How tight should skateboard trucks be is one of the hottest questions among skates. There are two possible answers to the question. One group states that skateboarding is impossible if the kingpin is threaded all the way to the nyloc, and another defends the stability of the crushed bearings. But what is the right choice to make is still confusing most skates. So, let’s try to find out how tight should skateboard trucks be and what are the drawbacks of tight trucks.[acf field=”faqschema”]
How Tight Should Skateboard Trucks be?
The first and most important thing is to decide your own setup before starting practice. Whether you need tight trucks or a loose one, it entirely depends on your style. For a beginner, it can be complicated just like choosing best wheels and bearings for your skateboard.
When it comes to tight trucks, the deck will be more stable most of the time. There will be no wobbling motion without purpose, which offers a comfortable skating experience. No matter whether you are practicing your Ollies or just riding on the plain surface, you will find it very easy.
Another prominent benefit of tight trucks is that they are friendly to your ankles. If you are new to skating, you should be aware of scars and bruises during practice sessions. The main injury that most skaters experience is the ankle. When riding tight trucks, there won’t be a lot of motion. That’s why there are fewer chances of ankle injuries as compared to loose trucks. Also, tight trucks help Ollie higher, thanks to the perfect control over your skateboard.
If you want to enjoy riding to its maximum level, you can try with loose trucks, but you have to get ready for big risks. The prime advantage of loose trucks is that they provide more turning radius. On the other hand, tight skateboard trucks reduce the turning radius, and thus you have the option to steer freely. Last but not least, loose trucks offer a better landing experience.
How Tight Should Be the Trucks for Downhill?
If you are skating downhill, make sure to keep the truck tightness from seven to nine on the scale. Remember, such areas are speedy, and you will be riding at a decent speed. Commonly these areas have sharp turns or straight tracks where you will slide. So, you don’t need any wobbly skateboards for such areas. Keeping the truck tightness on the above-mentioned level will help you to gain good speed control and provide more control over the ride.
How Tight Should Be the Trucks for Flipping
Flipping is a popular skateboard style that needs some serious practice. Therefore, tight and loose skateboard trucks have a great impact on riding. The ideal tightening scale for flipping should be from five to seven. In other words, the trucks should be in the middle of the loose and tight scale.
How Tight Should Be the Trucks for Cruising?
Cruise boards are another addition when it comes to longboards vs skateboards. Most riders love to enjoy their ride rather than the speed with it. A good quality cruising board offers decent turns and may have various types of road conditions. So, you need quicker flex along with the comfort for long cruising sessions. That’s why loose skateboard trucks are highly recommended for such riding style.
Make sure to keep the tightness from three to seven according to your comfort level. If needed, you can shift softer bushings such as cone-shaped or barrel-shaped. Expert skaters use double cones for their riding style, but they can be quite unstable for beginners.
How Tight Should Be the Trucks for Skate Ramps?
If you prefer to skate on a ramp, you need speed and excellent control on a skateboard. Make sure to keep the adjustment on the tighter side. It allows perfect control and don’t get unstable during speedy rides. If you find it difficult during the surface contact, you can easily loose them according to the sweet spot.
How Tight Should Be the Trucks for Tricks?
Tricks need expertise in skateboarding. Adjusting truck-tightness should be straightforward for you. You have to adjust the tightness according to the needs of your tricks. Therefore, you have a wide range of loosening and tighten trucks options for this style.
How to tighten skateboard trucks
The process of tightening and loosing the skateboard trucks is a straightforward and hassle-free task. All you need is to follow these easy steps.
Check the truck condition
Before tightening trucks, ride for few minutes and confirm that they need adjustment. Flip the board upside down and use your hand to push every wheel downward to check the smoothness. It will help you to understand how tight the skateboard trucks are.
Use Wrench to fix the trucks
If the skateboard trucks need adjustment, take a wrench and fix them on the Kingpin nut. Gently rotate the wrench clockwise if you want to tight them and do the opposite for loosening. Make sure to rotate the wrench slowly for proper adjustment.
Tight or Loosen Both Trucks
When adjusting the trucks, loosen or tighten both of them every time. Both trucks should show familiar feedbacks.
Ride for sometime
Ride your skateboard after tightening the trucks. Make sure you are comfortable with the tightness level. If not, adjust the tightness of the trucks again and recheck them.
Repack Bushing for your Riding Style
There are different types of bushings available such as barrel, street, large barrel, cone, tall cone, large cone, and many others. You can add an extra layer or also change them to tight the trucks and remove unnecessary vibrations.
Final Words
You cannot enjoy a smooth skateboarding experience unless you and the skateboard both are comfortable with each other. For experienced skaters, you know how important the proper adjustments of trucks are for perfect riding. Remember, all terrains and skating purposes are not the same, so it depends on your personal preferences, riding style, and terrain type to decide how tight should skateboard trucks be.
