Your skateboard wheels should be
tight enough that they spin freely
. However, you don’t want the wheels so loose that they wiggle on the truck’s axle. To see if you need to tighten your wheels, put the board on its side, and flick the wheel as fast and as hard as you can with one hand.
How freely should skateboard wheels spin?
Remember to aim for
10 to 30 seconds
spinning skateboard wheels. In other words, your skateboard wheels should spin freely for at least 10 seconds without stopping. If it stops spinning before 10 seconds, your wheels are tightly placed. If it exceeds the 30 seconds mark, it is a bit loose.
How hard should my skateboard wheels be?
Most range between 75a to 104a. Any wheel in the 78a to 90a range is considered a soft wheel, 90a to 98a is in the middle,
99a+ is referred to as a hard wheel
. We recommend choosing hard wheels for skate parks and street skating on ledges, rails, gaps and manual pads.
How tight should skateboard be?
How tight should skateboard trucks be for beginners?
Your trucks should be
loose enough that you don’t need to tic-tac to get around obstacles while skating around
. Skateboard trucks can be set tight or loose, depending on the rider’s preference. That being said, they should be tight enough that the kingpin won’t fall out and loose enough that the bushings don’t burst.
Why do my skateboard wheels wobble?
In some instances, wobbling may be caused by
loose trucks or loose bolts and nuts that are sensitive to weight distribution
, which cause the board to respond and wobble back and forth while traveling at a faster speed. To tighten skateboard trucks is the simplest and cheapest solution to a wobbly longboard setup.
How can I make my skateboard wheels spin better?
You can make your skateboard wheels spin faster and longer by
cleaning them with the proper cleaning agent such as Bones Speed Cream
. However, you can also try loosening your axle nuts if that doesn’t seem to work. When all else fails, it may mean that it’s time to upgrade your wheels and bearings.
Do bearings make you go faster?
Answer 1:
Ball bearings make skateboards (and anything else with wheels)go faster
because they reduce the friction between the wheels and their axles. In general >when things slide over each other, the friction between them causes a force that tends to slow them down.
Do bearing spacers slow you down?
This will slow your bearings down
and wear them out super fast! Skaters without bearing spacers might find it easier to just run their axle nuts a bit loose to keep the wheels spinning freely. This is even worse! A wheel that is loose on the axle will give a noisy, chattery ride.
Are 54mm wheels too big?
54mm is probably the best all rounder if you are looking at skating a big variety of terrain
. This size seems to provide most skateboarders with the perfect blend of speed and acceleration. This really is the Goldilocks zone of wheel size choice.
What are 58mm wheels good for?
Wheels between 55-58mm are great for
skating slightly rougher terrain or for skating bowls and ramps at a skatepark
. Wheels 59mm and larger are usually used for cruiser boards, where you are more focused on riding and not as concerned with doing flip tricks.
Is 99a good for street?
96a to 99a are
good wheels for all-around use
. They offer a balance between grip and speed, making them a beginner’s choice for both street skateboarding and for smooth surfaces like skate parks and ramps.
Is it better to skate loose or tight?
When to Loosen Up
If you’re used to skating tight trucks,
loosening them can improve the flow of your skateboarding
. Without having to tic-tac up to an obstacle or lean drastically as you roll away, your skating will take on an easier, more care-free look. If your style seems rigid, try loosening your trucks.
What happens if your trucks are too small?
What Happens When Your Trucks Are Too Narrow. When you’re trucks don’t match your board and aren’t wide enough
you’ll get the carpet riding effect
. You won’t be able to see your wheels, just your deck. Just a tad too small doesn’t really matter but at a certain point, you’ll run into trouble.
How do you slow down on a skateboard?
Should beginners have tight trucks?
If you are a beginner, then
you should keep the trucks tight as one can easily control the skateboard with tight trucks
. On the other hand, loose trucks give a better flow to the skateboard and allow one to do tricks in a better way.
How do I make sure my truck has the same tightness?
Are skateboards supposed to wobble?
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. Just be sure to break bushings in and don’t tighten them until you squish them.
Why do skateboards wobble at high speeds?
All types of boards, long and short, are prone to speed wobbles. Speed wobbles are the result of Self-Exciting Oscillation;
at high speed the energy of your velocity will feed into the natural oscillation of your trucks as they try to return to their natural (neutral) position, continually increasing the amplitude
.
How can I make my skateboard more stable?
The easiest option to make your TKP more stable (ie, make your skateboard stable), is to simply
tighten down the kingpin nut
. Doing this makes the bushings deform and bunch up, and it makes your truck feel more stable.
Do skateboard trucks loosen over time?
Trucks are the metal axles in the front and back of your board that hold the wheels on. They need to regularly be tightened, as
they come loose over time
. Properly tightened trucks make your board ride smoother and cleaner and helps tune the board to your turning style.
Why are my skateboard wheels stiff?
Chances are you just have to
clean and lubricate your bearings
. Remove your wheel and pop out the bearings with the edge of your axle. Bones Bearings pretty much set the standard in the skateboarding world as far as bearings go.
How long should skateboard wheels spin for?
How Long Should Skateboard Wheels Spin For? Your wheels do not need to spin freely for more than
two seconds
. That being said, you need to stand on your board and push around for a few minutes. If it’s difficult to push or the board stops on it’s own, loosen the wheels slightly.
Why are my skateboard wheels slow?
Why does lube slow the bearing down?
The lube has mass that has to be moved out of the way while the bearing rotates
. During a hand spin, those little balls don’t have much mass behind them to push the lube out of the way. Thus hand spins are fastest when the bearing has very little or no lubricant.
Is it easier to Ollie with smaller wheels?
Small wheels make it easier to land tricks, even when they feel a bit sketchy
. Bigger wheels will cause you to fall when you land a trick a bit sketchy but smaller wheels still allow you to land a trick without running the risk of hurting yourself.
Are bigger skateboard wheels faster?
Larger wheels will give you a faster ride
while smaller wheels may slow you down. However, because they are lower to the ground and easier to control, smaller wheels are the best wheels for street skating.
Can you use wd40 on ball bearings?
Did you know
a spray of WD-40 Specialist White Lithium Grease is a great lithium lubricant for bearings
? It reduces friction on bearings and helps keep them protected from rust as well. Simply apply by spraying directly onto the area.
