Truck Parts for Longboards

Understanding Longboard Bushings

Bushings for longboards are the rubber components located centrally within your longboard trucks. Despite their small size, these bushings play a crucial role in your longboard configuration, influencing the responsiveness of your turns. Though your longboard will be equipped with bushings, opting for a fresh set and design can improve your performance and broaden your longboarding capabilities.

Every truck includes a pair of bushings: one positioned roadside and the other boardside. As implied by their titles, the roadside bushing resides nearer the road, while the boardside bushing is positioned closer to the deck.

The primary bushing shapes are cone and barrel. Cone bushings provide minimal resistance, making them ideal for turning, whereas barrel bushings offer greater stability. Many riders prefer a mix of one barrel and one cone bushing for comprehensive performance, though setups featuring both cone-cone and barrel-barrel are also favoured.

Choosing the Right Longboard Bushings

There is no definitive "best longboard bushing," as it largely hinges on your longboarding objectives. The crucial considerations are the bushings' hardness and your intended riding style.

The firmness of bushings is assessed on the durometer scale, similar to wheels. A higher durometer signifies a harder bushing. Harder bushings offer more resistance while riding, and your weight is a key factor in durometer selection. Generally, the heavier your weight, the harder your bushings should be.

To carve and cruise with your longboard, opt for softer, conical bushings. Conversely, for freeride and downhill adventures, a barrel configuration is recommended.

To further boost your downhill speed capabilities, ensure you have a reliable set of Longboard Gloves and Slide Pucks.