Pressure Cracks

[Lukabrazi]

Do they matter? Do they bother you? how long does it take a board you skate to normally show a bunch of pressure cracks?

I live in the Colorado mountains and our skatepark is at about 6600ft in elevation, the air here is really dry most of the time. How much effect does this have on boards warping / pressure cracking?

I've skated 2 PS stix GX boards as my last two boards and they were pressure cracking pretty horribly, some are just floating in the middle of the tail / nose as well , not just coming off the bolts or the tips of the nose / tail.

I don't leave my board in the car during the day, sometimes I do at night (50's in temps at night) but would one afternoon in the hot car affect the wood and cause pressure cracks?

about to set up a BBS FA and noticed less pressure cracking on the last one of those I had, but it also wasn't as hot / dry as its been the last month that I was skating these GX boards.

[Mesteezo]

I’ve only had pressure cracks with Crailtap/Chocolate boards, and they came about pretty quickly like after a few ollies. Every time the board took any impact, I could hear the wood creaking and always made me think the deck was about to to snap. Never snapped them though, and didn’t seem to really affect anything other than cause audible annoyance. Crailtap wood seems to like cracking 🤷🏿

[goingapelikenigo]

Only gotten pressure cracks when it's really cold. Never gotten any on a BBS board now that I think about it. 

[FrozenIndustries]

Do they matter? Do they bother you? how long does it take a board you skate to normally show a bunch of pressure cracks?

I live in the Colorado mountains and our skatepark is at about 6600ft in elevation, the air here is really dry most of the time. How much effect does this have on boards warping / pressure cracking?

I've skated 2 PS stix GX boards as my last two boards and they were pressure cracking pretty horribly, some are just floating in the middle of the tail / nose as well , not just coming off the bolts or the tips of the nose / tail.

I don't leave my board in the car during the day, sometimes I do at night (50's in temps at night) but would one afternoon in the hot car affect the wood and cause pressure cracks?

about to set up a BBS FA and noticed less pressure cracking on the last one of those I had, but it also wasn't as hot / dry as its been the last month that I was skating these GX boards.

I am a big dude who doesn't break boards, so pressure cracks are just a part of life. I love it when they don't happen so fast, but generally they do not bother me. I figure being in a high and dry climate would be better for a board...less fluctuation in moisture? It is pretty humid where I live, but I also keep my boards inside (central heat and air) when I'm not skating.

It is kind of fascinating to me how different wood and shapes pressure crack. Generally, my BBS and PS boards develop them pretty slowly and they don't end up stretching too far from the inside bolts. My last/current Crail board got pressure cracks pretty much instantly but has otherwise skated well for a long time (30+ hours) without noticeable change. And then with South Central, it depends on the mold: with their flat boards, it takes me weeks to get pressure cracks, whereas their standard concave boards get them after a few session and appear in the middle of the board and on the nose and tail (in line with the bolts).

[formula420]

This may be my imagination but putting a sticker under the trucks to act like a gasket seems to reduce pressure cracks.

[Hyliannightmare]

I’ve only had pressure cracks with Crailtap/Chocolate boards, and they came about pretty quickly like after a few ollies. Every time the board took any impact, I could hear the wood creaking and always made me think the deck was about to to snap. Never snapped them though, and didn’t seem to really affect anything other than cause audible annoyance. Crailtap wood seems to like cracking 🤷🏿

That's been my experience. Threw a shove down a smallish loading dock and it sounded like I snapped it, got up and threw it a few more times till.i landed it and then skated the rest of the night thinking it was gonna snap at any moment. Still makes the cracking sound every once in a while but I've gotten almost 2 more weeks out of it

[sadnocomply]

Homie hit a shuv off a 3 stair and his Girl pressured and snapped over the bolts, board was maybe a week old. lmao dude was PISSED.

[johnes]

Homie hit a shuv off a 3 stair and his Girl pressured and snapped over the bolts, board was maybe a week old. lmao dude was PISSED.

He landed bolts and it broke?

[sadnocomply]

Expand Quote

Homie hit a shuv off a 3 stair and his Girl pressured and snapped over the bolts, board was maybe a week old. lmao dude was PISSED.

[close]

He landed bolts and it broke?

yessir, dude is like 205 and his board was pressuring under the bolts for the couple days prior he skated it

[johnes]

I think over the years most of my boards get pressure cracks but I never notice any effect on the boards performance for me personally.

[burn_to_live]

Same thing happened w every single crailtap board ive purchased

[flintstagram]

Pretty much all of my shit pressure cracks. I don't know if it's because I'm a big dude, or I'm just tightening the shit out of my hardware, but I'm sure both contribute to a degree.

That said, I've never thought that was the reason I snapped a board. My pressure cracks are always at the bolt holes, and they run vertical (nose to tail), and they're always very short (maybe 1/4"). The only exception being crail boards, I had one that got weird vertical cracks all over the fucking thing, never did break. Since my boards always break horizontally (you know, like everybody else's) I just assume they aren't the problem. My current theory is my hardware is too short. 7/8" cranked down to get full thread engagement with the nut.

Next board I setup I'm switching to 1" hardware for less worry. Time will tell on the pressure cracks.

[mynameisnotjeff]

I am also of the pressure cracks on every board tribe.
The bigger the pressure cracks the more I’ve skated the board and the soggier/crappier it feels. Not sure if the crappy feeling is related to the cracks or a correlation.

[JB77]

Pressure cracks are totally normal.  Think about the load on that part of the deck, being pulled and pushed from different angles, taking the impact of landings, etc. 

I consider pressure cracks “wear and tear”, just like razor tail or chips.  It’s a skateboard, right?  It’s not meant to remain pristine.

I do wonder if anyone here who has tried the PP Flight decks have experienced pressure cracks, though?

[ok boomer]

Nothin' lasts forever
And we both know hearts can change
And it's hard to hold a candle
In the cold November rain

[Atiba Applebum]

This is how Shortys tricked my generation into buying foam risers (shock pads), which of course as an 8th grader I needed, along with my Black Cat bearings, Silverado bolts, Doh Doh bushings, particularly as I was 6 foot at the time

I think pressure cracks just exist on the bottom most ply.  It just seems so much more severe

[flintstagram]

Pressure cracks are totally normal.  Think about the load on that part of the deck, being pulled and pushed from different angles, taking the impact of landings, etc. 

I consider pressure cracks “wear and tear”, just like razor tail or chips.  It’s a skateboard, right?  It’s not meant to remain pristine.

I do wonder if anyone here who has tried the PP Flight decks have experienced pressure cracks, though?

I have a pp flight deck that I skated for awhile, and has since become my oldest sons board for the rare occasion that he wants to skate. Just took a look, no pressure cracks on that guy.

[JB77]

Expand Quote

Pressure cracks are totally normal.  Think about the load on that part of the deck, being pulled and pushed from different angles, taking the impact of landings, etc. 

I consider pressure cracks “wear and tear”, just like razor tail or chips.  It’s a skateboard, right?  It’s not meant to remain pristine.

I do wonder if anyone here who has tried the PP Flight decks have experienced pressure cracks, though?

[close]

I have a pp flight deck that I skated for awhile, and has since become my oldest sons board for the rare occasion that he wants to skate. Just took a look, no pressure cracks on that guy.

Interesting, thanks!

[DA BIG BODY BENZ]

Ive been skating nothing but dwindle decks and they hold up really good for a really long time

[Vintagebody]

The Dwindle and chinawood decks ive had, seems to not get pressure cracks easly

[roomservice]

I fully expect pressure cracks to come out from the bolts - could happen with your first session with it. but if they are anywhere else, like on the nose or tail like you described, you either got a bad board or have had it for a while.

[ChuckRamone]

I got pressure cracks on my current Traffic deck almost right away. First Theories board where this has happened. I wonder if they're using a different woodshop because of the pandemic. I know part of it was from tightening the hardware really hard. I don't like it when my baseplates move around while skating. Pressure cracks generally don't bother me except appearance wise because I usually change decks before they get big enough to affect anything. If they get bad enough though you can focus your board vertically which is kinda cool.

[Slayer666]

Don’t be a baby

[Big Baby Jesus]

I got pressure cracks on my current Traffic deck almost right away. First Theories board where this has happened. I wonder if they're using a different woodshop because of the pandemic. I know part of it was from tightening the hardware really hard. I don't like it when my baseplates move around while skating. Pressure cracks generally don't bother me except appearance wise because I usually change decks before they get big enough to affect anything. If they get bad enough though you can focus your board vertically which is kinda cool.

Theories was using clutch for some runs when covid first hit. My hopps from April was BBS but the traffic I bought in June was clutch. Wasn't a fan.

[left knee cap]

bumping this one

I got a board that is on its way out, but dont really pick up another one right now.

dug through my collection and I got two boards that were basically brand new til I got pressure cracks on both. I guess what I'm wondering is, how much is too much before you don't wanna ride it. currently debating it and wanna know what y'all think

this one is pretty minor. on a real 8.28


this one is heavy and happened on a first sesh. generator blank.

[MysticalTypeExperience]

Never had pressure cracks since I started running riser pads.

[fs1/2cab]

In my experience, horizontal pressure cracks are only dangerous if they are at least half as long as your deck.
Vertical pressure cracks are only dangerous when they go along the wheelbase. Hope that makes sense.

But maybe you should check the underside of your baseplates to see if there are sharp edges? That caused my last deck to break really fast.

[Xen]

Don't matter, don't bother me.

[Woodshop]

In my experience, horizontal pressure cracks are only dangerous if they are at least half as long as your deck.
Vertical pressure cracks are only dangerous when they go along the wheelbase. Hope that makes sense.

But maybe you should check the underside of your baseplates to see if there are sharp edges? That caused my last deck to break really fast.

Agree there.

So anything that is running along the length is usually not a worry, eg from nose to tail.

Anything that is running diagonally is a small issue, depending on where and how big it is.

Then anything directly across the width of the board is usually bad news, especially through the bolts area where pressure has been applied from heavy / bad landings (and you often feel the board flex more in that area too).

People often would crack boards through the middle too (top or bottom), as per plenty I have from others with small cracks, but still hold up for cruisers or not so heavy skating.

[Dwyck]

I don't really get these traditionally. But I skate benches and those rounded repeating arch planters a bunch, and on three different boards I've clipped the back wheel under/in them and then my weight on my front truck and nose will crack the board as I get tossed