In this video we talk about adjusting roller skate trucks. When, why, how, how tight, the tools, the various types, and some safety tips.
Hi, this is Lisa from RollerGirl.ca and today we're adjusting trucks.
Trucks are what make roller skates magical.
They allow you to turn or carve simply by leaning your weight one way or another.
They generally look like this.
There are various styles, but they all operate on the same general principle.
There are urethane or rubber bits at the heart of the truck.
They're called cushions or bushings.
They get compressed when you lean one way or another, allowing the truck to rotate on its pivot,
causing the skates to turn in that direction.
Adjusting your trucks refers to the process of tightening or loosening the tension of your
trucks, making it easier or harder for your skates to turn.
It's a good idea to check your truck tension frequently.
Cushions compress and lose adjustment.
As a general guideline, checking your trucks every 10 to 20 hours of skating time is
recommended.
If you've just purchased new or used skates, it's a great idea to check the truck tension
directly from the factory.
Trucks have a tendency to be really tight or really loose.
And if you're buying used skates, they probably are just out of adjustment.
For the most part, truck adjustment is personal preference.
Some skaters like their trucks really loose, some skaters like their trucks super tight.
Loose trucks turn more easily and tight trucks are more stable.
Play around with it and see what works for you and your style of skating.
If you are a new skater, it's probably a good idea to start with tighter trucks and then to
slowly loosen them as you become more stable and comfortable and are looking for a little bit
more maneuverability.
Generally speaking, your trucks are very tight if you can't make them move with both hands while
holding the skate between your knees like this.
If you can make them move with just a finger, they are probably too loose and they may be
unsafe.
A good medium point is when you can make them move with both hands but not easily with one hand.
If your cushions are very hard, which is common for the stock cushions on entry-level skates and
vintage skates, then you may find it difficult to find the midpoint between very tight and
simply wobbly.
If this is the case, you simply need to change your cushions out for softer ones.
Changing your cushions is one of the least expensive and most effective ways of upgrading the
performance of your skates.
We highly recommend it.
We made a video about it.
Link in the description.
On the other hand, if you want tight trucks and you can't seem to get them tight enough, you can
change your cushions for harder cushions.
There are three types of truck assemblies that are common in the market these days.
There's the inverted kingpin, the regular kingpin, and the PowerDyne Arius.
The most common type of truck assembly is the inverted kingpin assembly like this.
With this type of assembly, the kingpin, this guy, comes up from the bottom of the plate like
this.
The second most common type of truck assembly is the regular kingpin (aka standard kingpin
assembly).
With this type, the kingpin screws down from above into the plate.
Theoretically anyway.
There we go.
The third type of truck assembly is the PowerDyne Arius assembly.
It doesn't have a kingpin at all and is completely different than anything else.
We will likely be making a video about this in the future.
Before adjusting your trucks, it's a really good idea to do a safety check on your plates.
Have a look over and see if anything is damaged or needs replacing.
Your pivot cups can crack, your cushions can crack, um your plate can crack.
So give it all a once over and replace anything that looks damaged.
Today we're going to be showing you how to adjust an inverted kingpin assembly because it's the
most common.
We have made a video about the regular kingpin assembly and you will find the link in the
description for that.
And we probably will be making a video about the PowerDyne Arius plate.
So, keep your eyes open.
Using the appropriate tool, which is likely a 9/16” or 11/16” socket wrench, you are going to
tighten or loosen the nut on the top of the kingpin, or the kingpin nut.
To tighten it, you turn right, righty-tighty, quarter turns at a time until you reach the
tightness that you like.
To loosen, you're going to turn left, lefty-loosey.
Once again, quarter turns.
This isn't actually how I would adjust trucks on a table like this.
I would put the skate between my knees so that I can hold the skate firmly while I adjust the
trucks and better tell how tight or how loose they are.
You will either want to adjust all four trucks equally.
Or you can adjust your back trucks a little bit tighter than your front trucks.
This will give you a little bit better stability while allowing a little bit better turning.
A couple of things to keep in mind when you're adjusting your trucks.
Frst of all, and most important, is that your kingpin nut is tight enough that it's not going to
fall off.
For that, you need your kingpin to at least be flush with the top of the kingpin nut.
Ideally, a couple of threads should be exposed.
Also, you want to have the cushions engaged at least slightly, but not over-engaged.
If you've tightened your truck so much that the cushions are bulging out, this is a sign that
you're using cushions that are too soft and you need to upgrade for harder ones.
After you adjust your trucks, take your skates for a test spin.
Bring a tool with you in case you want to make any adjustments.
And just be careful at first.
Changing the tightness of your trucks can really change the way that they feel and perform.
So, be careful and have fun.
And that's it.
That's how you adjust the trucks on roller skates.
If you have any other video suggestions or any questions, please leave it in the comments
below.
Happy skating.