What is Wheelbite (How to Prevent It)

What is Wheelbite? It’s inevitable that you’ll hear the term “Wheel bite” if you’re new to skating or longboarding. As the tougher wheels are more forgiving, it is not a major issue from the perspective of traditional skating.

Rub a little bit of wax under your wheels as a preventative measure to reduce friction is does happen.

When using a setup with softer wheels, such as a longboard cruiser. In light of the fact that softer wheels will grip more, Wheelbite becomes a much bigger issue. This greatly raises the likelihood that you’ll consume it.

You probably won’t have to worry about acquiring it if you’re a novice and purchased a complete one with softer wheels. Ninety-nine percent of businesses test their settings, before releasing them. So before you ride, make sure.

We will inform you about what is wheelbite in this article.

How Can Wheel-Bite be Tested?

I typically push my trucks down to see how far my wheels can travel before biting. TY, Mixon, though advised removing the roadside bushing and lowering it with your hand,

You can use this to determine the tightest turning radius to see if the riser height is suitable.

I’ll go one step further and introduce carving. If you do get wheel bite skateboarding, slow down as much as you can so you can simply get off.

Using those techniques should enable you to capture wheel bite.

How Can Wheelbite Be Prevented?

People really get curious about what is wheelbite now, Let’s discuss some techniques to prevent wheel bite now that you are aware of what it is and how to test for it.

Vehicle Wheel Wax

As I briefly indicated above, you could add some wax or soap to the bottom of your deck if you absolutely don’t want to modify anything about your setup. However, this may not be a good option if you frequently get wheelbite, especially if your wheels are on the softer side.

Since I am aware that many individuals use their street installations in this manner, I felt compelled to bring it up.

Lockdown Trucks

Tightening your trucks would be the next sensible course of action.

You don’t want to tighten them up too much because doing so could damage your bushings and hasten their wear. My regular practice is to tighten my trucks till the bushing is engaged but not distorted.

Overtightening your trucks rather than switching to tougher bushings is a common mistake.

Therefore check to see if there is any additional space to tighten your trucks first.

Change the Bushings

The subsequent step would be a bushing swap, as you presumably predicted.

By making your bushings harder, you can reduce how much the truck leans, which will improve stability and minimize skateboard wheelbite.

The good news is that changing your bushings won’t add much height, which may worry some of you, especially if you skate on the street.

Downsize Wheelbite

You might also think about replacing your wheels with smaller ones. Wheel reduction is an alternative if you don’t want to tighten your trucks or replace your bushings.

Please keep in mind that you will slip more readily because smaller wheels have a smaller contact patch.

Insert Riser Pads

Get some riser pads if you don’t mind adding a little height, especially if you’re simply cruising.

You’ll need a ⅛’’, ¼’’, or even ½’’ riser, depending on how severe it is. For the majority of you, this is likely the best option.

If the wheels are bigger then the riser pads are also thick.

Wheel size (mm)	Riser size (inch)	7-Ply deck Hardware length (inch)	8-Ply or 9-Ply deck hardware length (inch)
49mm – 54mm	No risers	7⁄8″	1 1⁄8″
55mm – 56mm	No need if you ride trucks tight	7⁄8″	1 1⁄8″
55mm – 56mm	1⁄8″ if you ride loose trucks	1 1⁄8 – 1 1⁄4	1 1⁄4 – 1 1⁄2″
57mm – 58mm	1⁄8″	1 1⁄8 – 1 1⁄4	1 1⁄4 – 1 1⁄2″
59mm – 60mm	1⁄8″ – 1⁄4″	1 1⁄8″ – 1 1⁄4″	1 1⁄4″ – 1 1⁄2″

Conclusions

I sincerely hope you are able to resolve the issue; frequently, wheel bite can be avoided with a few minor adjustments. Waxing the wheel bite places is one thing I neglected to mention. Although it works well, there is a significant drawback. Imagine dropping in on a bowl or robbing a park with wax on your wheels. Your board might just go before you realize it; personally, I’d rather get wheel bite.

Wheel bite often occurs when you land a trick on the side of your deck without even realizing it. You can’t prevent wheel bite if you don’t see anything. When the issue actually impairs your ability to skate, fix it.

Hope you get your answer on what is wheelbite.

FAQ

What is the Skateboard Trucks Direction?

The short answer is “Kingpin in “, which is the fundamental rule to keep in mind at all times. When looking down at your board, your truck hangers on the nose and tail should be pointing outwards, and both of your truck kingpins ought to be facing each other. Your trucks won’t operate and turn together in any other manner than this.

Are Wheel Bites Common?

Wheel bite is a common occurrence when skateboarding, but it may be avoided by keeping your deck from being too thick or hard, checking your wheel trucks for bent or out-of-balance axles, and tightening all hardware.

How do Wheels Stop?

By depressing the pedals with your foot, you can prevent the braking casters from rolling on their own. For example, there are swivel-style brake casters that have a braking feature. The caster cannot roll when the pedal is depressed because of resistance.