| Skateboard wheels are designed in many different | | | | not fixed is to enable you to turn or "carve" without |
| sizes and hardnesses. Skateboard wheels are made | | | | lifting your front wheels off the ground. The looser |
| of a rubber-like material called urethane. The size and | | | | your trucks are, the further you will be able to lean in |
| hardness of the wheels affect the smoothness of | | | | one direction or the other. |
| the ride on a skateboard, how well it handles, and its | | | | Skateboard Wheels |
| speed. Skateboard wheels are normally 52 mm to 60 | | | | Wheels don't just keep your skateboard rolling -- |
| mm and have their own ball bearings built in. Street | | | | they are also responsible for keeping you on your |
| skateboard wheels are usually very hard, which | | | | feet as you tackle different terrain. Wheels attach to |
| allows them to slow down quickly and store energy | | | | the axles of the trucks with a hex bolt and there are |
| as you move along. Park wheels are usually made of | | | | 8 bearings, two inserted into each wheel with a |
| a softer urethane for better bite and handling. | | | | spacer between. The wheels come in a variety of |
| Modern skateboard wheels are bidirectional, meaning | | | | shapes, from 50 to 55 mm, and different hardnesses. |
| that they can be attached in either direction unlike | | | | Most skateboard wheels, like mentioned above, are |
| the wheels on a car or the back wheel of a bicycle. | | | | made from urethane, and have a hardness rating |
| This means that if the edges start to wear, you can | | | | stamped on the wheel (for example: 95a, or 100a - |
| flip the wheels and use them on the other side. | | | | always with an "a" after the number). The higher the |
| Skateboard wheels are attached to the trucks by | | | | number, the harder the wheel. For example, a 101a |
| hex head axle bolts and ABEC (or another | | | | wheel is harder than a 95a. So a good choice for |
| company's) ball bearings to provide the free-spinning | | | | street riding might be a 100a or 101a. A 95a would do |
| movement of the wheels. | | | | well on ramps and in a skateboard park. |
| Skateboard Trucks | | | | So, a skateboard is made up of three main parts: the |
| Trucks are axles attached to a baseplate. Most | | | | deck, the trucks, and the wheels. The deck is the |
| trucks are made from an aluminum alloy and they are | | | | flat part on top (or mostly flat) where you plant your |
| very strong. Trucks come in many different shapes, | | | | feet. The trucks are bolted to the bottom of the |
| sizes and colors. Trucks are made from cast metal | | | | deck. This is your suspension and axles for the deck |
| and allow the skater to turn the board. Depending | | | | and wheels. The wheels bolt onto the ends of the |
| how tightly the nut on the kingpin is secured, the | | | | trucks and include wheel bearings so the wheels can |
| trucks can be loose or tight just like the suspension | | | | spin. Wheels come in different sizes and hardnesses |
| on a car. The main purpose of having trucks that are | | | | to help you custom tailor your ride. |