turn then a low degree truck resulting in a change of turning radius. A lower degree truck will also provide more lean then a higher degree truck. Lean refers to the angle of the deck as you turn. A higher degree truck will provide more turn than lean, while a lower degree truck will provide more lean then turn. Higher degree trucks, such as a 50-degree baseplate, are common in the cruising scene where turn is needed, however a lower degree truck is more ideal for stability or when speed is a factor. Deciding what baseplate is for you is a lot of personal preference; some people like a turny board even at speed and vice versa. If you are looking for a recommendation, a higher degree baseplate (~50 degree) is typical for -35mph while a lower degree baseplate (~40 degree) is recommended for +35mph.
Next thing to discuss is hanger width. Typically, the first thing to keep in mind is the width of the trucks in relation to the width of the deck. The two should be similar widths, yet personal preference for narrower or wider trucks exists, as well as can be chosen specifically based on types of riding you plan on doing. Generally, a narrower hanger has more overall grip with snappier slides, quicker turning response, and less stability if you’re not used to it. Bigger hangers have more gradual rates of turn, less grip, more moderate initiations into slides, and more stability. So what hanger width should I get? We feel as if this is a good guideline to go off of
|Deck Width||Truck Width|
The next thing to discuss is rake and axle position relative to the pivot axis and kingpin axis. This is commonly referenced as offset and rake. Rake is the distance from the pivot axis, this change in geometry effects the perceived turning angle of the trucks. A truck with positive rake will act like a higher degree truck. However, the turn changes the further into the turn you get. The truck starts off with a flowy/lively feel at the start, then progresses to a mellow turn at the end of the hanger articulation. A negative rake truck will feel like a lower degree and provide more leverage and lean over the trucks. An offset axle position describes the location of the axle along the pivot axis, relative to the distance of the kingpin axis. This geometry determines the response and liveliness of the truck, in addition to ride height. Positive rake, as seen in Atlas Trucks, provides a higher ride height along with a slightly slower response time. An inline axle provides a quick response time, along with more linear turn characteristics.
Why Should I Flip My Hanger?
Stability! You ever see a newbie go down a big hill, pick up speed then violently wobble back and forth? Those are called speed wobbles. If you get speed wobbles and cant seem to control them, that’s when you want to flip your back hanger to a relatively lower degree. (I say relatively because it’s a common misconception that flipping your hanger changes the degree of your trucks while it actually only changes the degree your hanger rests at, not the degree of the kingpin) This will make the rear of your board more stable and less likely to wobble.