Get Informed - Skateboards

Glossary

Skateboard Anatomy

Term: Board
Corresponding Part: Deck

Description:
Also known as the deck, this is the infamous wooden platform on which trucks are mounted to the bottom and griptape is applied to the top. The nose and tail of the board are, typically, concaved and raised slightly to provide a more functional kicktail for the rider.

Additional Info:
Industry standard boards typically consist of 7 or 9 plies of hard maple wood laminated together and pressed into whatever concave shape makes skateboarders happy. Most technical decks are in the range of 7.25 to 8.5 inches wide and between 29" and 33" inches long (longboards and the increasingly popular 'old school' board shapes vary much greater in width and length). Being made of wood and stomped on ruthlessly by aggressive human beings, decks do break frequently. Despite this, wood is continually used due to it's comfortable, responsive nature.

Term: Nose
Corresponding Part: Deck

Description: The nose is the front kicktail of your skateboard. It is usually slightly broader than the tail.

Term: Tail
Corresponding Part: Deck

Description: The tail is the rear kicktail of your skateboard. It is usually slightly smaller than the nose.

Term: Mounting Holes
Corresponding Part: Deck

Description: There are eight mounting holes in the board, four near each kicktail, drilled to allow attachment of the trucks to the deck. Mounting holes for industry standard decks and trucks are a specified size so any standard truck should fit any standard deck.

Additional Info: Non-standard skateboard decks and trucks often will not be compatible with their industry standard counterparts.

Term: Ply
Corresponding Part: Deck

Description: A ply is one layer of wood in a skateboard deck. Most technical skateboard decks are either 7 or 9 plies of hardwood maple.

Additional Info: Some decks utilize a layer (or ply) of fiberglass for strength and rigidity.

Term: Laminates
Corresponding Part: Deck

Description: Laminates are the glues used to adhere one ply in a deck to another.

Additional Info: The laminates used for skateboard decks are harmless in a dry board, but are highly toxic during the laminating process.

Term: Wheel Base
Corresponding Part: Deck

Description: The wheel base of a skateboard deck is the distance between the inside mounting holes on a board, essentially the distance between two mounted trucks.

Additional Info: Generally, the longer your legs are the wider you'll want your wheel base. There's no need to get too concerned about this though since board length is more important and the wheel base varies accordingly. Ultimately, comfort is priority one and only you can decide what feels best to ride.

GRIP TAPE

Term: Griptape

Description: Griptape is the sandpaper like sheet that is applied to the top of the deck. It is usually 9" wide by 33" long and is self adhesive. The Griptape is grainy because in order to have control and traction of your skateboard, you need a substance that will catch and grab all the movement of your feet.

TRUCK PARTS

Term: Axle
Corresponding Part: Truck

Description: The axle is a metal rod that runs through the truck hanger, protruding a couple of inches on either side. One wheel is inserted on either end and held in place by the axle nut.

Additional Info: Occasionally, after much abuse, a truck axle will begin to "slip." When this happens the truck axle slides a bit to one side, loosening one wheel and tightening the other. Tapping it back into position will remedy this temporarily - but if your trucks are this thrashed it may be a good idea just to invest in a fresh pair. The diameter of every industry standard truck axle is the same; however, lengths vary to accommodate different deck widths.

Term: Axle Nut
Corresponding Part: Truck

Description: An axle nut is threaded onto the truck axle to hold the wheel in place.

Additional Info: After much abuse, the axle nut and/or the end of the axle itself can become worn enough that removing or attaching the nut becomes difficult if not impossible. If this happens, try flipping the nut upside down, using a different nut, or replacing the truck altogether.

Term: Bushing
Corresponding Part: Truck

Description: Bushings are donut-shaped urethane pieces that are inserted onto the kingpin of a truck. There are 2 bushings per truck, 1 above and 1 below where the hanger fits onto the kingpin. Adjusting the kingpin nut to tighten or loosen the bushings will adjust the turning radius and response of the truck itself. Tighter bushings mean stiffer trucks and less chance of wheel bite, while loose bushings make for easier turning but a greater chance of wheel bite disaster.

Additional Info: Sometimes new bushings will be naturally stiff, causing the truck hanger to be offset and your wheels to rest unevenly on the ground. Don't flip out, this is fairly common. To correct this, just start skating and make a point to turn a bunch in both directions on each truck, forcing the urethane bushings to soften up a bit. Also, not all bushings fit every truck.

Term: Baseplate
Corresponding Part: Truck

Description: This is the component of a truck that is physically attached to the board with the mounting hardware. A baseplate consists of the plate itself (with 4 or 6 mounting holes) and it's supported kingpin with pivot cup. The truck hanger then fits snugly into the pivot cup and over the kingpin, which is held in place by the king pin nut.

Term: Hanger
Corresponding Part: Truck

Description: The truck hanger is fastened to the kingpin and rests in the pivot cup of the baseplate. It contains the axle on which your wheels are mounted and provides the surface we so relentlessly grind on.

Additional Info: Hangers are brand specific, meaning they are not interchangeable with other truck companies' baseplates.

Term: Pivot Cup
Corresponding Part: Truck

Description: A pivot cup is a plastic cup-shaped piece that rests inside the baseplate and supports the trucks hanger at the pivot point, allowing it to turn smoothly in either left or right directions.

Additional Info: After much abuse, a pivot cup may begin to wear down in spots causing the truck hanger to pivot unevenly. If this happens, a replacement pivot cup is a good investment.

Term: King Pin
Corresponding Part: Truck

Description: The kingpin is a partially threaded bolt protruding from the baseplate that supports the bushings and truck hanger. The axle nut at the end can be adjusted to loosen or tighten the turning capacity of your truck.

Additional Info: Some trucks' king pins are replaceable.

Term: King Pin Nut
Corresponding Part: Truck

Description: The king pin nut, which keeps the truck hanger and bushings in place, can be adjusted to tighten or loosen your trucks.

Term: Riser
Corresponding Part: Truck

Description: Drilled with mounting holes to fit, a riser is a plastic platform mounted between the truck and deck. A riser increases the clearance between the top of a wheel and the bottom of the deck thus reducing the chance of wheel bite, as well as slightly raising the rider's center of gravity.

Additional Info: Risers range from 1/8" to 1", though typically 1/8" to 1/4" is the largest you'll need.

HARDWARE

Term: Hardware

Description: Hardware is sold in a set of 8 bolts and 8 nuts. Hardware allows you to connect your deck to your trucks. Skate Warehouse has a large selection of sizes and brands. The size of the risers you choose for your complete will dictate which size hardware you should use.

WHEEL PARTS

Term: Bearing Seat
Corresponding Part: Wheel

Description: The bearing seat of a wheel is part of its core and keeps the bearing vertically positioned and centered inside the wheel. 1 bearing is fitted against each side of the bearing seat of a wheel.

Additional Info: Spacers act as a kind of additional bearing seat, keeping the center rings of both bearings equally spaced and vertically positioned.

Term: MM/mm
Corresponding Part: Wheel

Description: MM or mm is the diameter (or height) of a skateboard wheel in millimeters.

Additional Info: The typical size range of wheels for street and vert skateboarding ranges from 45-60mm. Thicker risers may be required to allow enough clearance under the board to prevent wheelbite when using larger wheels.

Term: Durometer
Corresponding Part: Wheel

Description: Durometer is the international standard for the hardness measurement of rubber, plastic, and other nonmetallic materials. There are several types of durometers, each designed to measure a particular range of materials. Skateboard-wheel urethane is most commonly measured on the A scale, however B and D have become more recently adopted by some companies for accuracy and dual-durometer wheels. 99A, 82B, and 45D

Term: Core
Corresponding Part: Wheel

Description: Cores are the center of the wheel where you will insert the bearing. Some wheels are designed with a core of higher durometer urethane to increase durability and sometimes decrease weight. Cores can also be made from solid plastic or hollowed out plastic. Core designs vary from brand to brand.

BEARING PARTS

Term: ABEC
Corresponding Part: Bearing

Description: (Annual Bearing Evaluation Committee) Ratings follow numerical values of 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and are precision ratings as to how well a bearing performs under high speeds in a straight line.

Additional Info: Considering the fact that the ABEC rating is applied for industrial machine operations and purposes, ABEC means very little in skateboarding. The fact is, Skateboarding introduces forces and strains that a bearing was never intended to handle. Side loads and high energy impact can break down a bearing at any rating level.

Term: Bearing
Corresponding Part: Bearing

Description: Skateboard bearings allow for the rolling motion of a wheel on its axle. They consist of 6, 7 or 8 balls enclosed in races between two shields encased in a disc like body. 2 bearings, 1 on each side, are inserted into every wheel, totaling 8 bearings necessary for a complete skateboard.

Additional Info: Industry standard skateboard bearings are of one universal size. The shields of some bearings are removable to allow for cleaning and lubrication.

Term: DelrinCrown
Corresponding Part: Bearing

Description: Delrin crowns hold and separate the individual balls within a bearing. By keeping the ball bearings lubricated and clean within their delrin crowns, you can lengthen the life and strengthen the performance of your bearings.

Additional Info: Crowns are also sometimes called retainers or cages.

Term: Bearing Shield
Corresponding Part: Bearing

Description: The bearing shield is essentially the side of the bearing, which keeps dirt from getting in and the ball bearings and/or delrin crowns from falling out. Often there is a C clip to keep the shields in place.

Additional Info: Some bearings shields are removable to allow for cleaning and maintenance. Bearings with removable bearing shields include:

Term: Bearing C Clip
Corresponding Part: Bearing

Description: The C clip is a mechanism for locking bearing shields in place. It's basically a thin C-shaped wire that fits tightly into a groove around the outside perimeter of the bearing shield to hold it in place against the bearing casing. Not all bearings have them, but those that do can typically be taken apart for cleaning and maintenance.

Term: Lubricant
Corresponding Part: Bearing

Description: Lubricant is the sauce that keeps your bearings rolling quick and quiet. It is a synthetic blend of low viscosity, high speed oils that minimize friction within the bearing and allow them stay spinning smooth.

Additional Info: New bearings are already lubricated but due to the abuse we dish out they do get dirty after a while. It's a good idea to maintain your bearings on a monthly basis.

Term: Spacer
Corresponding Part: Bearing

Description: A spacer is a tubular piece that fits within the bearing seat of a wheel, between the two bearings, to keep them evenly spaced and vertically aligned. Spacers are not necessary, but they do slightly improve the performance and durability of your bearings.

Additional Info: Some bearings include a set of spacers, though most do not.

Term: Casing
Corresponding Part: Bearing

Description: The casing is the disc like metal body of a bearing in which the shields, crowns and balls are housed.

Term: Ball Bearings
Corresponding Part: Bearing

Description: The balls in a bearing are contained by delrin crowns that allow the bearing casing to spin around them.

Additional Info: Most bearings contain 7 ball bearings.

Information provided by www.skatewarehouse.com

Assemble a Skateboard

• Skate tool
• Phillips-head screwdriver
• Flathead screwdriver
• Allen
• Utility knife
• 2 trucks (axles)
• 4 wheels
• 8 bearings
• 1 deck
• 2 riser pads (optional)
• Sheet of grip tape
• Hardware (8 bolts and screws skate board bolts and screws)
• Hole Punch (optional)

1. Peel back a small portion (2 inches is usually just enough) of the backing on the grip tape. Center the tape over the nose of the board, leaving about a 1/2-inch of tape hanging over the nose. Smooth the grip tape down onto the board, starting with the nose. Work slowly and only expose 2 inches at a time, pressing firmly as you move down the board.
2. Scrape off an outline of the edge of the board in the grip tape with a flathead screwdriver. Use the utility knife to cut around the board where you made an outline in the grip tape and remove the trim.
3. Place one bearing on the end of the skate key. Use uneven pressure to press the bearing into the wheel groove. Repeat until the bearings are installed into the wheel groove of all 4 wheels.
4. Assemble the trucks by sliding on the first washer, then the wheels, then the second washer and finally the axle nut. Tighten the axle nut completely, then slowly loosen the nut again until the wheel spins freely.
5. Punch through the griptape to expose the holes in the deck for the mounting hardware, using either a hole punch or one of the bolts from the truck assembly. Slip the bolts through the holes from the top side through to the underside.
6. Slide the trucks onto the bolts with the bushings facing inward. Tighten the bolts on the truck with the Allen wrench.
7. Turn the skateboard upright and place on a flat surface to check that the wheels are all even. Slight unevenness can be expected and will adjust as the bearings settle. Extreme unevenness may require you to install risers between the trucks and the deck.

How to Buy A Skateboard

Selecting a Deck

• There are two general length classifications of skateboard; Traditional/Street: under 33 in; and Longboard: over 35 in.
• Traditional decks are most common, and most versatile, while longboards are generally used for cruising only and provide the rider a very "surfy" feel
• Length choice is a purely personal decision, although a general rule states that smaller skaters should choose shorter boards (for control).
• Street decks range between 7.5 in. and 8.25in., although some decks are wider and narrower.
• Width choice is also a purely personal decision, although smaller skaters (especially smaller footed skaters) will find a deck under 8 in. makes in easier to learn tricks.
• Most decks (except for some longboards) have a raised nose, tail and sides. This is called concave.
• The depth and overall shape of the concave has a dramatic effect on the response of the skateboard to the skater.
• The deeper the concave, the more aggressive the skater can be with their tricks.
• The more shallow the concave, the more forgiving the deck is for newer skaters.
• While each characteristic plays a role in over deck feel, it is the combination of all these factors from which a buying decision is made.

• Wood – The most common deck material. Almost all wooden decks are made from Canadian maple and consist of 7 to 9 plies (layers).
• Plastic – Some less expensive skateboards utilize plastic for the deck. While this material is cheaper and more durable than wood, it does not offer nearly the same responsiveness.

Selecting Trucks

• The size of trucks is determine purely by the deck width (although some skaters prefer a specific truck width) and range between 4.75 and 5.5 in.
• A slightly wider truck will offer a more stable landing platform and shorter turning radius, but will be heavier.
• Certain trucks can be found up to 7 in. This size truck is strictly used in conjunction with longboards.

• Every truck is made from various versions of alloy metal (although some inexpensive skateboards use plastic). Some truck manufacturers have begun experimenting with space age metals in their alloy, like titanium.
• Trucks also include a bushing, which is the mechanism by which a truck turns.

How to Choose Wheels

• Small/Street: Most common skateboard wheels are between 52mm and 60 mm. Smaller riders may find the smaller wheels to be lighter and easier to control. However, wheel size is very much a rider preference.
• Large/Longboard: Larger wheels (above 60mm) are almost exclusive to longboards. They are very fast and usually wider than smaller wheels.

• Hard/Street: All street skateboard wheels are considerably hard. The hardness is rated in a measurement called a durometer. Any wheel over 90a is considered to be ôhard." The harder the wheel, the more pop a skater can get, but the harder they will land.
• Soft/Longboard: Large wheels are also usually soft wheels (less than 90a durometer). The softness of these wheels creates a much smoother ride and offers more traction than a harder/smaller wheel.