FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SKATEBOARD WHEELBASE
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 3:58 pm
Skateboard wheelbase sounds strange to even experienced skaters since this subject is rarely mentioned by both the deck and truck brands. Many people have skated for years but don’t know about this part's existence.
Although the wheelbase is not familiar to skaters, it plays an important role in maintaining the good performance of the board. Hence, in today's article, I will dig down on the knowledge about this unusual topic in skateboarding. After reading this, you will properly get the idea of what is the wheelbase and its effects on the total structure.
If you want to get access to the world of measurement and optimization in skateboarding, do check out SkateAdvisors for further information.
DEFINITION OF WHEELBASE
Many people misunderstand between the wheelbase in a car and the wheelbase in a skateboard. In cars, the wheelbase is the distance from the center of the front wheels to the center of the back wheel which is also on the same side as the front one.
However, the skateboard wheelbase is divided into two distinct terms: the deck wheelbase and the truck wheelbase.
Truck wheelbase: the definition is just the same as a car wheelbase with the distance between the center of each wheel on the same side of the board.
Deck wheelbase: this is the distance between the closest mounting holes to the center of the deck which is at the head and tail. This value gives you a good image of how far the trucks will be set up.
Depending on the model of the trucks as well as the manufacturers, the truck and deck wheelbase can be different. Usually, they affect each other directly since a longer board will provide more space between the two trucks.
WHY DO WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHEELBASE?
If you are new to skateboarding and looking for your very first board, you can ignore the wheelbase. Even to some of my friends who have skated for years, they have no idea when I mention the term “wheelbase''.
In fact, have you ever noticed the steepness of the nose and the tail in some decks is different? It is all because of the wheelbase. In addition, the wheelbase explains why your favorite deck gives you a better feel while skating despite being the same size as other models.
PROPER WAY TO MEASURE THE WHEELBASE
Typically, the wheelbase of a product is provided in the specification section, but you can always check out the real distance with a regular ruler and follow some single steps. First, you need to determine which sort of wheelbase you are aiming at:
Deck wheelbase: measure the distance between two mounting holes on the same side of the truck in a straight line
Truck wheelbase: with the trucks are fixed to the board, you need to measure the smallest distance between the two parallel axles
One more important thing here is the bolt-in measurement. The base of the trucks can be easily measured from the tip of the nose to the middle of the two bolts which are closer. Also, you can get the length of the nose and tail beside the wheelbase.
With the typical street decks, the average wheelbase is approximately 14,25”, but the real data can vary up to 14.75 inches depending on the truck’s model.
THE IMPACTS OF WHEELBASE ON THE PERFORMANCE
The significant effects that should be considered are the turning radius, ride comfort, and pop. Trying another set-up with a completely different wheelbase may alter the way you do tricks and perform.
Now let’s consider the turning radius and the stance. A 9-inch deck is both wider and longer than an 8.5-inch one. With the long turning radius, the board can be less responsive and avoid the asperity of the concrete better.
In short, you can understand it this way: the width of the deck is proportional to the smoothness of the ride, the length of the deck is inversely proportional to the sharpness of the turns.
Next, the stance is also affected by the wheelbase since with a long wheelbase, you can have more space for your feet which provides the skaters with a wider stance in total. Therefore, you should choose the deck with a long wheelbase to suit your height to protect your knees.
For your safety in skateboarding, I recommend that you should check out the “Protective Gear category" to know which apparatuses you need when skating.
In addition, one more thing you should understand is the lever phenomenon which is the motion of your board during popping. The farther the trucks are, the heavier you will feel when trying to lift the board so the harder the pop will be. Also, the long truck’s distance makes the nose and tail feel shallower.
A longer wheelbase is more responsive but less yield when you need to pop in comparison with a shorter counterpart. Typically, I find that scoop-heavy tricks are difficult to perform with a longer wheelbase due to the extra-weight feelings on your feet.
More great skateboarding articles are available at SkateAdvisors, follow this Blog at pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/skateadvisors/
Although the wheelbase is not familiar to skaters, it plays an important role in maintaining the good performance of the board. Hence, in today's article, I will dig down on the knowledge about this unusual topic in skateboarding. After reading this, you will properly get the idea of what is the wheelbase and its effects on the total structure.
If you want to get access to the world of measurement and optimization in skateboarding, do check out SkateAdvisors for further information.
DEFINITION OF WHEELBASE
Many people misunderstand between the wheelbase in a car and the wheelbase in a skateboard. In cars, the wheelbase is the distance from the center of the front wheels to the center of the back wheel which is also on the same side as the front one.
However, the skateboard wheelbase is divided into two distinct terms: the deck wheelbase and the truck wheelbase.
Truck wheelbase: the definition is just the same as a car wheelbase with the distance between the center of each wheel on the same side of the board.
Deck wheelbase: this is the distance between the closest mounting holes to the center of the deck which is at the head and tail. This value gives you a good image of how far the trucks will be set up.
Depending on the model of the trucks as well as the manufacturers, the truck and deck wheelbase can be different. Usually, they affect each other directly since a longer board will provide more space between the two trucks.
WHY DO WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHEELBASE?
If you are new to skateboarding and looking for your very first board, you can ignore the wheelbase. Even to some of my friends who have skated for years, they have no idea when I mention the term “wheelbase''.
In fact, have you ever noticed the steepness of the nose and the tail in some decks is different? It is all because of the wheelbase. In addition, the wheelbase explains why your favorite deck gives you a better feel while skating despite being the same size as other models.
PROPER WAY TO MEASURE THE WHEELBASE
Typically, the wheelbase of a product is provided in the specification section, but you can always check out the real distance with a regular ruler and follow some single steps. First, you need to determine which sort of wheelbase you are aiming at:
Deck wheelbase: measure the distance between two mounting holes on the same side of the truck in a straight line
Truck wheelbase: with the trucks are fixed to the board, you need to measure the smallest distance between the two parallel axles
One more important thing here is the bolt-in measurement. The base of the trucks can be easily measured from the tip of the nose to the middle of the two bolts which are closer. Also, you can get the length of the nose and tail beside the wheelbase.
With the typical street decks, the average wheelbase is approximately 14,25”, but the real data can vary up to 14.75 inches depending on the truck’s model.
THE IMPACTS OF WHEELBASE ON THE PERFORMANCE
The significant effects that should be considered are the turning radius, ride comfort, and pop. Trying another set-up with a completely different wheelbase may alter the way you do tricks and perform.
Now let’s consider the turning radius and the stance. A 9-inch deck is both wider and longer than an 8.5-inch one. With the long turning radius, the board can be less responsive and avoid the asperity of the concrete better.
In short, you can understand it this way: the width of the deck is proportional to the smoothness of the ride, the length of the deck is inversely proportional to the sharpness of the turns.
Next, the stance is also affected by the wheelbase since with a long wheelbase, you can have more space for your feet which provides the skaters with a wider stance in total. Therefore, you should choose the deck with a long wheelbase to suit your height to protect your knees.
For your safety in skateboarding, I recommend that you should check out the “Protective Gear category" to know which apparatuses you need when skating.
In addition, one more thing you should understand is the lever phenomenon which is the motion of your board during popping. The farther the trucks are, the heavier you will feel when trying to lift the board so the harder the pop will be. Also, the long truck’s distance makes the nose and tail feel shallower.
A longer wheelbase is more responsive but less yield when you need to pop in comparison with a shorter counterpart. Typically, I find that scoop-heavy tricks are difficult to perform with a longer wheelbase due to the extra-weight feelings on your feet.
More great skateboarding articles are available at SkateAdvisors, follow this Blog at pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/skateadvisors/