Most of the time, riders complain that their boards shake and don’t provide the much-needed support. The loosened truck of the skateboard is the most common reason why it happens.
This issue is something that most skaters experience from time to time. So, you will have to check and tighten this part quite often. Knowing how to tighten skateboard trucks is one of the must-have technical knowledge for you as a skater.
Using some most commonly used tools, you can tighten them with ease. Also, there will be other relevant information you need to know about the truck to skateboard safely down the road.
Reasons Why You Need to Tighten the Skateboard Truck!
Apart from the safety issue, there are several reasons why the truck should be tightened all the time.
Stable and Reliable Turning
A true skater only doesn’t skateboard on a flat surface. The advanced skills also tempt the rider to skate on uneven surfaces. If this is the case for you as well, you might face difficulties and have obstacles while boarding is a normal phenomenon.
A tight truck really helps to overcome such issues. You will be able to turn smoothly while maintaining superb stability. Even if the uneven surface is a long way to finish, it will ease the riding.
Avoid Bites of Wheels
Skaters fall quite a lot when wheels roll harder while touching the board. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, check if the truck is well-tightened or not. Also, you can attempt tricks and stunts without worrying about any stability issues.
Offers Sharp and Speedy Turns
Turning at a decent speed is one of the skills in skateboarding. If you are to acquire this advanced skill, you gotta make sure the truck doesn’t wobble on big ramps.
With no exception, tightening trucks is the much-needed hack here. It will make sure there’s no wobbling, and you feel comfortable while skateboarding on big ramps like a pro.
You can accelerate faster and turn smoothly. You will no longer be worried about frequent turns.
How to Tighten Skateboard Trucks With Skate Tool!
Here’re the steps to tighten a skateboard truck –
Step 1 – Turn the Board
First, you will need to check the truck. How loose is it, and how much torque do you need to apply to tighten it again; these are the things you need to determine first.
For this, be sure to turn the board and locate where the trucks are.
- Specify the Tightness You Need
Now it’s time to figure out how much your board tilts.
Be sure to shake the truck to see how flexible it is. The point is to make the truck not too flexible and not too stiff.
Keep in mind that whether the truck will be loose or tight will depend on your preference.
If the truck needs tightening, you can use T Shakte Tool and rotate the kingpin to make it tight as it suits your riding style.
- Get Your Work Done
You might need an adjustment tool to tighten the truck. Generally, skateboard trucks have five bolts. Here are some steps you can follow to tighten your truck.
- Firstly, find the kingpin or axle pin of your truck. In general, it’s in the middle of the vehicle. Then remove the peg with a hex key to loosen the truck hook.
- Check the truck’s hanger, and remove its bushes. If you find any damage or cracks, you might have to replace the truck. But if it’s solid, you can proceed with the turning process.
- Then start spinning the bolt head with the tool. First, you have to rotate the device clockwise to tighten it up. After that, you can tighten the bolt even more according to your preference.
But if you feel that you’ve tightened it up more than what it needs, then turn the bolt counterclockwise to make the adjustment.
- Analyze and Modify the Setup
The primary purpose of tightening a skateboard truck is to improve stability so that you can ride smoothly.
Having said that, once you’ve tightened the truck and put back its parts, you can hop on the board and do some skating tricks to check how the fixing was. If you’re not satisfied with the result, then repeat the processes mentioned above.
Side Effects of Tightening the Truck
Though there’re so many advantages of tightening the truck, some drawbacks are there as well. The main flaw you’ll see is the lack of flexibility of the board.
As tightening the truck decreases the turning circle, it’ll be harder to turn on your board. And, therefore, you have to turn sharply, which can make you fall if you aren’t skilled enough.
Depending on how you can adopt the change, you may have to consider getting a rear kicker.
How To Tighten Skateboard Trucks Without Tool: Other Possible Solutions of Tightening the Truck!
Tightening is the first solution that comes across when the truck gets loose. But there’re other alternatives. Here you get knowledge about how to tighten skateboard trucks without tools!
Replace the Eraser
You may need to replace the eraser if you find any split gums on your skateboard. If the gums are of poor quality, you may have a poor riding experience. Even the gum can damage if it compresses while riding continuously.
Therefore, due to the compression, some erasers distort and hinder the skateboard from running straight.
Use of Hard and Strong Erasers
For growing skateboarders, it’s recommended to use harder erasers. The added or additional weight of the rider requires harder gums. After all, skateboarders don’t remain the same in terms of height and weight. That’s why this upgrade is necessary.
Replace the Trucks
You may tighten your trucks frequently to get the optimum result. But tightening the truck cannot solve all the problems regarding skateboarding. You’ll still face issues while riding.
In this case, the only solution is to replace the truck. But if you’re an occasional rider, then repairing the truck will be the cost-efficient option for you.
Tools to Use for Tightening Trucks
Generally, skateboarders use skate tools to tighten up the trucks. However, it’s not a tough job, so that you can use tools like wrenches and screwdrivers.
That means it doesn’t matter whether you use regular tools or skate tools. But to do the job with more ease, it’s preferable to use skate tools.
Can You Over-Tighten the Skateboard Truck?
Though you can over-tighten the truck of the skateboard, it’s not advisable. If you over-tighten it, you may face some difficulties while boarding.
For example, you cannot turn easily. Moreover, you will have less control over the board, which may cause accidents.
Why Can’t I Tighten My Skateboard Truck?
There are two reasons why you can’t tighten your board. They are:
- The truck might break
- Bushing might split
If you’ve somehow broken your truck, you can’t tighten it up. Similarly, another reason can be that over-tightening might split the bushings.
Be sure to get soft bushings for loose trucks and hard bushings for tighter trucks.
Conclusion
If you’ve read this far, I hope you got the idea of how to tighten skateboard trucks and other possible solutions along with it.
But if you’re a beginner, carry the tool with you while skating. You may need it anytime. Once you get used to the process, you’ll understand the required tightness for your riding style.
Ride Safe!
Hi, my name is Gabriel. I am completed my MBA from private university and my subject was IT (Information Technology) and also I complete my graduation form South East University and Department from CSE (Computer Science & Engineering). I am author and blogger of this website who loves to write about different topics that are related to the board sport. From beginner tips to intermediate advice, I want to offer you quality content that will help improve your skill set and make you a better rider. Thanks for checking out my site!
