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Guide to Buying Skateboard Trucks
Selecting skateboard trucks might seem daunting, but usually, purchasing from a reputable skateboard truck manufacturer and ensuring the right size for your deck often results in satisfaction with your choice. When you buy a complete skateboard, the trucks come pre-installed and are ideally sized for the complete setup.
Overview
Understanding Parts of Skateboard Trucks
Starting with the essentials, what are skateboard trucks precisely? In essence, trucks are the metal T-shaped parts affixed to the underside of your skateboard deck. They hold the wheels and consist of two primary components that rotate or pivot against one another: the baseplate and the hanger. These are secured by a bolt known as the kingpin, which also holds the bushings. Let's delve into the primary parts of a skateboard truck:
Baseplate
This flat metal component is secured directly to the deck using four bolts. One purpose of the baseplate is to evenly distribute the rider's weight across the truck, providing stability, while also distributing landing impacts to the deck. Pivot cups, essential for the hanger's pivot ability and affecting the smoothness of turns, are housed in the baseplate. As a direct connection between the deck and the hanger, the baseplate is crucial to the truck and your overall setup.
Hanger
The hanger is the most substantial part of the skateboard truck. It's an oblong metal bar that tapers to a triangular shape at the pivot, fitting into the pivot cup on the baseplate. The hangers grind on rails, copings, and ledges, thus playing a critical role in grinding tricks.
Axle
The axle is the rod that goes through the hanger, ending with threading for nuts to secure the wheels. Over time, especially with frequent rail stands, the external threads might wear, but they can be rethreaded with the correct tools. Many T-tools come with 5/16" axle re-threaders. If you have needed to re-thread your trucks previously, a skate tool equipped with a re-threader is a convenient solution. Find options in our selection:
Kingpin
The kingpin is a sizeable bolt running through the centre of the truck, holding all its parts together. By adjusting the kingpin nut, you can modify the tightness of your trucks. Although kingpins can fracture under stress, they can always be replaced.
Truck Bushings
These rubbery cushions are placed between the baseplate and the hanger, facilitating the pressure transfer from your feet to the hangers, thus influencing the agility of your setup. The firmness impacts your ability to turn:
- Hard bushings: Provide stiffer and more stable trucks, beneficial if the trucks are prone to wobbling. They require more effort to initiate turns.
- Soft bushings: Ideal for carving and cruising, and for skaters preferring the feel of loose trucks that quickly respond to movement.
Learn to install skateboard bushings or find new bushings, washers, or hardware here:
With an understanding of the different parts of a skateboard truck, let's consider some key factors for selecting the right trucks for your setup.
Skateboard Truck Sizes & Measuring Guide
Skateboard trucks have two size dimensions: width and height. This brief overview will aid in deciding the appropriate skateboard truck size for your needs.
Width of Skateboard Trucks
Ensuring your truck width matches your deck is critical. In skateboarding, large deviations between truck and deck widths can lead to instability or hindrance. Narrow trucks feel unstable, while wider ones may interfere with your shoes during pushing and complicate flip tricks.
Manufacturers specify truck sizes with numbers referring to hanger width, excluding axle width, yet the axle ultimately defines overall truck width. It’s this total width you should align with your deck width.
At SkatePro, we specify the axle width for the trucks we offer, negating the need for a size conversion chart.
Height of Skateboard Trucks
Truck height is the gap between the baseplate and the axle centre, defining the clearance between trucks and deck. Two main factors when choosing truck height are the gap between your deck and wheels, and between deck and the ground.
Divided typically into high, medium, or low, truck height choice is simplified. Let's examine their characteristics:
- Low Trucks (46-49 mm): Closer to the ground, these are easier for children, novices, and shorter individuals to control, offering stability. Avoid 53 mm+ wheels unless using risers for added wheel-deck separation!
- Mid Trucks (49.5-53.5 mm): A balanced middle ground between high and low trucks, mid trucks offer versatility at 49.5-53.5 mm. Do not exceed 56 mm wheel diameters without risers.
- High Trucks (53.5-60mm): Elevated for greater cruising and carving capabilities due to added ground clearance. Larger wheels can be mounted, beneficial for freestyle skating with added balance during rail stands.
We always list the truck height in our specifications.
Choosing the Right Truck Height: A Brief Overview
The choice of truck height involves personal preference influenced by style and physical characteristics. Consider these points:
- Wheel clearance: Determined by wheel diameter and truck height, important for carving and loose trucks.
- Pop angle: Deals with the angle you snap the tail. Easier pop with low trucks offers quicker responses, high trucks give more leverage for higher pops.
- Pushing: The greater the height, the less comfortable for longer distances.
- Tricks: High trucks offer wider balancing platforms; low trucks enhance flatland tricks due to agility.
- Truck weight: Increases with truck size.
- Personal height: Taller individuals manage high trucks easier due to leg length.
Riser Pads: Preventing Wheel Bites with Added Truck Height
Riser pads remedy wheel bites by raising the deck above the wheels during sharp turns, offering a simple and cost-effective solution.
If you’re considering larger wheels or looser trucks, riser pads could be beneficial.
For remedies to wheel bites or to enhance your setup, explore our riser pad selection:
Ensure correct hardware when installing riser pads. Following guide will clarify bolt lengths:
Weighing Options: Choosing Heavy or Light Skateboard Trucks
Trucks significantly influence your skateboard's weight, with recent truck design innovations focusing on reducing weight. Approaches have included hollow kingpins and axles, and using varied materials.
Currently, the "lightest trucks ever", the Tensor Mag Light Series, dominate the market. The benefits of lighter trucks for tricks are undeniable, though their impact may be subtler compared to other truck characteristics.
Keep in mind, truck weight correlates with truck size. Larger trucks inherently weigh more, dictated by wheel diameter and deck width.
Comparing Loose and Tight Skateboard Trucks – Adjusting Your Truck Tightness
Adjust your skateboard trucks' tightness using a skate tool or standard spanner on the kingpin nut. Tighten for a more consistent effort to turn or loosen for easier turning. Loose trucks are more responsive, while tight trucks offer stability and stiffness. Your preference dictates the optimal tightness.
The tightness affects your skateboard's turning dynamics, and it requires time and experimentation to find your perfect balance. Always bring your skate tool to tweak settings as desired.
Indicators for Tightening Your Trucks:- Experiencing wheel bites during turns or landing tricks.
- Seeking a reliable pop.
- Instability felt at high speeds or upon landing.
- Your front wheels lift when you attempt to turn.
- You wish to execute sharper turns.
- You feel constrained and desire greater side-to-side movement.
The ease of turning and carving is influenced by the hardness of your bushings. Bushings vary in hardness levels, typically measured using the durometer scale. A higher durometer indicates a harder bushing, which leads to tighter trucks. Explore our bushing options:
Steps for Installing Skateboard Trucks
Each truck is attached using 4 nuts and 4 bolts. For even tightening across the baseplate, we suggest a cross-diagonal pattern when fastening the bolts.
We are always eager to assist:
