One of the questions we get asked often is "What trucks should I get?" Well, we're going to answer that today. First thing first, let's break down the parts of skateboard trucks. A quick note, trucks will generally come as a pair but may be priced individually in some skate shops. There are 12 pieces total on a single truck (see below), but generally, we are going to concern ourselves with the base, hanger, bushings, and kingpin. If you don't care about trucks and just want to know how to find your size, keep scrolling.
The base or base plate will attach directly to the deck itself, some skaters will use raiser pads between the deck and the trucks. We will do a completely different post about raiser pads. The hanger is attached to the base plate by setting a pivot point into a socket on the base and held together by the kingpin. The hanger has an axle pin that runs through the the length of the hanger and is generally threaded for 3/8" nuts on the end. As you might have guessed the skateboard wheels sit on the axles and are held on by the axle nuts.
Next are the bushings and kingpin, these two components work in tandem. The kingpin holds the whole thing together. The tightness of the kingpin nut will determine how "tight" or "loose" your trucks are. Every skater is different and will need to adjust their trucks accordingly. The idea is that based on your weight and how sharp you want to turn, you adjust the kingpin nut to your liking until the effort to turn feels natural. This is something you will have to play with. Be sure to adjust both trucks equally. The bushing is generally made of urethane and allows the trucks to turn and pivot smoothly. You can find after-market bushing of different strengths to further adjust and customize the ride of your board.
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Unfortunately, not all companies use the same size standards for all trucks, but we stole these graphics for some of our most recommended brands.
