Skateboard Trucks
Skateboard Trucks
By Sun
Skateboard trucks are one of the most essential skateboard parts. Every skateboarder wants to ride in style with the right skateboard wheels. Skateboard trucks are the metal parts of the skateboard that connect the wheels and the deck together, usually made of aluminum or other metal (steel). Skateboard wheels are made of polyurethane (a synthetic rubber). While some low-end skateboards are assembled by manufacturers, most components are sold separately to consumers who put them together on their own. To assemble a skateboard, the consumer also needs ball bearings (usually full precision and made of metal) and a piece of grip tape. Grip tape ensures that the skateboard sticks to your shoes as your boarding and moving about on the board. Many skateboarders will often slice patterns into the grip tape to make it more comfortable and create a better feeling of control and traction. Grip tape comes in a large piece bigger than the deck and looks like a piece of.
Wheels and bearings are in turn mounted to the trucks and allow the skateboard to roll. Trucks allow the skateboard to maneuver and grind obstacles. Trucks feature a stainless steel axle encased in an aluminum hanger and mounded to an aluminum base plate via the “king pin”. The king pin is the big think bolt found in the center of the skateboard truck. The one thing to keep an eye on, when dealing with skateboard trucks, is the tightness of the nut on the kingpin. Depending how tightly the nut on the kingpin is secured, your skateboard trucks can be loose or tight just like the suspension on a car. The main purpose of having trucks those are a bit loose and not fixed is to enable you to turn or “carve” without lifting your front wheels off the ground. The looser your skateboard trucks are, the further you will be able to lean in one direction or the other. We recommend using a skate key to adjust the tightness of your king pins.
Skateboard trucks are designed to please the rider with a smooth journey trucks are extra long, perfect for longboards. Skateboard trucks are great for high speed (40+mph) downhill longboarding. Be sure to match the width of your skateboard trucks with the width of your skateboard deck. When in doubt be sure that the width of your skateboard is wider than your trucks. The simplest way to choose your truck is to match the truck size with the size of the deck - if you have an eight inch deck, purchase an eight inch truck.
Skateboard trucks come in many different shapes, sizes and colors. Just as i know you took your time researching skateboard decks to get the best possible, make sure to take some time to find a good set of skateboard trucks.
In addition, Skateboard trucks are critical pieces of hardware that should be checked regularly to ensure a safe ride on our skateboard while keeping the board in the best shape possible.