How to Make Longboard Skateboards Faster

Longboard skateboards were designed to go much faster than regular skateboards. Riding a longboard is similar in sensation to snowboarding and surfing. Riders use longboards for transportation and for the thrill of riding downhill fast. Longboards are faster than regular skateboards because they are longer and have wider wheels. Making the board go even faster means picking bigger and bigger hills. The right wheels, made out of the right materials, make a longboard go faster, as does proper maintenance.

Things You'll Need

  • Cleaning solution
  • Lubricant
  • Wrench
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose which wheels to use for a particular ride. Harder wheels go faster on very smooth surfaces while softer wheels go faster on rough surfaces. The wheels are made out of urethane, which deforms and reforms when it encounters things like pebbles or stones. If the wheel is too soft, it may not rebound fast enough to keep your speed up, but if it's too hard, you'll collide into the pebbles or stones.

    • 2

      Switch to larger, wider wheels to hold faster speeds longer. Larger wheels sacrifice acceleration but hold coasting speed longer.

    • 3

      Check the nuts on your wheels to see if they are too tight. The tighter the nuts, the slower the wheels rotate. The nuts shouldn't be too loose either or they'll fall off and you'll lose your wheel and eat pavement.

    • 4

      Check your wheel bearings for dirt. If they are dirty, they cause the wheel to rotate slower, which means you're going slower instead of faster. Clean the bearings by carefully removing the seal, soaking the bearings in cleaning solution, drying them thoroughly and applying a lubricant.