Contents
How to Build an Electric Skateboard DIY [A Step-by-Step Guide]
Electric skateboards have slowly evolved from the college lab to the internet market place, whether for commuting in a busy urban wasteland or for surfing the sidewalk at your local park. For fun and freedom to explore your world in new ways, now is a great time to experiment with alternative modes of transportation.
This article is for the daring tinker who enjoys getting their hands dirty with a project, the studious experimenter, or even the old school skater or landlocked surfer looking to rekindle their passion for the sport. So, How to build an electric skateboard DIY? , let’s get started.
Which Electric Skateboard Should You Build?
- Electric Skateboard for the City
- Electric Skateboard for the Street
- Electric Downhill/Uphill Racer on an AT (All-Terrain) Board
The following is a list of Electric Skateboard DIY Parts:
-
Deck:
Skateboard deck for longboards. The top mount is 41 inches. This is a 9ply maple deck from skateshred.com, which also has a ton of other great options. Choose a board with a wheelbase of at least 31″ between the trucks. For more information on eskate deck styles and options, see our guide to electric skateboard decks.
-
Motors:
Flipsky brushless motors, 6354 190kv, battle-tested (flipsky.net). You can also upgrade to a larger 6384 or 6394 motor. Check out our guide to electric skateboard motors for more information.
-
Battery:
12S4P is a high-capacity battery. Mboards designed and built this battery (mboards.co). It has a pre-soldered XT60 connection and comes with a matching battery charger. Your batteries will undoubtedly be the most expensive part of your build, so choose wisely. There’s a lot of high power packed into these tiny packages. If you’re buying, go with a reputable vendor or home builder/rider who comes highly recommended. You can also try your hand at construction. They can start fires if built incorrectly. When connecting batteries, extreme caution is advised. To learn more about the most important part of your ride, read our guide to electric skateboard batteries.
ESC (End-of-Ses (Electronic Speed Controller)
Unity is a dual electric speed controller from FocBox. This unit has built-in Bluetooth and an easy setup option, or you can dive into VESC programming depending on your skill level. The Unity is available from a variety of online retailers. The Flipsky 6.6Plus Dual FESC (flipsky.net), Stormcore Dual ESC (lacroixboards.com), and BKB Zenith by Build Kit Boards are all excellent ESCs (buildkitboards.com). If your ESC doesn’t have Bluetooth built in, you’ll need to purchase a Bluetooth adapter. Using your smartphone or not being plugged into your laptop to program your ESC is much easier.
Enclosure for the battery and the ESC:
We’re going to use MBoards’ new and improved XL enclosure for this build. This enclosure includes mounting bolts as well as a precut gasket seal to keep moisture and dirt out. If your enclosure doesn’t come with its own mounting system, at the very least use 6 – 12 inch 1032 mounting bolts. If there are too many bolts or the enclosure is too stiff, it will affect your ride or even crack and damage the electronics.
-
Trucks:
Trucks for skateboarding. The style you choose is determined by how you intend to ride. For more information, see our guide to electric skateboard trucks. Super-wide, reverse kingpin, caliber style trucks will be used for this build.
-
Wheels:
(diyelectricskateboard.com) sells Torqueboards 110mm urethane 79 Duro skate wheels with kegel hub and adapter. There are a plethora of other wheel styles available from a variety of manufacturers. For more information on this rapidly growing segment of electric skateboarding, see our guide to electric skateboard wheels.
-
Bearings:
Wheel bearings for the Bones Reds. These are a personal choice for me because I also “analog” skateboard. There are numerous brands available. Depending on your environment, these can be a critical component of your ride; for more information on skateboard bearings, see our guide on electric skateboard bearings.
-
Belts and pulleys:
The length of your belt will be determined by your physique. On the motor, we’re going to use a 36 tooth Kegel pulley and an 18 tooth 8mm Vanpro drive pulley. For this setup, the belt size should be around 375mm. To order belts, go to diyelectricskateboard.com, mboards.co, or the vbeltguys.com.
-
Plates for mounting motors:
Motor mounting plates are available in a variety of sizes. The Mboards mounts that were used are easily adjustable to help with pulley tension and have a non-slip mounting system. There are numerous options available. Mounts from Flipsky, colored anodized sets from Torqueboards, sturdy versions from BKB.com, and popular brands like Evolve are all excellent choices. You can make your own out of any piece of metal that you can work with your hands or a CNC mill.
-
Bolts for mounting:
10×32 1.5in Bolts for the trucks’ mounting. If you plan to use lights like Shredlights, use longer bolts of 2 to 3 inches. Because stainless steel bolts do not rust, I prefer to use them from the local hardware store. You can paint the heads if you’re feeling particularly artistic.
-
Pads for the Riser:
Riser pads with a 12 inch height. To help prevent wheel bite, a minimum of 1/4 inch high is recommended, with 12 inch being ideal. Wedge risers are required when building AT setups. To increase shock absorption, use rubber. PETG pads can also be 3D printed. PETG was used to 3D print the pads in this build.
Optional: Battery meter
The DROK battery meter with on/off and Battery Temp Sensor was used in this build.
-
Connectors:
XT 60 connectors and a 4mm bullet These are pre-soldered and attached to the ESC on the Focbox Unity. As a result, no soldering is required. Some ESCs, such as those made by Flipsky, will require soldering connectors to connect to the motors. For all-terrain electric skateboards, larger 5mm bullet connectors for motors and larger XT 90 connectors for power connections are recommended.
-
Some Extras:
Roll – Conduit for organizing motor wires. There are a lot of cool options for customizing your ride while keeping your wires and connections clean.
Velcro roll with a width of 2 inches.
Longboard grip tape or grip material in a roll for the deck’s top. Allow your imagination to run wild! You can also use spray grip tape or a combination of epoxy and fine ground sand/glass. As long as you can stay on your skateboard, whatever you do will suffice.
The seal between the enclosure and the skateboard deck is made of this material. The Mboards XL enclosure comes with a neoprene gasket, but yoga mats, thin neoprene foam from the hobby store, window foam seal strip, and rubber window seal are all good options for other enclosures. This reduces vibrations to your electronics while also keeping dust and water out from the odd splash (not waterproof).
Let’s make an electric skateboard: +Prepare your board, +Prepare your motors, +Build the enclosure, +Program and Run your electric skateboard for the first time.
- best electric skateboard under 300
- Best electric skateboard under 400
- BEST ELECTRIC LONGBOARD UNDER 300
- How to carry a longboard on a backpack
- How to dance on longboard
Final Thoughts
Get a feel for the board as you ride. Tighten the trucks until they feel more stable, but not so tight that you can’t turn. Find the point where your speed wobbles the most. When your skateboard trucks can’t keep up with the speed or your constant corrections, you lose control and balance. Continue to adjust your trucks to match your current comfort level with speed. The tighter the trucks must be, the faster you go. As a result, you’ll begin to sacrifice turning and carving ability in favor of speed. Furthermore, the bushings will continue to break in, necessitating further adjustments.
Leave a Reply