Your trucks are one of the most important pieces of hardware in your skateboard setup.
The right pair of trucks will fit both your deck and wheels and will suit your skating style.
After the reviews below, we cover the key things to look out for when choosing skateboard trucks.
Our top pick: Venture Trucks High 5.25
Venture is one of the most sought-after brand of trucks in the skateboarding world and with good reason.
They are lightweight and super durable, making them the favoured option amongst many of the world’s top skaters.
These trucks are regular/high profile, making them great for general use, vert ramps, bowls and cruising, but less suitable for technical street skating and flip tricks.
Features
- Profile: Regular/High
- Material: Reinforced Steel
- Hanger width: 5.25″
- Axle width: 8″
- Suggested Deck Width: 7.9″ – 8.2″
- Suggested wheel size: 50 – 53mm
- Other: Extra light & durable
Tensor Trucks Magnesium Black 5.0
The truck brand of skating royalty Rodney Mullen, Tensor trucks are super lightweight and packed with technology.
Constructed with Magnesium, these Tensor trucks are not only light, but they offer superior grinding performance when compared to some other materials.
Another standout feature is their quick response turns, perfect for technical street skating.
Producing the lightest trucks on the market, Tensor have quickly cemented themselves as industry leaders and a trend setter in skate truck technology.
Features
- Profile: Regular/High
- Material: Magnesium
- Hanger width: 5.0″
- Axle width: 7.63″
- Suggested Deck Width: 7.4″ to 8.0″
Thunder Trucks High Hollow Lights
Made from 100% Titanium, these trucks also feature hollowed axles and kingpins to minimise weight, providing the rider with extra speed and responsiveness, especially in technical skating.
While hollow trucks might not sound like a great idea at first, fear not, Thunder Trucks are one of the leaders in skate truck technology and are the favourite of many pros.
These trucks have been tried and tested by skaters around the world.
Durable, lightweight, and super high performing, it’s easy to see why Thunder Trucks are the go-to choice for skaters everywhere.
Features
- Profile: High
- Material: Titanium
- Hanger width: 5.25″ (133 mm)
- Axle width: 8.0″ (203.2 mm)
- Suggested Deck Width: 7.9 – 8.12″
- Other: Hollow Axles and Kingpins
Independent Trucks Silver Standard
Every skater has heard of Independent trucks. They’ve been around since the 70s and have been fine tuning their range ever since.
Independent trucks offer a great all-around option for beginners who don’t want to go down the road of more technical truck offerings.
While not necessarily the lightest trucks on the market, Independent perform extremely well in terms of turning geometry, responsiveness, and durability.
If you want a solid pair of trucks that will perform well and last you a lifetime, it’s hard to look past Independent.
Features
- Profile: Regular
- Material: Aluminium
- Hanger width: 5.47” (139mm)
- Axle width: 8.0” (203.2mm)
- Suggested Deck Width: 7.75 – 8.25”
- Other: Lifetime guarantee
Destructo Trucks D1 Black + Gold Mid
Designed to provide maximum strength without additional weight, Destructo trucks utilise weapon-grade aluminum and hollow kingpins to pump out some of the most celebrated trucks on the market.
With a focus on smooth, responsive turns, the D1s would suit a wide range of riding styles and skill levels and are sure to help you push your skating to the next level.
Features
- Profile: Mid/Standard
- Material: Aluminium
- Hanger width: 5.25”
- Axle width: 8.0”
- Suggested Deck Width: 8” to 8.5″
- Other: Lifetime guarantee
Ace Trucks 33 Classic
With a sleek, understated design, Ace trucks are made for grinding and technical skating.
Thanks to a low kingpin, hang-ups are minimised, while a rockered hanger (more material in the center of the hanger) adds extra strength where its needed.
Simple yet high-performing, these trucks are perfect for technical skaters who want a truck that does what it’s supposed to and doesn’t get in the way.
Features
- Profile: Standard
- Material: Aluminium
- Hanger width: 5.37″
- Axle width: 8.0”
- Suggested Deck Width: 7.75-8.12″
- Other: Heat treated 3056 series steel axles
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Choosing Skateboard Trucks
Not sure where to start in the search for the perfect trucks for your set up? Below we break down the key things you need to consider when choosing your trucks.
Understanding Skateboard Trucks
Before you rush into buying a pair of trucks, you should make sure you understand what their purpose is to help you decide the right type for your skating style or board setup.
While you may think that trucks are simply for connecting your wheels to your board and for grinding on, there’s a lot more to them than that.
Trucks control how your skateboard turns, ollies, and contribute significantly to the general feel of your setup when skating.
Because of this, the most important thing to do when purchasing skateboard trucks is ensuring you get the right size.
Brands and colours are really just personal preference, but choosing the right size for your board is essential.
Truck Width Sizing
The most important thing to consider when choosing your trucks is their width.
Trucks will often have a number included in their name e.g. “Venture Hi 5.25”.
In this case, the 5.25 refers to the hanger width, however not all brands use the same truck sizing, with some using hanger with and others using axle width.
It’s therefore important to find out the axle width of your trucks before you buy and make sure they are suitable for your deck.
As a general rule, most skaters will want a truck axle width very similar to, or slightly shorter than their deck width.
This setup provides the best balance between stability and turning, without the trucks sticking out from under your board which can result in reduced performance and wheel bite.
Try to choose trucks that are between 0” and -0.25” of your board width. Some examples of this would include:
- 7.75″ deck = 7.75” to 7.5″ truck axle
- 8″ deck = 8” to 7.75″ truck axle
- 8.25″ deck = 8.25” to 8.0″ truck axle
It’s best to keep your measurements in inches as this is what your deck size will be measured in.
Truck Height Sizing
The height of your trucks is important for two main reasons.
Firstly, the height will impact the feel and performance of your setup. Lower trucks will generally feel more stable and will perform better with flip tricks and technical street skating.
Higher trucks can be better for carving, bowls, and ramps. Unless you want to prioritise one of these we suggest you stick with mid-sized trucks.
Secondly, the height of your trucks determines the size of wheels you can use.
If you have too low trucks for your wheels, the wheels may come into contact with the bottom of the deck when turning, which is known as wheel bite.
As a general rule, try to avoid wheels any bigger than 54mm if you’re choosing low trucks.
If trucks don’t have a stated height in their product description, they will likely be mid-high profile, which is the best option for beginners.
Verdict
As discussed earlier in this article, the most important thing to get right when purchasing trucks is the size. After that, you will be safe with trucks from any of the major brands (including all of those on this list).
It’s very hard to pick a favourite amongst the trucks on this list as they are all stand-outs.
However, if we had to pick one we’d go with the Venture Highs 5.25.
They are extremely lightweight and offer incredible responsiveness while remaining durable and long-lasting.
If you prefer technical skating Ace trucks are extremely popular, especially amongst skaters who do a lot of rail tricks.
While for all-around use, Thunder Trucks are another excellent choice.
