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How tight should longboard trucks be – you need to know
Today we’ll discuss about longboard trucks and how to adjust them. Trucks are a crucial component of your longboard’s overall configuration. While you can find a lot of information and tips on how to choose the best vehicles, the reality is that you will have to make that decision for yourself. The reason for this is that truck selection is based on your own particular tastes. However, there are some noticeable variances between different trucks that will effect how your longboard performs.
You will be able to alter the setup and performance of your trucks by carefully picking each and every component that they are made up of. It’s not easy, but any prospective longboard aficionado should consider it a rite of passage. These are some of the reasons why we wanted to compile a list of ways to accomplish just that, in the hopes of assisting you in better understanding how trucks function and how they can be modified to enhance and optimize your ride experience and fully customize your longboard.
You should also ensure that you have the necessary skills to make bespoke alterations on your own, or hire an expert to assist you in selecting and building a board that is a great fit for your riding style. You should also keep in mind that different riding styles necessitate different truck setups, so keep that in mind while selecting your trucks.
Let’s start by going through every part of the truck that affects performance:
- Bushings
- Hardness
- Urethane type
- Bushing Shape
How loose or tight should trucks be?
For a long time, there has been a heated argument in longboarding circles about whether or not people should modify the tightness of their trucks. In a nutshell, if you can’t consider yourself a longboard expert while maintaining an objective viewpoint on the matter, you shouldn’t play with the tightness of your trucks. Having said that, we must realize that altering the tightness of your tricks works and is possible, but it is not advised. There are additional tried and true ways to personalize your ride’s pickups, and we’ll examine and explain how to do so in the text below.
Although it is inevitable that people may make specific alterations to the truck’s tightness, they should proceed with prudence. Trucks that are overly slack might generate slop and increase the risk of speed wobble. On the other hand, if you tighten the trucks too much, the bushings will gradually deform and eventually break down. You obviously don’t want that to happen, which is why you need be cautious while making bespoke alterations to your trucks’ tightness. ‘Loose trucks save lives,’ according to a common adage. To avoid speed wobbles, many new riders prefer to overtighten their bushings. This is not a smart practice since overtightened bushings can reduce mobility, which is critical in risky situations (e.g. avoiding obstacles). Furthermore, riding properly tightened trucks improves ankle strength and ability, and with enough experience, a suitable stance will allow you to resist speed wobbles much more efficiently without sacrificing agility.
In general, you should attempt to obtain your trucks’ tightness just at the point when the loose slop has been removed. To see if you’ve done it correctly, stand next to your longboard and put some weight on one of the rails. Your trucks will be turned in a specified direction as a result of this. The board should return to its center position when you’ve withdrawn the weight from the rail. Another rule of thumb is to tighten the kingpin screw until the bushing washer cannot be turned by hand.
How tight should downhill longboard trucks be?
Downhill riding involves riding at fast speeds, which makes you more susceptible to speed wobbles. Also, because you’re generally traveling in a straight line or sliding around abrupt corners, you don’t need a lot of vehicle mobility. As a result, the bushings you use should be snug. Barrels or eliminators are preferable since they are both stable and limiting. We don’t recommend overtightening your kingpin screw; it should just be tight enough that you can’t turn the bottom washer by hand.
How tight should cruising longboard trucks be?
Cruising, on the other hand, is a whole different style. You don’t bike that quickly; perhaps you’re commuting or simply want to slice about in circles. As a result, you need your trucks to be extremely maneuverable and responsive. Here, softer bushings and consideration of the cone form are the way to go. Double cones will produce the finest results, although they may be too unstable for some tastes. You could also use barrels on the board side and cones on the road side for a nice “turns great and mostly stable” setup.
FAQ
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Is it true that tight trucks are better for tricks?
For more skilled riders, using your longboard to perform tricks is a challenge. When doing tricks, it’s critical to know more about your longboard than just truck tightness.
With properly applied grip stickers, the board should be wide concave and long. So, I recommend tightening the trucks to allow up to 50-degree twisting and rotation while also allowing them to bend a little for greater flexibility during wacky feats.
It’s ideal to leave the trucks as slack as possible to enable for continuous, smooth turning while avoiding frequent wheel biting.
Most trucks’ standard caliber bushings are usually flexible enough to allow basic stunts. More complex moves, however, will necessitate the use of specialist cone bushings. Is that correct?
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Is it easier for Ollie to maneuver around tight trucks?
You’ll want to go on to doing tricks like ollies once you’ve mastered your basic setup. While speeding, an ollie allows you to practically jump or skip over any barrier in your path.
The key is to shift all of your weight to the back vehicle while keeping the front as light as possible.
To keep your board from flipping over, lightly swish your front feet across the length of it just before jumping. After that, when you touch down, you’ll reposition your feet to their normal positions.
You must also ensure that your board does not swivel while doing so. As a result, it’s a good idea to keep your rear truck tightened but not too much so that jumping is restricted.
This will help you keep your motion straight and not swivel out of line right before jumping during an ollie. Seems to be cool?
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Final Thoughts
While the notion of customizing the trucks on your longboard sounds fantastic, you need learn more about how they operate first. When making bespoke alterations to the overall setup of your longboard’s trucks, you should use extreme caution. You run the risk of significant wobbling and eventual fall if your trucks are too loose. It might be even worse if you wind up your trucks too tight, as this can cause your bushings to fail, resulting in a painful break, which could happen at any time during your ride.
Fortunately, there are several options for customizing your trucks and creating your own unique longboard setup. Bushings will play a significant role in this, since their shape, size, and construction material all have an impact on the performance of your trucks and, eventually, your longboard. Take your time learning and feeling how your trucks and longboard behave during a ride rather than rushing to witness the effects of your new longboard setup.
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