Stoked Boardshop Skateboard Skate Trucks Buyers guide blog

Choose skateboard trucks

Are you looking for new trucks? Then you have come to the right place at Stoked. We have them in different sizes, weights and colours.

Both in our shop and in the online skate shop, you can count on our professional advice. For over 9 years, we've only selected high quality products at the best prices. All our trucks are tested and approved by the Stoked Team.

To skateboard, you need two trucks. That's why we always sell them in pairs. When you're choosing your trucks, take a good look at the size. We advise you to select trucks that are nicely aligned with your skateboard. This gives you ideal stability and board feel.

What size trucks do I need?

That depends on the size of your skateboard. Your ideal trucks should be tuned to the width of your deck.

Too wide: If your trucks are too wide, the wheels will come out from under your board. This shifts the centre of gravity outwards. This makes flip tricks more difficult, and you may get stuck when pushing off.

Too narrow: When your trucks are much narrower than your skateboard, steering becomes a lot harder and you lose a lot of stability.

Just right: With the correct size skateboard trucks, you get the best board feel, and you are stable on your deck. This is important for a successful skate session and to make progress in learning new tricks. Besides, grinding goes a lot better with the right trucks.

To make it easy, we've developed a suggestive size chart. Here you can find the right truck width for your skateboard. You can go up to 0.125" above or below the suggested width.

Deck Width

Truck width

Indy

Tensor

Thunder

Venture

6.2" - 7.4"

6.9"

109

7.5" - 7.75"

7.625"

129

5.0

145

5.0

7.875" - 8.125"

8.0"

139

5.25

147

5.25

8.0" - 8.25"

8.25"

144

5.5

148

5.6

8.375" - 8.675"

8.5"

149

5.75

149

5.8

8.75" - 9.0"

8.75"

159

6.0

151

6.1

8.9" - 9.5"

9.125"

169

9.5" - 10.5"

10.0"

215

Skateboard Trucks Stoked Boardshop

Features of trucks

Solid skateboards trucks are made in function of board feel and solidity. This way, you can make stable and confident turns at high speeds. On the other hand, they can also withstand heavy weights and high impact. This makes it possible to jump from heights without breaking or folding.

The parts

A skateboard truck is made of solid metal and consists of two main parts: the hanger and the baseplate. The part where your wheels hang on and where you perform gravel tricks is called the hanger. The baseplate is the part that is attached to your skateboard deck with four screws. These two parts are held together by the kingpin. The bushings that are attached to it make it possible to steer.

A whole truck consists of more than three parts. In the drawing below, we make it very simple.

  1. Axle width
    This is the total width of the truck, different truck manufacturers use their own measurements for this. As this can sometimes be confusing, we use the total width in inches, just like the width of your skateboard. That's why you'll find them in our handy size tables.
  2. Hanger
    The part between the wheels that is used for grinding is called the hanger. It's the biggest and heaviest part of the truck. The skate brands also make variants in which the hanger is lighter and sometimes also sturdier than usual. Curious about the different types
  3. Kingpin
    The long screw that connects the baseplate with the hanger is called the Kingpin. It is attached with bushings and washers - the metal rings under and above the bushings. Depending on how hard you tighten the kingpin bolt, you will have smooth or tight steering
  4. Bushings
    On the Kingpin there are two bushings attached, a lower and an upper one. These are the rubber cylinders that provide the mobility of the truck. All axles usually come with a standard type of bushings. However, they are also made in different hardnesses by brands like Bones, Shorty's and Indepedent. Depending on how easy you want to steer and what impact you want to absorb, choose hard or soft. Learn more at at the bottom of the page or check out our product range.
  5. Washers
    These are the iron rings that sit above and below your bushings. They make sure the pressure on the bushings is divided equally. This way your trucks can easily handle the impact that comes with landing on high altitudes. Note: Bones bushings do not require washers.
  6. Baseplate
    The part of the truck that is attached to the deck with four screws is called the Baseplate. It contains the kingpin and the pivot cup. Both are used to keep the hanger in place.

Skateboard trucks for your style of skating

We distinguish 4 types of trucks. All with their own specifications and price tag. Every skater has his preferred brand and type. As transition skater (mini ramp, pool and bowl) you tend to choose standard or titanium trucks. Because of this style of skating they choose wide, heavy and robust trucks. Skaters who prefer technical skatingSkaters who prefer technical skating choose light and hollow trucks more often. This makes your entire set up a lot lighter. This makes it easier to flip your board and to jump high.

    • Standard trucks
      These are the full-metal trucks, often the cheapest, but very good quality at the top brands.
    • Light' & 'Hollow' trucks
      As the name implies, these are made lighter or hollow. These shafts are lightened in strategic places to maintain the strength, but still make it easier to get your board in the air.
    • Magnesium trucks
      Tensor developed these extremely light and strong skateboard trucks. The hollow kingpin and axle, together with the magnesium hanger and baseplate, make this truck extremely lightweight. With 231 grams the lightest trucks on the market.
    • Titanium Trucks
      This is the highest class of trucks. Titanium is very light and stronger than other materials. This is why they are more expensive, but last longer. It combines the best of both worlds. Lightweight and strength assured

Skateboard Trucks Stoked Boardshop

Choose the right truck height - Low, mid or high trucks

The height of the trucks is also one of the characteristics that play a role. It affects your stability, steering behaviour and general board feel. You should choose the height of your trucks according to the size of your wheels, and vice versa. If your wheels are too big, you can easily end up with wheelbite very quickly. This happens when your wheel rubs against the bottom of your skateboard. This can cause you to stop abruptly or have trouble taking sharp turns and landing tricks. To prevent this you can always use mount risers or shockpads between your trucks and your skateboard.

Low trucks make you stand lower to the ground. This gives you more balance at higher speeds and more control over your flips. These trucks are recommended for smaller skaters.

Wheels 40 to 53 mm

Mid trucks are a good choice for both street and park. The perfect compromise between high and low axles. They give you both good stability and excellent turning ability.

Wheels: 51 to 56 mm

High trucks make you stand higher off the ground. This allows you to make short turns and avoid wheelbites. On the other hand, they lose some stability at high speeds.

Wheels: 53 to 60 mm

How loose or how tight should I skate?

How loose or how tight you skate depends on your own skating style. Skaters who like to go fast, skate a little tighter to maintain stability. Do you skate more technical and do you like fliptricks? Then you can loosen up your trucks. This will give you more turning power and mobility. It's all about finding the perfect balance between stability and handling.

The best way to adjust your trucks is with A skate tool.

Pro tip: Make sure both axles are equally tightened. If you loosen or tighten your front truck, don't forget your back one.

Fixed trucks make sure you are very stable on your skateboard, but you don't turn as fast. If you stand shaky on your deck, we advise you to tighten your axles a bit more.

Loose trucks Make sure you can steer easily, but your position is less stable. If you have trouble turning, it helps to loosen the trucks a bit.

Bushings

Bushings The ring-shaped rubbers around the kingpin are the best way to adjust your trucks. These allow you to steer and turn smoothly. They are made of soft urethane and come in different types and hardnesses.

Selecting the right durometer

The hardness of your bushing The hardness of your kingpin is shown with a durometer, also called the A-value. This indicates how hard or soft the bushings are.
Harder bushings will make your trucks move less fast and provide more stability at higher speeds. They are also more suitable to take a big impact, for example when jumping stairs or high altitudes.
The softer bushings The softer bushings allow your trucks to move and turn more easily. This in turn has advantages for technical skating.

But your weight also plays a role. As a heavier skater you should go for hard bushings, so you keep more stability. Soft bushings are ideal for lighter skaters.

More information and all different types of bushings can be found here. Here.

A-values and hardness

78A Super soft88A
Soft90A
Medium94A
Hard96A
Super hard



Risers and shockpads

Do you prefer skate with bigger wheels or do you skate very loose? Then we advise you to mount a set of risers bushings. This way you can drive low trucks on big wheels and wheelbite Avoid wheelbite.

Shockpads are mounted in the same way. They are made to absorb absorb impact Bushings are often a bit thicker. When you like to skate high gaps shockpads recommended.

Keep in mind that you will also need longer screws when mounting thicker Risers or Shockpads.

Want to know more about Risers and Shockpads? Click here. Check out here the whole assortment.

More questions?

Are there still things unclear? Do you still have some extra questions? Do not hesitate to contact us via chat, phone or mail. Or come visit us in our shop.

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