How to Loosen a Skateboard

When skateboarding one must decide on how loose his skateboard must be for his type of skating, whether he skates to travel and require tight trucks or if he does tricks and requires his skateboard's trucks to be loose. Trucks are composed of two parts: the top part of the truck is called the base-plate and is screwed into the deck of the skateboard; beneath it is the hanger portion of the truck, which houses the axle that runs through the hangar and houses the wheels for the skateboard to move.

Things You'll Need

  • Allen wrench
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the skateboard upside-down and find the right wrench that will fit into the center "Kingpin" socket. The "Kingpin" socket is in the center of the skateboard's truck and is the largest screw of the truck.

    • 2

      Place the wrench into the "Kingpin" socket and turn it counterclockwise to loosen the trucks until reaching the desired level of looseness.

    • 3

      Ride the skateboard after you have loosened the "Kingpin" socket and make sure it is proper for your style of skating. If the first attempt does not succeed in creating the right ride for you, readjust the "Kingpin" socket until your desired ride type is achieved. This may take several attempts; however, this method will help you find the perfect point of looseness for your riding technique.