How to Loosen Skateboard Trucks

The tightening and loosening of skateboard trucks entirely depend on user experience, and it plays a major role in controlling the skateboard.

A sport that started with wooden boxes and roller skate wheels attached to the bottom has evolved over decades and is known as skateboarding today. Skateboarding originated between 1940-1960 in the U.S and today covers the category of action sport.

Today’s main topic of discussion is how to loosen skateboard trucks and how it can benefit your skating experience.

Kingpin and bushing are two components of the trucks. Skateboard truck adjustment depends upon kingpin and bushing. The tightening of trucks ensures that the kingpin is intact, and the loosening of trucks prevents the bursting of the bush. A skater that rides streets and skateparks needs to tighten his trucks to get more stability. And if you are into cruising, loose trucks offer better turning.

Too Loose Trucks

Too loose trucks are for those who like freestyle cruising and max turning capabilities.

Too Tight Trucks

When trucks are tight enough, turning a steep turn is not accessible. Loose trucks offer an advantage in this situation. While losing your balance loose trucks will keep your control on the board but if your trucks are tight than usual you might fall or step off the board.

How to loosen skateboard trucks

If you want to loosen skateboard trucks just lift your board and jerk the wheels, the movement of the wheels gives you an idea of how many loose bolts you need. This task needs to be done considerately.

Skateboard tools, t-tool, y-tool, piler, or socket wrench are pretty handy in doing this job.

Losing trucks using tools

Your skateboard and skateboarding tool kit are two significant things used in this process.

Take a wrench, piler, or skate tool and search for a big nut on your skateboard. Rotate the nut counterclockwise to loosen it. There is no set rule of how the nut must be just don’t go too loose or it might cause some serious accident.

How to tighten skateboard trucks

The kingpin is the main component in the center of the truck which needs to be tightened. The kingpin mainly controls the tightness and looseness of your trucks. For tightening the kingpin, it has to be rotated in a clockwise direction. Make sure to tighten in small intervals and check the tightness. Overtightening is not recommended

It is recommended to carry your skateboard tools with you if you are a beginner. It will help you in a lot of ways.

TIGHT TRUCKS PROS;

• While performing high-speed tricks, they give you increased stability with more balance.
• Wheel bites are not caused
• Speed wobble is reduced

TIGHT TRUCKS CONS;

• Turning and carving require the lifting of your front wheel.
• Over-tightening can burst the bushing, also known as shocks

Pros And Cons Of Loose Trucks

Skateboarders mostly enjoy cruising and prefer maximum and steep turning, for this style of skating, loose trucks are preferred. Loose trucks offer difficulty to land tricks on.

LOOSE TRUCKS PROS

• No need to lift the front wheels while turning.
• Can easily carve and cruise

LOOSE TRUCKS CONS

• Wheel bit can usually occur.
• Landing flip tricks made hard on loose trucks. 
• Beginners experience difficulty.

Over-Tightening Your Skateboard Trucks

Over-tightening might result in the possibility of bursting out the bushing. So you have to be extra vigilant while tightening your trucks. Just tighten the trucks in intervals and check for over-tightening. The bushing is also available in different hardness and softness, softer bushing gives you the feel of loose trucks, and tighter bushing makes the trucks feel tight.

It is important to carry skate tools along because sometimes the bushing may break inside. Adjustments and changes solely depend on your skating style.

To get the feel of loose trucks, soft bushings must be installed on skateboards, and adjustments are dependent on your skating style, for the feel of tight trucks, hard bushing must be installed. This way, you can also prevent blowing out your skateboard’s bushing.

Should Skateboard Trucks Be Tight Or Loose

Soft bushing and looser trucks are best for cruising and freestyle skating. Hard bushing and tighter trucks are recommended to ride street and skateparks. 

To find what is best for you, give time to skating, experience different styles and adjustments, and soon you will find your sweet spot.

When to Tighten Up Trucks;

The main highlight of tightening up your trucks is the speed. If you intend to ride fast, your trucks should be tightened for more control. Stability and control are offered only by tight trucks. If you’re planning to ride downhill in the near future, then tighten your trucks now to ensure safety. Tight trucks are useful in big play drops. Wheel bite is also prevented, which otherwise can cause fatal incidents.

Some final key points about tight trucks are, that they are much more suitable for your ankles compared to loose trucks. To prevent some serious ankle and foot injuries, it is recommended to skate with tight trucks. And they also let you skate sooner on your board once you have injured your foot.

When to Loosen Up Trucks;

Trucks provide a hindrance in your capability of turning and make lining up an obstacle difficult. If turning requires pressing down the tail of your skateboard, then it’s probably the right time to loosen your skateboard trucks. For those who are habitual in using tight skating trucks, you can improve your game by loosening them. 

The tightness of your trucks has some direct relation with skating transitions. Simply, for taller transition walls, the trucks used should be tighter. However, different transitions are spread all over concrete skateboarding parks.

Final Words;

Sometimes it is not just about the tightness or looseness of trucks; when you go extremely fast on your skateboard, encountering all the speed wobbles by pushing much faster than someone possibly could. Normally loose trucks are not fatal, but sometimes, tight trucks can cause fatal incidents in this situation. Tight trucks cause hindrances in turning. So, tight trucks can make you struggle when you have to avoid something fatal while skating.

Most skaters prefer their trucks somewhere between extremely tight and loose. It just depends on your skating experience, which develops with time and practice. It is advised to try out all the adjustments for your skateboard, so you can better tell which one is right for you.

Frequently asked questions:

Should I loosen my skateboard trucks?

Yes, if you never loosened your skateboard trucks, loosening them will bring positive change in your game. 

How can I loosen my truck without a skate tool?

You can use a wrench or a plier to loosen skateboard trucks.