and a stem and lever system to help you press your bearings into even the hardest of wheels with ease. This can make wheel changes and bearing cleaning a much easier and quicker process and is far more ergonomic than a bearing pull tool. We like the Roll-Line Bearing Press best because it’s suitable for both 8mm and 7mm bearings, some other brands may only be suitable for 8mm.
So there you have it, there are all kinds of skate tools. We’d be lost without them so be sure to get one that works best for you and your skates. If you still have questions about tools or anything else skate related send us a message.