Reddit mentions: The best skateboard bushings

You will need a helmet first and foremost. I use normal skateboard helmets and just wear some sort of eye cover to prevent getting hit with things in my eyes. However not really an issue.

However what I would recommend more than anything is get AT wheels versus getting normal skate wheels. AT wheels provide for a significantly more enjoyable ride both in smoothness of the ride and also not having to worry about every crack, rock, bump etc that may bring your board to a complete and unexpected halt. Also riding on skate wheels is harder on the components of your board (and your body for that matter) as the vibrations are significantly more than using AT wheels. I have 97mm that I switch to every once in a while but almost immediately switch back to ATs as it is such a better riding experience.

The second upgrade I would recommend is to get after market bushings to replace the ones that the board comes with. I completely disagree with the guy who said to stick with the stock ones. Getting speed wobbles is not a matter of skill. Being able to control them is a matter of getting more comfortable riding, but why deal with this unneccessary instability for no reason. You can get a much more stable ride with the same turning responsiveness by adjusting your bushings. I rode the stock ones for about 3 months before I decided to upgrade to stiffer bushings and I regret not doing this sooner. I would recommend a bushing set (I use Khiro - $50 from Amazon -https://www.amazon.com/Khiro-Barrel-Bushings-Complete-Kit/dp/B004HE4E6Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487705258&sr=8-1&keywords=khiro+bushings) to be able to try to different setups that feels the best for you. I guess, I could see the stock bushings being good if you weighed only about 150lbs, but even then I like having two different durometer bushings for improved stability and responsiveness. This is a great guide to bushings https://www.warehouseskateboards.com/help/Skateboard-Bushings-Buying-Guide


As for belts, I wouldn't worry about that too much yet. I was apart of the first pre-order of Evolve Carbon GTs and ride my board everyday to and from work (at the very least 8 miles a day), and I am still on my first set of belts. You can type in the size belt specs on amazon and find some options to replace for a more reasonable price. I did this to have some extras just in case.

A couple of other possible upgrades / items that you may want to consider:

1. Good ratchet set and allen wrench set
   
2. Bearings maintenance items such as lube, and cleaning (I use Bones Speed Cream and cleaning kit - found Amazon)
   
3. The faster charger (especially with the reduced range of the bamboo, but you can play this by ear to see if this is something you will need)
   
   Sorry for the long post, but hopefully you find this helpful.
   
   
   

I'm in the same boat! Got mine a few weeks ago and have never ridden a skateboard before - - took a lot of getting used to and I thought I'd never get used to it but lo and behold almost a month later I've gotten pretty confident riding around NYC traffic haha

Turning was definitely my worst skill - - I'm still getting used to it but with practice I've gotten better. Look into loosening / tightening your trucks. They also haver custom bushings to help with turning. Also to help dampen the bumps in the road I bought myself some shock pads. Links below! Best of luck!

https://flatland3d.com/shop/all-products/boosted-boards/shock-pads/

Orangatang Nipples Soft Longboard Skateboard Truck Bushings (Orange, Set of 4) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B3BNKHV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7BxHDbDEC2N89

Doh-dohs Black extra hard bushings will help. I'm over 200 lbs and have to have hard bushings. You won't be able to carve a bowl with those bushings but it sounds like you may have some practice to go until then anyway.

​

Start with Doh-Doh Black Extra hard Then once those are comfortable switch to bones hard bushings. That's what I currently skate and can easily carve a bowl with them.

​

Don't give up! It's so fun and so rewarding and easily the best workout I have ever had.

​

Doh-Dohs: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JV51XTC/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_INx8Cb7FR80PN

Bones Hard Bushings: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003H51GZI/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_3Ox8Cb1HPE7AZ

thats super weird that the shop did that, i owned a skate shop for like a decade, and it looks like they just weren't paying attention. if you don't mind buying another set of bushings, get these. they're really the best, get the yellow ones they're medium. you don't even use the bottom washer (the one closest to the board). they last like 5 times longer than stock bushings. https://www.amazon.com/BONES-TM-Wheels-HardCore-Bushings/dp/B003PBTNQ8

Loosening your trucks will help. But if you want it even more carvey after that add one cone or double cones for the most carve. Cones provide less resistance and the most maneuverability. Of course bushing hardness also effects this as well.

Here's a chart that can help. keep in mind the color hardness for this chart is only for this brand of bushings and is not universal:
https://images.app.goo.gl/wfTVUsfuXDAEi5nT7

Also if your want to play around with bushings for pretty cheap you can pick up a hairy sack of bushings. Hairy Bushings Free Carve Hairy Sack Longboard Bushing Kit - Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FXDBGG6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_cvxuDbECFT14Q

I agree with /u/ayyitsjameslmao that Orangatang Nipples are great, used them for ages before selling my board. However, I emailed Boosted way back and they said if you want a 'back to stock' feeling use these, as this is what they use by default.

https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Orange-Bushings-Barrel-Bushing/dp/B009Z8KEDG?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Jg seals sig 552 is one of my favorites. With $150 budget, that's enough for a few mags and a battery set up. Also, mine came with plastic bearings, so I'd replace them with steel ones (should only be like $5-10).

Bushings

Gun

And here's a good upgrade response, if you're into that kind of thing.

so as I know nothing about truck bushings, can you tell me if this would be good for me to order, one set for each truck? https://www.amazon.com/Venom-Standard-Bushing-Skateboard-Bushings/dp/B006T6YVK4/ref=pd_sbs_468_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B006T6YVK4&pd_rd_r=TCP5X9VHRV0DRN9SPQDN&pd_rd_w=s3q1J&pd_rd_wg=NMHqf&psc=1&refRID=TCP5X9VHRV0DRN9SPQDN

thanks

They are probably more stable, because like me, you've loosen the bushings to the point that they're not making full contact in the turns. The only thing to do is try it out. But you can't have both carvy while being stable at high speeds. Those offset each other. I put these on mine:

https://www.amazon.com/Bones-Hardcore-White-Black-Bushings/dp/B003H51GZI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1494692710&sr=8-6&keywords=bones+bushings

it didn't make it any more carvy than loosening the old bushings, but it did make it a little smoother when I transition on and off a carve. But those are hard, when I tried putting Meds on it got more carvy, but it wasn't as stable at high speed.

But being stable at high speed has a lot to do with experience too. When I started out going over 12mph would give me speed wobbles on any bushing or setup. Tightening the trucks got me to higher speeds, but I could barely turn it. Eventually I learned how to go faster on a carvy setup. But I'm still no pro.

Just pointing out, generally speaking, the easier a board is to turn, the more sensitive it will be at higher speeds, that's just physics, Your car doesn't suffer nearly as much and that's because your car doesn't shift it's weight to turn or have back wheels that also turn. So I'd say for a longboard go for a Med or Hard bushing (the wider deck of a longboard gives you more leverage so you don't need it to be as soft in the bushings compared to something like a penny board).

If you also do your research you'll find too that using the tubes vs cones, changes the characteristics too. (I've got 2 hard cone bushings on mine, which will handle different than 2 med tube bushings) And some people run a cone and tube. You need to ride them to figure out what works for you. But if you're not as experienced, I'd avoid the soft stuff.

I've been reading what reviews I could find about the Big Hairy Sacks of bushings, and I'm thinking about getting this sack. I'm interested in people's experiences with them, and if it's worth getting. Either way, how are these bushings (I've read they can run somewhat soft), have you tried lathing them, etc etc.

For $18 plus shipping, I know it's not a big risk. I just want to hear opinions on the actual product.

I got these Bones 96A bushings and they’re working great for me. I weigh 240.

Also, did you tighten both bolts on each truck? IIRC the Ranger uses double kingpin trucks, which have two bolts on each truck.

Need some bushing help please (I know I'm late today, I'll re-ask tomorrow if I don't get any replies)

New rider here, 260 pounds. Been riding a Landyachtz Switch 40 with stock bushings. I guess the bushings are just too soft for my weight, because they started making some strange popping noises, getting stuck in a "squished"position, not rebounding, etc. Seemed to happen regardless of how tight or loose I have the kingpin.

Went to the local skate shop and told them what was going on, they recommended these: http://www.amazon.com/INDEPENDENT-BUSHINGS-Standard-Cylinder-Skateboard/dp/B00NPC9CCC?ie=UTF8&keywords=Independent%20standard%2094a%20bushings&qid=1464577192&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

These are definitely harder bushings, however I don't like to have the kingpin really tight, I like to be able to turn and I don't do anything over 15 mph really. When I loosen these bushings to the point it feels right, I actually get a rattle from the cap. My weight compresses them down far enough that there is a small gap for the cap to rattle around in.

So can I get some recommendations from you guys? I want something that will stand up to my weight without malfunctioning, but soft enough (or the correct shape maybe?) that I can still get full range of motion for turns.

Purple orangotang nipples. It's enough spring to come out of a turn easily, you can carve well enough, and I haven't gotten speed wobbles in awhile. We're roughly the same weight, though I do ride with a backpack usually, so I'm a bit closer to 200 lbs while riding.

Thanks for the tips! I'm new to all this advanced truck setup. I have some 85a venom barrels I could try, they look similar. I only weigh about 115lbs

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040Y5PFC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_olntDbD09DK7X

anyone heard of hairy bushings? they seem fairly well received on silverfish, you can get the giant hairy sack of bushings for $30 on amazon and it has a shitload of duros in barrel and cone.

giant hairy sack

These right here. You're gonna need two packs since the GT trucks have two sets of bushings for each one.

Bones Hardcore 4pc Hard Black Black Bushings Skateboard Bushings https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006F9BRX4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_whkqzbHE409GT

They are available on amazon https://www.amazon.fr/Orangatang-Nipples-Longboard-Skateboard-Bushings/dp/B07B3LY57F/

You can find them on amazon with multiple choices. Here's one

http://www.amazon.com/Bones-Hardcore-Medium-Yellow-Bushings/dp/B003HMOYXC?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=A1XKK94ISE43TH

these ones? I might try them out cause i can return to amazon if i dont like them

The truck mounting bolts should be replaced; here are some that will fit. If you cant afford new trucks, then I bet you could sand them with some steel wool and spray them with some enamel paint. You can buy them in packs where they have a variety of sizes from coarse to fine. I would also replace the bushings and pivot cup if possible.[ $7.99 on amazon](http://www.amazon.com/Penny-Bushing-Pivot-Cup- Set/dp/B00E6OUE6G/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1450041918&sr=1-1&keywords=penny+board+parts) for softer ones or $7.96 for some harder ones. You could stand away the scratches but you would need to start out coarse and work your way to a polish. It may not be worth it.

I beleive there are different hardness depending on how stiff you want your ride. Just get medium if you don't know.

Bones Wheels Medium Bushings (2 Set), Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BWL6QNA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_tmIwDbW7AFQX3

Loosening the king pin nut works for a bit. However if you really want turning capability switch out the stock bushings (tend to be on the hard side) to ones more suited to your weight.

http://www.amazon.com/BONES-Wheels-Hardcore-Bushings-White/dp/B003PBTNFE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450816587&sr=8-1&keywords=skate+board+bushings

http://www.amazon.com/Hairy-Bushings-Sack-Longboard-Bushing/dp/B00FXDSHEU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394034697&sr=8-2&keywords=hairy+bushings

Orangatang Nipples Soft Longboard Skateboard Truck Bushings (Orange, Set of 4) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B3BNKHV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cdajDbPBRDWHR

Depending on how much you weigh, it ranges from orange (soft) to yellow (hard)
otang bushings

I weigh 170 and bought these bushings.


Orangatang Nipples Medium Longboard Skateboard Truck Bushings (Purple, Set of 4) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B3LY57F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_IBvxDbNDRKWA7

Replace .fr in the URI with .com and you’ll be on the US site. https://www.amazon.com/Orangatang-Nipples-Longboard-Skateboard-Bushings/dp/B07B3LY57F/

What do you think of these BONES Wheels HardCore Bushings "Hard" Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003PC309I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RcbUAb3FDJTWR