Buying Guide: Trucks Bushings
Skateboard bushings are the heart of your setup's responsiveness. They dictate how your trucks turn and return to a neutral position. At Independent Skateshop, we help you choose the ideal hardness and shape to customize your riding style.
Need a hand assembling your gear? Check out our complete buying guide on adjustments.
Hardness and riding style
There are three main categories of hardness. Note that Independent trucks come standard with "medium" hardness bushings, the ideal compromise for most skaters.
- Soft Bushings: Perfect if you ride "loose" (loose trucks). They offer great freedom of movement and immediate responsiveness in turns.
- Medium Bushings: The versatile standard. They offer a perfect balance between stability and maneuverability.
- Hard Bushings: Recommended if you ride with very tight trucks. They provide great rigidity without having to over-compress the bushing.
Choosing the shape of your Independent Truck bushings
The shape directly influences the precision of your turn. Independent offers three distinct profiles:
- Conical: With their tapered shape, they offer maximum freedom of movement. This is the preferred choice for an ultra-maneuverable and responsive skate in the bowl.
- Cylinder: Wider, they offer increased resistance. They are perfect for high-speed stability or landing gaps, limiting "wobble."
- OG (Standard/Barrel): Independent's classic bushings. They offer the best compromise between responsiveness and stability. Ideal for versatile use (street and park), with a greater height than the Conical and Cylinder models.
The skateshop's opinion
If you ride very tight, the classic mistake is to overtighten your kingpin. By forcing overly soft bushings, you risk deforming them prematurely. Choosing harder bushings is a better calculation to preserve your equipment.
Conversely, if your skateboard feels "stuck," switching to softer bushings can transform your sensations. Also, remember to check the condition of your skateboard wheels for a perfectly balanced setup. A question about compatibility? Contact our team!