The thing most people miss is that to get your trucks more stable, you need to get harder bushings rather than krank the trucks to see kingpin threads. People are afraid to get trucks tighter after their bushings blew up in the past. It takes time and better bushings to tighten the trucks the right way.
Agree, I run 96a in doh doh's and aftermarket indy's. I was taught that if you have two threads showing on the kingpin you should look at sizing up bushing durometer before cranking more on the kingpin
Agreed Stock bushings can go, if you tighten them correctly and then break them in. I grew up skating the tightest trucks. But now im skating them pretty loose. And have to agree. With him Pop and loose trucks dont go hand in hand. Unless you scale your board size correctly also. Its all math.
@@NormanWoods Sorry if this is a dumb question, im just getting back skating after 20 years. You are talking about "Bones Hardcore Bushings" the Hard (Black) set, correct ? Also, i just found your channel, really like your instructional style, thanks for these vids.
this lesson is GOLD. when you are learning, you want stability, then you adjust your trucks as you get better. you go from tighter to loose as you get more control... not the other way around...
A few tips for those wanting to skate harder trucks. For reference I’m 160lbs and ride Indy’s on an 8.5in board and found bones hard bushings great(your board and shoe width affect how tight or loose your trucks feel). I found a few things that really helped dial my trucks in. 1. Bones bushings inner diameter is larger than the kingpin so I used aluminum foil to wrap around the kingpin to increase the diameter so they fit snugly. This keeps the bushing from shifting and clicking which makes the centering feel more damped. 2. I put a washer under the bottom bushing to keep the intended geometry of the trucks, even after tightening them down. 3. I 3d printed a washer from nylon that goes in between the two bushings, inside the large hole of the hangar. This keeps the bushing from smooshing into the hole, which would effectively loosen the trucks in a vicious cycle. Along with #2 also helps keep them from breaking. 4. Wax your pivot cups and potentially on the surfaces of the bushings that face each other. This helps keep everything running smoothly. 5. Get a yardstick and place it lengthwise along the side of each baseplate to align the trucks so they are both parallel. If your board has ever felt different skating the nose instead of the tail mis-aligned trucks are probably the reason. This drove me insane until I figured it out. The end result is a much more stable feeling while still being able turn tight.
Thank you for this comment, and for being a detailed and thoughtful person. A few commenters here have missed the point of this video, and taken it as an attack on how they setup their trucks. Even though I explain that this recommendation is aimed at beginners. I’ve taught hundreds over twelve years, and they’ve all struggled to stabilize a board with loose trucks, due to lacking the strength to crouch while keeping a loose setup balanced. Your suggestions are spot on. My size twelve makes setups that ride tighter for smaller skaters ride loose.
Absolutely loving the vids man. Your very blunt, matter-of-fact way of conveying things is refreshing. No beating around the bush, just telling it how it is. Good stuff bro
I just tightened up after riding loose enough to where the trucks would jiggle, it did make my pop a little less. Loose made my ankles way stronger and got my balance and centering wayyy better. So now that I tightened to a medium tightness my pop is way more consistent and high, 360 flips are also a lot easier with the tighter trucks
The 360 flip is what inspired me to make this. I was helping a few local kids with theirs, and a couple of them had trucks so loose, they were almost falling when they crouched down.
Holy crap, this was a night and day difference! Tighter trucks even helped me hold grinds longer. I just changed my bottom bushings to cylinder shape , so it's even more stable when I do flip tricks
Mate, I am 27 and I skated a little bit when I was 16. My partner got me a skateboard today. I managed to ollie again, but holy it was hard to balance because the complete she got had SUCH LOOSE TRUCKS.. Your video seriously helped me.
If they’re just following a trend that’s not good, but loose trucks are fun as fuck if you learn how to use them well. I think performance goes down slightly, but straight gaining skill isn’t always the goal, goal sometimes is just to have fun… and by having fun I still progress
I had to come back to this video because I’ve realized that loose is best for me because not only it makes style better but I have a lot more control and saves when it comes to landing smooth. What I’ve learned so far is that I have to start jumping/popping different, has to be a push/pop, not that pre-squat pop. And I have to sacrifice some pop, but I can’t have it all. I’m not trying to be Norman woods or Tyshawn anyway😂😂😂
Funny enough I ran my trucks tighter when I was younger and trying bigger things. But as I’ve aged and basically just sticking to smaller stuff, I’ve run looser trucks. One thing I’ve noticed it helps (at least with me) is slappies. But now that I’m in my 40’s, even with my dad weight I’m skating looser than before. I also tried going super loose (like Daewon loose) but more or less just to see how his board must feel. Obviously he is in a league all his own! And I literally changed it back after one sesh. It gave me a whole new respect for the madness that man puts out on a skateboard!
Loose is definitely better for slappies. Daewon is on a whole other level. But, he came to this stage after learning just like everyone else. Over time, after you’ve learned the basics, you figure out which setup suits your style.
Norman's right about trucks in the 90's. I would break kingpins and baseplates all the time. Hangers would crack easier too and axles slipped like crazy. Be thankful for your modern trucks.
I have some 90's ventures on my cruiser, and the newer ventures don't even compare.. you are correct, tho, trucks were garbage back then, for the most part, but if you've never skated a pair of 90's ventures, there is nothing like it.. when they got bought out, they changed the geometry, and they're just not the same.. that's why sewa still skates those old ventures
Ive always thought that loose trucks would make my balance better and I would try kickflips and i would get so mad because I couldn't land them but now I understand thank you ❤
Great lesson. I'm learning this now and I started with bones hard and then bones medium and then bones soft for a long time. Now going back to mid. Especially getting into vert and I seen a video Christian Hosoi had them on his set up.
I run the indy medium barrel on the bottom, and bones hard bottom bushing on the top. I think I could play with it a little more to get it closer but this is the best setup I've ever ridden so far.
always very interesting [to listen to this loose vs tight debate] 😁 I ride my trucks very loose but I'm also very balanced on the board-- the only time most people can tell my trucks are loose is if they ride my board, we skate a set, or we're doing something the requires hella speed. Good vid
I was in the extremely loose camp for years. Had to switch to medium when I became a jumper. They feel great loose, I keep my cruiser trucks as wobbly as possible. Big pop and taking impact are just too difficult that way. Thanks buddy 👊🏾
I skate Indy. I don’t change the bushings. I crank my back truck down to where I can see 3 treads, and I crank the front truck to where I can see 1 tread. And that is perfect for me. 👍 pop with good turning.
Dang you're good at this. Stand Tall you fall hahaha learned that the hard way 2 days ago, these pesky pebbles, just rolling to the park and boom, on the back. At least I got that out of the way before the park so all went smooth later but the butt and the wrist hurt still
Oh man. Pebbles and a hill bomb led to one of my worst injuries. Used to bomb the same asphalt hill, on the way home. Had to take the sidewalk one day. Saw a crack and avoided it. Didn’t see the patch of pebbles in front of it. Must’ve flown ten feet to my right shoulder. Couldn’t sleep comfortably for two months.
@@NormanWoods oh man thats gnarly. Hill bombing fraks me out so much, I couldn't do it with a gun to my head bro. But it cant stop to amaze me how fast skateboarding forces you to get smarter every time you step on it. Maybe it's because I just found my way back to it in my 30s but the first few times back on it I started to act like a little kid again but it didn't take long before 2 or 3 good slams put me back into my place and smartened me up haha it's flat ground only for at least half a year for me. Love how much good advice is out here on youtube, I bet if I had something like this as a kid I'd have never stoped
I did the same thing in the 90s skated really tight trucks. Now that I'm 44 i skate them medium. But my bag of tricks is limited these days so im more focused on skating clean and consistently.
I totally agree, I love tight trucks. helps with a kickflip, I can turn fine, and have a blast on transition. loose does help when I need help landing a 180, but I end up getting wheel bite because I like my big wheels so I just keep em tight all night.
Another thing that worked for me is try different bushings. I ride indys and the stock medium bushings were way too soft. Bones hards were way to hard and gave me a tough time kick turning on ramps. Got the black indy hards and its perfect. My turns feeling way better but also feels more stable on flat. But try what works for YOU.
starting over after 15 i was never too good, and now im having issues with my trucks. It seems once i turn, the bushings don't recover the initial position so i find myself always over three wheels and something like that. I dont remember this thing happening to me back in the day...ill try to tighten it a little more and see how it respond. Nice video BTW
Thanks. I tried hard bushings but then i switched back to soft bushings. I'll give the hard ones another try because I still can't oliie right. I thought I should look steezy like when I see Yuto Horigome land a trick but I think you're right. As a beginner, it's not about looking cool. It's about learning how to do the trick.
This was EXACTLY my problem. I started skating again 6 months ago and trying kickflips were awful. I was getting wheel bite just bending my knees getting read to pop off. Fast forward to a couple months ago I realized my trucks were too lose. I still cant kickflip lol but my pop is much better. I still prefer loose trucks but for now I have them a bit tighter.
Funny enough I ran into this issue when picking up vert skating. I've always skated transition and liked my trucks pretty loose but I found I was wasting so much energy on vert just trying to remain stable when trying to chain airs and build height. Since tightening I noticed my flatground consistency became way easier too. I also would add that experimenting with bushings is really helpful for finding a truck feel that fits you. I ride the soft indy bushings, but tighten my trucks a bit more and they feel really stable but also can turn really well, just requires a little more lean.
That makes sense. You’re moving so much faster on a very ramp, and the faster you go, the more pronounced the wobble. This is why I always tighten my truck a bit more to bomb a hill.
Went to Indy Medium-Hards on a new board this week and it's been a journey, lost more tricks than I've gained recently but my freestyle skating feels almost as good as it's ever been
@@NormanWoods I would've gone medium but my local shop was only carrying Hards, Medium-Hards, and Softs so I split the difference. Something's actually clicked since I first wrote this today though and all my tricks are starting to feel more natural!
It’s crazy that people don’t understand that! My first tricks were learned on grass for stability and 26 years later I can skate loose and do all my tricks no problem, but I wouldn’t want to be learning how to skate on my board right now lol
I have such a problem with bushings crimping or blowing out. My trucks are either- 1.Tight for a literal minute 2.Ghost turning 3. Fairly loose to avoid destroying the bushings and avoid ghost turning. I usually opt for #3 just because I'm tired of fighting the fight for tighter trucks. I've tried med and hard/ conical and cylindrical bushings. I don't know what's wrong with me.
It’s not you. Most likely the bushings. See about a set of the hard(black) Bones bushings. They help me with this issue. I’m just over 200 pounds, so stock bushings loosen up too quickly for me.
I do something a little different, I skate the hardest thunder bushings in my trucks (typically ace) and keep my trucks as loose as possible. the super hard bushings keep me from getting wheel bite, while being able to control my turning.. been skating for 30+ years, and nothing has improved my skating as much as loosening my trucks.. but, yeah, for a beginner, it's ok to start a little tighter.. you never know, one day you might do what ishod does, and use two uppers.. I'm not that extreme
I just learned kickflips stationary. I noticed that it’s really hard to kickflip rolling with loose trucks. To the point where I don’t even understand how they do it
I am a half pipe skater, always loved transition. I have been trying to learn flat ground without much success. It’s disappointing to go from being able to blunt and then not even getting my front side 180’s. I think this advise will help me a lot - skating transition you need loose trucks, and I hadn’t thought about tightening them up for when I do street. Thanks for the advice! Hopefully I get to speed in flat ground soon
I like loose trucks because the turning is smoother especially when i want to turn with one foot while im pushing. i tend to fall off my board more when my trucks are tighter because i have to use more force to turn especially because im relatively light (around 130 pounds). Norman is spitting straights facts tho, i like tightening my trucks around a quarter to a half turn when learning new tricks.
I’m 6’1”, 195lbs and I ride an 8.25. I used to skate looser trucks but I now skate the Bones hard black bushings in any truck I use. I barely tighten them (no threads showing) and it’s great. They don’t even really feel tight to me, but the stability and rebound are night and day compared to standard bushings. I imagine a lighter rider would think they are way too tight.
@@paullucci I’m 6’1” 201lbs. Same. Had to tighten them as I grew. But when I learned the basics I had the extra tight. Even tighter than I’d ever recommend. For little guys, It’s often impossible to get their trucks loose enough for them to turn. I sometimes swap boards with my students. So that I can use my weight to break in their trucks.
Have you seen how loose Daewons trucks are? I think tight is good for tick tacking and beginners . If you like to have a more surf style, carving, etc. Ioose trucks are the way.
Yes I have. He’s also been skating 40 years and learned all the tricks. For someone who can’t pop a solid Ollie, you’re not gonna get very far with trucks that don’t have a top bushing. I explained this in the video. Using an outlier among top-tier professionals as example does nothing to refute the claim I’ve made here.
@@NormanWoods Not trying to argue. As a beginner, I was happy to learn carving and leaning into turns imitating surfing rather than click clacking everywhere. I remember when I was a kid watching all the guys at the Venice Pavilion. Block, Oster, Murray , Dressen. It was about going fast gyrating, slashing. It's extremely hard to do a slappy with tight ass trucks. I think it boils down to what kind of tricks you want to do. If you gravitate to something like the Anti-Hero guys. They have lines that are completely different. Not just a one and done trick . Boomer rant over lol.
@@mirapilatesi think as a beginner it’s better to have loose trucks and develop somewhat of a style and get super comfy on your board. But when you’re starting to improve and lean into more advanced tricks, it’s definitely better to go for a medium tightness instead of super duper loose. Most things said in this video apply a lot to my issues with skating and it’s been sorta screwing my progression. But that’s just my thoughts, everybody has diff preferences
Whats up Norman! Would love to see how many threads you have showing on your tighter truck. I weigh around 180lbs and I ride Ace AF1 55's on a 8.5 but i put in hard bushings to get a little more rebound on my "medium tightness truck" without having to crank it to where i feel it "looks" nasty.
When I’m not lazy, I add the hard Bones to my Ace trucks. But, a kid at Lake Street got his board stolen, and I gave him mine. Which had the after market bushings. So, I’m running the stock bushings and they’re cranked as hell 😂
@@break9682 three, on my 8.5 at the moment. They’re just a bit looser than medium. Ace bushings loosen up often. My 8.3 setup only has two showing, and the trucks are a bit tighter, since it’s my more tech board. Too lazy to add the Bones bushings this round.
Mavo, I mostly skate tranny these days. Give tightening a bit a try. Don’t go full Cole/Houston tight. Just go medium tight so you can still carve. I think the point of this video is to just give you something to try. Don’t go from one extreme to the other. Just try something different and see if it helps.
@@SOUPBOY1972 I was riding super tight for a while because I had low trucks with no risers. Tic taccing everywhere like it’s the 90s. Now I ride medium hi trucks. I land way smoother
so, I'm new to skateboarding and here in my city (Brazil, Brasília City) there is this new bowl. I'll tight the trucks as much as I can, so I don't learn bad habits, am I right?
probably good advice but also the execution matters. i can see people tightening their trucks to the point where the bushings break and then they have tight trucks but also dead trucks
You won’t ruin trucks tightening them to medium. Also, no such thing as dead trucks, unless you break a base plate or hanger. I think you mean blowing bushings. Which is a $3 fix. Also, if you listen to the content of the video, this is for beginners. You can focus on execution when you are just learning to do the trick and lack the physical experience to understand complex movements. That comes once you can consistently land a trick. Which I mention in the video.
@@NormanWoods Dead trucks was a figure of speech. (no native speaker here). I mean when you compress the bushings to the point where their range of motion gets close to zero. By "execution" I meant the options someone has to address loose trucks. (I was not clear at all). I think it's not always the best solution to just tighten the bushings. Sorry for undermining the information you shared. I like your videos and have helped me a lot. Cheers!
@@NormanWoods i understand how to „pop“ but I can’t jump idk if I’m not comfortable enough, if I’m scared idk. I can’t bring my legs up. Look if I try to do an Ollie I squat down and go up and jump after my weight left the board I pop the tail with my ankle of the back foot but I can only get an inch high I can’t get my knees up I tried hippie jumps and it’s the same i guess I’m scared of landing wrong and falling any tips brother?
One turn at a time. Just turn, then ride and see how you like, and make more adjustments if needed. They don’t have to be medium. Just stable enough that your board doesn’t wiggle when you squat down to pop. Which is different for everyone.
I’m not sure which bushing that is. I always recommend the white and yellow, mediums. But, as long as you can get your trucks to a point where they’re: 1. loose enough to carve a bit 2. Tight enough that when you crouch down, you don’t get wheel bite You’ll be good.
Isn't it like camber vs rocker snowboard. Camber gives power but its unforgiving, rocker gives float but Has got less power. I don't know... Maybe...😊😊😊
There’s a massive difference between a pro who has skated for at least ten years, and someone learning the basics. I can’t believe I even have to mention this.
When you skate loose you just have to skate faster and everything balances out. Tight trucks are dangerous in my experience unless I’m trying to slowly approach an obstacle and be precise
Faster with loose trucks = speed wobble. If you’re learning to skate, loose trucks won’t do you any favors. Once you’re comfortable, you can figure out what you like. But, medium is the way for beginners.
The thing most people miss is that to get your trucks more stable, you need to get harder bushings rather than krank the trucks to see kingpin threads. People are afraid to get trucks tighter after their bushings blew up in the past. It takes time and better bushings to tighten the trucks the right way.
Those hard Bones bushing solve the problem. I couldn’t believe how good they were, the first time I put some in.
Agree, I run 96a in doh doh's and aftermarket indy's. I was taught that if you have two threads showing on the kingpin you should look at sizing up bushing durometer before cranking more on the kingpin
Agreed
Stock bushings can go, if you tighten them correctly and then break them in.
I grew up skating the tightest trucks.
But now im skating them pretty loose.
And have to agree. With him
Pop and loose trucks dont go hand in hand.
Unless you scale your board size correctly also. Its all math.
@@TRAVIESO_NA I can skate my smaller setup a bit looser, and still have more pop. Yes! The geometry plays a big part.
@@NormanWoods Sorry if this is a dumb question, im just getting back skating after 20 years. You are talking about "Bones Hardcore Bushings" the Hard (Black) set, correct ?
Also, i just found your channel, really like your instructional style, thanks for these vids.
this lesson is GOLD. when you are learning, you want stability, then you adjust your trucks as you get better. you go from tighter to loose as you get more control... not the other way around...
A few tips for those wanting to skate harder trucks. For reference I’m 160lbs and ride Indy’s on an 8.5in board and found bones hard bushings great(your board and shoe width affect how tight or loose your trucks feel). I found a few things that really helped dial my trucks in.
1. Bones bushings inner diameter is larger than the kingpin so I used aluminum foil to wrap around the kingpin to increase the diameter so they fit snugly. This keeps the bushing from shifting and clicking which makes the centering feel more damped.
2. I put a washer under the bottom bushing to keep the intended geometry of the trucks, even after tightening them down.
3. I 3d printed a washer from nylon that goes in between the two bushings, inside the large hole of the hangar. This keeps the bushing from smooshing into the hole, which would effectively loosen the trucks in a vicious cycle. Along with #2 also helps keep them from breaking.
4. Wax your pivot cups and potentially on the surfaces of the bushings that face each other. This helps keep everything running smoothly.
5. Get a yardstick and place it lengthwise along the side of each baseplate to align the trucks so they are both parallel. If your board has ever felt different skating the nose instead of the tail mis-aligned trucks are probably the reason. This drove me insane until I figured it out.
The end result is a much more stable feeling while still being able turn tight.
Thank you for this comment, and for being a detailed and thoughtful person. A few commenters here have missed the point of this video, and taken it as an attack on how they setup their trucks. Even though I explain that this recommendation is aimed at beginners. I’ve taught hundreds over twelve years, and they’ve all struggled to stabilize a board with loose trucks, due to lacking the strength to crouch while keeping a loose setup balanced.
Your suggestions are spot on. My size twelve makes setups that ride tighter for smaller skaters ride loose.
I had a hard time with pressure flips with loose trucks. Tightened it specifically for that trick and never went back. I like it now.
Norman droppin' the truth. Love it
Absolutely loving the vids man. Your very blunt, matter-of-fact way of conveying things is refreshing. No beating around the bush, just telling it how it is. Good stuff bro
Thank you! I just try to share my experience.
I just tightened up after riding loose enough to where the trucks would jiggle, it did make my pop a little less. Loose made my ankles way stronger and got my balance and centering wayyy better. So now that I tightened to a medium tightness my pop is way more consistent and high, 360 flips are also a lot easier with the tighter trucks
The 360 flip is what inspired me to make this. I was helping a few local kids with theirs, and a couple of them had trucks so loose, they were almost falling when they crouched down.
really happy you talked about this
Holy crap, this was a night and day difference! Tighter trucks even helped me hold grinds longer. I just changed my bottom bushings to cylinder shape , so it's even more stable when I do flip tricks
Not too tight, not too loose, just right.
Mate, I am 27 and I skated a little bit when I was 16. My partner got me a skateboard today. I managed to ollie again, but holy it was hard to balance because the complete she got had SUCH LOOSE TRUCKS.. Your video seriously helped me.
Always happy to provide helpful tips. Welcome back and congrats on getting your Ollie again.
Just started back after 15 yrs out and medium/tighter way better to start back! Thank you and love the channel!
Correct, as usual! Between the super loose truck trend and the huge board trend, kids are making it extremely difficult on themselves for no reason.
If they’re just following a trend that’s not good, but loose trucks are fun as fuck if you learn how to use them well. I think performance goes down slightly, but straight gaining skill isn’t always the goal, goal sometimes is just to have fun… and by having fun I still progress
So true man. I watch kids with a 9” board and rattling trucks struggle to learn tricks all the time.
You got power! 😮 dominating those spots 💪
I had to come back to this video because I’ve realized that loose is best for me because not only it makes style better but I have a lot more control and saves when it comes to landing smooth. What I’ve learned so far is that I have to start jumping/popping different, has to be a push/pop, not that pre-squat pop. And I have to sacrifice some pop, but I can’t have it all. I’m not trying to be Norman woods or Tyshawn anyway😂😂😂
Beginner skater here and didn't realize my trucks were too loose. Def struggled to stabilize on my ollies before the pop. Thanks for the video.
Tight the trucks is really a great advice, thank you my G, other thing is to use harder bushings
You’re so right. The Bones hard bushings go!!
Good tip!! It does work!
🙏🏾🙏🏾
Funny enough I ran my trucks tighter when I was younger and trying bigger things. But as I’ve aged and basically just sticking to smaller stuff, I’ve run looser trucks. One thing I’ve noticed it helps (at least with me) is slappies. But now that I’m in my 40’s, even with my dad weight I’m skating looser than before. I also tried going super loose (like Daewon loose) but more or less just to see how his board must feel. Obviously he is in a league all his own! And I literally changed it back after one sesh. It gave me a whole new respect for the madness that man puts out on a skateboard!
Loose is definitely better for slappies. Daewon is on a whole other level. But, he came to this stage after learning just like everyone else. Over time, after you’ve learned the basics, you figure out which setup suits your style.
Norman's right about trucks in the 90's. I would break kingpins and baseplates all the time. Hangers would crack easier too and axles slipped like crazy. Be thankful for your modern trucks.
We have it so good these days. You can’t understand how bad the trucks were, unless you’ve skated them.
@NormanWoods That's right, but we didn't know any different. Often just dealing with it until the truck crumbled and we ate it.
I have some 90's ventures on my cruiser, and the newer ventures don't even compare.. you are correct, tho, trucks were garbage back then, for the most part, but if you've never skated a pair of 90's ventures, there is nothing like it.. when they got bought out, they changed the geometry, and they're just not the same.. that's why sewa still skates those old ventures
Watching this made me miss working at a skateshop
I tried to. Never got hired. Had to telemarket. It was my teenage dream job though.
Ive always thought that loose trucks would make my balance better and I would try kickflips and i would get so mad because I couldn't land them but now I understand thank you ❤
Thank you man
Wisdom from a guru
My pleasure
Great lesson. I'm learning this now and I started with bones hard and then bones medium and then bones soft for a long time. Now going back to mid. Especially getting into vert and I seen a video Christian Hosoi had them on his set up.
I run the indy medium barrel on the bottom, and bones hard bottom bushing on the top. I think I could play with it a little more to get it closer but this is the best setup I've ever ridden so far.
always very interesting [to listen to this loose vs tight debate] 😁 I ride my trucks very loose but I'm also very balanced on the board-- the only time most people can tell my trucks are loose is if they ride my board, we skate a set, or we're doing something the requires hella speed. Good vid
I was in the extremely loose camp for years. Had to switch to medium when I became a jumper. They feel great loose, I keep my cruiser trucks as wobbly as possible. Big pop and taking impact are just too difficult that way. Thanks buddy 👊🏾
Thanks again Norman for share your knowledge!!
I skate Indy. I don’t change the bushings. I crank my back truck down to where I can see 3 treads, and I crank the front truck to where I can see 1 tread. And that is perfect for me. 👍 pop with good turning.
Dang you're good at this. Stand Tall you fall hahaha learned that the hard way 2 days ago, these pesky pebbles, just rolling to the park and boom, on the back. At least I got that out of the way before the park so all went smooth later but the butt and the wrist hurt still
Oh man. Pebbles and a hill bomb led to one of my worst injuries. Used to bomb the same asphalt hill, on the way home. Had to take the sidewalk one day. Saw a crack and avoided it. Didn’t see the patch of pebbles in front of it. Must’ve flown ten feet to my right shoulder. Couldn’t sleep comfortably for two months.
@@NormanWoods oh man thats gnarly. Hill bombing fraks me out so much, I couldn't do it with a gun to my head bro. But it cant stop to amaze me how fast skateboarding forces you to get smarter every time you step on it. Maybe it's because I just found my way back to it in my 30s but the first few times back on it I started to act like a little kid again but it didn't take long before 2 or 3 good slams put me back into my place and smartened me up haha it's flat ground only for at least half a year for me. Love how much good advice is out here on youtube, I bet if I had something like this as a kid I'd have never stoped
I did the same thing in the 90s skated really tight trucks. Now that I'm 44 i skate them medium. But my bag of tricks is limited these days so im more focused on skating clean and consistently.
Same! I’ve forgotten more tricks than I like to do today. I only do the ones that feel good.
I totally agree, I love tight trucks. helps with a kickflip, I can turn fine, and have a blast on transition. loose does help when I need help landing a 180, but I end up getting wheel bite because I like my big wheels so I just keep em tight all night.
Another thing that worked for me is try different bushings. I ride indys and the stock medium bushings were way too soft. Bones hards were way to hard and gave me a tough time kick turning on ramps. Got the black indy hards and its perfect. My turns feeling way better but also feels more stable on flat. But try what works for YOU.
this is wisdom
My fav setup right now is the ACE-AF1 with the hard bushings they sell separately.
I got those too. You seen the hollow ones?
@@CHICKENBONENOWITSON Yup, my homie has those and loves them. I don't mind the standard, heavier truck. Balances out my flick nicely.
Great tips!
starting over after 15 i was never too good, and now im having issues with my trucks. It seems once i turn, the bushings don't recover the initial position so i find myself always over three wheels and something like that. I dont remember this thing happening to me back in the day...ill try to tighten it a little more and see how it respond. Nice video BTW
This issue happens when you're too heavy for the intended bushing. Switch to Hard bushings
Thanks. I tried hard bushings but then i switched back to soft bushings. I'll give the hard ones another try because I still can't oliie right.
I thought I should look steezy like when I see Yuto Horigome land a trick but I think you're right. As a beginner, it's not about looking cool. It's about learning how to do the trick.
This was EXACTLY my problem. I started skating again 6 months ago and trying kickflips were awful. I was getting wheel bite just bending my knees getting read to pop off. Fast forward to a couple months ago I realized my trucks were too lose. I still cant kickflip lol but my pop is much better. I still prefer loose trucks but for now I have them a bit tighter.
You are very specific my brother I appreciate it 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Funny enough I ran into this issue when picking up vert skating. I've always skated transition and liked my trucks pretty loose but I found I was wasting so much energy on vert just trying to remain stable when trying to chain airs and build height. Since tightening I noticed my flatground consistency became way easier too. I also would add that experimenting with bushings is really helpful for finding a truck feel that fits you. I ride the soft indy bushings, but tighten my trucks a bit more and they feel really stable but also can turn really well, just requires a little more lean.
That makes sense. You’re moving so much faster on a very ramp, and the faster you go, the more pronounced the wobble. This is why I always tighten my truck a bit more to bomb a hill.
Went to Indy Medium-Hards on a new board this week and it's been a journey, lost more tricks than I've gained recently but my freestyle skating feels almost as good as it's ever been
Those bushings take some adjustment. Have you ever tried the medium (white and yellow)? They’re the easiest for me.
@@NormanWoods I would've gone medium but my local shop was only carrying Hards, Medium-Hards, and Softs so I split the difference. Something's actually clicked since I first wrote this today though and all my tricks are starting to feel more natural!
@@coliimusic same reason I had to try the bards. Shop was out of medium. Glad your tricks are coming along now.
Bro. You are amazing, thank you for such great content! ❤
Wtf am i just seeing this guy for the first time????
Great video
It’s crazy that people don’t understand that! My first tricks were learned on grass for stability and 26 years later I can skate loose and do all my tricks no problem, but I wouldn’t want to be learning how to skate on my board right now lol
Solid advice.
I have such a problem with bushings crimping or blowing out.
My trucks are either-
1.Tight for a literal minute
2.Ghost turning
3. Fairly loose to avoid destroying the bushings and avoid ghost turning.
I usually opt for #3 just because I'm tired of fighting the fight for tighter trucks.
I've tried med and hard/ conical and cylindrical bushings.
I don't know what's wrong with me.
It’s not you. Most likely the bushings. See about a set of the hard(black) Bones bushings. They help me with this issue. I’m just over 200 pounds, so stock bushings loosen up too quickly for me.
I do something a little different, I skate the hardest thunder bushings in my trucks (typically ace) and keep my trucks as loose as possible. the super hard bushings keep me from getting wheel bite, while being able to control my turning.. been skating for 30+ years, and nothing has improved my skating as much as loosening my trucks.. but, yeah, for a beginner, it's ok to start a little tighter.. you never know, one day you might do what ishod does, and use two uppers.. I'm not that extreme
Yes. ACE hard bushings are the best! Bones fell off.
thanks so much guru👍
lmao brought back memories of those 90's trucks
They were so bad 😂
Thanks couldn't pop my board properly until I tightened my trucks today.
👊🏾
Goated bro thank you
I just learned kickflips stationary. I noticed that it’s really hard to kickflip rolling with loose trucks. To the point where I don’t even understand how they do it
even as a 9 or 10 year experienced skater, i still get scared to Ollie the HIGHEST possible bc it feels so weird
This is what I tell Al all times of the day. Dude has loose like super long hardware.
Damn! Long hardware is a rough one. I hate changing setups too much to deal with that. I have the shortest possible. I think it’s 7/8”.
grreat vid, helped me a lot
I like riding transition… so it’s tough medium
I am a half pipe skater, always loved transition. I have been trying to learn flat ground without much success. It’s disappointing to go from being able to blunt and then not even getting my front side 180’s. I think this advise will help me a lot - skating transition you need loose trucks, and I hadn’t thought about tightening them up for when I do street.
Thanks for the advice! Hopefully I get to speed in flat ground soon
I like loose trucks because the turning is smoother especially when i want to turn with one foot while im pushing. i tend to fall off my board more when my trucks are tighter because i have to use more force to turn especially because im relatively light (around 130 pounds). Norman is spitting straights facts tho, i like tightening my trucks around a quarter to a half turn when learning new tricks.
I’m 6’1”, 195lbs and I ride an 8.25. I used to skate looser trucks but I now skate the Bones hard black bushings in any truck I use. I barely tighten them (no threads showing) and it’s great. They don’t even really feel tight to me, but the stability and rebound are night and day compared to standard bushings. I imagine a lighter rider would think they are way too tight.
@@paullucci I’m 6’1” 201lbs. Same. Had to tighten them as I grew. But when I learned the basics I had the extra tight. Even tighter than I’d ever recommend. For little guys, It’s often impossible to get their trucks loose enough for them to turn. I sometimes swap boards with my students. So that I can use my weight to break in their trucks.
Have you seen how loose Daewons trucks are? I think tight is good for tick tacking and beginners . If you like to have a more surf style, carving, etc. Ioose trucks are the way.
Yes I have. He’s also been skating 40 years and learned all the tricks. For someone who can’t pop a solid Ollie, you’re not gonna get very far with trucks that don’t have a top bushing. I explained this in the video. Using an outlier among top-tier professionals as example does nothing to refute the claim I’ve made here.
@@NormanWoods Not trying to argue. As a beginner, I was happy to learn carving and leaning into turns imitating surfing rather than click clacking everywhere. I remember when I was a kid watching all the guys at the Venice Pavilion. Block, Oster, Murray , Dressen. It was about going fast gyrating, slashing. It's extremely hard to do a slappy with tight ass trucks. I think it boils down to what kind of tricks you want to do. If you gravitate to something like the Anti-Hero guys. They have lines that are completely different. Not just a one and done trick . Boomer rant over lol.
@@mirapilatesi think as a beginner it’s better to have loose trucks and develop somewhat of a style and get super comfy on your board. But when you’re starting to improve and lean into more advanced tricks, it’s definitely better to go for a medium tightness instead of super duper loose. Most things said in this video apply a lot to my issues with skating and it’s been sorta screwing my progression. But that’s just my thoughts, everybody has diff preferences
Damn dude I just now realized that my bushing aren’t getting blown out, my waistline is and that’s why my wheels are biting more 🤣
Happens to the best of us 😂😂😂
new sub here.. very interesting content!!!
Whats up Norman! Would love to see how many threads you have showing on your tighter truck. I weigh around 180lbs and I ride Ace AF1 55's on a 8.5 but i put in hard bushings to get a little more rebound on my "medium tightness truck" without having to crank it to where i feel it "looks" nasty.
When I’m not lazy, I add the hard Bones to my Ace trucks. But, a kid at Lake Street got his board stolen, and I gave him mine. Which had the after market bushings. So, I’m running the stock bushings and they’re cranked as hell 😂
@@NormanWoods about how many threads showing? if i may ask.
@@break9682 three, on my 8.5 at the moment. They’re just a bit looser than medium. Ace bushings loosen up often. My 8.3 setup only has two showing, and the trucks are a bit tighter, since it’s my more tech board. Too lazy to add the Bones bushings this round.
Back to Medium yessir
I didnt wanna hear this but it was definitely time i did tight them up to be fair i need new bushings
my shit so loose it be wiggling out of nowhere
That’s how I used to roll.
I'm so conflicted because this all makes a lot of sense, but I skate a lot of transition now, and tight trucks on a quarter is wild.😢
This is mostly street focused advice as Norman mostly skates street.
Mavo, I mostly skate tranny these days. Give tightening a bit a try. Don’t go full Cole/Houston tight. Just go medium tight so you can still carve. I think the point of this video is to just give you something to try. Don’t go from one extreme to the other. Just try something different and see if it helps.
@@SOUPBOY1972 I was riding super tight for a while because I had low trucks with no risers. Tic taccing everywhere like it’s the 90s. Now I ride medium hi trucks. I land way smoother
@@spht9ng yeah. Super tight has its place. It does make learning some tricks easier for sure.
so, I'm new to skateboarding and here in my city (Brazil, Brasília City) there is this new bowl. I'll tight the trucks as much as I can, so I don't learn bad habits, am I right?
probably good advice but also the execution matters. i can see people tightening their trucks to the point where the bushings break and then they have tight trucks but also dead trucks
You won’t ruin trucks tightening them to medium. Also, no such thing as dead trucks, unless you break a base plate or hanger. I think you mean blowing bushings. Which is a $3 fix.
Also, if you listen to the content of the video, this is for beginners. You can focus on execution when you are just learning to do the trick and lack the physical experience to understand complex movements. That comes once you can consistently land a trick. Which I mention in the video.
@@NormanWoods Dead trucks was a figure of speech. (no native speaker here). I mean when you compress the bushings to the point where their range of motion gets close to zero.
By "execution" I meant the options someone has to address loose trucks. (I was not clear at all). I think it's not always the best solution to just tighten the bushings.
Sorry for undermining the information you shared. I like your videos and have helped me a lot.
Cheers!
@@kp_adamo no worries man. Two different languages. Also, read this with a bit of comment reply induced fatigue.
Can you make an Ollie tutorial for beginners?
There’s one in my tutorial playlist. I’ve linked it in the description.
@@NormanWoods i understand how to „pop“ but I can’t jump idk if I’m not comfortable enough, if I’m scared idk. I can’t bring my legs up. Look if I try to do an Ollie I squat down and go up and jump after my weight left the board I pop the tail with my ankle of the back foot but I can only get an inch high I can’t get my knees up I tried hippie jumps and it’s the same i guess I’m scared of landing wrong and falling any tips brother?
@@Kuzumeayate I’m sure this wouldn’t be too tough to fix. I’d need to see a video of you trying.
@@NormanWoods how can I send it to you?
Cruise Loose.
Skate Med/Tight.
Totally unrelated but you look familiar. Work for Street League??
When would one be considered intermediate. Currently see myself as a beginner.
Can you do an Ollie tutorial for beginners? I only have one called „how to Ollie higher“ but u know a video where you explain Ollie step-by-step step
I think I’ll make that next.
@@NormanWoods Bro please, would really appreciate it. Next week possible?
@@Kuzumeayate schedule permitting, I’ll record it Sunday.
@@NormanWoods lot of people gonna appreciate it for real u know when u upload it?
@@Kuzumeayate looking to upload on Wednesday
How do I get medium Trucks?
One turn at a time. Just turn, then ride and see how you like, and make more adjustments if needed. They don’t have to be medium. Just stable enough that your board doesn’t wiggle when you squat down to pop. Which is different for everyone.
@@NormanWoods is it okay if it shows 2-3 threads from the screw if u know what I mean?
is bones 96a bushing good?
I’m not sure which bushing that is. I always recommend the white and yellow, mediums. But, as long as you can get your trucks to a point where they’re: 1. loose enough to carve a bit
2. Tight enough that when you crouch down, you don’t get wheel bite
You’ll be good.
@@NormanWoods thank you😁,got it
Isn't it like camber vs rocker snowboard. Camber gives power but its unforgiving, rocker gives float but Has got less power.
I don't know... Maybe...😊😊😊
Loose trucks good for bowl skating
Irrelevant for someone who can’t balance.
I never could skate loose trucks
next rookie mistake: your pants are too baggy
😂😂😂😂
DAEWON and Evan Smith. TFunk. KADER ride loose AF my boi. GONZ too.
There’s a massive difference between a pro who has skated for at least ten years, and someone learning the basics. I can’t believe I even have to mention this.
When you skate loose you just have to skate faster and everything balances out. Tight trucks are dangerous in my experience unless I’m trying to slowly approach an obstacle and be precise
Faster with loose trucks = speed wobble. If you’re learning to skate, loose trucks won’t do you any favors. Once you’re comfortable, you can figure out what you like. But, medium is the way for beginners.
Enjoy sk8