Skateboard Trucks — Components and Setup

Skateboard trucks — the axles that connect your wheels to your deck — are the heart of your setup. They determine how quickly your board turns, how stable it feels on tricks and how much pop you get. A truck consists of several parts: the baseplate, which you bolt onto your deck, the kingpin, which holds the baseplate and hanger together, the bushings (also called rubbers) — polyurethane pucks that decide how soft or stiff your truck turns — and the washers, the small steel rings above and below each bushing on the kingpin.

Which truck width fits your deck?

The most important question when buying trucks: does the width match your deck? The axle width — the full length from nut to nut, where your wheels sit — should be as close as possible to your deck width. A deviation of ±0.125" is ideal, up to ±0.25" is still rideable.

Every brand names their sizes differently: an Independent 139, Thunder 147, Venture 5.2, Ace 33 and Royal 139 all look completely different on paper — but they all fit an 8.0" deck. If you want to know why a Venture 5.2 isn't made for a 5.2" deck — and which size from each brand fits your board — read our in-depth Skateboard Truck Size Guide with full size charts for every brand.

Tip: Use the "By deck width" filter above to select your deck size — we'll show you only trucks that fit your setup.

Which truck height do you need?

Besides the width, the truck height also affects how your board rides — it determines how far your deck sits above the ground.

• Low (approx. 46–49 mm): low profile, lots of stability, perfect for technical street tricks. Run smaller wheels here to avoid wheelbite (= when your wheels touch the deck).
• Mid (approx. 50–53 mm): the all-rounder — stability and turn balance combined. Fits most street and park setups.
• High (approx. 53.5–58 mm): more ground clearance for larger wheels and more pop. Popular for bowl, pool and transition skating.

If your wheels still rub against the deck, shock pads or riser pads help — they raise the deck off the trucks and dampen vibrations.

Bushings — how soft does your truck turn?

Bushings are the polyurethane pucks around the kingpin and control the turning angle of your truck. Hardness is measured on the durometer scale:

• Soft (87a–90a): more carving, faster turning — good for lighter skaters.
• Medium (91a–95a): balanced — fits most setups.
• Hard (96a–98a+): more stable, less turn — for heavier skaters and high-speed skating.

Want a complete board instead?

If you want to skip the assembly, our complete skateboards are a quick alternative — pre-built, tuned and ready to ride.