Nearly every longboarder will agree that overly tight trucks just aren’t a whole lot of fun. And worse, they can be down right dangerous. Longboarding is all about freedom on an oversized skateboard. Tight or winding turns through town and giant carves down a freshly paved country downhill are signature maneuvers on a longboard – all of which demand loose trucks.
Tight Trucks
Skateboards with tight trucks can tic tac their way through a turn. Due to their sheer size, longboards don’t tic tac quite as seamlessly. Leaning into a turn is the way to go. Tight trucks won’t allow for tight turns. Sliding is also immensely popular among expert long boarders (see video below). It’s just not possible to slide with tight trucks. So really, the main reason we don’t recommend tight trucks is that longboarding will actually become very frustrating as you attempt to turn your board!
If your board feels squirrely, your first instinct might be to tighten the trucks. Get some harder bushings. Problem solved!
It’s rightfully believed that speed wobbles are caused by trucks that are too loose. Sure, it might be a small factor. Please, don’t tighten your trucks like crazy before bombing your first hill! If the trucks are too tight, you won’t be able to carve. You’ll end up leading a one man Chinese downhill. If you have the speed wobbles, don’t take it personally, but you need some more practice. Speed wobble is caused by improper balance on the board. Practice on some mellow slopes first with trucks as loose as you can tolerate.
Loose Trucks
Loose trucks are synonymous with longboarding. Don’t go too crazy, though. The trucks should be as loose as you feel comfortable when you’re first starting out. Be sure not to compress the bushings when adjusting your trucks. Once you’re comfortable with your board, loosen your trucks up a hair so that they feel slightly uncomfortable. Trust us – this will make you a better rider in the long run. For one, it will force you to master your balance. It will also allow you to make a quick turn in case of emergency (dog, car, hungover college student).
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With longboarding, you will achieve smooth rolling and cruising. This is because of its trucks that can make smooth and wider turns.
Also, in case of an emergency, you can make a quick turn if you have loosened trucks.
Thanks for a marvelous posting! I definitely enjoyed reading it, you may be a great author. The right trucks can indeed make I turn smoothly as I travel. Just make sure that my chosen pieces are broad enough and can handle big wheels. 🙂