Whether you’re the proud owner of a high-end skateboard or a budget-friendly model, you’re likely to encounter some obstacles (literally and figuratively) when you take your board out on the street.
Sometimes, it’s just a matter of getting accustomed to new, variable terrain and different spatial restrictions.
However, too often, the problem is rooted in the construction of the board itself. Some skateboards are simply better designed for the skatepark than for the street.
If you’ve found yourself wishing that your board performed better on the street, the good news is, you can make it happen!
The trucks (metal attachments that secure the wheels and bearings) on your skateboard should be removable, and by replacing them, you can make all the difference to the functionality of your skateboard!
Today, we’ll be sharing with you our 5 best skateboard trucks for the street. You’ll be curb grinding like a pro before you know it!
Short on time? Before you skate away, check out our top pick:
Independent Stage 11 Skateboard trucks
- Durable aluminum construction
- Precise maneuverability
- Minimal wheel bite
- Ideal for grinding
- 3 color options
- 4 available sizes
Top 5 Best Skateboard Brands
OUR TOP PICK
You’ll struggle to do better than these Independent Stage 11 Skateboard trucks if you’re looking for durability, maneuverability, and stability on the street.
Both the hanger and baseplate are made from T6 aluminum, which is a hardened aluminum alloy.
Because the aluminum has been hardened, these trucks are rugged, durable skateboard components that won’t be worn down by even the most irregular surfaces.
A common problem reported by skaters who take their sport to the street is that they find they struggle to turn with enough precision and ease to avoid obstacles in public places.
With the Independent Stage 11 trucks, though, this isn’t an issue.
Thanks to the Supercush bushings, these trucks are highly responsive and allow for precise, quick maneuverability.
Another reason why Independent Stage 11 trucks are perfect for street skating is that they have minimal wheel bite, so they’re safer than some other truck models for doing tricks in a street environment.
They’re especially good for grinding, thanks to their optimal kingpin clearance, durability, and spacing.
These trucks are available in 4 sizes (129 mm, 139 mm, 144 mm, and 159 mm).
The current availability represents half the spectrum of sizes produced by Independent Trucks.
The Independent Stage 11 trucks come in 3 color options: raw, silver, and standard silver.
These 3 silver tones offer subtle flexibility for aesthetic compatibility with most board designs.
Pros
- Durable T6 aluminum
- Precision movement
- Reduced wheel bite
- Perfect for grinding
- Available in 3 colors
- 4 size options
Cons
- Full-size range currently unavailable
EDITORS CHOICE
If you’ve ever heard of Paris Truck Co., you already know these trucks are going to be good.
If you’ve never heard of the brand, you’re about to discover an absolute gem of the skateboard component industry.
Paris Truck Co. was founded in 2006 by skateboarder Joey Pulsifer.
In the space of just 15 years, Paris Truck has risen through the ranks to become the favorite brand of skate park frequenters and street skaters alike.
If it were advisable to buy a pair of skateboard trucks based on branding alone, these Paris Truck Co. trucks would probably win every time.
Luckily, the quality of the trucks themselves more than lives up to the company’s standards, with just a few minor areas for improvement.
The Paris Truck Co. Street Trucks, as you can probably guess by their name, have been designed specifically to cater to the needs of street skaters.
There’s no doubt that these are rugged, durable street trucks. They’re made primarily of virgin aluminum and finished with T6 heat treatment to harden the metal.
The axels are made out of grade 8 stainless steel, so they’re weather resistant as well as physically tough.
Meanwhile, the urethane bushings enable a highly responsive yet smooth pivot motion.
You’ll have no trouble maneuvering around obstacles with these trucks!
The axels on these trucks are higher than on other Paris Truck Co. and competitor models.
This allows for additional wheel and kingpin clearance for smoother grinds.
With that being said, the clearance (while definitely there) is still very minimal - so much so that enough weight on a flexible board might negate the clearance altogether.
Therefore, we’d recommend these trucks primarily to skaters using stiffer boards.
Paris Truck Co.’s street trucks are currently available in 108 mm, 149 mm, and 169 mm widths.
The trucks can be mounted old-school or new-school style using the 6-hole baseplate provided.
Pros
- Heat-treated aluminum
- Grade 8 steel axels
- Highly responsive
- Added axel height for clearance
- 3 available widths
- Easy to mount
Cons
- Not for flexible boards
BEST VALUE
Venture is another very popular skateboarding brand, and the company’s Superlite Low Skateboard Trucks are some of the best for street skating.
The first thing to note about these trucks is that they’re low, which isn’t usually the first feature recommended for street skaters.
However, street skating beginners will definitely benefit from the low center of gravity, especially when it comes to curb grinding and similar tricks.
The fact that the trucks are low-set means that they’ll also be great for technical park skating if that’s something you’re interested in.
The metal construction of these trucks is highly durable while remaining lightweight.
You won’t feel weighed down with Venture trucks mounted to your deck, but you will feel sturdy and secure.
If aesthetics are important to you, the Venture Superlite Low trucks are well worth considering.
They feature a polished finish to lend an extra touch of class to your board, and they even sport Venture’s classic yet bold ‘V’ logo on the baseplate.
While these are excellent street skating trucks in most senses, we wouldn’t recommend them for any area or situation that requires agility.
For example (not that we’d endorse this anyway), these trucks aren’t what you want for zipping down a crowded pedestrian street because the turning is relatively slow, and you may not be able to avoid obstacles at the last minute.
Overall, we’d mostly recommend these trucks to street skating beginners.
They have the extra stability of a low truck design, and because the bushings aren’t too sensitive, they’re good for practicing controlled turns.
Pros
- Multipurpose
- Durable
- Stable
- Lightweight
- Aesthetically appealing
Cons
- Not the best for quick turns
RUNNER UP
Caliber skateboard trucks have always been high on the list of recommended trucks for street skaters.
However, the Caliber II trucks are a significant upgrade over the original Caliber model.
The first improvement of note when comparing the Caliber IIs to their predecessors is the 40% increased strength.
The trucks have been heat-treated for hardening purposes, so they’re ready to take on even the roughest street terrain.
The reinforced base plate and grade 8 steel kingpin also help to elevate the overall durability of the trucks.
The Caliber II skateboard trucks are also built to perform exceptionally well.
Thanks to the added inner and outer steps on the bushing seat, more contact is encouraged between the bushings and the board, enabling a more responsive turn.
The kingpin hole from the original Caliber trucks has been widened for better kingpin clearance, while the pivot cup has been made smaller.
The tighter fit of the pivot means no wobbling and smoother turns.
For those who pride themselves on their board’s appearance, the Caliber II trucks are available in no less than 14 different color options, from black and ‘satin smoke’ to ‘satin lavender’ and ‘acid melon.’
These trucks are available for purchase with or without bearings.
They can be mounted to standard bearings, but because of their 180 mm width, they’re too large for most standard-sized skateboards.
Precise compatibility will depend on a few external factors, such as what wheels you plan to use and whether you’ll be installing risers.
We should mention that these are the most expensive trucks in our reviewed selection, although they’re definitely worth the money for street skaters who are willing to invest in quality and performance.
Pros
- Durable construction
- Responsive turns
- Smooth, precise movements
- No kingpin bite
- 14 color options
- Available with or without bearings
Cons
- Expensive
- Not compatible with smaller boards
RUNNER UP
Finally, we come to the CCS skateboard trucks. Street skaters and park skaters have been using CCS trucks for the past 36 years since CCS was founded in 1985.
The brand has remained just as reliable and trustworthy as it was back then, but the products have increased in quality and performance.
The aluminum construction and steel baseplate of the CCS skateboard trucks make them a durable and reliable addition to your board.
They’re tough enough to handle the rougher terrains you might encounter in street skating, but they also provide a great deal of finesse and precision.
Thanks to the high-rebound, premium bushings, these trucks execute smooth, quick, and precise turns with minimal wobbling.
Available in 129 mm, 139 mm, and 149 mm widths, these trucks can fit decks ranging in width from 7.5 to over 8.5 inches.
The trucks even come with 1-inch Phillips bolts for mounting.
You can buy these trucks in black or raw silver, depending on what you think will fit your board’s aesthetic.
These are excellent all-purpose trucks that are also great for street skating.
The only downside seems to be in the shipping rather than the products themselves - there have been reports of trucks arriving with parts missing or with manufacturing oversights.
Pros
- Durable aluminum and steel
- Premium high-rebound bushings
- 1-inch Phillips bolts included
- 3 available sizes
- 2 color options
Cons
- Some problems with shipping
Buyer’s Guide
Upgrading your factory-installed skateboard trucks is one of the easiest ways to enhance your board’s performance.
Buying new trucks for street skating is the best way of ensuring strength, durability, and optimal performance.
Unfortunately, skaters often put off replacing their trucks because doing so can be confusing and time-consuming.
In this buyer’s guide, we’ll be breaking down the key features to look for in skateboard trucks for the street and explaining how to choose the right trucks for your specific board and performance requirements. It’s easier than you might think!
Durability
Your skateboard trucks are responsible for keeping your wheels attached to the underside of your deck. As you can probably imagine (or as you might already have experienced), damage to your trucks can, therefore, be quite dangerous.
To ensure maximum durability, we recommend prioritizing an all-metal construction (with the exception of components like the bushings, which we’ll get into in a moment).
Aluminum is the metal of choice for most skateboard trucks because it’s already pretty tough and can be made even stronger with heat treatment. Aluminum is a lightweight metal that won’t feel cumbersome attached to your deck.
Other components, like the baseplates and kingpins, are often made out of stainless steel. For optimal durability, we recommend grade 8 stainless steel. This type of steel won’t easily snap under pressure, and it’s resistant to corrosion, so you don’t need to worry about your kingpin disintegrating or getting jammed.
Width
Before you do anything else beyond a durability check, you’ll need to verify the truck sizing. More specifically, it’s crucial that your new trucks are the correct width to fit your board.
The first step to finding out which truck size you should be using is to measure the size of your deck. Take the measurement in inches if you can because this is how board widths are usually expressed.
You want your truck widths to be equal to the width of your board. This will offer the most stability compared to wider or smaller trucks. Now, here’s where things can get confusing. You see, truck measurements don’t actually take the length of the axle into account.
For anyone who doesn’t know, the axle on a skateboard truck is the horizontal rod that protrudes from the sides of the truck hanger for wheel attachment.
Because axle length isn’t included in truck measurements, listed truck sizes actually refer to the width of the hanger.
In most cases, truck axels protrude a total of 2.75 inches across both sides of the hanger. So, you’re going to need to subtract 2.75 inches from your board width to determine what hanger size you should be using. For example, if your board is 8.5 inches, you’ll need a 5.75-inch truck.
You may need to translate your measurement in inches to millimeters since most truck measurements, unlike board measurements, are given in millimeters.
Height
Skateboard trucks come in many different heights, but they’re often simply split into high, low, and mid-sized trucks for ease of reference.
Deciding what truck height to use can be a little tricky, especially for street skating. Low trucks are generally considered to be the best option for park skating, including certain tricks like grinds and flips. On the other hand, high trucks tend to be recommended more for street skaters.
However, this can get complicated when you consider the fact that street skating may also incorporate grinds and flips. Additionally, when you’re skating in a street environment, you’re likely to come across different terrains. Where this is the case, the extra stability provided by low trucks can be a blessing.
So, how should a street skater go about choosing the right truck height? Well, first of all, you should start by weighing up what maneuvers and tricks you’re likely to incorporate into your street skating and what kind of terrain you’ll be working with most often.
If you don’t anticipate performing many tricks out on the street, you’ll probably do just fine with high trucks.
If you’re worried about your stability on street terrain and you’re planning on throwing in some grinds and flips every now and again, you might prefer to use low trucks - just be aware that wheel bite might get in the way of your flips and ollies.
If you’re going to purchase a pair of low trucks, it’s also a good idea to check out the kingpin clearance. Sometimes, the kingpin can get in the way when it comes to grinding, but a good clearance can help to minimize this issue.
The middle ground between low and high trucks is, of course, the mid-height truck. Medium-height trucks are a good starting point for beginners because they offer a balance between high and low trucks in terms of performance and functionality.
They’re also a good option for street skaters who want to be able to incorporate their repertoire of tricks into street skating.
Bushings
It’s easy to get caught up in the durability and functionality of the metal components of skateboard trucks. However, you should also consider the quality of the truck bushings.
Quick reminder: bushings are rubber or plastic rings that fit onto either side of the kingpin and allow for smooth, responsive turns and maneuvers.
Bushings for skateboards are usually made out of either rubber or urethane/polyurethane. Many skaters instinctively assume that rubber bushings are superior, but actually, it’s a pretty neck-and-neck competition between the materials.
While rubber bushings do have the advantage of muffling road noise and reducing vibrations, urethane bushings are actually more durable in the long-term. They also allow for more feedback from the road and tend to turn more smoothly.
If you absolutely can’t tolerate excessive road-noise, then rubber bushings are the obvious choice for you. However, if a little more squeaking and vibrating seems like a small price to pay for superior performance and durability, we’d recommend urethane bushings.
Additional Features
If you’re lucky enough, you might have your heart set on a pair of trucks that includes hardware in the price.
For instance, the CCS trucks now include Philipps hardware for mounting the trucks to your deck.
However, this is quite a recent development from CCS based on customer reviews, and most manufacturers still don’t include hardware with their trucks.
The bottom line is that if you’re planning on upgrading your skateboard trucks, you may need to be prepared to purchase some bolts and tools separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do skate trucks last?
High-quality skate trucks should be durable enough to last you a long time.
The trucks we’ve reviewed for this article, for example, feature metal constructions including hardened aluminum and stainless steel, so they should last you for many years.
Generally speaking, you can expect your skateboard trucks to last you between 2 and 4 years.
The exact longevity will mostly depend on what kind of moves you’re putting your board through and how often you skate.
When should I replace my trucks?
You can detect some telltale signs that your trucks are due for replacement just by looking at them.
If you notice significant scratches, cracks, dents, or warping of the metal, it’s definitely time to treat yourself to some new trucks.
If the only damage you can see is to secondary truck components, such as the baseplate or the bushings, you may be able to salvage the trucks by simply replacing the damaged component.
If you’ve hit the 4-year mark and your trucks still look fine, it might be a good idea to replace them anyway. It’s better to upgrade preemptively than to find yourself without a skateboard for a while when your trucks eventually give up.