Many people connected with the field of skateboarding want to know how tight should skateboard wheels be? Because a lot of things depend on the skateboard wheel.
Such as speed, acceleration, and the control of the skateboard. We will try our best to deliver useful knowledge to our readers.
Tighten or Loosen Skateboard Wheels
Sometimes it is usually needed to tighten or loosen the wheels according to their standards. Like, if you want to fly fast with your skateboard, you need tight skateboard wheels. If you’re going to take great turns and curves with ease, you need looser wheels.
If you are a beginner, it is safe to have tighter wheels. It helps you to go faster and gives you less chance of falling so easily.
The most usual standard for skateboard wheel tightness is the blue mark with the arrow on your skateboard’s axle nuts. Most skaters tighten their axles until this mark appears. But if you want to have the wheel as loose as it can be, you need to tighten your wheel until the blue mark is at 180 degrees.
The Levels of Tightness
When you get how tight should skateboard wheels be? You can see there are some levels for this. The most used level is the 1st one. It is suggested that when you get to the skateparks, you should use this level.
1st level: No blue mark appears on your axle nuts, and your wheels spin when you leave them freely. Your deck is in a neutral position concerning the wheel axles.
2nd level: The tip of one arrowhead is visible. This is the position that most trucks are in when they leave the factory.
3rd level: The blue mark appears at your axle nuts, and your wheels spin when you leave them freely. Your deck is in a toe-out or negative degree cant to the wheel axles.
4th level: The tip of both arrowheads is visible. This is the position where skaters are most likely to have their decks when they ride them down a hill since this tightness will help the board slow down when you go downhill.
5th level: The blue mark appears at your axle nuts, and your wheels spin when you leave them freely. Your deck is in a positive degree cant to the wheel axles.
Role of a truck in the wheel tightness
The tightness of the wheel depends on the person who is riding. But sometimes, they rely on the skateboard truck too.
If you make your wheels lose, it will help you to go faster with less effort. And tighten them. They will hold more speed and grip better at high speeds.
The reason for this is that when your truck is new or has just been serviced, the kingpin nut may not be tight enough to hold the wheel properly on the axle.
Most of us tighten our trucks too much, which loosens the wheel more than it should be. This ends up in a wheel that spins too quickly when turning, making your board feel less responsive and imprecise.
If the Skate Doesn’t Turn
If you want to make smooth turns and still feel like the board is turning, then your truck should not be too tight or too loose. You can adjust it by making the wheel tighter or looser.
If it feels like your skateboard has no turn at all, you should try to tighten the wheel more. This makes the board turn faster and easier. But make sure you don’t tighten it too much to avoid uncontrollable speed.
FAQs
Q. What are Skateboard Wheels?
Skateboard wheels are the round, rubbery pieces that usually come in sets. They’re what you stand on when you ride a skateboard, and their surface area is what makes smooth maneuvers possible.
Skateboard wheels can vary in size (usually between 37 mm and 60 mm in diameter) and hardness rating (usually between 78A rating to 101A rating, for reference, wheel cores are usually about 100-125A).
Q. Factors that affect the tightness of skateboard wheels include
The Bearing that comes with the wheel. The bearing is what keeps the wheel spinning around the axle. In general, skateboard wheels come with bearings that are either ABEC #1 or ABEC #5. If the wheel comes with an ABEC #1 bearing, it is not possible to tighten the wheel down further. If it comes with an ABEC #5 bearing, you can tighten the wheel somewhat more.
Q. How to check if your skateboard wheel is tight enough?
Suppose your skateboard wheel is not spinning smoothly, either because the bearing or the wheel itself is defective. To check if the problem is with the bearing or the wheel, grab your skateboard and stand on it, so you’re facing downhill.
Then bring your foot directly over to one of the spokes of the wheel near your toes. If the wheel is tight enough, it should stop spinning as soon as you touch the spoke.
If it keeps spinning when you touch the spoke, your wheel isn’t tight enough. Flip your skateboard over, so you’re facing uphill. If the wheel is still not spinning smoothly, it’s probably because the wheel itself isn’t tight enough.
Your bearing might be defective if your wheel spins but doesn’t stop when you touch the spoke.
Q. When should you get new skateboard wheels, and why?
The average lifespan of a skateboard wheel can range from 5 hours to 50 hours, depending on the make and model. However, there are some tell-tale signs that your skateboard wheels are about to expire.
If you constantly have to tighten the wheel, it’s already past its lifespan. If the wheel keeps shedding chunks of rubber or is already missing material from certain spots on the wheel, it’s time to replace your wheels.
Q. Why are loose or too-tight wheels bad for your board, and what can happen as a result of either situation?
A loose wheel is a safety hazard, as it can cause you to fall off your skateboard unexpectedly. A too-tight wheel poses a greater risk to your board. As you ride, it will put too much stress on the bearings and axles, which could lead to them failing.
Q. Can you use tools other than an Allen wrench to tighten your board’s wheels?
Yes, you can use a skate tool to tighten your board’s wheels. However, using tools other than the one provided by the manufacturer voids the warranty, so if you ever want to collect it, don’t use tools other than the one provided.
Conclusion
How tight should skateboard wheels be? Well, Tightening or Loosening the skateboard wheels helps you in this aspect a lot. It is important to know how well they should be tightened to have complete control of your board.
It is up to you and your need. Just keep in mind the different levels and the role of a truck on this. Be sure that you can control your board well and do not endanger yourself or other people.
That’s all, Thanks for reading.