Electric Skateboard Wheels Guide

Electric Skateboard Wheels Guide

Electric skateboard wheels are one of the parts we replace most often, compared to thousands of dollars of electric skateboards replacing the wheels is the most cost-effective way to upgrade, we can replace different tires when dealing with different roads, this is when you need to understand under what circumstances so what tires, the original purpose of writing this article is to hope that it can help those who are purchasing or understand because I also found when I was searching for There are so few instructional articles about motorized skateboard wheels, so I decided to write this one hoping to help you.

 The history of skateboard wheels is very long Skateboard wheels were first invented in the early 1900's when a group of kids fastened the wheels of their roller skates to a piece of steel plate, which was the original skateboard.

 It wasn't until the 1950s that the first commercial skateboards were made, but they still used metal wheels.

 By the 1960s, manufacturers realized that metal wheels were not suitable for skateboarding, so they tried making skateboards with clay wheels. However, clay wheels were not much better than metal wheels and were fast, bumpy, and difficult to control.

 It wasn't until the 1970s that Frank Nasworthy invented the urethane skateboard wheel. Noticing that urethane skateboard wheels performed better on roller skates, he thought they would work better on skateboards. Production of urethane wheels for skateboarding began and the sport began. in the mid to late 1970s, young people across the United States began to adopt skateboarding as a sport in its own right, rather than just a novelty activity. The first skateboard tricks and formal rules were also born in the 1970s.

 The skateboard wheel entered a new chapter in the 1990s when Louie Finkle invented the first motorized skateboard.

Numerous electric skateboard wheels have been derived until today.

The main types of electric skateboard wheels on the market are UP wheels, honeycomb wheels, inflatable wheels, and cloud wheels.

I will tell you how to choose a suitable electric skateboard wheel for you, starting from the introductory basics.

 

How should you pick electric skateboard UP wheels?

Wheels are very important for any land-based transportation.

Electric Skateboard Wheel Size Pros and Cons:

  • Larger wheels will increase speed but will limit acceleration

  • Smaller wheels are not as fast as larger wheels, however, they allow you to accelerate faster

  • Larger wheels are easier to ride on rough surfaces/terrain

  • smaller/stiffer wheels have less contact with the riding surface than larger/softer wheels slide more easily

Keep in mind that the list you see above is more of a general overview, and the first thing a rider should consider when looking at wheel sizes is deck clearance when turning.

Diameter

The diameter is important to note here, as not all electric skateboard wheels will fit underneath that board. Purchasing wheels that are too large will only bite the deck when turning.

This can cause serious injury if you are traveling at the proper speed and then try to turn.

Certain boards shouldn't have this much of a problem, while others shouldn't.

You should be careful when it comes to mini, cruiser, and pin tailboards. These boards are more likely to be affected by larger wheels biting into the underside of the deck.

Riser pads are always an option to provide you with more clearance, but this can only help to a certain extent.

Contact Pads/Wheel Width

A common misconception is that contact path and wheel width are interchangeable terms, but in reality, they are not.

Essentially, the contact path of a wheel is the width of the wheel that comes into contact with the riding surface as you move. The wheel width is the total width of the entire wheel.

The wider the contact area, the more grip the wheel has on the riding surface. Which one you choose to use is entirely up to you.

Electric skateboard wheels: explaining wheel durometer

Durometer measurements are used to assess the overall hardness of polymers, rubbers, and plastics. They are bound to specific scales (A, B, C, D, etc.).

For example: a 78a electric skateboard wheel is tougher than a 76a wheel.

The durometer now depends on your scale the higher the wheel the harder it is, which means you can go faster but you will feel more vibration.

Electric Skateboard Wheel Edges and Lips

Another factor to consider is the wheel edge and lip. For quickness, let's look at another quick summary of this consideration:

  • Square edge wheels can slow down skating speeds
  • Beveled and radius edge wheels allow for long slides
  • Square edge wheels provide maximum grip
  • Beveled and radius edge wheels glide smoother
  • For those not in the know, here is a quick overview of the different wheel shapes to help provide more background information:
  • Beveled Edge Wheel: this is the most common motorized skateboard wheel, the beveled wheel ID gives the beveled edge wheel better vibration dampening and provides better cornering performance.
  • Radius Edge Wheel: can make the electric skateboard skate longer distances, the vibration feeling is more obvious but tougher.
  • Square Edge Wheels: very good grip, but will lose more skating distance, suitable for traveling in professional race track.

    Special Recommendation

     Electric skateboard lighted wheels

    BASE CAMP® 96MM PU GLOW WHEELS

    Battery-free unique light-up design, avoid the pain of battery consumption, and light up the night! Add a little safety to your nighttime ride. Glowing wheels not only make it easier for pedestrians and traffic to see you as you cruise, but they also add a touch of wonder and awe to anyone's night. Exciting, motion-activated illuminated wheels add a sense of wonder to any ride.

    • Diameter: 96 mm
    • Width: 58 mm
    • Contact piece 58 mm
    • Style: Pointed Lip with Surface Skin
    • Housing: Offset
    • Core: High strength, high stiffness, heat-resistant polyurethane
    • Hardness: 80A

      Honeycomb Wheel

      Between the UP wheel and the inflatable wheel.

      Structure: honeycomb holes on the side wall do not need to be inflated, so they will not be punctured.

      Advantage: better shock absorption than PU wheels and more durable than inflatable wheels.

      Disadvantage: the weight is the heaviest, will lose a certain amount of skating distance.

      Pneumatic Wheel

      Pneumatic tires differ from PU tires in several ways. First of all, they usually use rubber for the tires.

      Structure: the tires have air tubes inside and are practically no different from regular tires, just smaller in size

       

      Benefits: The main benefit of pneumatic tires is that they absorb the impact of uneven terrain, giving you a smoother ride. You also typically get thicker tread for more traction on uneven surfaces, and another advantage is that you can adjust the tire's stiffness by increasing or decreasing the inflation. Of course, the range of adjustment is limited. If you over-inflate, you'll get a flat tire; if you under-inflate, you risk a blowout. Still, it gives you some control over the contact area. These wheels can be used on the road, but they don't slide as easily as polyurethane tires (on the sidewalk).

       

      The downside: is that they go flat once punctured, so they require regular maintenance, and these tires are the preferred choice of most off-road riders.

       

      Buying tip: It is recommended to buy the tires offered by the brand of electric skateboards used (if you are not sure if the other brand is right for you) because what the brand produces will always be the best fit, but not necessarily the best, read the article in detail if you want to get the best combination.

      Reading next

      Electric Skateboard Motor Buying Guide
      Electric skateboard decks, electric skateboards, mini electric skateboards, remote control skateboards

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