Check out our selection of some the Best Skate Trucks 2017 – 2018.

Get to know more about buying skateboard trucks so that you can set up your board ready to roll…

From Sidewalk Basics – Autumn 2013

Truck widths vary quite a lot so the best rule of thumb to apply is: the wider your deck, the wider your trucks need to be. There are many different types of trucks out there and each brand offers its own take on turning, hanger technology, base-plate weight and kingpin position: the best thing to do is to ask your local skate store for advice on which trucks to buy.

This is the part of your truck that provides the grinding surface as well as holding the axle that your wheels and bearings attach to. The length of the hanger determines the width of the truck so measure them up against the width of your deck. The ends of the hanger should not stick out beyond the width of your deck, if they do, pick a narrower truck.

This is the part of the truck that attaches to your deck with your truck bolts.

A partially threaded pin placed through the base plate and truck and secured with the kingpin nut. The kingpin holds the bushings, truck hanger, and base plate together.

Bushings are donut-shaped polyurethane pieces that are inserted onto the kingpin of a truck. There are two bushings per truck, one above and one below where the hanger fits onto the kingpin. Adjusting the kingpin nut to tighten or loosen the bushings will adjust the turning radius and response of the truck itself. Tighter bushings mean stiffer trucks and less chance of wheel bite, while loose bushings make for easier turning but a greater chance of wheel bite.

This is the raised and hollowed receptacle on the base plate opposite the kingpin, which holds the pivot bushing.

The plastic cup-shaped piece, which rests in the pivot cup of the base plate and supports the truck’s hanger at the pivot point allowing the truck to pivot smoothly. The pivot bushing prevents frictional contact between the truck and the base plate and provides a cushioned pivot point.

You’ll need a set of 8 truck bolts to attach your trucks to the deck. Some are allen-key headed whereas others are screw headed – to be honest there isn’t much difference between the two types so just pick whichever ones you prefer.