Santa Cruz Skateboard Wheels
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Shop Santa Cruz Skateboards online at skatedeluxe
Wheels are an underrated component of skateboarding. When creating a setup, important aspects of skateboard wheels are often neglected. There are some differences and, depending on the surface and terrain you ride on, different wheels are recommended.
You should make sure that your skateboard wheels match the rest of your setup. The wheel size and durometer are important factors. There's a wide selection in the skatedeluxe skate shop and you'll find tips to help you buy your new wheels. You can also learn more about skateboard wheel shapes or technologies and get further help.
Frequently asked questions about skateboard wheels:
- How are skateboard wheels constructed?
- What are the best skateboard wheels?
- What size skateboard wheels do I need?
- Which skateboard wheel hardness do I need?
- Which skateboard wheels are suitable for street skating?
- Which skateboard wheels are suitable for park or bowl skating?
- What are skateboard wheel shapes and which ones are available?
- How long do skateboard wheels last?
- Where can I find more information about skateboard wheels?
Skateboard wheels basics - material & construction
Skateboard wheels are made of urethane. It's a plastic material that can be produced in various hardnesses. The construction of skateboard wheels is roughly divided into the core of the wheel and the running surface. The bearings sit in the core of the wheels and the running surface maintains contact with the ground. The inner diameter of the core of the wheel is standardized - skate bearings fit into all regular wheels.
Skateboard wheels are always sold in sets of 4. If one of your wheels is really worn out, it's usually worth buying a new set. Characteristics you should consider when buying skateboard wheels are the size and the hardness. This is very important because your wheels, together with the bearings, determine how smooth or quiet your skateboard will roll on different surfaces.
What do the ideal skateboard wheels look like?
Skateboard wheels are a matter of taste and every skater has their own ideas, so it's difficult to name the best wheels. These presumably have to have the perfect mix of grip and slide that fits your personal preferences.
Many skaters swear by top wheel brands like Spitfire Wheels or Bones Wheels, but smaller brands like Haze or Dial Tone are also becoming increasingly popular. In our Top 5 of 2023, you'll find last year's most popular wheel brands.
Especially when you're just starting off with skating, it's much more important that your wheels match your setup. It's best to start with finding the right wheel size.
Select skateboard wheels by size
The size of skateboard wheels usually means the diameter. The diameter is given in millimetres [mm]. Other important sizes are the wheel width and the running surface or contact patch. This is less important for the selection of size and more a question of personal preference.
The diameter of skate wheels influences the acceleration and (final) speed of your skateboard. Small wheels accelerate faster, but don't hold the speed very long. For wheels with a large diameter, it's the other way around.
- Small wheels
- Medium-sized wheels
- Large wheels
- Very large wheels
- Acceleration
- Speed
For narrow spots with a short run-up, small wheels are more suitable. If you want to keep your speed without pushing for a long time, we recommend bigger wheels - e.g. for bowl skating. We have detailed tips for you in our Skateboard wheel mini-guide further down in the text.
Skateboard wheel size and truck height - what has to be taken into account
The diameter of your wheels must match the height of your truck. If the wheels and trucks don't match, there are some disadvantages. The most serious disadvantage is wheelbites. This is what you call it when the wheels touch the deck while steering or landing tricks.
Skateboard trucks can be divided into different height categories: Low, Mid and High. Because different manufacturers' names aren't uniform, we divide the trucks in the skatedeluxe skate shop itself into Low, Mid and High:
Skateboard truck height - designation and measurement
- Low trucks: 46 - 49mm
- Mid trucks: 50 - 53mm
- High trucks: 53.5 - 58mm
With high trucks, you can ride on larger wheels up to 60 mm in diameter. For mid trucks, medium-sized wheels up to 56 mm work and for low trucks, smaller wheels up to 53 mm diameter are suitable.
- Truck height
- Wheel size
Recommendations: truck heights & wheel diameters
| Manufacturer | Manufacturer height designation | Height in [mm] | skatedeluxe height designation | Recommended wheel diameter in [mm] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venture | Low | 48 mm | Low | 50 - 53 mm |
| High | 53,5 mm | High | 55 - 60 mm | |
| Independent | Low | 48 mm | Low | 50 - 53 mm |
| Mid | 52 mm | Mid | 52 - 56 mm | |
| Standard | 55 mm | High | 55 - 60 mm | |
| Thunder | 145 / 147 | 49 mm | Low | 50 - 53 mm |
| 143 Team / 145 Team / 147 Team | 50 mm | Mid | 52 - 56 mm | |
| 148 / 149 / 151 | 51 mm | Mid | 52 - 56 mm | |
| 148 Team / 149 Team / 151 Team / 161 | 52 mm | Mid | 52 - 56 mm | |
| 161 Team | 53 mm | Mid | 52 - 56 mm | |
| Ace | Classic / AF1 | 52 mm | Mid | 52 - 56 mm |
| Low | 48 mm | Low | 50 - 53 mm | |
| Film | 4.25" | 51 mm | Mid | 52 - 56 mm |
| 5.25" | 52,5 mm | Mid | 52 - 56 mm | |
| 5.5" | 52,5 mm | Mid | 52 - 56 mm | |
| 6" | 52,5 mm | Mid | 52 - 56 mm | |
| Tensor | Low | 46 mm | Low | 50 - 53 mm |
| Regular | 52 mm | Mid | 52 - 56 mm | |
| Destructo | Low | 50 mm | Mid | 52 - 56 mm |
| Mid | 56 mm | High | 55 - 60 mm | |
| Polster | Standard / Titan | 52 mm | Mid | 52 - 56 mm |
| Royal | Mid | 52 mm | Mid | 52 - 56 mm |
You can find a more detailed overview of the different truck heights in our skateboard truck Wiki and in the Skateboard truck shop. If you're satisfied with your setup, but want to skate bigger wheels, you can increase your truck height with riser- or shockpads - so you can also skate medium-sized wheels with low trucks. As soon as you're sure which size you need, you can filter the wheel diameter and show all suitable skateboard wheels for your setup.
Find skateboard wheels for your new setup - the fastest way with the skateboard configurator
To create a new skateboard setup, our skateboard configurator is the best choice. So you can quickly and easily put together a new board and don't have to worry about whether the parts fit together - the configurator will do that for you.
As soon as you have chosen a deck and trucks for your setup, the configurator will show you all matching skateboard wheels in the shop. Additionally, there are tips and recommendations for choosing all the other components. So you can quickly and easily test which wheels fit your desired trucks.
Choose skateboard wheels according to their durometer
The second important factor when choosing skateboard wheels is the hardness or the durometer - duro for short. The degree of hardness is indicated on the A scale. The higher the A-value, the harder the urethane of the skateboard wheels.
As already mentioned, the ideal skateboard wheel has a good mix of grip and slide. Hard wheels slide very well, but have little grip. With soft wheels, it's the other way around. The ground you skate on also plays an important role. Of course, skateboard wheels behave differently on very smooth ground than on uneven, rough ground.
Therefore different wheel hardnesses are recommended for different grounds:
- Hard or very hard wheels for smooth / even surfaces (skateparks, plazas), e.g.: 95A - 103A wheels
- Slightly softer wheels for rough / rugged ground, e.g.: 92A wheels
- Very soft wheels for cruising / for filmer setups, e.g.: 85A wheels and softer
Hard skateboard wheels with 95A or higher slide well on many surfaces. Hard wheels roll less well on rough ground and are more prone to flat spots. This is what you call flat, one-sided or partial wear on a skateboard wheel. Soft wheels with 92A or lower have a lot of grip and roll well on rough ground. But it's harder to slide with soft wheels.
| Features of hard skateboard wheels | Features of soft skateboard wheels |
|---|---|
| Slide well / have less grip | Slides are harder / have more grip |
| Accelerate faster | Accelerate slower |
| Lower top speed | Higher top speed |
| Roll worse on rough ground | Roll better on rough ground |
| More likely to get flat spots | Less likely to get flat spots |
You can find more know-how about the properties of the different wheel hardnesses in the skatedeluxe wheel wiki. If you know what level of hardness you need for your skateboard, you can quickly and easily find the right set of wheels for you at skatedeluxe using the Wheel Durometer filter.
The difference between A-scale and B-scale skateboard wheels
The A-scale actually comprises 100 points and therefore includes only values up to 100A. Since the A-scale becomes quite inaccurate in the upper range, some wheel manufacturers use the value 101A or 103A for their hardest wheels. Bones Wheels actually offers wheels with an even higher durometer and therefore uses the B-scale for the designation of some skate wheels.
The B-Scale is the next step in durometer specifications and is more accurate for harder materials. In comparison, the numerical values of the B-scale are about 20 points below the corresponding A-scale value. Bones 84B wheels therefore correspond to approx. 104A. These wheels are much harder than the wheels on the A-scale.
Skateboard wheels mini-guide - recommendations by terrain & setup
For some, skateboard wheels are a science in themselves. Others have sworn by the same kind of wheel for years. Depending on where you want to skate, different combinations of durometer and size of your wheels work better than others. To make it easier, we have a few recommendations for you.
Recommendations for wheels for technical skating
For technical tricks, tight spots or skate parks, skateboard wheels with a small diameter are better suitable because of their quick acceleration. A high durometer and a narrow running surface make the setup agile and enable fast slides.
- Hard to very hard wheels
- Small diameter
Recommendation: all-round wheels for park and street
If you change spots a lot and don't want to limit yourself, all-round wheels make the most sense. Skateboard wheels with a durometer of 95A - 99A perform well on almost any surface, and with a medium diameter you'll be fine in the skatepark as well as at most street spots.
- Medium-hard to hard wheels
- Average diameter
Recommendation: wheels for ramps, bowl, vert, etc.
Skating transitions is very dependent on the surface of the ramps. For smooth concrete as in most bowls, hard wheels work very well. On wooden ramps a little more grip can be pleasant, so medium-hard wheels are recommended. The diameter should be bigger to keep the speeds for longer.
- Durometer according to the nature of the ramp
- Large diameter
Recommendation: wheels for cruiser & filmer setups
When filming or cruising you want to push as little as possible and roll for a long time. Therefore soft wheels with a wide contact patch are absolutely ideal. Soft wheels are also quieter and cause less noise in the recording. With a large diameter, you make sure that your setup keeps its top speed for a long time.
- Soft to very soft wheels
- Large diameter
Longboard wheels
on a skateboard?
on a skateboard?
Theoretically you can also use longboard wheels on a skateboard to create a cruiser with smooth riding characteristics. However, the truck height must be high enough or adjusted with riser pads.
We don't recommend using longboard wheels on your skateboard, because these wheels are usually wider than skateboard wheels. This increases the danger of wheelbites. Also, some people in the skateboard scene see this as an absolute no-go aesthetically. Instead, you should look around at the soft skateboard wheels and cruiser wheels in the shop.
The right wheels for every application: skatedeluxe wheels
As with all our hard goods, we value the performance of our skateboard wheels. You'll find skatedeluxe wheels in many different sizes and degrees of hardness that fit almost all setups. There are also different wheel shapes to match your setup perfectly. Our skateboard wheels, which you can also recognize by the SK8DLX logo, are therefore a good option for beginners as well as for advanced skaters.
Wheel shapes & technologies - selection criteria for advanced skaters
With the right diameter and suitable durometer, you have the most important information for buying skateboard wheels already at hand. For the advanced or those who are very interested, there are more skateboard wheel features that can influence your choice: e.g. shapes, width or technologies.
Skateboard wheel shapes
Shape means the shape of the skateboard wheels. Basically, skateboard wheels can be divided into two shapes: classic (or standard) and conical.
Classic or standard wheels become narrower from the core to the contact patch. Because of the rather narrow contact patch, these wheels are quite agile and are especially suitable for fast, technical tricks.
Conical wheels become wider from the core to the contact patch. This usually results in a wider running surface, which gives a little more stability and grip. In addition, conicals can help to lock into grinds.
Left: classic wheels - Right: conical wheels
There are also other special shapes or hybrids, each of which has special properties. You can find more about them in the product description of the respective skateboard wheelset and in our Wiki. In the skatedeluxe skate shop, you can simply filter by your favourite wheel shape.
Wheel width and contact patch
The shape of a skateboard wheel determines its width and contact patch. Wide wheels usually also have a wider running surface. In general: the wider the contact patch, the more ground contact your wheels have, which basically means more grip and stability. The most important factor remains the hardness of the wheels.
For skating in skate parks the contact patch is not very important. It's more about fine-tuning the setup. You don't have to pay attention to the width when buying skateboard wheels. All wheel widths are compatible with skateboard wheels. Whether or not your new skateboard wheels have grooves on the running surface isn't important, because these grooves will flatten out quickly.
You can find the width and contact patch in the product descriptions of the wheels in the shop. More information about the width and the running surface can be found in our wheels Wiki.
Skateboard wheel technologies - the end of flatspots?
Remarkable technologies and urethane compounds are used to make skate wheels more durable and improve their slide properties. The goal behind this is skateboard wheels that never get flat spots (one-sided or partial wear).
Whether Formula Four Wheels from Spitfire, Bones STF wheels or Elite Urethane by OJ Wheels - the big wheel brands have declared war on flat spots and offer extremely durable wheels. Details about the different technologies can be found in the skateboard wheels Wiki.
The core of the wheels: standard or core wheels?
While many skateboard wheels today are made of a single material, there are also wheels with a hard plastic core. These types of wheels are called core wheels.
Core wheels save some weight due to their core and ensure that the bearings in the wheels remain perfectly aligned. This makes sense, especially for very soft skateboard wheels. Hard wheels do not necessarily need a core.
Skateboard wheel know-how: helpful tips for when things don't go smoothly
Skateboard wheels are more important than you think. So it couldn't hurt to have a little knowledge about their care and maintenance so you can have fun with them for a long time.
When should I change skateboard wheels?
It's difficult to determine the exact moment it becomes necessary to change the wheels. Many skaters tend to ride their wheels to the very end. You definitely need new wheels when:
- you have extreme flatspots and your wheels don't run smoothly anymore.
- the wheels are so worn out that there are only a few millimeters of urethane between the bearings and the floor.
Tip: By turning your wheels over from time to time, you can reduce tapered wear. You can find out exactly what we mean by this in our Wheel Wiki.
» iki/skateboarding/skateboard-wiki/wheels/" target="_blank">»Tips for assembling skateboard wheels
Screwing on your skateboard wheels is pretty easy. As soon as the bearings sit in the wheels, you put the wheels on the axle and hand-tighten the axle nut. Then turn back a quarter so that the bearings have some room.
This will ensure that you don't damage the bearings. To be on the safe side, you can still use spacers. Detailed information and sample pictures can be found in our skateboard assembly instructions.
» To the skateboard assembly instructionsHelp: Skateboard wheels aren't spinning or spinning slowly
If your wheels are barely spinning, the bearings are usually the reason. First check that the axle nut is not too tight. Tightening it by hand and turning it back a quarter is a good measure.
If the wheels still hardly spin it's time to clean your bearings. You can find out how this works in our Wiki. In severe cases, however, only a new set of bearings will help.
Help: Skateboard wheels that wobble, rattle or are loud
If you have the feeling that your wheels are wobbling, you should check whether the bearings are parallel to each other in the wheel. Spacers can be helpful for this. Sometimes the wheel graphics make it look like a wheel is wobbling, but they actually aren't. If skateboard wheels really are wobbling, you'll notice it while riding.
When your wheels are particularly loud or rattle, it's probably also due to the bearings. A cleaning and subsequent oiling can make skateboard bearings smooth and pliable again. You can also check whether the shields of the bearings are still in place. Bearings without shields are a bit louder and have a rattling sound, which many skaters like. Loud bearings do not necessarily mean broken bearings!
You can find even more detailed information and know-how about skateboard wheels in our Wiki and in the buyer's guide videos.