Surfskates are very different to your usual longboard, skateboard or cruiser and this all comes down the front truck design. They are built to allow you to pump your board for speed, turn tighter and carve harder to give you the closest experience to surfing on land that you’ll find.
Here at Two Bare Feet, we have two different types of surfskate truck, each allowing a different range of movement. Our standard surfskate truck provides a much looser feel than a regular longboard truck, allowing you to pump and carve whilst still maintaining good stability at speed. Our 360 surfskate truck has an even looser feel again, with the sprung design allowing the truck a huge range of movement. You can turn on the spot and really wrap your turns harder than on any other surfskate out there.
As these trucks are so different to a regular skateboard truck, it’s important to know how to set them up properly and tune them to your liking, which is why we have created the below video. So, if you’ve already got your Two Bare Feet surfskate and want to tweak it, press play below. Otherwise, if you’re still trying to decide which style truck and board is right for you, check out our Surfskate vs Surfskate 360 video.
Step by step setup for surfskate and surfskate 360 skateboards
Before you jump straight on your board, there are a number of checks you’ll need to carry out to make sure that it’s safe to ride. In order to carry out these checks and make any adjustments necessary, first create a space on a work bench or table and gather a few tools. You’ll need:
- A universal skate tool
- or socket set with 14mm, 12mm, 10mm sockets
- 6mm Allen key
Once you’ve setup a space, it’s time to do a brief inspection to make sure everything is secure:
- Check all wheels are tightly secured and spin freely
- Check the trucks are free to move and are tightly connected to your deck through the baseplate bolts
- Inspect the profile of the deck for any cracks or defects
If you find that your wheels aren’t spinning freely enough, simply loosen the nut a quarter of a turn and check again. It’s important not to loosen them too much as this will cause movement between the bearings and the axle bolt.
Surfskate back truck adjustments
Both of our surfskate boards come supplied with a standard 6.5” longboard back truck which offers stability. Most of the turning on these boards is done through the front truck, however, you’ll still need to inspect your back truck and work out if any adjustments are needed.
The tighter the back truck is, the more solid and stable the board will feel. The looser it is, the more agile and responsive your ride will feel. To adjust this, all you need is your 14mm socket or spanner so that you can adjust the kingpin bolt to your liking. Be sure not to loosen your back truck too much however, as you may start to feel play in the hanger. You also want to try and avoid wheel-bite by ensuring that the truck is tight enough to stop the wheels making contact with the underside of your deck as you turn.
Adjusting front surfskate trucks
Our surfskate trucks both feature a spring-loaded mechanism that allows them to pivot more freely from side to side than a standard longboard truck. Finetuning these to your liking is quite simple, and it may be something that you adjust regularly to begin with as you find a feel that’s comfortable.
To adjust the standard surfskate truck, grab your 12mm socket and loosen or tighten the bolt on the inside of the baseplate.
To adjust your 360 surfskate truck, loosen or tighten the bolt on the underside of the truck using a 6mm Allen key.
To begin with, we recommend you ride your trucks on the tighter side and loosen them over time as you gain confidence in your board and look to turn and carve harder. It’s important to note however, that when loosened too far the truck will not offer the same of support and won’t re-centre after turning. In this case, better board control from the rider will be needed to find a steady balance on the board.
That should be everything you need to know about surfskate setup and adjustments but should you need any further advice, please get in touch with our team on sales@twobarefeet.co.uk or give us a call on 01803 554 695.
