Setting up your longboard trucks correctly is crucial for downhill skating. Your trucks impact stability at high speeds, sliding performance, and overall comfort. They’re arguably the most important component of your setup, and this guide will show you how to optimize them for downhill riding.
Understanding Longboard Trucks for Downhill
Choosing the Right Type of Trucks
For downhill longboarding, reverse kingpin (RKP) trucks are the preferred choice. RKP trucks offer the best balance of lean, turn, and stability at high speeds. They are designed with the kingpin positioned further out from the axle, which contributes to their enhanced turning and stability.
Reverse Kingpin (RKP) trucks are ideal for downhill due to their enhanced stability and turning
Traditional kingpin (TKP) trucks, commonly found on skateboards, are not ideal for downhill. While they offer good turning at low speeds, they lack the necessary stability for high-speed downhill runs.
Baseplate Angles: Finding Your Fit
RKP trucks come with different baseplate angles, primarily 50-degree and 45-degree (or around that, such as 43 or 44 degrees) variants. 50-degree baseplates are better for cruising and carving, while 45-degree baseplates are optimized for downhill skating, offering superior stability and control at higher speeds. While you can use 50-degree trucks for downhill, 45-degree trucks provide a better learning experience for beginners focusing on fast riding and sliding.
It’s essential to research and read reviews before settling on a particular truck model. Online communities, like the #whatgearshouldIbuy hashtag, Reddit threads, and reviews on skateboarding forums, can provide valuable feedback from experienced riders. For a beginner, Paris trucks are highly recommended due to their quality and reliability. Other excellent brands include Caliber, Arsenal, Rogue, Ronin, Bolzen and Bear trucks, all dedicated to longboard manufacturing, ensuring quality and performance.
Note: Precision and forged trucks are typically unnecessary for beginners. These high-end trucks are best suited for advanced riders consistently exceeding 40mph and are more of a luxury than a necessity for those just starting out.
Why 45-Degree Trucks are Superior for Downhill
The 45-degree angle of the kingpin on these trucks allows them to lean and turn in a more balanced manner. This provides the rider with both stability when going fast and sufficient turning for comfortable cornering. This optimal balance is key for both control and confidence during downhill runs.
A 43-degree baseplate illustrates the subtle angles that impact a truck's responsiveness and stability
A truck that leans too much without turning can feel unresponsive at low speeds. On the other hand, if it turns excessively without leaning, it can lead to speed wobbles when you’re going fast. 45-degree trucks offer the best compromise, making them ideal for beginners as they provide stability up to around 30mph while still offering good turning ability. This angle is also more conducive to learning slides, allowing for smoother transitions between gripping and slipping.
Split Trucks: An Advanced Setup
Split trucks involve using a higher angle truck in the front than in the back, such as 45-degree in the front and 30-degree in the rear. This configuration enhances turning, primarily from the front, similar to how a car turns. Lowering the rear truck angle increases stability at high speeds, as wobbles typically originate at the back of the board. Many downhill skaters who ride at 60mph and over use split trucks with varying angle combinations, such as 50/30, 45/25 or 43/28, to fine-tune their setup.
Split longboard trucks show different baseplate angles, where the lower angled truck hanger is closer to parallel with the ground
However, as a beginner, you should focus on symmetrical setups (same angle on both trucks), as the intricacies of split trucks can be overly complicated and expensive and may lead to bad habits if you are not experienced. Split setups require careful selection of baseplates, bushings, washers, and hangers, and may hinder your ability to slide when starting out. Stick with symmetrical 45/45 trucks initially, before experimenting with split trucks.
When to Consider Split Trucks
Split trucks should be considered when you’ve mastered basic sliding techniques, can reliably stop at 30mph, and are consistently skating faster than 40mph. Beginners should focus on building a solid foundation with symmetrical trucks to ensure good habits, as split trucks can exacerbate poor technique and lead to speed wobbles later. For instance, putting too much weight on the back foot, which split trucks might enable at low speeds, can be disastrous at higher velocities. It’s best to become skilled and knowledgeable with standard trucks first.
Downhill skateboarding requires a solid foundation of skills and understanding of equipment setup before moving to advanced configurations
Hanger Size and Rail Matching
The hanger is the part of the truck that the wheels are attached to and typically ranges from 150mm, 165mm, to 180mm (approximately 8.5, 9.2, and 10 inches, axle to axle). Matching the hanger width to your deck is called rail matching, and it’s a critical step for optimal control.
Truck hangers are measured in width, and matching the hanger to the deck width is crucial for optimal control
For example, a 10-inch deck should be paired with 180mm hangers, and a 9.5-inch deck with 165mm hangers, ensuring the width of the deck and trucks are roughly equal. For beginners, 165mm or 180mm hangers are recommended, as narrower hangers are more responsive and can feel unstable at first, particularly when sliding.
Bushings: The Key to Truck Performance
Bushings, the rubber components within the trucks, act as suspension, dictating how your truck leans and turns. They are available in different durometers (hardness) and shapes. Heavier riders need harder bushings, while lighter riders will benefit from softer ones. For beginners, barrel bushings are a great starting point due to their balanced feel in lean and turn. Most trucks come with manufacturer-provided bushings, but these are not optimal. Upgrading to a quality aftermarket brand is highly recommended. Reputable bushing brands include Riptide, Venom, Hardcore, and Skate Blood Orange.
Longboard bushings come in different durometers and shapes, and affect how the truck leans and turns
Here are some general starting points for bushing durometers:
- Under 130lbs: 85a bushings
- 140-160lbs: 87a bushings
- 160-190lbs: 90a bushings
- 200lbs+: 93a or 95a bushings
Experimenting with various durometers is key to achieving your ideal feel, so don’t hesitate to try out a range of options to find the sweet spot. If you have a local skate shop, visit and talk with experienced staff or skaters for guidance on the best bushings for you.
Washers: Fine-Tuning Your Ride
Washers, which sit on either side of the bushings, affect the way they compress, thus altering the feel of your trucks. Common types include flat washers, cupped washers, small flat washers, Amish (tophat) washers, and Amish cupped washers. As a beginner, flat and cupped washers will be the most relevant.
Skateboard/longboard washers interact with bushings and affect their compression and the overall feel of the trucks
Cupped washers force bushings to compress more, restricting the turn, while flat washers allow for more movement. Amish washers add more resistance, making turning feel more deliberate. For beginners, a setup with cupped washers all around offers a good balance of stability and turning. However, trying out flat washers all around can give you a new feel. Avoid Amish washers until you’ve gained more experience.
Wheelbase: Impacting Your Ride
The wheelbase is the distance between your trucks. This can be measured from axle to axle or, more commonly, between the inner mounting holes on your deck.
The wheelbase can be measured from axle to axle, and is a key aspect of your board's handling
The wheelbase can also be measured from mounting hole to mounting hole, which is often how manufacturers specify it
While shorter wheelbases are popular among experienced riders (between 22-24 inches), a beginner should focus on a wheelbase between 25 and 27 inches. This will offer good stability, maneuverability and makes sliding easier to learn. Shorter wheelbases can be paired with split trucks to enhance responsiveness but make sliding harder, so they are not recommended for beginners.
Other Important Tips
Kingpin Tightness
Avoid over-tightening the kingpin, which causes bushings to bulge out. This hinders performance, accelerates wear on bushings, and won’t help you become a better rider. Instead, invest in harder bushings if your trucks feel too loose.
Experimentation
As previously mentioned, experimenting with bushings and washers is crucial in finding your perfect setup. Start with the recommendations, but try different options. Your personal riding style will dictate what works best for you.
Washer Combinations
Different washer combinations can drastically change how your trucks feel. Here are some common configurations and their effects:
- Cupped washer top, flat washer bottom: More center feel, plenty of lean, good for slides.
- Flat washer top, flat washer bottom: Less center feel, more lean and truck movement.
- Small flat washer top, flat washer bottom: Little to no center feel, with increased turn at the end of the lean.
- Flat washer top, cupped washer bottom: Good turn, less lean.
- Amish flat washer bottom, flat washer bottom: Less center feel, lot of lean, and the truck fights back.
- Flat washer, Amish flat washer bottom: Bouncy feel when leaning, quicker lean, but trucks don’t want to lean as far.
- Cupped washer both sides: Good center, but limited lean and turn. Good for stand up slides on symmetrical trucks.
Consider using a cupped washer on top and a flat washer on the bottom for stand up slides. For downhill, a cupped washer at the top of the front truck or all around can improve stability. For slides, a flat washer at the bottom will help increase lean and make it easier to push into the wheels.
Adjusting the Back Kingpin
If you require some additional stability, try tightening the back kingpin by a half or full turn. This can improve your confidence and help the back truck slide out before the front, aiding in learning to slide.
Patience and Practice
Downhill skating can feel intimidating when starting out. Don’t let initial failures discourage you. It takes time to build muscle memory and strength in the relevant muscles. If you are using high-quality equipment, like the options recommended above, you will improve with more practice. Keep at it and you’ll see significant progress.
Conclusion
Dialing in your trucks is a crucial and satisfying part of downhill skateboarding. Use this guide as a starting point and continue to research, experiment and learn. The effort you put into optimizing your trucks will pay off in improved performance and enjoyment. Start experimenting and discover your own perfect setup.
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Related Articles:
- Skateboarding basics: How to balance on your skateboard and push
- How to tuck: Downhill skating basics
- How longboarders skate downhill roads safely
- Best wheels for learning to slide
- How to pick your first skateboard for downhill skating
You can also check out our post on the best longboard trucks in the world for more information on different brands.
