If you want to cruise on a skateboard then you will need longboard wheels and riser pads. Otherwise, your cruise will be cut short as soon as you hit any rough pavement or catch on a pebble.
No worries though! Changing your set-up to be cruise ready is easy to do 🙂
Tools Needed
- A Skateboard
- Longboard Wheels (Size 60mm – 70mm)
- A Skate Tool (T-tool), or Socket Wrench Set
- Riser Pads
- Eight 1.25″ Screws
Purchase a Pair of Smaller Sized of Longboard Wheels
How Much Do Longboard Wheels Cost?
The price ranges widely for longboard wheels.
Longboard wheels cost on average between $25-$70. The quality you get varies quite a lot in this price range. Expect to spend at least $30-$40 for a set of quality wheels. Longboard wheels are available at the cheapest prices on Amazon.
You can find a quality pair of wheels through amazon. I recommend getting a smaller size like 70mm to avoid wheel bite. You don’t want your board looking like a monster truck.
Where Can I Purchase Longboard Wheels?
Any skate shop will have longboard wheels and will also help you put them on your skateboard. You can also purchase longboard wheels from online retailers like Amazon. My suggestion is to try to support local if you can, but if convenience is a big priority then don’t feel bad about using an online shop. Some skate shops have online components now.
Purchase Riser Pads
How Much Do Riser Pads Cost?
Riser pads are cheap.
Riser pads cost between $5-$15. These are very cheap plastic parts that you fit between your trucks and your board to give more space for the larger longboard wheel. Call ahead to your local skate shop to see if they have any riser pads in stock or you can order them from Amazon. If you purchase them from a skate shop, they will help you put them on your board.
If you put longboard wheels on your skateboard, you need a riser pad or you get wheel bite. This is a no-no.
Where Can I Purchase Riser Pads?
Most skate shops will have riser pads in stock and will also help you put them on your skateboard. You might want to call ahead first to check though. I’ve shown up before at my local skate shop and they were out of stock.
You can also purchase riser pads from online retailers like Amazon. Again, my suggestion is to try to support local if you can, but if convenience is a big priority then don’t feel bad about using an online shop. Most of the riser pads you purchase will come with the extra-long screws needed to attach them. Make sure you get these screws included with your purchase!
Remove Your Trucks
To remove your trucks from your deck you need to loosen and remove four screws for each truck. The screw heads are on the top of the deck, or the side with griptape on it. Take the Phillips head screwdriver from your skate tool and turn each screw counterclockwise until each screw is loose enough to remove with your fingers.
Sometimes, the screw will turn and not come loose. If this is the case, you will need to grip the bolt on the back of the board with a wrench or socket wrench while you unscrew from the top (griptape side) of the board.
Once all of the screws are out, you should be able to separate your truck from your deck. Take these four screws and put them somewhere for safekeeping. We won’t need them for this setup.
Reattach Your Trucks with Riser Pads
First, line up your riser pads with your deck on the underside where the trucks will go. Then push each of your screws through the top of your deck and riser pad by hand and hand screw on each bolt just enough so that the screw won’t fall out. Do this will all of your screws and both riser pads.
Next, line up and push your trucks onto these screws. You can do this by hand. Take the bolt for each screw and screw it by hand until it touches your truck.
Finally, you need to tighten four screws for each truck. The screw heads are on the top of the deck, or the side with griptape on it. Take the Phillips head screwdriver from your skate tool and turn each of your extra-long 1.25″ screws clockwise until each screw is snug and tight. You might need to hold the bolt on the back of the board with a wrench or socket wrench.
The screw will become too loose to unscrew and you can then just remove it with your hand.
If you want to learn more about a skate tool and how to use one, check out our guide here.
Remove Your Bearings
They might be a bit greasy, but you should be able to pop out your bearings with your hand. This is pretty difficult to do and you can completely avoid this by purchasing new bearings to use with your longboard wheels.
Fit Your Bearings Into Your Longboard Wheels
In skate shops, they use something called a bearing press to fit the bearings into the wheel, but you can use your hands just as well.
Attach Your New Longboard Wheels
Slide your first key ring and then each of your new wheels onto your axle. Slide your second key ring on after the wheel.
Use your hand to turn your bolt onto the axle until it is touching the wheel.
Try each socket on your skate tool, until you find the socket size that can fit snuggly over the bolt on the outside of your wheel. It will usually be the smallest socket size. Turn the skate tool clockwise to tighten and attach the wheel and bearing.
When attaching your wheel and bearing, make sure you tighten the bolt until it is snug and doesn’t turn without effort. You don’t want your wheels coming loose while you’re skating especially if you have some speed.
Adjust Your Truck’s Tightness to Avoid Wheel Bite
Whenever you replace or change the hardware on your board, you will need to give it a test ride. Just step onto the board and lean from side to side. Does the board touch your new wheels?
If so, you need to tighten your trucks to avoid this. It’s called wheel bite and can make a set-up unskateable.
Otherwise, simply push around on your board and try turning. If the trucks or are too tight or loose for your liking simply use your skate tool to adjust the truck’s tightness.
Fit the appropriate socket size on your skate tool over the center bolt on your truck. Turn your skate tool clockwise to tighten your trucks and turn it counterclockwise to loosen your trucks. (Yes, the gif below is an old one I made with a different board. The concept still applies.)
If you’re an adult who’s interested in learning to skateboard or just cruise, check out our guide with a reality check.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading and I hope that this format helps you fit on your own longboard wheels! Personally, I prefer the gif instructional format compared to a video because I don’t have to keep pausing and rewinding the video. I just hope the gifs don’t slow down the webpage too much.
Anyway, see you next time and look out for more articles and guides from Board and Wheels.
