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How to Fix Squeaky Skateboard Trucks – Guide For Beginners

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Ever experienced a weird squeaky sound coming from the trucks of your skateboard while you are riding on it? It is because of the friction and the constant pressure it goes through during hard turns. It can also happen when you are performing some tricks like pumping and carving. You might think at first there is some serious trouble with your ride, luckily there isn’t much to worry about. In this article, we will discuss how to fix squeaky skateboard trucks.

The good news is that this issue can be quickly resolved. You can either drop your skateboard at your local workshop for fixing, or you can do some hacks that will fix the squeakiness of the trucks. If you are someone experiencing such an issue for the first time, this article will help you understand what causes your skateboard truck to make such noise.

How to Fix Squeaky Skateboard Trucks?

No matter if you are a newbie or a pro skater, you will for sure experience a squeaky sound coming from your skateboard. Someone who has been riding skateboard for a while now will understand the issue. However, a beginner might start worrying, thinking there is some serious issue with their ride. The comforting news is that squeaky trucks aren’t something to be worried about. This minor issue can be easily fixed at home or at your local workshop.

What Causes the Skateboard Trucks to Squeak?

We realize how distracting it is when your skateboard make a creaky and squeaky sound, especially when you are in the middle of a high-speed ride or stunt performance. The reasons why the trucks make such annoying sounds can be many. For instance, the loose screws due to poor maintenance and overuse of your ride could be the culprit. Other than that, hard wheels, poorly lubricated bearings, and bushings can be the reason. The main reason for the squeakiness is the trucks where the pivot cups might be worn down. We are here to discuss the creaky sound coming from the trucks.

The sound mostly comes when you lean on your skateboard or perform hard turns, mostly during downhill riding when the speed is high. There can be two cases. Either the screws or nuts around the trucks have gone loose, which can cause instability in rides and the creaky sound, or the pivot cup that lies between the truck’s hanger and the baseplate at the pivot point. The purpose of the pivot cups for trucks is to turn the trucks at the pivot point. They allow for convenient and smooth turning.

Troubleshooting and Fixing

Now that you have experienced such a situation of the skateboard trucks making squeaky sounds, you have to narrow down the issue. Tighten all the screws and nuts and go for a ride. If the problem is resolved, you are good to go. However, if it’s still making the annoying sound, be sure that the pivot cup is troubling. Sometimes, the space left between the hanger and pivot caused by either overuse or poor fitting might be the reason it’s making the sound.

If not that, the worn-out pivot cup and the rubber cup surrounding it sometimes rotate due to the space between the hanger, so the pivot cup is the culprit. Now, you need to find out which truck is making the noise. To fix it, disassemble the kingpin nut. Once you have unscrewed the truck, remove the hanger and look at the pivot cup keenly to inspect the issue. Your pivot cup is good to go, even if there are few signs of wear. However, if you see tears and deep scratches, it would be better if you replaced them with a new one.

Next, you will clean the entire pivot area and the pivot hole. With improper maintenance, dust and debris get accumulated in the nooks and crannies, which can not only inhibit performance but also make your skateboard trucks squeaky. Clean the pivot hole with cotton and soapy water. Allow it to dry completely, and the next step will change the whole game.

Take a small amount of lubricant that can be liquid soap, store-bought grease, or wax, and lubricate the entire pivot hole and assemble the whole thing again and go for a test ride. All the cleaning and lubrication will not only rid your skateboard of the creaky sound but will also grant you a smoother ride. You will notice a visible difference in the steadiness and stability of the ride. Moreover, the turns, no matter how harsh they are, will be smoother.

Creaky Sound When You Lean On Your Skateboard

Oftentimes, your skateboard makes a creaky sound when you lean on it. It is also common, and many people are aware of it. However, if you are a beginner and have started hearing such agitating and distracting sounds, worry not; it could be one of the washers in the trucks. Many times, the troubled washer between the nut and the kingpin is the main reason why your ride makes a creaky sound when you lean on it.

There can be many reasons, for instance, overlapping, dislocation, and wrong-sized washer. Majorly, it’s the loose-fitting of the washer between the kingpin and the nut which makes that annoying sound. Worry no more; here is how you can fix it. The best thing to do is get new washers that can tight-fit your kingpin. If that isn’t an option, then you will need to unscrew the kingpin nut. After that, reduce the diameter of your kingpin using plumbing tape, duck tape, or any other tape you can get your hands on and reassemble the kingpin nut.

Other than that, get a glue gun and make your kingpin nut thicker by surrounding it with glue. Reassemble the whole setup and do a test ride. By now, all the sounds must have disappeared. This hack lasts only for a short while because extreme friction and abrasion cause the plumbing tape and glue to wear out, and soon you will start hearing the sounds again. The best thing to do will be to drop your skateboard in a workshop; they will find a long-lasting solution for the issue.

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FAQs

Why do the skateboard trucks become squeaky?

There are many reasons why you might sometimes hear that annoying squeaky sound coming from the trucks. It can be because of overuse of your skateboard. Whether you are riding a skateboard, it requires some fixing after some time. Other than that, the trucks make squeaky noise because of the friction produced when turning them harshly or putting pressure on them.

How to Fix the Squeaking trucks?

There is an easy hack that can help eliminate the squeaking of trucks. That is, you can pour some melted wax into the empty pivot cup. Before that, disassemble the skateboard’s trucks and evenly distribute the wax. You can also melt a candle or use liquid soap to prevent squeaking. Or, you can drop your skateboard at your local workshop, where they can fix the issue for you.

Is it bad if my skateboard trucks squeak?

Well, squeaky trucks do not pose any danger or imbalance in the ride. However, it may cause a bit of discomfort because the squeakiness is extremely annoying. For instance, it feels pretty embarrassing and annoying when you are in the middle of the ride, and your skateboard starts squeaking like crazy. Luckily, there are many ways you can resolve this issue; we have discussed all those ways in the above section.

Can loose screws and nuts be the cause of the creakiness of skateboard trucks?

Yes, sometimes, the screws around the trucks become very loose, and the washer between the kingpin and nut doesn’t fit properly. These can be the reason why your skateboard trucks are making noise when you make a sharp turn or lean on your ride. This issue can be quickly resolved by tightening all the screws and getting a washer that properly fits the kingpin. You can also thicken the kingpin nut by surrounding it with duck tape, plumbing tape, or glue.

Can the home hacks stop the trucks from making squeaky sounds last longer?

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While home hacks are the quick fix for your squeaky trucks, the sad news is that they don’t longer. Lubricating your pivot cup will last you a few rides till there is more dust and dirt accumulation. Whereas putting tape or glue on the kingpin nut might last for one ride because the constant friction causes the tape to wear out too easily.

Final Thoughts

If you have been riding your skateboard a lot, you must have experienced the annoying squeaky sound coming from the trucks. This isn’t a big issue, but it can be agitating for some people. It occurs in the middle of hard turns when you are riding at a higher pace.

Fortunately, there are some ways with which you can resolve such issues’ for instance, pouring wax or liquid soap into the empty pivot cup. This will not only stop the weird sounds coming from it but also give you a smoother ride as a perk. The above section provides a detailed account of how to fix squeaky skateboard trucks.

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