A skateboard truck is an essential element of your board. It exerts a significant influence on the way your board performs and feels. Today, you can find different types of such trucks. Depending on what you want them to do, you may find some to be better than others. For example, skateboard trucks from leading brands that are resilient to wear and tear are ideal for a great skating experience. If you are purchasing your first skateboard, you need to focus on getting an appropriately sized truck. Check out the list of complete skateboards you can buy from a legit source online.
Here are the essential points to consider for buying your first truck.
Width of the Truck
To pick the best skateboard truck, you should find the size of the truck that will adequately fit your deck. Your truck’s width should match well with your deck’s width. If you buy a narrow one, it will be unstable. On the other hand, a wide one will cause the shoe wheel contact problem when you are pushing to occur.
What you should pick is a truck that, at the time of its mounting on the deck, has its axle nuts positioned within an inch’s quarter from the deck’s edge. It means that your truck’s axle nuts are not extending beyond the deck’s edges.
Height of the Truck
After finding out about the width, you should figure out whether you want a high or low truck. Both of them perform differently. The one having a low height comprises a shortened kingpin. It gives additional clearance for grinding on your hanger. It also helps you to sit lower into the ground and also provides the truck with stability. Since there is less material for you to work with, you can go deep with your kicks and pushes.
On the other hand, a truck with a greater height has a kingpin and is five millimetres longer than a truck with a low height. It makes way for a higher turning radius and extra clearance between the axle and the deck. So, high trucks can work well with larger wheels.
Low Trucks
Low trucks, which range in size from 46 to 49 mm, provide the best stability, although larger wheels should be used with caution. Anything between a 48 and 53mm wheel diameter is usually fine for low vehicles. Beyond that, riser pads are required, which defeats the point of low trucks. It would be better to purchase a pair of highs.
Go for lows if you’re a more skilled skateboarder who enjoys riding in parks and on city streets. Better grinding, flips, better power slides, and more stability at faster speeds are all made possible by them. When opposed to high trucks, they are less “turny” and provide less grip. Avoid riding them too loosely because low trucks typically call for a tighter setup.
Medium Trucks
Mid trucks are adaptable and perfect for all-around skateboarding. If you prefer to skate transitions and shred the streets, they’re an excellent alternative. Compared to low trucks, you can attach somewhat larger wheels to them, although typically no more than 56mm. Since riser pads are optional, you might as well use high trucks.
High Trucks
High trucks range in size from 53.5 mm to 58 mm and are excellent for skating micro ramps, bowls, and verts. Due to their taller profile, they turn a little bit better than low trucks. Going for high trucks is a must if you enjoy riding on larger wheels. When cruising on wider wheels, they give off a little bit of a surfy vibe because they turn better.
Bushings
They are little cylindrical moulds made of urethane. Bushings enable the trucks to turn. You can perform turns and other manoeuvres due to the bushings. Although the trucks have bushings installed, you may have to replace them after a specific time. You can see bushings in a range of hardness options. All of them impact the response and stability of your truck in different ways. For example, hard bushings will render your trucks stiff, and they will need more effort to turn. Soft bushings will respond very quickly to pressure.
The bushings that are installed on many trucks are generally softer. But if you want harder ones, it’s wise to purchase a separate set.
Styles of Truck
There’s much debate on which style of truck is best. Some of the best skateboard trucks are of brands like Thunder. They are appropriate for technical street skating. They are a bit lower to the road and also respond rapidly while turning. If you want a truck for cruising, you will need to pick a high truck with bigger wheels.
If you are inclined towards transition skateboarding, you need something that imparts stability and grip while riding ramps. For transition skateboarding, opt for a broader truck having a wider board. You’ll feel relatively stable and confident.
Types of Skateboard Trucks
Skateboard trucks come in two primary varieties: the conventional kingpin, which is the most prevalent, and the reverse kingpin. It’s crucial to know which one to select because they offer very distinct stability and turning radius experiences. Below, each type is discussed in more detail.
Standard Kingpin Skateboard Trucks
Standard kingpins are stiffer and offer more stability while popping or landing tricks since they sit higher and point toward the middle of the deck. Installing softer bushings or changing the kingpin’s tension can make trucks less stiff. The preferred option for traditional street skating is a standard kingpin.
Reverse Kingpin Skateboard Trucks
The better option for sharper turns is a reverse kingpin, which sits lower and faces away from the center of the board. These provide a smoother response. This makes reverse kingpins perfect for carving, surfing, and downhill skating.
At present, there are a vast number of trucks for skateboarding in the market. If you are just beginning, you need to pick an appropriate one for yourself. Use the points mentioned above to invest in one that gives you the best skating experience.