How do I make skateboard wheels at home?
George Powell started this way, casting wheels in his kitchen. Those early experiments led to the Bones wheel company that we know today.I think the best way to start would be to take a look at how they’re made in the factory:Then, work backwards and see what you can replicate at home.I think the minimum equipment you’d need would be some sort of lathe—though something small and simple like a pen lathe would probably do the job nicely, if you’re just making wheels for yourself.You’ll want to learn to cast and cure urethane in molds (soda cans might be an interesting place to start) and refine your system as you get better at it. Once you get good, consider paying a machinist to make you some really nice aluminum molds.Once they’re out of the molds, pop them on the lathe to clean up the shape and make them perfectly round and true. Add bearings, and go test them!Keep copious notes, experiment, and don’t be afraid to try new things. Personally, I think the world is ready for skateboard wheels made from recycled milk jugs.While you’re playing around with that lathe, consider the fact that old speed skate wheels used to be made from . . . wood. Sure-Grip started out with wooden wheels (and still sell a few, I believe) but someone who was talented with a lathe and was good at researching a market could probably make a pretty good small business making custom wooden wheels.
Can you use longboard wheels with a skateboard?
Can you use longboard wheels with a normal skateboard deck?Yes, usually the smaller longboard wheels work fairly well. You have to just make sure you have enough clearance or you could get wheel bite. Wheel bite is when the wheels hit the deck during a turn. This stops the board dead and you go flying. I can't do any tricks and I just want to cruise with it, so I thought some longboard wheels might be a good idea. Is this possible? Again, yes (see answer above lol). Cruising around town you'll be fine. But you'll never get a true "longboard feel" without a longboard. Some people try to turn their skateboards into super comfortable cruiser boards and it just doesn't work out that well in my opinion. It's like trying to turn a mini van into a race car. The mini van was built for groceries and soccer practice. No matter how many racing parts you put on it, it's never going to be as good as a purpose built race car. Same for skateboards. You can change some parts, but it'll never quite be as good as just buying the real deal. That being said, the lower price for just new wheels is a major factor I can appreciate. If so, which size of the wheels would you recommend? Is there anything I need except the wheels?For sizing, usually between 55mm-60mm will fit without risers (depending on how loose the trucks are, your weight, etc). 65mm+ and you're going to probably need risers. Risers are going to make the board feel taller. Risers paired with bigger wheels equates to a very tall feeling board and a high step down for every push. It's not very comfortable. Another thing to look for is durometer. You don't want to go too hard or it'll ride harshly. Try something in the 75a - 85a range (soft - hard, respectively). Finally, look for a wheel with a small core. Large, hard, plastic cores make the wheels feel harder than the durometer suggests. This can be good for some applications, but because you want a smooth cruiser, try to get a wheel with a smaller core. If you really want to get into depth about wheels, here is an article we wrote that tells tons of information about longboarding wheels: Best Longboarding Wheel? Hint: There Isn't OnePlease feel free to comment and I'll do my best to help out with any other questions.
Can you put 59mm wheels on a skateboard that came with 53mm wheels?
My old skateboard broke but I bought a new one and I really like it... But I want to change the wheels. I replaced the wheels on my old skateboard with bigger gel wheels, but I don't know if that would work on my new board. Help?
Gel wheels (skateboard)?
wow sk8ter kid has no clue, vert skaters want bigger wheels, with bigger wheels you get speed and you need that for vert, your ollie does not matter what size wheel you use, I can ollie the same in 60mm than I can with 50mm, you just need to practice. same with a kickflip, many people say to get small wheels for flip tricks but it really isn't the wheel fault if you can't get a trick. I use med size wheels and all I skate is street, stick with 52mm-55mm, I like using the 53mm the most. Softer wheels are better for rough surfaces if you have a problem skating on that then go for the softer wheels and have more cusion. For me I don't care i've been doing it long enough i'm not so picky but for a beginner get what'll work best to learn on. I've used smaller wheels before and my kickflips or heelflips didn't improve any, low trucks are good to get but for small wheels I personally say it doesn't matter much, most pro skaters use 54mm or higher no matter what they skate. As for hardness that's up to you, softer wheels will grip good to any surface.
What types of skateboard wheels are the softest?(50a, 50b,etc.)?
The lower the number, the softer the wheel.
How do you tell if skateboard wheels are hard or soft?
size has nothing to do with it but usually big wheels are soft list of soft wheels bones atf ricta clouds spitfire 80 d classic a wheel that is soft is 80a or lower sometimes it says durometer instead of "a" or just duros 101a is super hard 90a medium 80a soft ccs doesn't have too many soft wheels but i think they have ricta clouds maybe even spitfire Spitfire Softer Duro Green Wheels spitfire classic 80 d or maybe your looking for a longboard wheel
What are the best skateboard wheels to use on rough streets?
I don't know if there's an easy way. My street was the same way, so the only practice I could do was ollies on the driveway. If you have bigger wheels, your board won't get suddenly jerked to a halt on those annoying little pebbles, like with the small wheels. You might need to change to higher risers though. The bigger wheels are going to be a little faster, which makes them a little more of a challenge for doing tricks. Softness may help a little, but if it's really rocky, it's not going to change it that much. If you're going for the surf feel, then you need big wheels, but I doubt it's going to help much for bumpiness on your street.
Does having bigger wheels make it harder to ollie on a skateboard?
actually the only thing bigger wheels are for is for more grip, like in a skate park. So the answer to your question is no, the wheels are not the problem, just practice.