How to Prevent Wheel Bite | Guide to Skateboard Risers | Tactics 

I agree

Weird flex, but okay.

Black flag

Same

lol same

Same heree bro

same

With some 65mm wheels, you'll need at least 1/4 inch risers, but you might want 1/2 inch risers (so tall!). If you don't want to go quite as big as 1/2", you could get a set of 1/4" and 1/8" risers and combine them for 3/8". I guess it just depends on how loose your trucks are. I hope you're having a blast out there! - Tim

Well said! 🔥

What kind of trucks are you using? Also, what size wheel? And deck/truck width? I tried Mini Logo trucks and found them to be horrible with regard to wheel bite. Too low. And I'm wondering of the geometry is a problem also. Switched to my old Indys. Problem gone. This is with 53mm wheels and an 8" deck.

Our stores are open for appointment, so if you call customer service and tell them when you want to be at the shop, then someone will be there to open the doors. Well... unless it's 2:00 AM 😆 - Tim

@@tacticsboardshop Hell ya. I need to upgrade my old board from a trick board to a cruiser. All the skating I do these days is being pulled by my dog. I'm thinkin, new bearings, larger soft wheels.

Indys with the standard base plate are 55mm. The ones with the forged base plate are 53.5mm because the base plate isn't as tall. If you look on nhsfunfactory's website, they list the risers sizes you need for different wheel sizes. I think you need a 1/8" riser. I'm planning on getting some 58mm wheels. I'll see how that works out. Would be nice to not use a riser, but, I ride my trucks pretty loose. Hopefully, an 1/8" riser will be good enough. I'm not sure what you are saying about only being able to use 53mm wheels. Divide the wheel height in half. Only have the wheel is on the side of the axle near the board.

I think you mean 60mm, 50mm is really small

Colin Johnson .... I hope he means 60 mm wheels because 50 mm wheels are a complete joke and entirely too..... Strictly a kids gimmick.....

What kind of trucks?

@@colinjohnson758 I went up to 52mm but yes the purpose of the wheels being small it allows you to have a steep turn.

Ew

The size of the board isn't going to make a difference on what size risers you should get, but if you're getting 60mm wheels, you'll probably want at least 1/8 inch risers. If you like super loose trucks, then you might want 1/4 inch risers just in case. If you get some risers make sure you get long enough hardware to accommodate for them. 0:56 Cheers! - Tim

I don't see any issues with putting slated risers on a cruiser. 👍- Tim

True... and it’s a myth that you need both trucks... just take that other one off... probably don’t have Even need both wheels on it

And all these people are like HoW tO ChOoSe a LoNGbOArd DeCK FoR DanCiNG. Like bro, you don’t need a deck

Its a myth that if you remove your deck, griptape, trucks, bearings, wheels, bushings, and hardware, your pop will increase by %70!!!

@@lgooch dancing lmao

They do absorb some of the sound, but it's very subtle. It kind of makes the board and bearings sound hollow and lower pitch if that makes any sense. - Tim

Yep! I'd suggest going with at least some 1 1/8" hardware. 👍 - Tim

Tactics Boardshop Thank you!

A more cushioned shoe helps too.

Definitely! Just make sure you have long enough hardware for all of the risers. Cheers! - Tim

I mean, the Indy risers will go on the Thunder trucks, but they'll stick out on one side a little more than the other. Thunder made their own risers for a hot minute, but I haven't seen any in a while. I know Lucky and Bones risers will fit perfectly on Thunder trucks. Cheers! - Tim

@@tacticsboardshop I found a place selling thunder risers and already ordered a few pairs, thanks for replying as well as the suggestions of other risers that fit :)

You're going to have much more than 2mm of wheelbite clearance because only half of the 51mm diameter of the wheel will be between the axle and the bottom of the deck. The other half of the wheel is between the axle and the ground. So if the height from the baseplate to the center of the axle is 45.5mm, and half of the wheel diameter is 25.5mm, then you should have 20mm of clearance which should be plenty. Cheers!👍🛹 - Tim

@@tacticsboardshop what a legend!!! 🔥🔥🔥 Thanks a lot Tim!!!! 👍

If you just get some cruiser wheels in the 78a - 86a range, you can get any size and it will still be smooth. If you get some in the 52 - 55mm range you won't need any risers to keep from getting wheelbite. Cheers! - Tim

If you're gonna rock the 75mm OJ Thunder Juice wheels, I'd definitely recommend using two 1/2 inch risers. That set up is gonna mob!!! One thing to consider is that set up is going to be very tall, so every time you push you'll have to do a pretty deep one legged squat and you might get tired fairly quickly. But that set up should be able to handle dirt and bmx tracks as long as the dirt isn't too loose. Anyway, Cheers! 🍻 - Tim

There's no "specific time" to replace your bushings, but if they are split and crushed to the point where they are making it hard for you to do your favorite tricks, or they flop from side to side without the truck turning like it should then it might be worth replacing them. I hope that helps! - Tim

Since the deck is wide (I'm assuming it's pretty wide because it's an old school deck 😄), there's a lot of leverage on the side of the trucks, so I'd suggest a 1/4 inch riser. Unless you skate your trucks pretty tight, then you'd be ok with an 1/8 inch riser. ✌ - Tim

If the board is a much wider than the trucks, there is a lot more leverage on the edges of the board and it will make getting wheel bite easier. If it's narrower, there's less leverage and will make it harder to get wheelbite.

I don't see any reason why you couldn't stack a riser and a shock pad together. Also, I don't think it matters which one goes on top or bottom because the shock pad will still absorb vibrations wherever it is. 👍

With 60mm soft wheels, you should be fine with 1/8 inch risers, but you could also go with some 1/4 inch risers if you like your trucks looser. Then you'll have to get longer hardware to accommodate for the riser and the extra thick deck (9 ply). If you have 1/8 inch risers you'll need at least 1 1/8 inch hardware, and if you get 1/4 inch risers, you'll need at least 1 1/4 inch risers. Obviously risers aren't a guarantee that you won't get wheelbite, but it significantly helps. Cheers! - Tim

@@tacticsboardshop thank you

As long as the hardware holes line up, then yes! You wouldn't necessarily need risers unless you were using gigantic wheels. Cheers! - Tim

1/4" risers with 1 1/4" hardware will work and should be enough clearance, unless your trucks are crazy loose. The Indy riser will fit on the Krux trucks, but they don't line up perfectly. I'm pretty sure that Lucky and Pig risers fit Krux trucks better. Cheers! - Tim

@@tacticsboardshopon your shopping page there are no 1/4" pig risers or lucky risers but you have Krooked risers do those work?

@@rolandrelatores647 Yes, the Krooked risers will work. Any of the risers that have the elongated holes where you can slide and adjust them will work for most skateboard trucks.

Roland Relatores ....what's up man ,been riding many many moons I ride 60 mm wheels with 1/8 or 1/4 inch never have had a problem with wheel bite because I use the correct bushings at the correct hardness....if you have to buckle the kingpin nut down to where the threads protrude five or six threads then your bushings are too soft.... Changing the entire geometry of the truck....

You can totally stack two 1/4 inch risers with no issues. 👍🛹

You can definitely stack risers on each other. Just make sure you have long enough hardware bolts to reach through both of them. 👍 - Tim

The hard plastic risers won't absorb any impact, but the soft rubber shock pads can soak up a little bit but the difference isn't going to be drastic. They're mainly for absorbing vibrations to give you a smoother ride, but every little bit counts right? - Tim

You'll be fine, if they're a little bit off it's not going to negatively affect you. 👍

Me too. Tried Mini Logo trucks. Too damn low without risers and 53mm wheels. Switched to my old Independents. Problem gone.

Nope, the pop comes entirely from the rebound of the wood, so any riser won't make a difference in the pop. Cheers! - Tim

@@tacticsboardshop perfect! Thanks for the reply, I’ll make a purchase from you guys. Appreciate the Content 👊🏻🛹

You should be ok with just 1/8 inch risers. But if you like your trucks super loose, then you could go up to 1/4 inch. Make sure you get hardware that's long enough for them too! Cheers! - Tim

Yep, they'd work!

You should be good. Unless you skate your trucks SUPER loose, then you might want some 1/8 risers. Cheers! - Tim

1/2 inch risers might be a little overkill unless you run your trucks very loose. If your trucks are closer to medium tightness (not floppy) then you should be fine with 1/4 inch risers. If you go with the 1/2 inch risers you'll need 1 1/2 inch hardware, if you go with the 1/4 inch risers you'll need at least 1 1/8 inch hardware. I hope that answered your question! Cheers! - Tim

@@tacticsboardshop What if I dont run any risers . I could try and make my trucks as stiff as possible.

@@DIBADYASU I mean you could, but what fun is a cruiser that doesn't turn well? I personally have 55mm OJ Super Juice wheels with no risers and loose trucks and it's perfect. I use it to skate to work everyday. If you're gonna get 60mm wheels, I'd suggest at least 1/8 inch risers and have your trucks however you like them. - Tim

The sizes of the riser pads vary a little from brand to brand and might not fit perfectly under the baseplate of another brand of truck. For example, Independent risers don't fit perfectly with Thunder trucks. They'll still technically work, but the baseplate hangs off the nose/tail end by about a 1/4 inch. So if you're unsure of the compatibility, you could always call up customer service and have them check for ya! I hope that helps! - Tim

An 1/8 inch riser should be enough, but it won't guarantee you won't get wheelbite. It also depends on how loose your trucks are. Even with 1/8 inch risers, if your trucks are floppy loose, you'll still be able to get wheelbite. So as long as your trucks aren't super loose then you should be fine. 👍 - Tim

Yes, it would be significantly cheaper to get some risers rather than investing in some taller trucks. 👍 - Tim

Yes. Assuming you have just a regular 7-ply deck, the 1" hardware with 1/8" risers will fit exactly. Cheers! - Tim

Yep! You can combine them any way you like. Just remember to get hardware long enough to accommodate both together. 👍 - Tim

With 60mm wheels, you would probably be okay with 1/8" risers. But if you ride looser trucks, then you should go with 1/4" risers. Cheers! - Tim

@@tacticsboardshop Do you guys have an opinion about Mini Logo trucks? I just got some and had bad wheel bite problems without a riser. IMHO, they are too low. I have an 8" deck with the 8" trucks and 53mm wheels. I switched to my old Independent trucks and the problem when away. Though, those trucks are narrower than they should be because my old deck was a 7.75". Most likely, I will be sticking with Independents which I'm used to. I want to get some 8" ones. Hopefully, they will be as good as the narrower ones with regard to wheel bite.

@@idmhead0160 Were your MiniLogo trucks super loose? Independent trucks are going to be a higher quality truck anyway because that's what they do. They're a truck company. MiniLogo does price-point everything, so the quality isn't gonna be quite as good as a company that solely focuses on one type of product. As far as wheel biting with your MiniLogo trucks, you could have just put some 1/8 inch risers on them, tightened them a little and you probably would have been fine. But if those Indy's feel fine, then go for it! Cheers! - Tim

@@tacticsboardshop Hi Tim. Thanks for the reply. Much appreciated. To begin with, the kingpin nut was basically up to the top. I like my trucks relatively loose, but, I tried progressively tightening them. It appeared that they would need to be way to tight to prevent wheel bite. I looked it up online. The Mini Logo trucks are 47.5mm high. Independents are 55mm. I don't see how anyone could skate Mini Logo trucks without a riser unless they like their trucks tightened down to the point where they barely turn. I ordered some 8" Independent Standards today (139s). I have my old, what I'm assuming are 129s on it now. They are about a quarter inch shorter than the deck on each side, but, other than that, work great. No wheel bite at all, and I'm able to carve and turn like crazy. Just how I like it. I'm hoping the wider trucks are similar. But, I also ordered some 1/8" risers and longer hardware just in case. I doubt I will need it though. But, I can use it with the Mini Logo trucks and see if I can get the to a usable state. Overall, I think the Mini Logo trucks aren't work messing with. You can get Independents for not much more money. Their bushing seem a lot better also. My old Indys are probably 19 years old, I think. And the bushings are still totally fine. Better than what looked like garbage on the Mini Logos. Their decks, wheels, and bearings don't seem to bad though. I'm happy with those.

You should be fine without them for that set up. 👍

Unless you have a bearing press, the best way to get the bearing into your wheels is to set your deck on it's side and press the wheel down with your palms onto the truck axle. Here's a video that shows it. Cheers! - Tim ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-l_F3eqG3qZ0.html

Make sure it’s aligned too, the best way I make sure is by dropping down the wheel onto the axils. If it doesn’t drop down smoothly, even them out again and repeat. Don’t use lube to get them in, just clean your wheels if you have to, lube can potentially gunk up your bearings.

Use bearing spacers with all wheels from 1974 to the present day do not be a dumbass like most skaters have become overtime..... Seat bearings with spacers in wheel and tighten down fairly snug on axle nut ever-so-slightly then back off a full turn... Bearings will be seated properly in cored and non cored wheels....

The technique I've been using is find a socket that lines up with the size of the outside edge of the bearing and use it and a socket wrench to help press them into the wheel. I prefer to do that because I don't want to put a lot of pressure on the center of the bearing pushing it in.

You should be ok. 👍

Not necessarily, they will give you a slightly steeper angle of pop which will make the upwards drag a little easier, but doing higher ollies mostly comes down to how high you can jump and suck your feet up. 🛹✈👍 - Tim

@@tacticsboardshop thanks, have a nice day peace :)

You should be okay with 1/8 inch risers with 58mm wheels, but if you like your trucks super loose then you could go up to 1/4 inch risers to be safe. 👍

Sector 9 makes risers that should fit nicely on those trucks. Cheers! - Tim www.tactics.com/sector-9/skateboard-risers

The extra width does give a little more leverage for turning which can lead to more wheelbite, but since the size difference is only 1/4 inch, you will be just fine with 7.75 trucks on an 8.0 deck. 👍

@@tacticsboardshop ok thanks👍👍!!!!!

They are essentially the same, but shock pads are soft so they absorb a little bit of impact and a little bit of vibration so it doesn't feel as rough and slightly reduces speed wobbles. 👍

If you ride your trucks super loose, then it might be good to have them, but if your trucks are somewhere in the middle, you should be fine without them. 👍 - Tim

How big are your wheels and do you have riser pads?

@@tacticsboardshop nvm i just put smaller wheels on my board. But thanks for responding

If you tighten your trucks waaaaay too much, then you won't be able to turn, and your bushings will get crushed by the washer and king pin nut. It's best to have your trucks where you are stable and can turn comfortably without getting wheel bite too easily. 👍 - Tim