Skateboard trucks are classified as metal T-shaped pieces that can be mounted on the underside of the skateboard and keep your wheels and bearings firmly attached to the deck of your skateboard. Confused about what skateboard truck brand you should go for? Here is a complete guide on all of the brands you can consider and what factors you need to consider before purchasing your skateboard trucks.
List of Top Skateboard Trucks Brands
1. Independent Trucks
There is no denying the fact that independent trucks are the best when talking about the trucks. Many skaters prefer Independent trucks and these are pretty much familiar. Independent skates were started by the guy names Fausto Vitello back in 1978. He also founded thrasher magazine. This company manufactures high-quality trucks that perfectly fits with the skateboards. Independent trucks have a unique personality that has not been changed to this date. It is no wonder that most of the skaters love independent trucks because of their high performance. People tend to go for independent skates due to multiple reasons like their excellent durability, strength and wonderful glide.
You just need to figure out the width of the truck that is going to work best with your deck and wheel then you can choose from various options. Independent trucks come in three different sizes, the standard profiles are 55mm (gap b/w axle and deck), mid profiles that are at 53.5mm and finally, you have low profiles that are around 48.5mm. Different heights are available depending upon different variants so to choose the right one, one should know about his/her wheel diameter and how long he is going to ride.
Generally, higher ones are used for bigger wheels and looser trucks. One more advantage of getting them is that you can also customize the distance between your axle and deck with the help of riser pads. To find the right width, you need to match the axle width as close to the size of your deck. The geometry that is design, weight and resistance has almost been kept the same. The lighter weight trucks are usually more expensive.
In short, independent trucks can easily be classified as one of the best with the highest quality and performance.
2. Thunder Trucks
Next up we have thunder trucks that offer premium truck quality. Thunder trucks are used by a lot of skaters all over the world. Thunder trucks are stylish, lightweight and strong. The features include titanium axles, hollow kingpins and powerfully forged baseplates.
Thunder trucks are great for street skateboarding, offers more stability and are more responsive to turns. Various width sizes are available for thunder trucks. Thunders have the best grinding performance. Different constructions are there to fulfill all the requirements of modern-day skateboarding. There are numbers of weight reduced models that come with the name light. They have a fast reaction and smooth turning. They are one of the most stable skateboard trucks.
Besides high trucks, low trucks are also available with low axles if you want close contact with the ground. Thunder trucks always try to bring improvements in their geometries and designs. Skaters prefer thunder trucks because of comfortable steering, smooth grind behavior and great durability.
Thunder also provides mounting kits and other spare parts. Moreover, broken kingpins can be replaced with an original part to further enhance the life of the trucks. Thunder also provides bushings with certain degrees of hardness. This way you can make your own individual setup. Thunder trucks will be the best companions for your skateboards and take your riding skills to a next level.
In short, thunder trucks prove to be one of the best trucks and that is why so many skateboarders go for thunder trucks for skateboarding.
3. Venture
Venture can be considered one of the best brands for skateboard trucks. They have been distributed via deluxe distribution since 2011 and are manufactured in San Francisco. They have a vast variety of skateboard trucks available in different colors, sizes and designs. That means you can easily style your skateboard. Venture provides the best grinding performance, turning and gives you an amazing riding experience overall.
Venture trucks provide a lot of stability and are really durable. The most noticeable design feature is that they are made up of aluminum which makes them lightweight and strong at the same time. With their latest innovations, the V-Lights and the V-Hollows, they have further reduced the weight. Ventures go really well for mini ramps, bowls and vert. Venture trucks are really affordable. Venture tends to manufacture trucks that have relatively shorter hanger widths. They have really good grinding performance with no kingpin interference. Due to their geometry, they are really stable and a strong kingpin keeps everything together. They work well with bushings and tend to be more stable.
A drawback of using venture can be the possible deterioration of the bushings that can happen a bit fast. Another drawback of using venture is that it offers less turn as compared to independent and thunder trucks. Replacing the bushings can help solve this issue as then you can have better and smooth turns.
Therefore, venture can be really considered as one of the best brands for your skateboard truck.
4. Tensor Trucks
Are you familiar with the guy named Rodney Mullen? Let me refresh your memory. The legendary skateboarder turned some of the really exciting tricks into reality, like the kickflip, heelflip, flat ground ollie and the 360-degree flip. The guy who won the skateboard championship when he was only 14. Yes, if you have guessed correctly then he is the guy who engineered these trucks.
Tensor Trucks come with excellent features. You can practice almost every trick in them and do your own freestyle. Finest metals are used in the manufacturing process of these trucks which promises the highest quality trucks. These are designed with technical skateboarding in mind. Magnesium is used for the truck hanger and base plate that makes the trucks really strong while producing a super smooth grinding surface and reducing the weight. All tensor skateboard trucks come with high-quality bushings. Tensor forwent the basic plastic sliders (though they are still available online) and introduced the response range which was comparatively lightweight and then they were replaced further by the lightest design known as Magnesium MAGLIGHT’s.
Tensors are really confident about the quality of the product they are providing that they even offer a lifetime guarantee for manufacturer defects and craftsmanship.
Tensors trucks have great strength because of the reinforced hanger which redistributes the weight in all of the key areas. It has better control due to the interlocking bushings that interlock with the truck hanger keeping it accurately centered so that it responds fast. The kingpin is lowered for more clearance. It reacts fast and has smoother turns with the lesser wheel bite because of its size.
Therefore, tensor trucks provide the perfect quality and performance and are good to go for skaters.
5. Grind King Trucks
Donald Cassel was the one who founded Grind King Trucks in the 1990s. The guy has deep knowledge of trucks as he tried to solve many problems regarding the trucks and due to that finally, he invented GK-9. These are the trucks best known for grinding.
The special feature of the grind king trucks are the hex-head kingpins but it can be a bit problematic as well as it requires special tools for adjusting. Grind King Trucks has been a great innovator to make high-performance skateboard trucks.
They have been innovating their designs considering improving the features like bushing design, strength, lightness, and giving high performance. Grind King skateboard trucks also consist of upgraded bushings that tend to rebounds the hanger back to its central position which eliminates the problem of sticking that many skaters have to face. They have tremendous strength as they are built with 356 heat-treated aluminum which means they are built to last. As they are made from aluminum so that means it is lightweight while also keeping a significant amount of strength. It has a very quick response and smoother turns.
The only drawback is that they are a bit weak due to the aluminum hanger so you will have to replace them often.
A special feature with Grind King trucks are the hex-head kingpins, but also this special feature is a special nuisance because you need special tools if youre going to do any adjusting. But once again, these are the best if you like grinding.
6. Royal Trucks
Next on the list, we have royal trucks which offer great performance and quality. These can be considered similar to venture trucks. A lot of skaters all around the world tend to go for royal trucks. These were founded by Rudy Johnson and Mariano and based in Torrance, California. It was founded in 1999. They have earned a good reputation because of their high-quality trucks. Royal trucks have a huge product range and are distributed by a company known as Girl Distribution Company.
Royal truck offers the best rides with a really good grinding. The turning is stable and smooth. The pivot of these trucks is excellent. They are very durable and lightweight.
Theres a huge range of Royal trucks sizes from which one has to choose. All of these trucks are available in standardized sizes like 5.0, 5.25 and 5.5 widths. Certain trucks also come in low height. The lower trucks only come in 5.0 and 5.25.
Royal trucks are quite sure of their products quality so they offer a lifelong guarantee where you replace them for free. However, the rider cannot replace them if it is his/her own fault.
In a nutshell, many pro skaters choose royal trucks for their skateboards to get a perfect and smooth ride.
7. Fury Trucks
Lets talk about fury trucks. It has been producing high-quality skates since 1998 If you want to have something that is long-lasting, has a beautiful design and great strength, fury trucks will be your top choice.
Theyre comparatively bulkier than most of the skates but less than tensor. They have a good amount of stability due to the pivot present in the hanger that helps in the redistribution of the weight in the key areas. The alloy used is really hard due to which the grounding is really fast.
Most of the Furys trucks especially Evo 2 are difficult to get loose so it might not be a good thing for someone who rides loose trucks. While the fury trucks have these amazing features like great durability, stability, and strong alloy, you will still be needing to buy softer bushings to get a quicker response.
Fury trucks are the most durable in the market. Theyre really responsive because of their poly-urethane hard shell cap bushings. As they are built with high clearance, they have better capabilities and stability. These trucks are finished with high-gloss, steel baseplates and an amazing printed logo. These are available in various colors. Not only they have a brilliant performance but also look physically appealing. Their base plates are heat treated so that they can ride on rougher surfaces effortlessly.
The price is very affordable if you want to buy bullets. These trucks offer the best grinding and skating like any other professional skateboard trucks will do. This will be the best choice for someone who is inexperienced and wants to get that pro feeling while also not spending too much money. If you have practiced enough on bullets and you want to switch, try going for the Silver or the Indys.
Fury trucks are one of the most stable and long-lasting trucks in the market. One should definitely take them into consideration.
8. Krux
Krux is known for making trucks. Most of its ads are about having fun. Although krux has been all about the fun, it has developed some really amazing trucks over the year. One development of krux is an Allen-key headed kingpin that is designed to reduce the damage that will happen to the kingpin. This worked, but due to these trucks fall off a lot and so krux are creating the usual trucks again.
Krux trucks are really good for a cruise. While they can handle a beating, Krux can often be found on mini ramps and on the streets. So, you should really look forward to buying Krux if you are looking for your trucks to rock the local mini ramp or a street.
Krux trucks have a lower hanger and kingpin and they tend to be very light. They also have a signature hole right in the middle of the hanger. Krux has the best cushions and has really vibrant colors.
One drawback is that the bushings will probably feel broken in from day one, so you dont actually know what is happening in its creation. You will need to work on the trucks. This way you will get a pro feeling right from the very start.
Shortly, skaters go for the iconic design of the krux skateboard trucks. If you want to buy something that is really long-lasting, you should really consider buying them.
9. Ace
Last but not least we have on the list are ace trucks. These trucks are available in a lot of colors so you can personally style your skateboard.
If you are looking for trucks that are the most stable but also have a better turning power, you should consider buying Ace trucks. Ace trucks are really light and stable. They have no gimmicks which can be considered a plus point as they do not go well with an ace skateboard truck. Ace skateboard trucks have really good re-activeness and turn-ability.
A possible drawback is that the pivot cup is really bad. Moreover, theyre not the smoothest when comes to grinding.
So, this is everything you need to know before buying the ace skateboard trucks.
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FAQs
Is it worth spending more money on a lightweight truck?
It depends upon your skating style whether you prefer lightweight or not.
Whenever I turn, the trucks become squeaky. How can I fix it?
The squeakiness comes from a thing called Pivot cup. It happens due to the friction that occurs between the pivot bushing and the hangers. You can fix it by taking the hanger off the base-plate and put something like graphite/wax in the pivot cup. Use the hanger to spread it around. Reassemble the truck and you are good to go.
What kind of truck one should buy?
It really depends upon what board you are using. The cruiser type boards can go well with the reverse-kingpin style truck because it has increased movements and can turn better. However, traditional skateboard truck can be preferred for street, parks and skating parks because they have comparatively lower heights and they can do better kick turning instead of lean turning. Additionally, there are much lesser chances of kingpin bite if you use a traditional skateboard truck.
We really recommend that you buy something that fits your skating style and consider all the factors that are mentioned in detail in this article. You should go for the trucks that actually fulfill your requirements like where do you skate and what board do you use You may need to test out these and figure out what works the best for you. You need to feel and test these trucks before you can say which one you prefer. All of them are long-lasting and of high quality but you need to know what works best for you!