If you’re new to longboarding, learning about the parts can feel overwhelming.
Don’t worry, they’re very basic and easy to understand.
For this post, I took apart one of my longboards and will explain each part.
The parts that make up a longboard are…
- Deck
- Hardware
- Riser Pads
- Trucks
- Bushings
- Bearings
- Wheels
You can see them in the image below.
Not as overwhelming as it might seem, right?
Let’s go one by one, and I’ll explain the purpose of each.
Starting with the…
Deck
The deck is the wooden platform that you stand on. Straightforward and easy to understand, right?
They’re usually made of 7 or 8 plys of wooden veneers made of Canadian maple.
They come in many different shapes, depending on the riding style.
Hardware
The hardware is the bolts and nuts that hold your board together.
The standardized sizes are…
- 10-32 Bolts
- 10-32 (Baseplate Nuts)
- 5/16″- 24 (Wheel Nuts)
- 3/8″- 24 (Kingpin Nuts)
There are several characteristics when it comes to hardware, like sizes, head types, and materials.
Riser Pads
Riser pads are put on a setup for two reasons. The main one is to prevent wheelbite. The other is to wedge or dewedge your setup with angled riser pads. Wedging and dewedging can make your setup more carvey or stable, depending on how you set it up.
Trucks
There are three common types of trucks that you’ll find on longboards.
- Reverse Kingpin
- Traditional Kingpin
- Double Kingpin
Most longboard setups will have reverse kingpins because their baseplate angles are lower, making them more stable at higher speeds. Some use traditional kingpins for a more nimble, carvey experience (like the Landaychtz Dipper). Double kingpins are commonly found on carving longboard setups or electric skateboards since they sit the highest off the ground.
Check this article for a more in-depth explanation of longboard trucks.
Bushings & Washers
Bushings are cylindrical pieces of polyurethane that sit on the kingpin, allowing the trucks to pivot. Bushing types and hardness will determine how your trucks feel and ride.
The metal washers sit on the bottom and top of the bushings to give them structure/ help rebound.
Wheels
Longboard wheels are made of polyurethane, a type of plastic derived from oil. Polyurethane has many characteristics similar to rubber and plastic, but unlike rubber, polyurethane has a higher rebound and hardness than plastic.
The wheels are important because they make direct contact with the pavement and translate that feeling to you. There are a lot of characteristics of wheels, so if you’re curious check this article.
Bearings
Bearings are the metal components that sit inside the wheels and make them spin. There are two common types you’ll find…
- Street Bearings
- Built-In Bearings
It’s becoming more common for longboards to use built-in bearings these days. Built-ins are exactly how they sound – all of the parts are built into one piece. The spacers and speed washers.
