How to Choose Skateboard Trucks

Truck anatomy

Understanding truck parts makes every other truck decision easier:

• Baseplate: the flat plate that mounts to the deck with four bolts. The baseplate angle (usually 50° for street trucks, 45° for longboard/RKP trucks) determines how the truck turns in relation to lean.
• Hanger: the T-shaped casting that holds the axle. The hanger width is what "truck size" usually refers to — the axle extends further on each side to hold the wheels.
• Axle: the steel rod running through the hanger. Wheel bearings sit on the axle ends.
• Kingpin: the large bolt through the center of the hanger/baseplate pivot. Tightening the kingpin nut compresses the bushings and stiffens the truck.
• Pivot cup: a urethane cup in the baseplate that the hanger nose pivots in. Worn pivot cups cause noise and inconsistent turning.
• Bushings: two urethane donuts (roadside and boardside) that sit around the kingpin. They control turning stiffness and rebound.
• Truck height: measured from baseplate to the center of the axle. Higher = more wheel clearance; lower = lower center of gravity.

Axle width by deck size

The most important truck dimension is axle width. It should match your deck width as closely as possible. When the axle is too narrow, the board feels tippy; too wide, and the wheels stick out past the deck edge, which affects turns and grinds.

Trucks within 1/4\" of the deck width are acceptable. Going up to 3/8\" wider is sometimes done intentionally for extra wheel clearance in cruiser builds — the slightly wider axle gives a bit more lean range before wheel bite. But for street and park skating, precision matching is preferred for consistent grinding and ollie mechanics.

Low vs mid vs high trucks

Truck height — measured from the baseplate to the center of the axle — is the dimension that most directly affects wheel clearance and riding feel. Most major brands offer at least two heights (Lo and Hi); some offer three.

Low trucks place the deck closer to the ground, which lowers the center of gravity. This improves stability when landing tricks and reduces the leverage needed for kickflips and pop. However, low trucks have less wheel clearance — running wheels over 56mm without risers usually causes wheel bite.

Mid trucks are the most common choice for general skating. They balance clearance with stability, work with the widest range of wheel sizes, and are the default in most complete skateboards.

High trucks create more wheel clearance without needing riser pads. They're preferred for cruiser and carve builds where large, soft wheels (58mm+) are standard. The elevated deck height means a slightly higher center of gravity, which can feel less planted at speed but more responsive to carving weight shifts.

For borderline setups — say, 58mm wheels on a mid truck — check whether risers are needed using the Wheel Bite Calculator before your first ride.

Standard vs reverse kingpin

The kingpin's orientation determines the truck's fundamental turning geometry. This is the biggest structural difference between street trucks and longboard/cruiser trucks.

Standard kingpin (SKP)

The kingpin bolt points toward the center of the board (inward). All traditional street and park trucks use this design. SKP trucks are mechanically simpler, lower profile, and produce a characteristic turning feel where the board leans into turns with a distinct snap. The geometry makes them well-suited for tricks and grinding.

Most SKP trucks have a baseplate angle of 50–55°. Higher baseplate angles increase turn response at the cost of stability.

Reverse kingpin (RKP)

The kingpin bolt points outward. This geometry makes the truck turn more progressively — more lean produces more turn, in a smooth curve rather than the snap-and-lock feel of SKP trucks. RKP trucks are standard on longboards, cruisers, and most surfskate rear trucks.

Common RKP baseplate angles: 44° (more stable, suited for speed), 50° (all-round), 52°+ (very responsive, suited for tight carving). Pairing different angles front and rear is the core of surfskate and carve tuning — see the Surfskate Wedge Riser Guide for how wedge risers extend this further.

Do not mix SKP and RKP on the same board. The turn geometry is incompatible and the result will handle unpredictably.

Truck weight and materials

Most skateboard trucks are cast aluminum hangers with steel axles and kingpins. The weight varies considerably between models — a lightweight trick truck can be 20–30% lighter than a standard casting, which matters for how high you can pop and how the board feels in the air.

For most riders, standard cast trucks are perfectly fine. Hollow or forged options make a noticeable difference for technical skating where every gram of pop effort is meaningful, but the benefit is subtle and the price premium is significant.

Truck height and riser pads

Truck height is the first defense against wheel bite. Before adding a riser, check whether a taller truck would solve the problem without adding stack height — because riser pads also require longer bolts, which adds cost and complexity.

The interaction works like this:

• Low truck + 58mm wheel = almost certainly needs 1/4\" riser
• Mid truck + 58mm wheel = probably needs 1/8\" riser; sometimes none
• High truck + 58mm wheel = often no riser needed
• High truck + 65mm wheel = typically needs 1/4\" riser

Riser pads also interact with truck geometry beyond just clearance. A wedge/angled riser effectively changes the baseplate angle of the truck, which changes how it turns. This is useful for dialing in surfskate or cruiser feel, but adds complexity to an already nuanced system. Keep the riser stack as thin as practical — only add what's needed to eliminate bite.

See 3mm vs 6mm vs 10mm Riser Pads for a direct height comparison, and use the Bolt Length Calculator to get the correct hardware after adding risers.

Bushings and turning feel

All trucks ship with stock bushings, but replacing them is one of the cheapest and most impactful upgrades available. The stock bushings on most trucks are a compromise — medium hardness, generic shape — and swapping them for bushings matched to your weight and style transforms how the trucks feel.

The kingpin nut compresses the bushings. Tighter nut = stiffer turn. But there's a limit — over-tightening crushes the bushing beyond its working range and causes the truck to feel locked and dead. The correct tightness is firm enough that the board doesn't wobble at speed, but loose enough that it returns to center naturally after a turn.

See the full Skateboard Bushing Guide for durometer selection, bushing shapes (cone, barrel, eliminator), and boardside vs roadside configuration. See Truck Tightness Guide for how to set the kingpin nut for different riding styles.

Trucks by riding style

Popular truck brands

Most truck brands produce fundamentally similar products — the differences are in geometry details, bushing quality, hanger material, and weight. Here's a quick reference:

For most street and park riders, Independent, Thunder, or Venture are the default choices. For cruiser and longboard setups, Paris and Caliber offer the broadest compatibility with riser and wheel options. Surfskate setups are typically brand-specific — the front truck drives the whole system's character.