Wheels Thread

[FrozenIndustries]

didn't want to start a new thread for this question, and a quick search didn't turn anything up:

what's the best way to rotate wheels? i turn them inside out and just kinda mix them up occasionally, but i imagine there is a more scientific way

and on a related note: does anyone rotate their trucks? when i was younger i used to switch my front and back trucks whenever i set up a board, but it always threw me off for the first several sessions so i haven't done it in a few years.

I'd be curious to know if there is a a proven, scientific way. When I rotate mine, I turn them inside out and move them to the opposite corners. So my rear heel side wheel swaps with my front toe side, and my rear toe side swaps with my from heel side. I've always felt like this keeps them pretty even.

[manysnakes]

didn't want to start a new thread for this question, and a quick search didn't turn anything up:

what's the best way to rotate wheels? i turn them inside out and just kinda mix them up occasionally, but i imagine there is a more scientific way

and on a related note: does anyone rotate their trucks? when i was younger i used to switch my front and back trucks whenever i set up a board, but it always threw me off for the first several sessions so i haven't done it in a few years.

I would think it would be to pick the wheel that's most worn (typically the wheel under the toe of your front foot), and place it where the wheel that has the amount of wear is. To be most accurate, you could measure with some digital calipers and figure out where the coning is coming from.

In practice, I just take that wheel and set it aside so that I make sure it doesn't go right back where I took it from.

[dr.prestige]

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didn't want to start a new thread for this question, and a quick search didn't turn anything up:

what's the best way to rotate wheels? i turn them inside out and just kinda mix them up occasionally, but i imagine there is a more scientific way

and on a related note: does anyone rotate their trucks? when i was younger i used to switch my front and back trucks whenever i set up a board, but it always threw me off for the first several sessions so i haven't done it in a few years.

[close]

I would think it would be to pick the wheel that's most worn (typically the wheel under the toe of your front foot), and place it where the wheel that has the amount of wear is. To be most accurate, you could measure with some digital calipers and figure out where the coning is coming from.

In practice, I just take that wheel and set it aside so that I make sure it doesn't go right back where I took it from.

Typically my smallest wheel is on the heel side of my back truck. Do you do a lot of backside powerslides?

[Ok]

Any of you big wheel BALLERS feel like any spots are being unlocked?
There was this time where me and the crew were torn between trilogy and mixtape, and some were using 58s on 7.5s😆😆😆. When you wanna be like Kareem but also Ricky. Anyways. Able to skate more stuff with the big wheel? What are the pros/cons? For me, I instantly lose what few flip tricks I have, if I go over 54. The pull of being able to skate to and fro is high tho

[backinaction]

Any of you big wheel BALLERS feel like any spots are being unlocked?
There was this time where me and the crew were torn between trilogy and mixtape, and some were using 58s on 7.5s😆😆😆. When you wanna be like Kareem but also Ricky. Anyways. Able to skate more stuff with the big wheel? What are the pros/cons? For me, I instantly lose what few flip tricks I have, if I go over 54. The pull of being able to skate to and fro is high tho

My brother insists on skating pools with 60s on an 8.25, with his reasoning being that he likes the 60s but they wheelbite more on wider boards.

I can't really do more than a 56, and 54 is my happy place on an all around setup. 

I tried running 58s in transition last spring, but they needed risers.   Risers and 58s made me feel too tall and disconnected. Off they came.

I feel like i'd rather open up a spot by running a bit softer of a wheel instead of bigger.

[Frank and Fred]

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My flips tricks really suffer on conical fulls also but the 97s are my go to winter wheel for slippery indoor wooden ramps and rugged parking garages... compromises compromises compromises

[close]

97a classics?

not for me... they wear down too fast and don't mash through the rough stuff as well as the conical fulls. tried them last winter.

[Mbrimson88]

didn't want to start a new thread for this question, and a quick search didn't turn anything up:

what's the best way to rotate wheels? i turn them inside out and just kinda mix them up occasionally, but i imagine there is a more scientific way

and on a related note: does anyone rotate their trucks? when i was younger i used to switch my front and back trucks whenever i set up a board, but it always threw me off for the first several sessions so i haven't done it in a few years.

Without wanting to sound like "Mr Know it all" or fill this thread with huge volumes of text, this post regarding wheel rotation was done to help some people I know who had similar questions.

Text from post:

Most commonly, the front toe will cone the most on the outer side as more weight is always put on the front edge of the board but the most overall wear is usually the back toe or both back wheels, especially if the skater can cess slide or push more into tricks, with the back heel often wearing more on the inside edge and the front heel getting the least amount of wear overall.

The best way to rotate the wheels is move the front toe to the back heel, and the front heel to the back toe positions, often marking them or taking them off one or two at a time being more effective than taking them all off.

You don't need calipers (the black measuring tool I have) but even just looking at them can get a good idea as to how worn they are, or if you see particular wear on the front toe, it is time to rotate them. Sometimes too I have turned wheels inside just to even up the wear of a single wheel, mainly the front toe.

I often use pencil to mark wheels on the riding surface that I have taken off with FT, FH, BT and BH, like this:
FT - front toe
FH - front heel
BT - back toe
BH - back heel

This might go above and beyond what most people do and some of it is pure skateboard nerdery, but it has worked well for me in keeping track of the wear and helping wheels last a whole lot longer, which I think is the main thing here, especially as I like to ride classics that have worn down some.

[Xen]

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didn't want to start a new thread for this question, and a quick search didn't turn anything up:

what's the best way to rotate wheels? i turn them inside out and just kinda mix them up occasionally, but i imagine there is a more scientific way

and on a related note: does anyone rotate their trucks? when i was younger i used to switch my front and back trucks whenever i set up a board, but it always threw me off for the first several sessions so i haven't done it in a few years.

[close]

Without wanting to sound like "Mr Know it all" or fill this thread with huge volumes of text, this post regarding wheel rotation was done to help some people I know who had similar questions.

Text from post:

Most commonly, the front toe will cone the most on the outer side as more weight is always put on the front edge of the board but the most overall wear is usually the back toe or both back wheels, especially if the skater can cess slide or push more into tricks, with the back heel often wearing more on the inside edge and the front heel getting the least amount of wear overall.

The best way to rotate the wheels is move the front toe to the back heel, and the front heel to the back toe positions, often marking them or taking them off one or two at a time being more effective than taking them all off.

You don't need calipers (the black measuring tool I have) but even just looking at them can get a good idea as to how worn they are, or if you see particular wear on the front toe, it is time to rotate them. Sometimes too I have turned wheels inside just to even up the wear of a single wheel, mainly the front toe.

I often use pencil to mark wheels on the riding surface that I have taken off with FT, FH, BT and BH, like this:
FT - front toe
FH - front heel
BT - back toe
BH - back heel

This might go above and beyond what most people do and some of it is pure skateboard nerdery, but it has worked well for me in keeping track of the wear and helping wheels last a whole lot longer, which I think is the main thing here, especially as I like to ride classics that have worn down some.

Good post!

I've always rotated my wheels this way and couldn't tell you how or why I know this method...my guess is trial and error from the 80s tick-tack days

[switchfrontshuv]

Any of you big wheel BALLERS feel like any spots are being unlocked?
There was this time where me and the crew were torn between trilogy and mixtape, and some were using 58s on 7.5s😆😆😆. When you wanna be like Kareem but also Ricky. Anyways. Able to skate more stuff with the big wheel? What are the pros/cons? For me, I instantly lose what few flip tricks I have, if I go over 54. The pull of being able to skate to and fro is high tho

I just stepped up to 55 with my last few sets of wheels being 54 and initially I felt like I lost all my flips so I just kinda focused on ledge tricks. Now though I would never go back; the speed and the taller feeling definitely makes it so my skating is less precise and sometimes hard to control (especially when im warming up) but I've never had fs flips, bs flips, reg/sw heelflips feel this good and poppy, not to mention the lock-in I get on 180 pinch tricks and long 5050s/5-0s

edit: The wheels I was skating before were SML V-Cuts and the 55s now are Spitfire F4 OG classics. Not much different in terms of shape and weight at first

[Madam, I'm Adam]

Are satori wheels any good? Been skating formula fours for a few years now, want to try something completely different.

[superleftswipebby]

zach allen just posted a photo of kader’s 57mm radial fulls. hopefully that’ll hit the market soon. that shape is dope 

[white guy in a durag]

zach allen just posted a photo of kader’s 57mm radial fulls. hopefully that’ll hit the market soon. that shape is dope

So hyped on these. thank you Kader for helping the youth see the light of big wheels.

pic of the post for reference:

[commie]

I got some OJ 95A 56mm Nomads for transition/indoor skatepark. These are still not grippy enough for "gatorskins". At least I was slipping out skating a 5ft mini. I also got Acid 86A 53mm and these do grip very well, but reverts are not easy. I was also getting stuck on crooks and smiths on a box. The sweet spot for indoor parks is probably in the low 90s.

[Landmine]

I grabbed some 54 92A Ricta Clouds today for the ditch setup.  I'm trying to run smaller wheels (smaller than 60mm I mean) and not use risers, so I figured these were worth trying.  A quick run through a few parking lots has them feeling like a nice compromise, but I'm not entirely sold on the size yet.  We'll see this weekend how I like them when I have more time.

[Madam, I'm Adam]

Super naive question, what wheels/durometer/wheel size and riding surface/etc. are best for slippery wooden mini ramps and indoor concrete? I know that kind of surface will be slippery no matter what, and if I was better at skating it wouldn’t matter, but I’m not.

Kind of thinking that 97-99A wheels with a bit bigger surface like conical fulls will grip the ground better and will be the most stable. Any insights are greatly welcomed

[white guy in a durag]

A wider contact patch will help somewhat, but I feel like durometer is the bigger factor with slippery ground. I'd personally recommend a spitfire 97a if you want to keep more of the modern wheel feel, but I really like the way my 97a slime balls feel as well.

[bombsaway86]

95a-97a durometer is nice for slick stuff. Maybe go up in size a little since the softer durometer slows it down. OJ and Speedlab have a good selection of wheels in this range.

[Madam, I'm Adam]

Thanks dudes! Yeah, 97a is what I was leaning toward. OJ, bones, or maybe even satori or Santa Cruz.

[fakie varial flip]

Would it be absolutely stupid to buy the 58mm OJ natas 95a hardlines? Entering crusty ground/wooden skatepark winter season i'm looking for something better than my 55mm OG classics. I like bigger, fatter wheels. I've only skated bones and spitfire in the last 10 years so I have no idea if OJ is worth it or not.

[Mbrimson88]

Thanks dudes! Yeah, 97a is what I was leaning toward. OJ, bones, or maybe even satori or Santa Cruz.

I feel like 97 are not grippy enough for really slippery ramps, so something more like 95 work best, as per comment below, but the 97 duro Spitfire F4 56mm classics I have are really good on just slightly slippery surfaces.  Some of the guys I skate with always ride the older bigger OJs or Slimeballs in more 60-61mm size in 95 or 97 and those things are amazing, but many people don't want wheels quite that big.

Would it be absolutely stupid to buy the 58mm OJ natas 95a hardlines? Entering crusty ground/wooden skatepark winter season i'm looking for something better than my 55mm OG classics. I like bigger, fatter wheels. I've only skated bones and spitfire in the last 10 years so I have no idea if OJ is worth it or not.

I got some (more so for others who wanted grippy / softer wheels) and they would be perfect for that sort of situation, after having a skate on their boards.

Anything a little more on the softer and bigger side is ideal for me, so although they are not quite as fast as other wheels of 99 to 101 duro, they don't slip out and the slightly bigger size means they hold up better than smaller wheels.


Pretty much all the slippery ramps / parks I skated were more often on setups that had either 95 duro or even 92 duro Spitfires in the Soft D range, which you cannot get anymore, but there are other wheels out that are about the same.

The 92 duro are definitely way slower, but around 95 might be the easiest combination of not too soft / slow but not too slippery / sticky on that sort of surface.

[fakie varial flip]

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Thanks dudes! Yeah, 97a is what I was leaning toward. OJ, bones, or maybe even satori or Santa Cruz.

[close]

I feel like 97 are not grippy enough for really slippery ramps, so something more like 95 work best, as per comment below, but the 97 duro Spitfire F4 56mm classics I have are really good on just slightly slippery surfaces.  Some of the guys I skate with always ride the older bigger OJs or Slimeballs in more 60-61mm size in 95 or 97 and those things are amazing, but many people don't want wheels quite that big.

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Would it be absolutely stupid to buy the 58mm OJ natas 95a hardlines? Entering crusty ground/wooden skatepark winter season i'm looking for something better than my 55mm OG classics. I like bigger, fatter wheels. I've only skated bones and spitfire in the last 10 years so I have no idea if OJ is worth it or not.

[close]

I got some (more so for others who wanted grippy / softer wheels) and they would be perfect for that sort of situation, after having a skate on their boards.

Anything a little more on the softer and bigger side is ideal for me, so although they are not quite as fast as other wheels of 99 to 101 duro, they don't slip out and the slightly bigger size means they hold up better than smaller wheels.


Pretty much all the slippery ramps / parks I skated were more often on setups that had either 95 duro or even 92 duro Spitfires in the Soft D range, which you cannot get anymore, but there are other wheels out that are about the same.

The 92 duro are definitely way slower, but around 95 might be the easiest combination of not too soft / slow but not too slippery / sticky on that sort of surface.

What an awesone post, thanks for your help! Definitely gonna grab those fatties now

[bombsaway86]

Thanks dudes! Yeah, 97a is what I was leaning toward. OJ, bones, or maybe even satori or Santa Cruz.

https://nhsfunfactory.com/products/60mm-oj-ii-original-white-combo-95a-oj-skateboard-wheels

If you can deal with the extra width, these wheels are pretty great. Super grippy while still being pretty fast.

[thanksgiving]

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Thanks dudes! Yeah, 97a is what I was leaning toward. OJ, bones, or maybe even satori or Santa Cruz.

[close]

https://nhsfunfactory.com/products/60mm-oj-ii-original-white-combo-95a-oj-skateboard-wheels

If you can deal with the extra width, these wheels are pretty great. Super grippy while still being pretty fast.

I have the 97a teamrider iis and am pretty tempted by these... adore the way they look and the 97a that i have isnt big enough of a difference to be worth the sacrifice of hard wheels

[bombsaway86]

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Thanks dudes! Yeah, 97a is what I was leaning toward. OJ, bones, or maybe even satori or Santa Cruz.

[close]

https://nhsfunfactory.com/products/60mm-oj-ii-original-white-combo-95a-oj-skateboard-wheels

If you can deal with the extra width, these wheels are pretty great. Super grippy while still being pretty fast.

[close]

I have the 97a teamrider iis and am pretty tempted by these... adore the way they look and the 97a that i have isnt big enough of a difference to be worth the sacrifice of hard wheels

Maybe it’s in my head, but the 97a OJ/Slimeballs feel a bit sluggish to me. These ones feel faster. For being only two points softer they feel pretty different

[thanksgiving]

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Thanks dudes! Yeah, 97a is what I was leaning toward. OJ, bones, or maybe even satori or Santa Cruz.

[close]

https://nhsfunfactory.com/products/60mm-oj-ii-original-white-combo-95a-oj-skateboard-wheels

If you can deal with the extra width, these wheels are pretty great. Super grippy while still being pretty fast.

[close]

I have the 97a teamrider iis and am pretty tempted by these... adore the way they look and the 97a that i have isnt big enough of a difference to be worth the sacrifice of hard wheels

[close]

Maybe it’s in my head, but the 97a OJ/Slimeballs feel a bit sluggish to me. These ones feel faster. For being only two points softer they feel pretty different

Thanks for the insight. I felt the same, was pretty dissapointed with the wheels. Now I have got to decide between these or 97 58 conical fulls....

[Boog]

Are loophole good wheels?

[Gray Imp Sausage Metal]

Are loophole good wheels?

yes! Get some 56mm v-cuts

[white guy in a durag]

Yeah, they're pretty excellent. They stand toe to toe with F4 and STFs.

[iw0]

speaking of loophole, anyone have recent-ish experience or i guess any experience with the square shape? i've stuck to vcut, but for some reason squares have me curious

[Gray Imp Sausage Metal]

speaking of loophole, anyone have recent-ish experience or i guess any experience with the square shape? i've stuck to vcut, but for some reason squares have me curious

want the square 54s; currently on 56 v-cuts and 52 teardrops on my “tech” deck