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Bushings: General Info

1. Bushings: General Info

Don’t feel like reading all that? Get the most important information about skateboard bushings in this video!

Bushings are a very important part of skateboard trucks. Every truck is equipped with two bushings – the street-facing top bushing, and the board-facing bottom bushing.

Like skateboard wheels, bushings are made of polyurethane, i.e. plastic. Bushings are available in many different colours, shapes, and degrees of hardness. Here you can find an overview of the different bushings, in order to confidently choose the perfect type for your setup.

Don’t worry though, all skateboard trucks come already equipped with bushings. Manufacturers choose a standard setup, perfectly matched to the trucks, and suitable for the most skaters. Bushings are, however, also available separately in order to give you the opportunity to fine-tune your setup and for replacement when they are no longer usable.

Skateboard Top and Bottom Bushing


• 1) Top Bushing
• 2) Bottom Bushing
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Bushings: Hardness & Recommendations

2. Bushings: Hardness & Recommendations

As with skateboard wheels, the hardness of bushings is given in durometers using the unit A. The higher this number is, the harder the polyurethane. The effect the hardness of your bushings has on driving behaviour is relatively simple:

Note:
The harder the bushings, the less responsive your trucks are when turning.
And conversely, the softer the bushings, the more responsive and easier your trucks will be to turn.

Of course, we shouldn’t over-generalize. Your weight also plays an important role in the behaviour of your bushings.

As a rule of thumb: the more you weigh, the harder your bushings should be.

The following chart should give beginners a rough idea which bushing durometer might be best for their setup.

Body Weight Bushing durometer
loose trucks
Bushing durometer
tight trucks
< 65 kg 81-85 A 86-90 A
65 – 80 kg 86-90 A 91-95 A
80 – 90 kg 91-95 A 96-100 A
> 90 kg 96 – 100 A 100 A
Skateboard Bushings Recomendation Weight
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Bushings: Shapes

3. Bushings: Shapes

Skateboard bushings are basically divided into two different shapes: tapered, or “cone bushings” and straight, or “barrel bushings.”

Note:
Cone bushings offer more steer-ability, while barrel bushings make the trucks more stable.

Bushings can be combined in a wide variety of ways. As a skateboarding standard, however, the cone bushing has been established as a top bushing, and the barrel bushing as a bottom bushing. Skaters who enjoy a soft and “surfy” feel should try a double cone combination (two conical bushings).

In skatedeluxe online skate shop, you can find Tall Cone (2) Stepped Cone (4) and Double Stepped Barrel (5) bushings, also known as Eliminator Bushings. However, these bushings are mainly used in longboards and cruisers used and are thus not so crucial for skateboards. You can find the perfect bushings for your trucks in our Skate Shop under “Traditional Bushings“.

Skateboard Bushings Shapes


• 1) Cone
• 2) Tall
• 3) Barrel
• 4) Stepped Cone
• 5) Double Stepped Barrel
Bushings in the skatedeluxe Skate Shop   Want to learn more? Check out the skatedeluxe Skateboard Wiki