Skateboard Truck & Wheel Size Chart
| Truck Size | |
|---|
| 7.75″ | 5.0 | 52-56mm |
| 7.88″ | 5.0/5.25 | 52-56mm |
| 8″ | 5.25 | 52-58mm |
| 8.25″ | 5.5 | 54-60mm |
Look at the nose and tail to determine the front and back. Set the deck onto the ground and look for the curved nose and tail. The curve is where the wood of the deck flares up from the length of the skateboard deck. Look for the narrower end of the skateboard.
Your skateboard turns on its own because of bad bearings, faulty bushings, worn down wheels, loose screws, loose trucks, bent axles or it could even be your skateboard deck. Some boards turn to the right where others turn to the left on their own.
In theory, drop-through decks work with any kind of skateboard trucks. However, we strongly recommend a proper longboard (“RKP”) truck rather than a regular “Street Style” truck. Regular Street trucks don't turn enough for a drop-through, and often they make the board too low.
Wheels are attached to the axels with a single nut (1/2") per wheel. The nuts should be tightened as far as they can be without impeding the spin of the wheel. Generally you should feel only a very minor amount of play if you try to move the wheel side to side.
If you often find yourself having to press down on the tail when turning, it's probably time to loosen the kingpin nut. If you're used to skating tight trucks, loosening them can improve the flow of your skateboarding. In general, the taller the transition walls, the tighter your trucks should be.
Installing BearingsPlace this side facing out. The bearing won't fit all the way into the wheel—the fit will be too tight. So simply set the bearing into the wheel. You should be able to press the bearing down to where it is flat with the edge of the wheel.
You can also choose to skate with ball bearings without shields, which are open or semi-open. If you do skate with open or semi-open bearings, they will indeed be more susceptible to contamination, but they will be somewhat faster. Many skaters enjoy the slightly louder sound of a skateboard with open bearings.
Bearing spacers are totally optional; longboarders and casual skaters likely won't put enough pressure on their boards to ever need them, though they are definitely a good investment if you want to slide, do a lot of tricks, and generally skate hard. Unlike bearings, bearing spacers are not one-size-fits-all.
ABEC 7 bearings would be very fast and smooth, but very expensive. Plus, you start to run the risk of needlessly damaging them if you skate hard or aggressively. Note that some inexpensive foreign-made ABEC 7 bearings may not deserve this rating.
$99.99 Build Your Own Skateboard | Design Your Own Skateboard Complete | Zumiez.
It's really easy to assemble a skateboard, except for that grip tape. It's a bit harder but really not that big of a deal. I made a detailed step by step instruction on how to build your own skateboard. Follow the instruction and you should be fine.
Skateboard risers give extra clearance between your deck and wheels to reduce wheel bite. Risers are usually recommended for larger wheels 55mm and above, and while not necessary for smaller skate wheels, 1/8" shock pads can always be used to help reduce vibration and stress cracks to your board.
You need another flat wrench or socket that is 9/16″ to work on your trucks. If you want to change your bushings, washers or pivot cups, or just tighten or loosen your trucks, you need this sized wrench. They can be worked on with a flat wrench but a socket wrench is much easier here.
For the perfect truck size, you are aiming to match the overall truck width to the deck width, for example, a 7.75" deck matches a 5.0" truck, an 8.0" deck matches a 5.25" truck.
Reverse Kingpin: These trucks have the kingpin sitting though the hanger. They are used for longboarding, downhill, carving, cruising, freeride, and freestyle. Reverse kingpin trucks sit lower and are more stable than standard trucks. They can fit on drop through or top mount decks.
What to know before buying your first skateboard
- Shop local. To buy a board, go to a skate shop.
- Deck size matters. Size Matters.
- Wheels. Street skating wheels are generally smaller than park wheels since they're lighter weight and more responsive making them easier to flip.
- Trucks.
- Recommended Brands.
- Graphics don't matter.
- Grip is important.
