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Parts of the skateboard: skateboard wheels Skateboard Wheels As of recently in the case of skateboard wheels, the differences in quality between manufacturers are more of less the same. In choosing skateboard wheels the most important criterium is the size. A small wheel (diameter between 46 and 56 millimeters or mm) speeds you up faster, however does not reach the fastest final velocity. It is however more steerable and due to its smaller size easier to use for tricks and flips. A large roll (+ diameter 57 mm) is slower in response, however reaches and maintains higher speeds. Thus the following applies: for street skating you use smaller wheels; for a mini-ramp you use mid-sized and or half-pipes larger wheels. Otherwise, in the case of street skating: if you skate more slowly and stop more often, you are better off with smaller wheels; if you prefer long and fast lines, better stick with somewhat larger wheels. The following applies here as well: a big deck, broad axles and big wheels! In order that the wheels do not touch the deck and as such do not jam it, Space (Riser) Pads need to be used with bigger wheels. These lie between the axles and deck. They are either made of rubber (rubber pads) and as such very thin and function primarily as a shock-absorber. Otherwise they are made of plastic and are available in different heights. As a rule of thumb: In the case of wheels with a diameter of up to 57 mm you do not use any or if, then rubber pads In the case of wheels with a diameter of 58 - 63 mm you would use 1/8 or 3/8 shock pads (according to the hardness of steering In the case of wheels up to 70 mm you would use ½ stack pads In the case of wheels over 70 mm you would use high pads The hardness of the wheels is measured in As. The higher the A number, the harder the wheels. The softest wheels have 78 As and are used for downhill skating and cruising (up to 80 As). The harder wheels (100 As) are used for street and half-pipe skating. As a rule, all wheels up to a size of 65 mm are only as 100 A available. On smooth and hard ground a hard wheel is always faster as a soft wheel of the same size. The reason being: the harder wheel does not give as much and has a smaller impact surface on the ground. As such, it has less resistance. On raw and uneven surfaces a softer wheel is always faster, as it better absorbs the unevenness. Not only regarding speed but also regarding the grab is the softness of the wheel of importance: in any case, a soft wheel will grab better. Just on the boarder line, however, it can take you abruptly into a jump or worse into an uncontrollable slide. In comparison, a hard wheel loses its grab faster, however in contrast to softer wheels it loses its grab more slowly and predictably (luckily for all slide fans). Rebound is the memory of the wheel: the faster the material returns to its original state after deforming, the better it is. The extremes would be a piece of chewing gum and a rubber ball. Rebound is the important factor regarding the quality of the wheel. The more elastic the wheel is, the softer it is and the more it grabs. The rebound is not, unfortunately, indicated by the manufacturer. As such, a comparison is only obtained with difficulty. Last update:  05-23-2008 Submitted by Ramprage

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+  Parts of the skateboard: skateboard...
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