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What skateboard trucks should I choose?
Choosing trucks is more of an art than a science. There is some confusion on what size trucks fit with which board. There is also a lot of confusion of certain size designations put out by truck companies. The first myth we must dispel is that: your truck width does not have to match your board width.
Trucks with wheels on them should never exceed the width of your skateboard. Another way to say this is that your wheels should not stick out past your board width. Having trucks that are skinnier than your board is fine. Actually, a lot of advance, sponsored and professional skateboarders we talk to, prefer to have skinnier trucks than their board width. They like to have skinny trucks because they turn faster.
The group of skaters who like to have their truck widths match their board width are usually pool and bowl skaters. This stereotype is not always true. For instance, professional skateboarder Dave Reul likes having trucks that are skinnier than his board for quicker turning.
The advantage to having wider trucks is that they should be more stable. You will get a nice, smooth turns instead of quick jerks when you go wide.
The "5.0" designation.
Rumor has it that Venture first came out with this 5.0 designation. 5.0 means that the truck has a 5 inch hanger width. This is not the width of the axle. Generally, 5.0 trucks have an axle width of 7.75". Apparently, Venture was the first to make trucks that fit smaller skateboards that started to appear in the early 1990s.
What does El Skate Shop recommend?
Well, that's a good question. If you are a street skater, like most of the skateboarding community, go with a 5.0 truck. Any 5.0 truck will fit any board between 7.5" and 8".
7.5" Decks
We do think that 5.0 trucks are tad big for a 7.5" board. Ruckus makes a 120mm low which happens to have a 7.25" truck width. These trucks seem to fit 7.5"decks better. Also Tensor lows 5.0 tend to be skinnier and fit 7.5" boards better. We measured their axle widths to be 7.5" dead on. Silver and Phantom trucks that fit 7.5" decks dead on too, they are designated "7.5" appropriately.
7.75" Decks
For those who ride 7.75" deck, you are in luck. Most trucks are sized for this width. Here are some trucks that fit 7.75" decks dead on:
8.0" Decks
Mini Sized Skateboard Decks (7.4" and under)
We can only find two trucks that have addressed this issue. Grindking makes a GK-6 Mini which happens to have 6.75" axle width. There are also Independent 109mm which will fit most if not all mini-sized skateboard decks.
The Biggies (8" plus Decks) - Longboards, Pool Boards and Downhill Skateboard Trucks
The most important thing is what feels right to you!
If you already know what trucks work for you, you might just want to stick to it. Otherwise you got to try a lot of different trucks. Each brand of truck turns differently, breaks differently and rides differently. The only tip we have is that Thunder Trucks have made a lot of our street skating customers happy.
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