Loose vs Tight Trucks 2023 | Complete Set Up of Both

The argument about loose vs tight trucks should be one of the most pointless disputes in skateboarding. The unstable truck crew, at one extreme, claims they are unable to skateboard if the kingpin nut is threaded all the way to the nylon.

The stiff-truck posse, on the other hand, maintains that they require stability of crushed bushings so, who is correct?

Your question has a straightforward solution. Everybody is correct. The degree of truck tightness is a question of preference. Set up your board as you like; only you have to ride it. But, there are a few things to take into account when changing your trucks.

We will get to those, but first, let’s take care of the easy stuff. loose vs tight trucks each have advantages and disadvantages of their own. I will demonstrate which truck configuration is optimal for you in this article.

How Tight Should Skateboard Trucks be

The first step of loose vs tight trucks is how to tighten skate trucks should be below is the list in which detail is given.

For Riding Downhill

You should keep the tightness between 7-8 for downhill riding. Your trucks need to be tightened for downhill riding because it involves speeding.

For Cruising

When cruising you should maintain tightness of 4 to 5. This is so that you can concentrate more on stability than speed while cruising.

You do not intend to perform any tricks; you just want to enjoy the journey.

 Tricks

If you are attempting tricks, your hold overriding is likely strong. You must choose the tightness based on your needs and the kinds of stunts you intend to execute.

 For Skate Ramps

Maintain a tightness of 8 to 10 for skate ramps. You must have more control over the ride, which is why. Moreover, this will increase stability. But, you might need to slightly loosen the vehicles if you detect any hardness while your wheels are in contact with the ground.

Pros

• Tight trucks are ideal for kickflips since you can hang your heel off the edge of the board with ease. This makes it less likely for your skateboard to swerve off the side.
• They are considered healthier for your ankles.
• Helps you ride more comfortably and prevent tiredness.

Cons

• The tightening trucks for beginners are difficult to manage and can be problematic.
• Do not turn very readily, and they also make it very challenging for you to align yourself with any obstacles.
• These may create problems since they cannot function properly with imperfect landings.

How Loose the Skateboard Truck Should be

Your trucks should ideally be loose enough to allow you to skate past obstacles with ease. So, your trucks ought to be able to turn without getting stuck.

They should not be too loose, either, as that might also cause issues. It will be more difficult to manage your speed and maneuvers if your trucks are too loose. Which could result in catastrophic harm.

found a kids skateboard at work, this mf had the most loose trucks I’ve ever felt in my life. In the work boots too lmao pic.twitter.com/5GhP3byo2S

— yungmaple (@yung_maple) September 9, 2022

The best way to check this is to slide your finger back and forth between the truck and the deck. The trucks need to be loosened if there is excessive resistance, which indicates that they are excessively tight.

How to Loosen Skateboard Trucks

The process of how to loosen trucks is similar to how they can be tightened. You will need a skate tool or any similar tool to help you loosen the large nut that is located close to the center of the truck on the back of your board if you want to loosen your trucks.

To loosen the trucks, simply crank the knob anticlockwise. Check to see whether you like how they feel after a small amount of loosening. To ensure that you don’t loosen them excessively, keep checking.

The benefits and drawbacks of maintaining tight skateboard trucks are listed below

Pros

• They facilitate turning without requiring you to press on the deck’s tail.
• They facilitate improved riding fluidity.
• A pleasant ride is guaranteed because you will be considerably more equipped to manage obstacles.
• You can ride carefree without worrying about a perfect landing.

Cons

• These might make the ride a little unsteady.
• They are not particularly effective with trickery.
• Your ankles won’t benefit much from them.
• With loose trucks, high speeds are not possible.

Skateboard Parts

There are essentially three aspects that matter when it comes to skateboard components:

• The trucks
• The deck
• The wheels

There are actually 12 different bits that matter, though, if you are a competitor. Each of these components needs to be precisely calibrated and in operation at all times, exactly like an automobile, at least if you want a pleasant ride.

In the skateboard parts diagram, grip tape and bearings are also shown as the essential component of the skateboard.

You Can Also Read : How to Measure Skateboard Trucks 2023 | Size Guide

Setting up Skateboard Trucks

You can set up skateboard trucks by following the steps given below:

• Wrap the deck in grip tape. 

• Make holes in the grip tape for the truck nuts by popping them open. A skateboard has 8 holes drilled into it for the 8 trucks’ bolts that secure the trucks to the board. To make holes precisely, use an Allen key.

• Through the grip tape and deck’s holes, insert the eight truck bolts. If you have directional bolts, you should typically insert the two colored bolts into the holes that are closest to the deck’s nose. When you’re out skating, it’s simple to determine which way around your skateboard is. Deck holes should receive truck bolts.

• Tighten the truck bolt nuts after attaching your vehicles. Use hand tools to tighten the bolts; power equipment can overtighten and undermine the deck by generating stress cracks. Make sure your trucks are positioned correctly; the large kingpin nuts should be facing each other in the direction of the center of the board. If you do this incorrectly, your skateboard will tip over.

• Put the wheels’ bearings in place. Each wheel needs two bearings, which should fit snugly into each side. Place two bearings on a truck axle that is facing up, then slide the wheel over the axle and the bearings until you feel the bearing slide into place. This is an easy way to accomplish this. Simply turn the wheel over and apply pressure to the subsequent bearing. Repeat for all four wheels. You might need to push firmly since some wheels can be difficult to push onto bearings. NEVER ‘slam’ bearings into wheels with a hammer. Because skateboard bearings are not made to withstand side loads, a hammer blow will destroy your new bearings.

• Connect the truck axles to the wheels. To keep the bearings from binding, make sure each side of the wheel has a little Speed Ring Washer. As you gradually tighten the axle nuts, make sure the wheel can still spin freely but not too much can cause the axle to shift up and down.

• Congratulations, your skateboard is ready to ride.

How to Tell the Front of a Skateboard

You have to follow five steps for this:

• Examine the graphic; it should be directed.
• Look at the shape; the front is the higher, longer end.
• Make a grip tape mark.
• Implement colorful hardware.
• Use a wheel of different colors.

Conclusion

Finding the ideal balance that works best for you will be easy if you continue practicing the modifications.

Your performance will be enhanced, and the trip will become a lot simpler as a result. Picking the appropriate degree of tightness for yourself requires considering your needs as well as the route you have taken.

Having stated that, it is impossible to determine the ideal degree of tightening or loosening. Simply experiment with the settings until you find your sweet spot. Good fortune!

Hope you will get enough information for loose vs tight trucks.

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