Skateboard Troubleshooting

Sometimes rapid changes in temperature or humidity can cause griptape to peel up, while uncommon, this could occur with a new skateboard during shipping. Thankfully there is a quick fix!

Just warm up the griptape from the topside with a hairdryer. This will reactivate the adhesive and after pressing down firmly, the griptape should remain stuck on the deck.

Once a skater is regularly skatring the skateboard the warmth of sun and friction and pressure from shoes almost always just furthers that adhesion with the deck.

Keep in mind that griptape is designed to be removable if it ever gets too dirty or a skater wants a new look.

It is common for an air bubbles to occur when applying a griptape sheet. Of course, we always try to address that bubble prior to shipping. Sometimes bubbles are hard to spot and we may miss them. The fix is easy and exactly what we do here.

Use the sharp point of a razor blade, exacto blade or even a sharp pin to pierce the center of the bubble. Then using your fingers, press the griptape flat working your way in from the edges of the bubble to the center as the air escapes.

The small slit or hole you made will completely disappear and the griptape should lay completely flat. There is no way for air to re-enter the flat space so the bubble should be gone for good.

Just like a birthday balloon, a bubble would eventually go away on its own, but this fix is really easy and there really is no downside to doing it.

Truck tightness controls how easy it is for the skateboard to turn.

The nut that holds each skateboard truck assembly together is called a kingpin nut. This 3/8" nut is fully adjustable to adapt the skateboard to the riders capabilities and preferences.

Looser trucks allow the skater to turn the board more easily. The metal washers that hold the blue bushings can also be removed to allow for an even looser ride or even softer aftermarket bushings can be installed.

Tighter trucks can provide more stability for newer skaters or those focused on specific obstacles like Vert Ramps. If the kingpin nut is compressing the existing bushings a bunch and you are still not stable enough, harder durometer aftermarket bushings can be installed.

Generally make small adjustments of a single full turn or even 1/2 turn at a time and then test the board with that incremental change.

The tightness of skateboard wheels is not an exact science. When we install wheels our process is to tighten the axle nut enough to ensure the bearings are fully set in the wheel but never so much as to damage the bearings. We then loosen the nut to the point there is a small "jiggle". The wheel should spin freely.

The axle nut can always be adjusted with a standard 5/16 wrench or socket or skatetool, or even a pair of pliers.

While a small vs large amount of "jiggle" is personal preference, there is no good reason for any more jiggle than necessary to allow the wheel to spin freely.