Skateboarding Trucks
They Do More Than Hold Your Wheels On.

Skateboarding trucks are the bits under the board that your wheels are attached to.

They also determine how the board turns. The width of your trucks depends on the size of your board. The ends of the axles should just come to the edges of the board when the trucks are in place.

Their height depends on the type of skating you want to do. For street skating and flip tricks you'll want lower trucks. These make it easier to get the board up and they're also more stable. With lower trucks you'll also need smaller wheels.

If cruising is more your thing you'll want higher trucks which will accommodate bigger, faster wheels.

Skateboarding trucks are made up of the following components:

The Kingpin

This is the bolt that runs through the tuck and holds things together. The kingpin nut is the part you adjust to make your trucks tighter or looser.

Looser trucks make the board turn easier but also make it feel less stable.

Tighter trucks are more stable and make some flip tricks easier but you will need to apply more pressure to turn the board.

The Bushings

Bushings look like a big rubber washers. There are two in each truck and they act as cushions as you turn.

The softer the bushings, the less stable your board will be so, as a beginner, you will want a pair of fairly hard bushings.

It will make the board a little harder to turn initially but they will soften up over time as you break them in. As your bushings soften up your board control will be improving and you'll manage the slightly less stable ride with ease.

The Hanger

The hanger is the large metal, sort of triangular shaped, part which holds the axle in place.

The Axle

The axle is the part which holds the wheels on your skateboard. A washer sits either side of the wheel and an axle nut holds your wheels in place.

The base plate holds the skateboarding trucks to the deck. Mounting hardware holds the truck in place on the board.

Riser Pads

Riser pads lift the trucks away from the deck and gives you a little more space between the wheels and the deck.

Riser pads are optional but if your wheels are too close to the deck you can get wheel bite during turns.

Wheel bite occurs when the wheel catches the underside of the deck when you tilt the board to make a turn. This will stop the wheel dead and probably pitch you off the board.

Add a riser pad between base plate and the deck to give some lift and prevent this.

More Skateboard Equipment

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