How to Replace Skateboard Bushings

Don’t know what the skateboard bushings are? They are the rings of rubbery nature that can be found inside the truck. Along with time they also face the wear and tear problems, and at that time, the spring gets lost.

In that case, the truck board stops turning to both directions and turns only to a single side. This is the kind of loss of performance that you cannot go on. Much before the wearing off part, these bushings should be replaced. This is the right part. You can now very quickly make the replacement of these bushings.

Removal of the skateboard truck happens to be essential before the skateboard bushing replacement. It is not that you have to do that, but the process makes the steps easier.

When all are set, check the tools you have once and then get on the work.

The skate tool happens to be the best one when it comes to the replacement of the skateboard bushing. Otherwise, a perfect alternative to that tool would be the general socket wrench. Get one of that which is matching to the head of the truck’s kingpin (in most of the cases, hexagonal head kingpin is used).

Don’t have any idea regarding what kingpin means? Kingpin is the big bolt running through the skateboard truck center. (You can look at the photograph; the red line there shows where the kingpin would be. The end and nut of this kingpin should match with the wrench that you will use.

In some cases, the style is different, and the selection of the tools has to be done likewise. In most cases, you will find similar trucks. But there are exceptions also, such as the Grindking trucks. For those kinds of trucks, you will need the hex wrench. The good thing is that in case of the Grindking kingpins also, the rules are the same and so you will find the same instructions properly working.

As the regular bolt is used is all of the kingpins, using skate tools is the easiest option. So at the time you will ready the trucks, the tools have to be ready for rip the trucks properly apart.

This is the time you have to disassemble the trucks of your skateboard. Removing the nut happens to be the first thing that you will have to do. Also called as the “Jesus nut” by some, this nut is the one holding the entire truck. Once you open the nut, you will disassemble the other parts of the trucks, first the washer, then the other parts. But be mindful, these parts are small and so easy to lose. Keep them properly.

Keep the process of disassembling going on and keep the parts in a safe place, maybe in a box so that you don’t lose the end of the day. While this process goes on, you will also open the hanger that holds the truck by its axles. Taking off this part might be a little confusing since it stays tightly attached. For this one, you will have to pull it from the sockets and move it upwards from the kingpin. As this one will be off, you will be able to pull off the other parts of the truck quite easily.

The above photo shows how the properly disassembled pieces will look. Once the process is done, then you will have to concentrate on the bushing. Have a look at the formation that it has. It does not matter if you finally decide to change the bushing or not.

Cleaning each part of the truck is essential. Also, the kingpin should be taken out of the base plate and polished too. This is the time; you can make the replacement of any of the parts. When you are using a new bushing there, the old one should be discarded. After this is done, it is the time to assemble the truck once again.

This part of re-assembling the truck is not hard at all. All you will have to do is to put the parts one by one on the kingpin. You should keep in mind the order in which the parts were. If you have forgotten, in that case follow the order mentioned below:

• First the base plate
• Then the large washer
• After that the large bushing
• The Hanger
• Finally the small bushing
• One small washer

When you will go through the process, and then be careful enough so that you do not bend or break any part. So do not push any of the parts too hard. However, it is not that the skateboard trucks are very sensitive as they are designed to put up with a lot of pressure. This is the reason that you need to be too worried.
If it happens that you find that the bushings are in perfect form, then using a larger washer is a better promise for a better performance. This is one very effective trick that you can make use of.

When you set the parts over the kingpin once again, you have to set the nut above and tighten it properly. The tighter you will be able to set the nut, the better the performance of your skateboard will be. With the tighter trucks, the turning does not take place properly until pushed. So at the time of any trick movement, there stays mo chance of any flexing. However, for a proper curving, loose trucks are also required.