Trucks are the parts that hold the wheels on the skateboard and allow the rider to turn the wheels. If you've ever ridden a skateboard/e-skateboard, you must know how important it is. There's no skateboarding without trucks, and different trucks have many unique features, each of which changes skateboarding dramatically.

Let's start with the structure of the truck to help you understand it better. A skateboard truck consists of 7 components, each with its own function.

Skateboard trucks play a crucial role in determining the performance of your skateboard, and choosing the right skateboard truck can make a big difference in your skateboarding experience. To make an informed decision, it is important to understand the different components that make up a skateboard and how they work together to make the skateboard steer. Below is a breakdown of the main components of a skateboard:

• Base Plate: This is the part of the truck that is mounted on the deck. It is fitted with the main pins and pivot cups, both of which are vital for turning.
• Hanger: The hanger is the T-shaped part of the truck that holds the axle and pivot. This is the part you will see sticking out of the sides of the skid plate.
• Axle: The axle goes through the hanger and extends at both ends to hold the wheels and bearings. The width of the axle is an important consideration when selecting a truck.
• Pivot: The pivot is the part of the hanger that extends into the pivot cup on the base plate and provides the axis of rotation. It allows you to make sharp turns and drive around the skate park.
• Pivot Cup: The pivot cup is used to hold and cushion the pivot in the base plate. It is an important part of the turning mechanism and can be easily replaced if it wears out.
• Main Pin: The main pin is mounted to the base plate and extends through the bushing and hanger to hold all the parts together. This is what allows the truck to rotate and steer.
• Bushings: The bushings are replaceable urethane pads that mount to the main pins on both sides of the hanger to provide stability. They come in different hardnesses and can be replaced to customize the feel of the truck.
• MainPin Nuts: The main pin nuts hold the steering rack together and provide compression on the bushings for easy adjustment. It is important to make sure they are tightened properly to avoid any wobble or instability.

What are the categories of skateboard trucks?

Common Skateboard Trucks

Traditional Kingpin: The most versatile type of skateboard bogie is the standard kingpin bogie, which can be used for a variety of skateboard styles. These bogies are adjustable and can be tightened or loosened to customize the turning ability of your skateboard. Standard kingpin trucks are great for street skating, roller derby, and skateparks.
Reverse Kingpin: Reverse kingpin rotates more and higher than traditional trucks, making carving and turning easier. The angle of the base plate significantly affects how much the reverse kingpin rotates and tilts. Adjusting the angle of the base plate will compensate for the tilt and steering you get with the reverse pin.
Low Truck: The Low Bogie is primarily used by technical skaters who need a fast, responsive pop and a more stable center of gravity. Low Trucks are labeled as "Low" only if the model is offered in both High and Low or only in Low versions.
High Truck: High trucks are the standard type, but some skateboard truck brands also offer high and low models. High trucks offer more responsive turning and extra wheel clearance, allowing you to use larger wheels without worrying about wheel bite. If you're a beginner, we recommend choosing a high truck because they offer more options for wheels and trucks.

Electric Skateboard Trucks

In addition to the traditional RKT and TKP, electric skateboard trucks have spawned several different specialized types of trucks to suit a wide range of uses.

Double Kingpin Pin (DKP): The double kingpin (DKP) is closer to the traditional kingpin (TKP) than the reverse kingpin (RKP). You can even get a TKP by removing the center section. We can also say it is a double TKP. This means it has the same problem as the TKP: it is difficult to maintain stability at high speeds. Since it's a double kingpin, you'll need double parts to keep it running.

Channel trucks: Mountain trucks are usually used to deal with complex road conditions, as they have shock-absorbing springs or buckets that reduce the vibrations of the road surface, and higher ground clearance compared to the TKP, which increases the passability on dirt roads.

Dualpin King Pin: This is a very new concept, two parallel King pins, because they are parallel Kingpin so reduce the height, compared to the DKP is more stable, but limits the type of deck

3 Links: Usually used in competitive boards, the 3links design avoids high-speed oscillation at high speeds, which reduces flexibility compared to DKP, TKP, and so on.

Frame Width:

The width of the frame determines the flexibility and stability of the board. Narrower trucks will make you feel more flexible, while wider trucks will make you feel more stable.

The wider the truck, the more stable it will be at high speeds. Wider hangers are ideal when trying to avoid wheel bite, as they place the wheels slightly further away from the deck. However, the wider they are, the less grip they have. If you want to perform stunts or go downhill, a smaller truck can provide more grip and cornering than stability depending on your needs.

Base plate angle:

The angle of the floorboard determines whether the board is better suited for "tilting" or "spinning"

• Turn: Changes the track of the wheels.
• Tilt: Changes the angle of the deck.

So, the lower the angle, the more the board "tilts," and the higher the angle, the more it "turns".

Truck Height:

Ride height is a term that describes the distance between the bottom of the truck floorboard and the middle of the truck axle. Measuring from the middle of the truck's axle provides the most realistic measurement of truck ride height for various deck designs. Deck design (sunken deck, drop deck, etc.) does affect actual ride height.

The height of the truck has a lot to do with several factors, the most important of which is speed stability, and the lower the skid plate, the higher the speed stability.

Truck Materials
When truck types are similar, they may look the same, but their construction patterns also tell us a lot about their performance.

The current e-scooter truck market supports three (3) primary materials. These are:

Cast Construction

Cast trucks are one of the most common and cheapest options.

When most people talk about electric scooters, they typically mean cast trucks. After all, this construction method accounts for over 90% of longboards and electric skateboards.

As the name implies, metal is heated to a high temperature and poured into a mold. When the metal solidifies, the truck is removed from it.

Due to this method, cast trucks are not as precise because complex shapes can't be cut into the mold. They undoubtedly last a long time, but not as long as other forms of construction. Unfortunately, most cast trucks have a poor finish. Fortunately, many electric skateboard brands are addressing this issue and enhancing their cast trucks.

Lastly, heavier riders may experience some flex in their cast trucks. If this is the case, it is recommended to check them from time to time.

Precision Trucks

Also known as CNC trucks, we believe they will be the future of electric scooters.

These trucks are also made of aluminum, but this material has better strength than the material used in cast trucks. The aluminum is fed into CNC-coded machines that cut the trucks at precise angles and dimensions for the most streamlined real-world experience.

Of course, unfortunately, this doesn't come cheap. They are costly - both to initially purchase and to maintain. Fortunately, all of the trucks GHOST uses are CNC aluminum trucks sculpted by CNC machines.

Forged Trucks

Forged trucks offer the best compromise between cast trucks and CNC precision trucks.

They cost more than cast trucks but less than precision trucks due to the time, effort, and materials used. Most manufacturers will even forge the main components of the truck and CNC the precision parts, providing the best of both worlds.

On the other hand, forged trucks are some of the strongest builds you'll find. If you're a heavy rider, you'll find them reasonably priced. However, this also means that your skateboard will be heavier, as the metal must be hammered into shape, resulting in denser, smaller spaces.

Truck Height

We mentioned ride height when discussing trucks. Does this refer to the height of the rider? Absolutely not.

Instead, it has to do with the height of the truck, from the floorboard to the middle of the axle.

Ride height is important for a range of considerations. For example:

• Lower ride height: quicker traction recovery, better for larger wheels, makes trucks looser, less stable at highway speeds, more difficult to brake at a walk, better in turns, great for tricks.

• Higher ride height: better high-speed stability, easier foot braking, more predictable, tendency for wheel bite, less surfing in turns.

Depending on your weight, the purpose of your electric scooter, your speed needs, and other considerations, this should help you choose the best ride height.

 

If you are new to electric skateboards or regular skateboards it is recommended that you buy our F11 (an electric skateboard that is more like a regular skateboard) Whether you are learning tricks or daily commuting it is a great choice, if you are on a budget you can choose the GHOST, the absolute best quality electric skateboards are made of costly materials, the top quality materials create the world's fastest mini electric skateboards. If you are interested, don't miss it.