Basic Principles of Longboard Trucks

Scott

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• Publié par: seorumer
• Publié le: 02 mai 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• Langue: English

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Basic Principles of Longboard Trucks Your average longboard is made up of three primary components: the deck, wheels, and trucks. Most neophytes have no problem understanding the deck and wheels; the truck, not so much. Ignorance surrounding longboard trucks are likely due to the terminology used. The good news is that it is not difficult to understand what the truck is, why it's necessary, and how it works.

Longboard trucks are essentially the piece that connects wheels to the deck. It consists of a number of different parts that fit together to make it all work:  Hanger–The hanger is the largest part of the longboard truck assembly. It is often considered the 'body' of the truck because it houses the axle, bushings, and other parts to complete the assembly. The hanger is a rather large, triangle-shaped piece of metal attached to the underside of the deck. Axle–The axle is obviously the cylindrical tube running through the hanger on which the wheels are mounted.  Baseplate–baseplate is what is used to mount the truck to the bottom of the deck. Mounting is The accomplished with a set of 4 to 6 screws that fit nicely into recessed holes for a tight fit.  Kingpin–There needs to be enough play in the hanger to allow insertion and adjustment of the axle. However, that play is undesirable when you are actually riding the board. Therefore, everything is tightened up and kept together with the kingpin. The kingpin looks like a large bolt inserted through the center of the hanger. Bushings– Bushings are the soft, flexible rings that fit around the top and bottom of the kingpin. These are necessary to ensure that the hanger assembly is flexible enough to move with the skater. The longboard truck is not necessarily a complicated piece of engineering. That said, design and materials play a major role in the quality of the truck, its durability, and how well it responds to the rider's movements.

Matching Truck to Longboard Purchasing a stock longboard off-the-rack means you will get no choice when it comes to trucks. But when you buy a custom board from a manufacturer likeGoldcoast, you have the option of matching trucks to your deck depending on what you want to accomplish. Needless to say, there are lots of options. For example, longboard trucks are wider and longer than the trucks used on straight skateboards. If you were to buy a longboard with a wide deck, you would want the widest possible truck to go along with it. You could select a narrower truck for a cruiser or carving longboard. The position of the kingpin is also something to consider. In a standard setup, both kingpins are mounted so they face one another toward the inside of the deck. But you can get reverse kingpin trucks with the kingpins facing outward, opposite one another. This kind of setup makes turning and carving much easier. Lastly is the option of baseplate angle. This angle is perhaps the most critical in terms of how well the longboard responds when turning. The higher the angle, the more responsive the deck. The veteran longboarders tend to prefer high angle baseplates while new boarders feel more comfortable with less of an angle. When buying a new longboard with an option to choose what trucks are used, it is best to ask a lot of questions before making a choice. Builders should be able to explain the unique features of all of their longboard trucks to ensure customers make the right choice.