Trucks – SkateboardersHQ

Skateboard can be wobbly and it's a matter of getting used to or you can tweak the board to your liking. Wobbly skateboards are caused by bushings being too soft or the skateboard trucks being too loose. With just a few minor adjustments to the kingpin nut, you can solve this problem. It's really easy to fix actually and some don't even consider it a problem. Some people like loose trucks and others prefer them tight. Let's look at the cause of the problem and I'll tell you how to fix it. Lastly, I also would like to mention a few other common problems you might run into. How Do You Fix a Wobbly Skateboard? Get a skate tool or any tool that fits the truck's kingpin nut and tighten them a bit by turning the tool to the right. This should make the skateboard less wobbly, only do this once you skated the board for a few hours. Don't go overboard, just a minor adjustment first, and then ride your skateboard to see if you feel a difference. If this doesn't solve the problem your bushings might be too soft. Make sure you pick the right bushings according to your weight, check the chart. If you don't like loose trucks, pick harder bushings. If you like loose trucks pick softer bushings. Weight (lbs)Weight (kg)FlexibleMediumHard (stiff)50 - 10022.5 - 4565a78a81a75 - 12534 - 5680a83a85a100 - 14545 - 6685a87a88a125 - 17556 - 7988a90a93a145 - 19566 - 88.590a93a94a175 - 220+79 - 100+91a93a100aWeight and bushings durometer for regular skateboards Other Causes of A Wobbly Skateboard In rare cases a wobbly skateboard can also be caused by not properly attaching the skateboard trucks. Make sure the hardware on top of the skateboard deck is attached properly. Also, make sure you use all 4 bolts and nuts. If you ride on 3 bolts (and I've seen someone just riding 2), your trucks will move and you could break the hardware. Why Are My Skateboard Trucks so Loose? Trucks change over time, bushings need time to break in an will start working properly after a few days of skateboarding. If you bought a new complete for example, chances are the bushings are very soft or the trucks super loose. Mass produced completes often come with lesser trucks, since completes only cost around 100 bucks corners need to be cut. This results in lower quality trucks and mass produced mediocre bushings. In time the bushings will start to work properly, don't tighten the trucks immediately but let the bushings break in first. If you tighten new bushings too much you'll crush them and they will lose responsiveness. Why Do My Skateboard Trucks Lean to One Side This happens often to new skateboards or trucks, even the best skateboard trucks can lean to one side. It takes time for the bushings to work properly and it will go away. Just make sure to adjust the truck's position when you notice it's crooked, otherwise it will be all over the place and start turning to the left or right. One other potential cause are old bushings, once their aquished the might cause your board to lean to one side. Consider replacing the bushings to stop this from happening. Why Are My Skateboard Trucks Squeaky Let's look at a few more common problems, squeaky skateboard trucks for example. The reason why your skateboard makes squeaky noises is often because of new or old bushings. New bushings make a squeaky sound because they still need to break-in. Sometimes after a kickflip or ollie your truck can be a little crooked. You really don't have to worry about it. We experienced this many times with complete skateboards and it goes away after a while. Skate for a day and the trucks will align, again it's the bushings that need time to properly work. Older bushings can be squished from abuse over the years, sometimes they start to make noise and you could consider replacing them. Want to learn more about bushings? Check out my skateboard bushings guide. Lastly, make sure to check the pivotcup holder. Sometimes this causes a squeaky sound. You can add small pieces of candle wax or silicone lube to the pivot cup holder. You need to remove the truck hanger in order to be able to do this. Skateboard Trucks Clicking Sound When your trucks make a clicking sound it's often the cupwasher that is moving around. Each time it shifts, it makes a clicking sound. To solve this you need to remove the kingpin nut and truck hanger. Make sure the bushings fits properly and that the washers can't move. If the washer doesn't fit properly, consider replacing it for one that does. Washers are very cheap, just make sure to pick the right size. Ask your local skate shop or use online customer service, they will help you out. How To Replace Skateboard Bushings Most of the problems here mention can be solved by adjusting or replacing the skateboard bushings. This is quite easy, especially if you have a skate tool. Here's how you do it: Unscrew the kingpin nut and remove it.Check how the bushings and washers are assembled so you know how to place the new bushings.Remove the truck hangarReplace the old bushings and washers Conclusion A wobbly skateboard isn't a bad thing, some actually like to ride their trucks super loose. Beginners will have a harder time learning to ride a skateboard with loose trucks. After all, a more stable board will help you keep your balance. Adjusting the tightness of the trucks will solve your problem. If you still feel like the trucks are too loose you should get harder bushings. Make sure not to tighten them too much, you don't want the kingpin sticking out, that just means you are riding the wrong bushings Just be sure to break bushings in and don't tighten them until you squish them. This will render the bushings useless.