QA

Quick Answer: How To Make Longboard Wheels

Can you put any wheels on a longboard?

The first decision you need to make when choosing longboard wheels is what size you want. Most longboard wheels are between 64-80mm in diameter with 70mm being the most common size. The most important thing to consider is whether the wheels will fit on your setup without causing wheelbite.

What is used to make skateboard wheels?

The wheels of a skateboard are usually made of polyurethane, and come in many different sizes and shapes to suit different types of skating. Larger diameters (55–85 mm or 2.17–3.35 inches) roll faster, and move more easily over cracks in pavement and are better for transition skateboarding.

How are urethane skateboard wheels made?

To make polyurethane skateboard wheels, polyurethane is heated to a liquid state and pigment is added to it. The liquid is poured into molds and allowed to cool. Once the polyurethane is more solid, it’s removed from the mold and a lathe is used to cut the wheel to a specific dimension.

Do longboard wheels matter?

Generally speaking, longer decks work well with bigger wheels and smaller longboard decks with smaller wheels. Smaller wheels can work with longer decks, but a larger wheel would provide a better over all ride.

What are longboard wheels made of?

Skateboard and longboard wheels are made from the petrochemical called Polyurethane. It’s an awesome material which is bouncy, grippy, and comes in all sorts of cool colours.

Do bigger wheels make a longboard faster?

Diameter. Bigger wheels are faster than smaller ones as they cover more distance with an equal amount of spinning, and suffer less from bearings friction. Smaller wheels, on the other hand, have better acceleration as they pick up momentum quicker.

What wood is best for skateboards?

The most desirable wood used to manufacture skateboard decks comes from the Great Lakes area of North America. The wood is commonly referred to as hard rock maple while it is actually called Sugar maple and its scientific name is Acer saccharum. Maple is a hardwood, which is slower growing and denser than softwoods.

What are urethane wheels made of?

They are made of polyurethane, a versatile and durable synthetic material. According to 1skates.com, Frank Nasworthy invented polyurethane skateboard wheels in 1970. With their rubber-like grip on the pavement, polyurethane wheels expanded the potential of ways that skateboards could be used.

Is Bamboo good for skateboards?

When skateboarding surpassed flooring as one of the major contributors to maple deforestation, our mission became to explore other ways of making skateboards. Bamboo not only aids in creating better boards, but is also a socially responsible choice.

What are penny boards made of?

A Penny board is a type of plastic skateboard, known within the industry as a short cruiser. Penny Skateboards pair a plastic deck with cruiser wheels and trucks. Because they are made out of plastic, Penny boards are light yet resistant.

What is grip tape made of?

What is griptape made of? The rough surface of griptape typically consists of silicon carbide and provides resistance and friction between your deck and the soles of your shoes. Without this friction, it’d be extremely hard to get your deck into the air.

Can you dye longboard wheels?

Just make sure it doesn’t get too hot. You don’t want to melt the wheels! Keep em stirring for 10-15 minutes or till you get the desired color. The color will fade over time so don’t fret if it ends up a little darker than what you wanted.

How do you change the color of your skateboard wheels?

Cover pot and heat water on stove top to just below boiling (or around 95ºC). When water begins to simmer, add 1/4 bottle of well-shaken dye and mix well. For darker colors, add 1/2 bottle of well-shaken dye. Gently add clean wheels to dyebath.

How much do skateboard wheels cost?

Skateboard wheels cost anywhere between $10 and $50 or even higher depending on the brand, quality, size, and durometer rating.

How can I make my skateboard wheels faster?

You can pick up a bottle of Bones Speed Cream at the skate shop, or try some Prolong from the auto parts store. It doesn’t take much, and the excess will just spin out when you replace your shields, pop your bearings back in your wheels and start shredding. Skate safe and enjoy your new-found speed.”.

Why are skateboard wheels made of polyurethane?

Some modern polyurethane formulas provide better traction and resiliency than the original mixtures, but the construction remains essentially the same. Clear wheels actually provide better performance than colored wheels, because the pigments in the wheels allows for less urethane in the wheel.

What is the softest skateboard wheel?

Diameter 60-75mm, Durometer 75-85a The biggest and softest wheels available, longboard wheels are designed to power through rough surfaces and keep their grip through corners.

What does 78a mean on longboard wheels?

78a-87a. Soft wheel good for rough surfaces, longboards, or street boards that need lots of grip to easily roll over cracks and pebbles. Designed for smooth rides, cruising, longboards, hills, and rough surfaces. 88a-95a. Slightly harder and faster with a little less grip, but the grip’s still good.

Why does my skateboard feel slow?

One of the most frequent issues that produce a slow skateboard is over-tightened axle nuts. How tight should skateboard wheels be? Over-tightening axle nuts causes pressure against bearings, not allowing wheels to spin. With your hand, move wheel side to side to, listen for clicking noise.

What are 78a wheels good for?

78a to 87a are soft wheels appropriate for rough surfaces like sidewalks, roads and other surfaces with pebbles, rocks, and cracks because they provide a smoother ride and grip better.

Do you need special wheels to slide on a longboard?

Q: Do you need special wheels to slide on a longboard? Technically, you can slide with any longboard wheels — but certain types of wheels will make sliding easier and require less force. Downhill and freeriding wheels are great choices, along with any other wheels that feature a radiused lip and less ground contact.