05-21-2014, 11:53 AM
05-22-2014, 09:27 AM
Welcome Mike to the Skate forum.
Your wheels. I am pretty sure they are wheels made and sold through RC Sports many years ago. They are not in any of my old catalogs from 1980 up.
If they measure 57MM OD and either 36- 38MM wide they are wheels that many companies were experimenting with at the end of the WOOD wheels and bare wood floors.
In those days wheels were either varathene,vanathane,and a mixture of plastic with urethane. Nothing compared to todays modern BD poly wheels for grip and roll.
Rink skate Epoxy coated wood and concrete was just beginning to be used. Skate wheels were mostly a hit and miss. Not many real adult skaters and most of the skate companies were started and run by former skaters. Not a lot of engineers involved in the actual R & D. Skating was perceived to be a kids thing primarily.
More than likely those wheels will be hard and slick on today's coated rink floors. And re-grooving will not do much good since they are not pure urethane. Be careful if you just step out on the floor.
You may have some good wheel bearings though. In the old days the skate bearings were packed with a grease and wax mixture. It would liquefy after skating for a while, it kept recoating the balls and races as you rolled. Set back up hard when you quit skating. This protected the bearings over time,unless they get wet. Most old bearing were not made in" Hong Kong Phooey" then. Used Hard chrome balls and finish ground races.
So all you need to do is clean all the grease/wax out and use light weight oil or regular skate bearing lube and you will have a ok set of bearings.
okie
Your wheels. I am pretty sure they are wheels made and sold through RC Sports many years ago. They are not in any of my old catalogs from 1980 up.
If they measure 57MM OD and either 36- 38MM wide they are wheels that many companies were experimenting with at the end of the WOOD wheels and bare wood floors.
In those days wheels were either varathene,vanathane,and a mixture of plastic with urethane. Nothing compared to todays modern BD poly wheels for grip and roll.
Rink skate Epoxy coated wood and concrete was just beginning to be used. Skate wheels were mostly a hit and miss. Not many real adult skaters and most of the skate companies were started and run by former skaters. Not a lot of engineers involved in the actual R & D. Skating was perceived to be a kids thing primarily.
More than likely those wheels will be hard and slick on today's coated rink floors. And re-grooving will not do much good since they are not pure urethane. Be careful if you just step out on the floor.
You may have some good wheel bearings though. In the old days the skate bearings were packed with a grease and wax mixture. It would liquefy after skating for a while, it kept recoating the balls and races as you rolled. Set back up hard when you quit skating. This protected the bearings over time,unless they get wet. Most old bearing were not made in" Hong Kong Phooey" then. Used Hard chrome balls and finish ground races.
So all you need to do is clean all the grease/wax out and use light weight oil or regular skate bearing lube and you will have a ok set of bearings.
okie
05-22-2014, 03:53 PM
They look like early to mid 70s era. Like OKIE said, nothing special. Just early urethane wheels that were made for quad skates, as opposed to skateboards.
They may or may not be usable, but they are certainly nostalgic to look at.
They may or may not be usable, but they are certainly nostalgic to look at.