How To Install Light Up Wheels On Your Skates
Do you want LED light up wheels for your quad roller skates or inline skates?
You might have seen people skating in light up wheels and been mesmerised because, let's face it, they look pretty cool.
Apart from looking great they can also help with safety as they can make you more visible to other people and can also light up the path a bit.
So how exactly do they work?
No batteries are required as the wheels come with magnetic floating spacers.
The spacer powers the wheel's core to light up when they spin.
This spacer needs to be firmly pressed by the bearings for the wheel to light up.
How to install the wheels
You can get LED wheels for your quad roller skates or your inline skates (roller blades).
Installation is similar for both.
To install them you will need:
- The wheel
- The magnetic spacer
- Bearings
- The usual tools that you use for removing and inserting wheels such as a Y3 or Y4 tool for quads or allen keys for inlines
You need bearings for all wheels, the magnetic spacer is not a bearing.
I cannot stress this enough as we have had people try to install and try to use these wheels without bearings.
This wheel wont work without bearings.
Roller Skates Installation
For roller skates, install your bearings using your fave method, a bearing press or the axle of your skate.
When you install the bearings they should sit either side of the magnetic spacer, one on each side.
Then put the wheel on the axle and tighten the nut to your desired roll.
The wheel nut needs to be snug enough to the wheel to cause the wheel to light up, but not so tight that the wheel can't turn.
It can be a delicate balance but the spacer needs to be firmly pressed by the bearings for the wheel to light up.
Gently experiment with the wheel nut tightness until you can see the wheel light up when you spin it.
Inline Skates Installation
For inline skates, install the bearings using a bearing press or your fave method.
When you install the bearings they should sit either side of the magnetic spacer, one on each side.
If your inlines have 6mm axles then you will also need to use a 6mm sleeve.
Undo the axle of your skate, insert the LED wheel, put the axle back in and tighten.
Once your wheels are installed they will now light up when you roll.
Trouble Shooting
There are some common issues that can occur with LED light up wheels.
Issue 1.
If you've had your wheels for a while and the wheel has stopped lighting up it could mean that the spacer has broken and needs replacing. The magnetic spacer is quite fragile and wont last forever. They are easy to replace and can be purchased separately.
Issue 2.
If you have quad roller skates and your axles are a bit too short it might mean that the wheel fits on the axle but you can't full tighten your wheel nut, which can be unsafe. If this is the case you can flip the wheel nut and tighten it with the nylock side down which provides a firmer grip.
Issue 3.
If you have inline skates and you have installed the wheels but they feel wobbly it most likely means that your skate has 6mm axles and you need to use a 6mm sleeve. The sleeve sits through the bearing and spacer and hugs everything in place.
Issue 4.
If you have LED wheels installed and you find that you're going a bit slower than usual that's because you are. LED wheels are more of a party wheel than a performance wheel. The pressure and friction is what is lighting them up but this also creates drag for the user. These wheels are not recommended or intended for competitive racing or jumping. They're a light up party wheel and they look amazing.
Now that you've installed your LED wheel it's Disco Time!