Understanding the various skateboard trucks sizes and specifications can be highly difficult, especially if you are new to skateboarding. Skateboard trucks are the T-shaped metal parts that attach to the bottom of the board and hold the bearings and wheels securely on the deck.
The looseness or tightness with which you keep your trucks relies entirely on your skating style. However, it all begins with selecting the appropriate trucks and building the ideal skateboard for you.
Feature And Components Of Trucks
The axle of your board is made up of trucks. Your trucks will determine how you turn, flip, slide, and translate your movements into the movements of your skateboard. Here are a few different parts of trucks:
Axle — is a long pin that connects the wheels to the hanger. Your axle's ends should line up (or be close to) the sides of your board for the greatest fit. Axle width is measured in millimeters or inches, depending on the brand.
A 3/8-inch wrench socket is needed for all axle nuts.
Kingpin — is a big bolt that links the skate truck's parts by inserting it into the bushings. Hollow kingpins have recently become popular because of having less weight without losing strength or durability.
Keep in mind that even the most durable kingpins might fail because it controls the amount of overall pressure given to bushings.
Consider whether you need a lighter alternative or one that will last longer under tighter pressure settings and with more impact-heavy stunts when choosing between solid and hollow kingpins.
A 9/16-inch wrench socket is required for all kingpin nuts.
Bushings — are the truck parts that control how the truck turns. They're made of polyurethane and sit between the bottom plate and the hanger on the kingpin. They come in a variety of firmness and may be readily replaced with the use of a skate tool.
Washers- are metal discs that go above and below the bushings to return the board to its original position after rotation. They also make sure the forces pressing on the board are spread equally.
Some bushings include a strengthened hard plastic covering that eliminates the need for washers.
How Do Various Truck Brands Differ?
There are numerous truck brands on the market, and to make matters even more complicated, each prefers to adopt its own system for labeling the various sizes.
In general, any truck brand will produce trucks that meet the 1/4-inch scale, which will typically start at 5.0" and increase by 1/4 inch every time.
Thunder and Independent brands use the metric system to describe truck sizes. For example, a 129 Independent truck is the same size as a 5.0" hanger truck.
Which Is The Best Height For You: Low, Mid/Standard, Or High?
The distinction between high, mid/standard, and low trucks appears to be insignificant. It all comes down to your body height and, more critically, the wheel size.
When popping the tail, the higher the board, the more it must be pushed down. In this scenario your deck functions as a lever, and the angle of the board will be substantially steeper due to the long distance the deck's tail must travel before it reaches the ground. As a result, higher pop-offs may be possible.
Unfortunately, no industry standard exists for the exact height of the various size labels used by truck manufacturers. It implies that boards labelled as "high" by different manufacturers aren't always the same height.
Author Bio: Hannah Gilbert is a freelance writer who offers ghostwriting, copywriting, and blogging services. She works closely with B2C and B2B businesses providing digital marketing content that gains social media attention and increases their search engine visibility.
