SKATEBOARD Trucks

  • The metal axles that hold the wheels.
  • Impact your skateboard's performance, such as a trick or turn.
  • Translating your movements into your skateboard's movements.
  • The middle-man between your deck and your wheels.

      FEATURES OF SKATEBOARD TRUCKS

      SKATEBOARD Trucks

      1. AXLE
      • The long pin that runs through the hanger and will attach to the wheels. 
      2. HANGER
      • The triangular metal piece that is the largest part of the skateboard truck.
      • Attached to kingpin and rests on the baseplate.
      • Supports the axle, which runs through it.
      3. KINGPIN
      • The big bolt that fits inside the bushings.
      • Holds the hanger and baseplate together.
      TIGHT KINGPIN NUT 
      Steering will be harder and you will be more stable.
       
      LOOSE KINGPIN NUT 
      Steering will be softer for a loose feel.
       
      4. BUSHINGS
      • The soft urethane rings fitted around the kingpin.
      • Responsible for the steering of your skateboard.
      • Different shapes and harnesses change the steering of your board.
      HARDER BUSHINGS
      Offer more resistance to rider input.
      Provide more stability but less responsive turning.

      SOFTER BUSHINGS
      Offer more responsive trucks during turns.
        5. BASEPLATE
        • The base on which the components are fixed is called the Baseplate.
        • Fixed onto the skateboard by the screws.
        • Hanger rests in the pivot pocket on the baseplate. 

        HEIGHT OF SKATEBOARD TRUCKS

        SKATEBOARD Trucks
          1. LOW TRUCKS
          • Low for 50 to 53 millimeters wheels.
          • Give more stability when landing.
          • Great for Street and Park skating.
          • The major drawback is the constant threat of the deck and wheels touching.
          • Designed for small wheels
          • Used in conjuncture with riser pads, to rise the trucks to mid trucks.
          2. MID TRUCKS
          • Mid for 53 to 56 millimeters wheels.
          • All-rounder of the trucks.
          • Advantages of lower trucks.
          • Use larger wheels for better handling on rough surfaces. 
          • Used with riser pads for use with larger wheels.
          3. HIGH TRUCKS
          • Low for bigger wheels.
          • Great for carving and cruising streets.
          • Bigger distance between the trucks and the ground.
          • Give you the best pop.
          • With bigger wheels without the risk of wheel bite. 

          WIDTH OF SKATEBOARD TRUCKS

          SKATEBOARD Trucks

          • Truck size is measured by axle width or hanger width.
          • The width of the hanger and axle determines how far apart your wheels are.  
          • Different trucks widths are better suited for certain riding styles.
          • The most common setup is for the truck axle to be approximately the same width as your deck.
          TOO SMALL
          Unstable
           
          TOO BIG
          Result in shoe to wheel contact while pushing
           

          STEPS FOR SKATEBOARD TRUCK REPLACEMENT

          1. Remove the truck with the broken kingpin from your skateboard using a skate tool.
          2. Broken kingpin will be stuck in the base of the truck.
          3. Using a hammer, slowly and lightly tap the kingpin until it is free from the base.
          4. If the kingpin is broken, you can insert a screwdriver into the base and lightly tap it with the hammer to dislodge the pieces.
          5. You can gently hammer the new kingpin into place.
          6. Find two cinder blocks or bricks and set them side by side, with a small gap between the two.
          7. Place the base of the truck upside down, resting between the two cinder blocks or bricks.
          8. Gently tap the kingpin into place using the hammer.
          9. With the base of the truck resting in the gap of the two cinder blocks or bricks, the kingpin has space to slide in unaffected.