Best Skateboard Trucks of 2023

JUMP TO: INDEPENDENT STAGE 11 / VENTURE POLISHED / TENSOR MAG LIGHT LO / THUNDER POLISHED HOLLOW LIGHTS II / INDEPENDENT STAGE 11 FORGED TITANIUM / THUNDER POLISHED HI / BENNETT VECTOR / GULLWING SIDEWINDER II / BUYING ADVICE

Author: Brent Herman

The Short Version

The Long Version

Skateboard trucks may not be the flashiest or most exciting part of your setup, but finding the right trucks for your individual skateboarding needs is crucial to optimizing your experience.

Without the right trucks for the job, you could end up with a broken truck or, even worse, an avoidable injury.

For those who are new to skateboarding, trucks are the metal components that attach the wheels of a skateboard to the deck. Beyond that, they are what allow skateboarders to perform basic maneuvers like turns, as well as advanced tricks like grinds. 

This article brings together our selection of the best skateboard trucks for a range of styles of skateboarding. That way you can make an informed decision when choosing your very first pair, or when you are looking to experiment with something new!

Note that for each of the trucks we specify an axle width appropriate for the type of skateboarding we recommend it for – but all trucks come in a range of sizes, so you should be able to dial in the right axle width for your setup.

If you love reading this review of the best skateboard trucks, then you'll likely love reading some of our other skateboarding and longboarding content:

Need To Know What To Look Out For?

Keen to understand the different types of skateboard trucks, as well as their individual components? Then be sure to check out our buying advice at the bottom of the article.

Best Overall: INDEPENDENT STAGE 11

AXLE WIDTH: 8.5”

KINGPIN STYLE: Traditional

MATERIAL: Steel Alloy

Independent is one of, if not the most well-known skateboard truck brands and for good reason! Independent has been around since 1978 and they have a series of great products. Their Stage 11 truck is a go-to for amateurs and pros alike.

The Independent Stage 11 trucks are great for high intensity street skateboarding or just for providing smooth turning when cruising around the local park, making these ideal for most street, park, or cruiser setups.

These trucks are available in several different axle widths to suit most decks. Plus, Independent is known for creating long-lasting trucks that, with proper maintenance, can last years.

The Independent Stage 11 trucks are designed to provide more stability and less speed wobbles than previous Independent trucks and are a true standard-setter in the world of skateboarding.

Best on a Budget: VENTURE POLISHED

AXLE WIDTH: 8.25”

KINGPIN STYLE: Traditional

MATERIAL: Aluminum

For those who are just starting out or need some replacement trucks and can’t afford the very top tier trucks, the Venture Polished trucks are a great option.

Venture have been around since the 80’s so they are a recognizable skate brand that has been producing products that have kept them around for decades.

Venture trucks are a solid option for those who are on a budget because they provide good turning and grinding at a lower cost than many Independent or Thunder trucks. And even though these trucks aren’t as expensive, they are still quite durable.

One criticism of these trucks is that some skateboarders find them stiffer than others, but you can always swap for aftermarket bushings if need be. Otherwise, these trucks will get the job done for street and park skating as well as cruising.

Best for Grinds and Slides: TENSOR MAG LIGHT LO

AXLE WIDTH: 8.125”

KINGPIN STYLE: Traditional hollow

MATERIAL: Magnesium

These trucks are quite a bit lighter than others on this list and that is ideal for more technical skateboarding. People who are talented enough to flip in and out of grinds, slides, and manuals are likely to enjoy these light trucks.

These trucks feature a lighter material as well as hollow axles and kingpins. According to Tensor, they have made a truck that is 30% lighter than others. While you would assume that a light truck would lead to instability, Tensor claims that these trucks have had their weight distributed in a way that makes them stronger. 

One of the reported drawbacks of the Tensor Mag Light Lows is that the turning is not particularly great. The bushings may take a while to get properly broken in, but the same can be said about several different trucks from other companies.

AXLE WIDTH: 8.5”

KINGPIN STYLE: Traditional hollow

MATERIAL: Aluminum

Thunder is also an incredibly popular truck company that has been around since the 80’s.

Their Polished Hollow Lights II trucks are a bit on the pricey side, but they are known for their performance. Many top-level pro skaters use Thunder trucks and the Hollow Lights II trucks in particular.

What makes these trucks ideal for skateboarding is that they have a forged baseplate that adds impact resistance as well as hollow kingpins and axles to reduce the weight. The lightweight nature of these trucks can make it easier to perform tricks in which the board is popped into the air.

These trucks are available in several sizes. But it's worth noting that some skateboarders find Thunder trucks in general to be less durable than the competition. So if you prioritize durability over lightweight, then you might want to look elsewhere.

AXLE WIDTH: 8.5” 

KINGPIN STYLE: Traditional hollow

MATERIAL: Titanium

Another product from the Independent Truck Company, the Stage 11 Forged Titanium are the preferred trucks of one of the greatest vert skaters of all time, Tony Hawk.

What makes these trucks an ideal option for vert skating is the fact that they are made from lighter weight titanium, but are still strong enough to take a beating.

While this truck is available in many sizes, most vert setups have trucks on the wider side for more stability. Having wider trucks makes it easier to grind on the coping due to having more surface area to actually lock in and grind with. 

These trucks offer the best strength to weight ratio from Independent, but this performance comes with a higher price point. The good news is that like other Independent trucks, these come with a warranty that covers manufacturer defects or other anomalies.

Best for Beginners: THUNDER POLISHED HI

AXLE WIDTH: 8.25”

KINGPIN STYLE: Traditional hollow

MATERIAL: Aluminum

The Thunder Polished Hi trucks are a great option for beginners due to the quality of the product as well as their high design. While low and mid trucks are suitable for beginners as well, there are certain limitations to them that you don’t have with higher trucks. 

For example, while lower trucks can make some more advanced tricks easier, you have less clearance between your wheels and the bottom of your deck. This limits how loose your trucks can be and/or how big your wheels can be due to the risk of wheel bite (wheel bite is when your wheels contact the bottom of your deck, sometimes leading to falling off of your board). 

When you are first starting out, choosing high trucks allows you to experiment with more wheel options as well as different truck tightness with less drawbacks. Another benefit of higher trucks is that they are easier to turn with.

Best for Cruisers: BENNETT VECTOR

AXLE WIDTH: 6”

KINGPIN STYLE: Traditional

MATERIAL: Variable

The Bennett Vector Trucks might look quite a bit different than the others on this list, but these trucks offer great turning and carving capability. In fact, Bennett trucks have been utilized by sidewalk surfers for decades.

Bennett started off in the 1970’s when skateboarding and skateboards themselves were quite a bit different from the modern era. Back then, the intention was to have a way to practice surfing on the concrete when the waves weren’t cooperating. And the design of the skateboard reflected that.

Nonetheless, while these trucks might have a vintage look, they outclass many modern trucks when it comes to turning ability. This makes these trucks ideal for a cruiser board - whether it be for fun or for transport.

Best for Longboards: GULLWING SIDEWINDER II

AXLE WIDTH: 10”

KINGPIN STYLE: Double

MATERIAL: N/A

The Gullwing Sidewinder II – double kingpin trucks from Gullwing – make for an amazingly smooth ride on a longboard.

Since these trucks are quite wide, you will want to be sure that you have a similarly wide deck. These trucks are therefore not very compatible with street skateboard setups, but can take the carving experience of a longboard to the next level.

The double kingpin setup allows for incredibly responsive turning. For this same reason however, these trucks do not excel at high speeds or at bombing steep hills – they are prone to speed wobbles due to how sensitive they are.

That being said, if you are looking for a good pair of trucks to give you more maneuverability and sharp turns on your longboard, these will do the trick.

BUYING ADVICE FOR SKATEBOARD TRUCKS

Truck components

When it comes to buying a new set of trucks, there are many elements to consider. Unlike other skateboard parts like decks and wheels, trucks are made up of several individual components. This means that you need to understand these individual parts and what they do in order to make an informed purchase.

Here are the main parts of a skateboard truck and what they are responsible for:

BASEPLATE: This is the part of the truck that attaches the truck to the deck of a skateboard. There are usually 4 holes drilled in each corner of the baseplate through which bots are run through and fastened to the deck by nuts. The baseplate of the truck is what holds the kingpin and pivot cup as well. These parts are partially responsible for turning.

HANGER: The hanger is the part of the truck that you can grind on. It is the thicker metal that covers the middle part of the axle. This is the largest part of the truck.

AXLE: The axle is the long cylindrical piece of metal that runs the width of the truck. The ends of the axle are threaded so that wheels can be attached to each end.

KINGPIN: The kingpin is a bolt that runs through the center of the truck and attaches the hanger to the baseplate. Bushings are placed on the kingpin as well. 

BUSHING: Bushings are small rubber cylinders that go on the kingpin below and above where the hanger is placed on the kingpin. Bushings make controlled turning possible. Bushings come in different hardness’s for various skateboarding needs. Softer bushings make turning easier but can be less durable than harder bushings.

PIVOT CUP: This piece of the truck is partly responsible for making sure that when you lean, your board actually turns. It is the other part of the truck that attaches the hanger to the baseplate other than the kingpin.

NUTS: There are three very important nuts that usually come with each skateboard truck. There is one larger kingpin nut that when tightened, makes your trucks tighter, and there are two smaller axle nuts that are responsible for keeping your wheels on your trucks.

WASHERS: There is usually a washer that helps keep your bushings sitting properly on the kingpin as well as two smaller washers called “speed rings” that go between the wheel and the inner part of the axle and between the wheel and axle nut on for all four ends of the axles on a skateboard.

Truck materials

STEEL ALLOY: Steel alloy trucks are generally longer-lasting than aluminum ones, but are considerably heavier.

ALUMINUM: Aluminum is very lightweight and trucks made from it are usually less expensive than trucks made of other materials. The downside is that the trucks may not last as long.

TITANIUM: Titanium trucks are often more expensive than other materials but offer a great combination of being lighter weight as well as durable.

Truck size

You will want to make sure that you get the correct size trucks for the deck that you will be riding, and there are several size measurements you might need to consider.

AXLE WIDTH: The main width of your trucks is the length of the axle – measured from one wheel nut to the other wheel nut. The width of your truck axles does not need to be exactly the same width as your deck, however it should be close. This can be a bit difficult to figure out since different truck manufacturers use different units of measure than many deck manufacturers. Here is a helpful guide that will help make this process easier. For the products in this article, I listed the axle width in inches to make it easier to understand.

HANGER WIDTH: The width of the truck’s hanger is the width of the truck that is exposed on the inside of the wheels. This is the surface of the truck that you will use for performing grinds. The width of the hanger dictates the distance between your wheels on one truck. The hanger also protects the axle from direct damage.

HANGER HEIGHT (LOW / MID / HIGH): 

  • LOW: Lower trucks are best used for more street-oriented skateboarding. The lower height makes the board more stable and can make flip tricks easier. With lower trucks you can use smaller wheels (50mm-53mm) to further reduce the weight of your board. If you find yourself getting wheel bite on lower trucks, you may want to try riser pads on your setup.

  • MID: Used for both street and park setups, mid trucks are a jack-of-all-trades option for those who skate a wider variety of obstacles or locations. The slightly higher truck allows for smaller wheels to have more deck clearance while also being able to accommodate larger wheels for a smoother ride, especially on rougher terrain.

  • HIGH: High trucks can be used for regular skateboard setups, but their benefits are most evident on cruisers and longboards with larger wheels. The higher trucks allow for the most potential clearance between wheels and deck, depending on wheel size of course. Some people argue that when you use high trucks on a street skateboard, you can have more pop due to the steeper angle when popping. There is some debate on this topic however, because higher trucks can also be heavier than lower ones.

Truck customization

While the trucks on this list should come standard with everything you need, there are a couple other things you might want to consider in order to fully optimize your trucks.

BUSHING HARDNESS: Bushing hardness has a huge impact on a truck's performance. Softer bushings make it easier to turn but are less rigid and stable than harder ones. If you are a heavier skater, hard bushings offer more stability and still allow plenty of turning ability. If you are just looking for smooth carving and cruising, softer bushings may be your preference.

RISER PADS: Something else that people may choose to add to their setup is the riser pad. Riser pads are usually made of thin, hard plastic and go in between your deck and your trucks to lift your deck farther away from the wheels. This makes wheel bite less likely to occur.

TRUCK QUANTITY: For some reason, some skateboard trucks are sold as a pair while others are sold individually. If you aren’t careful, you may think that you have found an amazing deal on a set of trucks only to find out that you only purchased a single truck. Having one truck is about as useful as having no trucks when it comes to having a functional skateboard. Pay close attention to this when ordering trucks online!

MORE INFORMATION

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