How to select your bushings?

Skateboard's bushings may seem to be very basics, those cushions are essentials parts of the trucks. Precise choise of the bushings will stongly impact the behavior of the trucks.

The Height

Depending of the types and brands of trucks, the bushing may have a variable height

Skateboard Street:

The is the most common size you would find board side on skateboard trucks with traditional kingpin geometry.

Skateboard Short Street:

The is the most common size you would find road side on skateboard trucks with traditional kingpin geometry.

Longboard Standard:

This is the most common size of bushings on longboard trucks with reverted kingpin geometry (both sides)

Longboard Tall:

Tall bushings only used per a few longboard trucks brands. Trucks using tall bushings usualy dive deeper into turns.

Here is a chart with trucks / matching  bushings types

The Shapes

Shape will have a direct impact on how the truck would turns and feels

Cone:

This is the turnier and less stable shape. The cones shapes allow you to tum with a maximum depth. Suitable types of practices: Slalom, Carving, Dancing, street / skatepark

Barrel:

The barrel is a very stable shape. Its turns a little bit less to compare with a cone. This is a very populare shape for downhill, freeride, and dancing longboarding, and for skateboarding (board side).

It is very common to mix a barrel bushing board side and a cone bushing road side. This way, you get a turny but stable enough setting. This combo is generaly used for skateboarding, dancing, carving, cruising, and sometimes Long Distance Pumping

Fat Cone:

Fat cones initialy have a similar feel as a barrel, but get progressivly a higher resistance as further you turn and as deeper as the trucks lean. Fat cones are usualy used board side, matching with a barrel road side. This setting is good for freeriding and downhill.

Chubby & Magnum:

This is a wide stepped barrel shape. This is the most stable shape ever. Use the chubby board side with a barrel road side. Theuy still turn very well and can be used with a softer duro is you are looking for a stable but more confortable setting. Types of practices: Downhill, Freeride, Street(Street chubby)

Durometer

Depending of the rider's weight and type of use, you may need to sellect a specific durometer of cushions. feather light skaters would need softer bushings, while a heavier rider may need harder bushings.

Warning: Beginners often have the bad reflex of wanting to overestimate the hardness of the rubbers. It is better to get used to riding on soft cushions rather than too hard. Indeed, bushings that are too hard will be more stable in straight lines, but will not allow good control in curves.

Dumorters can be mixed. In this situation, make sure to place the harder bushing on the board  side. If you are downhill longboarding or riding a slalom board, you can set your rear truck with harder cushions. This will gives a more directional riding feel and more stability when you come out of hairpin turns.

Here is a recommanded durometer chart in function of the rider's wait

Skateboard: Park, Bowl, Street & Longboard: Dancing, Carving, Cruising

Populare setting  for an average weight rider(+/- 70Kg)

Skateboard: Riptide Street Barrels / Cones 90A

Dancing: Orangatang Knuckles 90A

Carving / Cruising: Riptide Barrels APS 90A / Cones APS 90A

Longboard Freeride, Downhill

PS: If you are using tall bushings, you should refer to the highest recommaneded durometer

Some populare settings for freeriding and downhill (Rider +/- 70Kg)

VENOM DOWNHILL BARRELS HPF 93A BOARD SIDE / 90A ROAD SIDE

Riptide Barrels APS 95A board side / 92.5A road side

Venom Tall Barrels 95A Board side / 93A road side

Tightening

The bushings should be neither over tight or under tight. Stop tightening the nut as soon as resistance begins in the tightening. A truck that is under tight is difficult to control and behaves very imprecisely. If your rubbers are too compressed, the board will not turn well, the bushings will wear out prematurely, and the board will tend to pull to the side. If your cushions deform when tightening, the truck is over tight.

Compound Formulas

Il existe une multitude de formules de gommes avec pour chacune d'entre elles une qualité de rebond et un feeling différent. Les gommes avec le plus de rebond permettent au truck de revenir à sa position initiale plus rapidement et énergiquement. La préférence de formule est totalement une histoire de feeling.

Here are some of the most popular formulas:

Riptide APS(Animated Polymer System: Very lively and offers high rebound with lots of control and lean. For the same durometer, the APS will turn 10% to 15% more than the same durometer of other brands.  In addition, the APS does not change much when you tighten the kingpin nut past snug.

Riptide APS Formula Chart

Riptide WFB(World Fastest Bushings): Has a unique lubrication added that does not bond with the urethane. This is why you will often see a white residue powder on the surface. This compound offers reduced bushing friction for fast transitions and a deeper lean than the APS with less pushback to center. WFB will turn 15% to 20% more than the same durometer of other brands (So buy accordingly). WFB also offers lower rebound than APS and is designed for the rider that wants a very fluid response.  Truly the bushing of choice for the more experienced rider that wants to control his bushings instead of the bushings controlling him or her.

Riptide WFB recommandation chart

Riptide Krank: Designed specifically to change feel under pressure and is controlled by the amount of clamp pressure you subject it to when tightening the King Pin nut!  The effective range of control is from barely snug for the loosest feel to 2 full turns for the tightest feel.  KranK will turn the same or less than the same durometer of other brands

Riptide Krank recommandation chart

Venom HPF(High Performance Formula): Intermediate rebound formula. This is the most populare compound from Venom Skate (aka Zak maytum products). Wide range of hardenesses for all riding disciplines.

Venom SHR(Super High Rebound): Very lively high rebound formula. Really fun for carving

Venom team rider's recommandation chart (on the left side for beginners / on the right for advanced riders)

Bushings flat and cupped washers

The bushings are isolated from the nut or the baseplate via a washer (flat or cupped). This small piece of metal, depending on its shape, retains the bushing in its compression, or lets it crash into the depths of the curve.

If you want to turn as deep as possible, prefer flat washers. otherwise, the cups will be more suitable and will limit the risk of wheelbite