Urethane discussion: Bushings and Wheels

One of the least understood topics within the realm of skateboarding, or the longboard movement specifically, is the bushings that control the turning motion of a truck. Bushings are a laboratory formulated urethane product, just like modern wheels. This post will hit on some of the meaning behind the specs of these two urethane products; what numbers are going to affect your ride and how.

The kingpin is the point of pivot and the bushings are the urethane nubs that slide onto this kingpin and restrict/control the amount of turn. The compression and expansion characteristics of the urethane material are such that the rider will get maximum energy return out of softer bushings and more restrictive vibration and wobble dampening effects from harder bushings. What this translates to is softer bushings being a prime choice for carving or commuting on a longboard, while hard bushings excel for downhill. And then bushings in the middle are usually reserved for downhill freerideing/ sliding and freestyle.

The fact is that every truck is constructed using different geometry, which means they will feel, or ride slightly differently. And then in turn, that the switching out of your bushings will affect your ride differently on different trucks. But there are some trends to follow: of the two main shapes of bushings, cone and barrel, barrels are more restrictive and cones are looser feeling. And then when it comes to the hardness or durometer of the bushings, harder obviously restricts more and softer restricts less. Keep these characteristics in mind when selecting your bushings, and always check the specifications before you buy them. They have some decent visuals of bushing guides at http://www.longboard-guide.com/materiel.

On the other side of the urethane story, wheels also have different characteristics when they are formulated for different hardness’. The similarities continue in that shape an

d size of a wheel you ride will vastly affect the function of setup as a whole.

There are a few things to keep in mind when picking out a set of wheels. When it comes to hardness, the harder the wheel the more the wheel will want to slide and break traction when acted upon buy a side-load. And then with the size, larger wheels will automatically roll faster, grip more, and out preform smaller wheels at higher speeds. While smaller wheels are better for sliding normally, and are lighter for any freestyle tricks one might try!

Comment with any further questions on the topic, I’ve love to help get you informed before you go buy your next wheel or bushing setup!

Different Wheels for Different Riding

Some would argue that the most important part of your setup is your wheels. They are after all, your true connection to the pavement.

There are obviously endless wheels to choose from today, but when choosing, one must keep in mind what type of riding they do the most and remember that different types of wheels are geared toward different types of riding.  What I mean by this is that, you shouldn’t go buy a hard, small and slippery wheel if you are looking to go fast, and grip around corners. That type of riding would be complimented by a large and soft wheel!

This post will profile a couple wheels meant for very different types of riding. One wheel for downhill speed/grip and another for freestyle sliding/street skating. These are just a couple of my recommendations from my personal riding. As I said, there are endless options in the wheel market today, but these are two sets I can speak to personally.

First we have the Abec 11 brand Centrax wheels. These bad boys come in at either 83mm or 77mm in diameter and a hardness/durometer rating of 77a or 80a. This is quite possibly the ultimate wheel for someone with the need for speed. They come equipped with a sharp lip around the wheel that really digs into the pavement and helps with grip around corners. The different options available are for a slightly different feel. The lower durometer number of the two is grippier, and will usually come in a different color because it is a different urethane formula. And when it comes to the diameter, larger sizes just means greater roll speed. The bigger the better when it comes to rolling fast, but some boards will restrict the turning radius of giant wheels. To be sure you are avoiding wheel-bite on the setup you are building, make sure you have a conversation with the clerk at your longboard shop of choice, telling them what wheels and what board you’re interested in.

http://www.abec11.com/

But what if you’re more into bustin’ out slides and popin’ kickflips? Not a problem at all my friend, today’s market has a plethora of offerings for your style as well. My personal choice these days for such riding is undoubtedly the Remember brand Peewees! These much smaller, much slidier wheels come in at 62mm tall with an 82a durometer. The very small and round lipped nature of these wheels is what makes them so slippery. The lack of a sharp lip will allow these wheels to break traction very easily and controllably. And the medium durometer rating will keep that slide smooth instead of screechy. Another advantage of the smaller size of this wheel is its light weight. Get ready to pop bigger ollies and get bigger air with this wheel. Don’t let the litany of color options fool you with this wheel, they are all the same formula, just with different pigment added, they will all function the same. I went with the orange ones and I'm pictured trying em out on the streets of Milwaukee

below.

https://www.facebook.com/remembercollective

It’s my hope that this review helped you guys build your next setup or influenced your next wheel buy. Let me know if any of you get the chance to shred either of these wheel choices or contact me if you need help picking some gear that makes sense for you!