How Do I choose wheels, bearings, trucks, etc. for my longboard? What do all these numbers mean?
WHEELS:
Durometer/Duro – is a measure that shows the hardness of the wheel. What You should know here, however, is that the same duro wheels can behave differently – depending on the diameter of the wheel, the shape & of the different manufacturers, the urethane (wheel material) mixture.
Duro influences wheel endurance, adhesion, speed. The stiffer wheels are rolling faster and will last longer, while the grip of the pavement is worse and the longboard slides more easily. Soft wheels may roll slower (although it may not always be felt), but the rider has better control over the table. Therefore, it is safer to take curves at high speed with softer wheels. With Rigid wheels, however, it is better to slip/drift.
DURO:
70-80a – is ideal for fast skating due to its soft blend. The wheel grip on the pavement is good. Longboard behaves firmly in curves at high speed.
80-85a – are a freeride wheels. These have a sufficient grip but can also allow slight slide/drift.
85-99a-is ideal for technical riding. Allows you to slide/drift and for extended periods of time than with a softer mixture of wheels.
WHEEL DIAMETER:
58-70mm – technical driving, stunts, drifting
70-76mm – freeride, handling corners
75mm + – mäest laskumine/ kiirem sõit.
WHEEL PROFILE:
The wheel profile affects the longboard driving qualities more than you might think. The contact surface of the Wheel is the width of the wheel, the area as far as the ground is exposed.
The higher the contact surface, the shorter the side-slip. Narrow wheels have better slip qualities but wear out faster.
WHEEL EDGES:
Sharp/square edges ensure good traction.
The wheels with sharp/square edges slow you down faster whilst sliding.
Bevelled and radiused edges slide smoother and more predictably as well as further.
BEARINGS:
The classic bearing dimensions are:
There are two bearings on one wheel, so in total there are 8 bearings in the standard set.
ABEC (Annular Bearing Engineers Commitee) Classification:
The wheel bearings of a skateboard, scooter, roller skates, longboards etc. are often characterized by their value The categories of bearings are as follows: ABEC 1; ABEC 3; ABEC 5; ABEC 7. In practice, ABEC determines the quality of the assembly of the bearing – accuracy, size, tolerance, geometry, noise intensity, etc. Based on the ABEC classification, the manufacturer can produce and user compare and select the right bearing for the right device. The value of ABEC gives us a primary idea of how good/bad the bearing is.
The higher the ABEC number, the more precisely the bearing is made. However, precision is necessary in the case of devices operating at high speeds. For Example, ABEC 7-9 bearings are used for devices that move 20-30 000 revolutions per minute. 54 mm-wheel skateboard to the driving speed of 20 000 in turn would be about 200 km/h. Thus, the category of ABEC gives us a certain overview, but it is certainly not the only criteria for the bearing choice.
In particular, producers focusing on skateboard and longboard bearings may not always use the ABEC categories because they have developed bearings specifically designed for skateboards and longboards, roller skaters and the like, and not for industrial devices!
DIFFERENT TYPES OF BEARINGS:
Steel Bearings:
Usually Most bearings are made of steel. It is often a rule of thumb that the more expensive the bearing, the higher the better. Cheaper raw materials are used for cheaper bearings. More expensive bearings usually have more durable seals, better metal balls, etc.
Ceramic Bearings:
Ceramic bearings are incredibly smooth, with very little rubbing and is not so much affected by the heat expansion. Ceramic bearings are of high quality and require less maintenance than steel bearings. On the other hand, ceramic bearings are considerably more expensive.
Conclusion:
The choice of bearings depends on how much you ride, what you expect from your board, and of course how much you're willing to spend on bearings. It is sufficient for a casual rider to pick ABEC-5 class bearings, and all that is above the ABEC-5 grade can also just be an additional cost. In most cases the best bearing for your board can often be found by simply trying out different ones. Based on experience, it can be said some manufacturers ABEC 3 can often be better or equal to other manufacturers Abec 5 or Abec 7. There are also manufacturers whose bearings do not own ABEC classification and have been cleanly developed for skateboard needs in mind. If you want the best and you're willing to experiment, try the ceramic bearings.
ADDITIONAL WIDGETS FOR BEARINGS:
Bearing spacers:
The main purpose of the Support washers is to reduce tension and keep the bearings in the correct position. Support washers are not mandatory but improve rolling, smoothens the curves and prolongs the lifespan of the bearings.
Washers:
(Speed) washers are ultra thin washers that go on 1. Before the nut and 2. To the other side of the axle. Their task is to reduce the friction between the nut/axle and the bearing.
