Importantly, how tight or loose you keep your bushings also effects your skateboard's turn responsiveness. Some skateboarders choose different durometers for the top and bottom bushings. In addition to durometer, the shape of your skateboard bushings is also a big factor.
In recent years, skateboarders have been experimenting with different bushing shapes to accentuate their rides. Some bushings are symmetrical between the top and bottom, but in some sets the top and bottom bushing are shaped differently. The three basic shapes of skateboard bushings are conical, barrel, and eliminator. How these shapes are mixed and matched within a set leads to a handful of common bushing styles.
Here is a detailed breakdown of the basic bushing styles on the market today:. Bushing washers are round metal washers that fit under skateboard bushings on each truck, and are installed by simply sliding them on the kingpin. The purpose of bushing washers is to prevent the bushings from getting deformed by the pressure exerted on the trucks. A total of four bushing washers will be included when you purchase skateboard trucks.
In most sets, the washers will be all the same size, though some manufacturers will include two smaller washers for the top bushing and two larger washers for the bottom bushing.
So, from top to bottom around your kingpin, the setup should be as follows: bottom washer, bottom bushing, bushing seat, top bushing, top washer, lock nut. Bushing washers can be flat or slightly cupped at the edges. Flat washers allow the bushings more lateral slide, and allow them to stretch a bit more. Cupped washers restrict bushing movement, which further prevents the bushings from deforming or blowing out completely.
In other words, flat washers provide low resistance, and cupped washers provide higher resistance. The shape of bushing washer you choose should match up with the shape of bushing you're using in order to function properly. Also, be careful not to pair cupped bushing washers with overly soft bushings, as the edge can cut into the bushing and damage it. Simply put, a bushing seat is the indented spot around the hanger opening where the bushings will sit.
The kingpin fits through the opening, and the bushings are then fitted around the kingpin. The primary function of bushing seats is to support the bushings and keep them from compressing too much under the pressure of riding.
Because of their shape, they create a lot of lean resistance even if you have softer bushings. They have a larger surface like the barrel shapes but with an added indent on top.
Stepped bushings are also referred to as stepped barrels because of the similar shape. Besides tightness and stiffness, they also provide lots of rebound, meaning they snap back to the center quickly. Only suitable for longboarders that like speed and faster rides! This combination would be a nightmare on a regular skateboard. Combining a barrel on top with a stepped bushing on the bottom creates a lot of stability in the trucks. This is a good choice for downhill longboarding, where stability is more important than making sharp turns.
The stepped bushing provides stiffness and lean resistance allowing for a stable ride. This combination of bushing shapes on the top and bottom will give you lots of rebound.
Again, make sure to get cup washers to get even more stability. Cone-shaped bushings but the smaller surfaces are placed on top of each other. This makes a longboard very responsive and allows for a great carving and turning experience. Less suitable for downhill as the high velocities will cause the trucks to wobble. The larger surface area on top offers more resistance compared to barrel bushings and causes less shape distortion.
The bottom is the opposite when leaning and they offer great rebound. Add some cup washers if you want more stability.
The type of bushings you need depends on your weight. Your weight compresses the bushings when you turn and picking bushings that are too soft impacts balance. I noticed this when I picked up skateboarding again and gained some weight. It felt like my bushings were too loose.
If felt my skateboard slipping away under my feet, especially my back truck was all over the place in the mini ramp. After getting some harder bushings I finally got the stability back and could skate more confident. Heavier skaters should pick harder bushings but it also depends on your personal preference and style. The heavier you weight the harder your bushings should be in general. However, if you like to have your trucks tights you can go with softer bushings.
Riding tight trucks compresses the bushing making them less responsive and harder as they are squished together. This is a general indication and only meant for regular skateboards. Like wheels, bushings are measured by durometer. Durometer A is limited in scale, by using scale B manufacturers can produce harder wheels while the scale still makes sense.
Just keep in mind that Durometer A-scale is 20 points above durometer B-scale. Brand divide the hardness into 3 categories; soft, medium, and hard. In between the categories, the hardness varies. Soft bushings have a durometer below 90A or 70B. These turn the best and compress the easiest. They are suitable for lightweight skateboarders and people who prefer loose trucks. These are not suitable for speed maniacs as they become unstable causing your trucks to wobble.
Medium bushings are in the range of durometer 90A 70B and about 96A 76B. They still have the responsiveness and are great for all-around skateboarding. Hard bushings are in the range of durometer 96A 76B and higher. These provide the most stability but are harder when turning. They are also excellent for tighter trucks and higher speeds. Beware that not all brands classify soft, medium or hard bushings the same way so make sure to pick them according to your weight and the tightness of your trucks.
They have a huge impact on performance and stability. Another important factor is the way you tighten your trucks. If your trucks are too loose your deck becomes unstable, too tight might cause you to damage your bushings. Bushings can be maintained but sometimes you just need to replace them. Make sure not to show more than two threads on your kingpin when tightening your trucks.
Tightening the nuts too much could damage your bushings and pivot cups, instead, get a set of harder bushings. Both trucks should behave the same so try to evenly tighten them to make them behave the same. If, for example, your back truck is looser than your front your ride becomes unstable. Your board will start to wobble and turning will become harder. Having both trucks behave the same is especially beneficial when you skate switch a lot symmetrical skateboards only though.
In order to get most out of turning, get a set of soft cone bushings and a set of flat washers. Avoid wheelbite by making sure your trucks have the proper height or get a set of medium-soft bushings or soft bushings with cup washers. As for trucks, get a pair of high trucks. Go for barrel bushings, one on top and one at the bottom. Consider harder barrel bushings at the bottom combined with cup washers for maximum stability.
One distinct difference in washers is the shape, washers can be flat or have a cup-like shape. If you like to cruise, travel long distances and like carving get flat washers. Regular skateboarders only need cup washers, flat washers will cause your trucks to be all over the place. Flat washers offer a more consistent amount of resistance but have less rebound as it takes them longer to get back in place. Wider flat washers make turning a bit easier as they restrict the movement of your bushings more.
They also snap back in place sooner compared to narrow washers. Narrow flat washers allow more freedom of movement allowing for deeper carving. So we're looking here at brands like Bones and Independent. Decent aftermarket longboard trucks like Sabre, Paris, Bear, Caliber etc usually use around mm on the top, and mm for the bottom bushing.
Confusingly, if you have a set of cheaper longboard trucks like Globe's "Slant" trucks, you're probably looking at a shorter street-size bushing, as cheaper longboard trucks usually use shorter street style bushings. Check Independent Bushings or Bones Hardcores. Bottom line - measure your old bushings first! You've got a bit of wiggle room, and washers usually add about 1mm to each bushing. We hope this little guide helps you choose the right bushings for you - get in touch if you need more help deciding, we know what we're talking about and can certainly help you transform your longboard!
Decks Expand menu Collapse menu. Wheels Expand menu Collapse menu. Protection Expand menu Collapse menu. Spares Expand menu Collapse menu. Our top 6 picks for cruisers - click here Close. Truck Bushing Durometer explained Bushing size and shape Skate Truck Washer setup Make your trucks turn less with harder duros and bigger bushings on the boardside. How do you want your truck to feel? Here is where things get a bit more complex.
The bigger the difference between the two bushings, more you'll feel the flop and the stop. How much return-to-center do you want? Which size bushings I need in my trucks? Like so many things in skateboarding, there's no standard size for bushings. Refine view all. Wheel Style Bushings. Longboard Truck Parts. Bushing Size Longboard Truck Bushings. Skateboard Bushings.
Bushing Shape Cone Bushings. Barrel Bushings. Bushing Formula Sabre. Riptide Krank. Riptide WFB.
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