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San Leandro, CA – Skate Shop News: Do You Know What Your Trucks Are Made Of??

BY: Keith Halterman, Orbit Skate And Boutique

There are two common ways of making skateboard trucks: Die casting and gravity casting.

Both require two moulds with the shape of the preferred truck shape – a lower and an upper mould. The two moulds are placed on top of each other and filed with an Aluminum metal mix which makes the trucks light, hard, and durable.

Gravity casting means that the metal is filled into the mould by letting gravity pull in the mix. In this process the metal is slowly dropping into the mould carefully filling each corner and preventing air bubbles from being created. While the process is very time consuming, the trucks are more durable than commonly die casted trucks. Die casting means that the metal mix is being pressed into the mould under high pressure. Die casting speeds up the manufacturing process and allows the metal to be squeezed into small corners that otherwise could not be reached.

Light trucks are often shaved down to the minimum of metal required. These trucks often come with very precise and thin edges and corners. These trucks can only be made by die casting.

Some very few truck manufacturers world wide, use a special technique of pushing in the gravity casted metal. This enables trucks to be made, with clean edges and small details, while not creating air bubbles. The trucks are then colored and printed on. The design is either applied by screen printing or by dipping the truck into a pool of liquid with a thin film of the preferred design on top. This enables a full truck print.

The top part of the truck is screwed to the deck and is called the baseplate, and beneath it is the hanger. The axle runs through the hanger. Between the baseplate and the hanger are bushings, also rubbers or grommets, that provide the cushion mechanism for turning the skateboard. The bushings cushion the truck when it turns. The stiffer the bushings, the more resistant the skateboard is to turning. The softer the bushings, the easier it is to turn. Bushings come in varying shapes and urethane formulas, which may affect turning, rebound and durability. A bolt called a kingpin holds these parts together and fits inside the bushings. Thus by tightening or loosening the kingpin nut, the trucks can be loosened for increased turning or tightened for more stability. The standard kingpin nut size is ​3⁄8 – 24 UNF. The position of the hanger with respect to the baseplate is determined by the pivot, a rod that slots into the corresponding seat in the baseplate. The pivot stops the hanger from rotating around the kingpin. The pivot must allow some movement around the bushings and therefore is not a perfect fit. The space between the pivot and its seat in the baseplate is filled by a pivot cup, a plastic part that takes most of the wear and tear off the pivot and assists in centering. The pivot cup should be periodically lubricated to ensure a smooth turn.

In general, an axle width should be chosen that is close to the width of the deck it will be used with.[10] For example, a 7.75 in (19.7 cm) wide deck will usually be fitted with trucks that have axles between 7.5 in (19.1 cm) wide and 8.0 in (20.3 cm) wide. (Standard truck axle nut size is ​5⁄16 – 24 UNF, and the thinner “jam” style with an optional nylon lock.) Trucks that are too wide can make doing tricks difficult and can cause the wheels to get in the way when the skateboard is being ridden. Trucks that are too small reduce stability and can cause wheel bite to occur more easily when turning.

Longboard-specific trucks are a recent development. A longboard truck has the kingpin laid at a more obtuse angle (usually between 38 and 50 degrees[11]) to the deck, giving a greater degree of turning for the same tilt of the deck. Many longboard-specific trucks also have a reverse kingpin arrangement with the kingpins facing outward.

Come check out our huge selection of ALL TYPES of skateboard trucks at Orbit Skate!!

“Best Skateboard Shop in San Leandro, CA”

Top Rated Local Skateboarding Shop / Store / Services

Alameda County: San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Castro Valley, Oakland, Piedmont, CA

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“Best Skateboard Shop in San Leandro, CA”

Top Rated Local Skateboarding Shop / Store / Services

Alameda County: San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Castro Valley, Oakland, Piedmont, CA

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Keith Halterman

Orbit Skate And Boutique

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15206 East 14th Street,
San Leandro, CA 94578, USA

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15206 East 14th Street,
San Leandro, CA 94578, USA

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BIO: When you come to Orbit, you can find everything from skateboards and skateboarding equipment to cool and unusual collectibles. Visit our website to check out some of our products, or stop by our store in San Leandro. Orbit Skate Shop is a full service custom skate boarding shop and boutique located in the East Bay Area

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San Leandro, CA – Skate Shop News: Do You Know What Your Trucks Are Made Of??