How to Buy the Right Skateboard Trucks
A no-nonsense guide to sizing, hollow vs. standard, and the small components that make a big difference, built around the two brands we actually trust: Thunder & Venture.
Buyers Guide: How to buy the right skateboard trucks
If there's one part of the board people rush and then regret, it's trucks. You'll spend ages picking the perfect deck graphic and then just chuck on whatever trucks are cheapest or in stock. Don't do that. Trucks are the difference between a board that turns how you want it to and one that feels like you're wrestling a shopping trolley.
We stock two brands here Thunder and Venture for a reason. Both have been building trucks skaters actually trust for decades, and between the two of them you've got every size, weight and turning feel covered. Here's how to actually pick the right set for your setup.
STEP 1
Get the Size Right
This is the one people get wrong most, and it's the simplest to fix. Truck size isn't about your shoe size or how tall you are — it's about your deck width. The axle needs to roughly match the width of your board so your wheels sit flush under the deck, not poking out the sides or tucked in underneath it.
Narrow boards
7.5"–8.0" decks → smaller trucks like a Venture 5.0 or 5.2
Mid-width boards
8.0"–8.5" decks → Venture 5.6 / 5.8 territory
Wide boards
8.5"+ decks → step up to a Venture 6.1 or bigger Thunder sizes
Tip: Grab your deck, measure the width in inches, and match it against the size chart before you buy. Get this wrong and no amount of fiddling with bushings will save you — the board just won't feel right.
Hi vs. Lo: Venture also do Hi and Lo options on some sizes. Lo trucks sit closer to the ground for a more locked-in, stable feel (great for tech and flip tricks), while Hi trucks give you more clearance — handy if you're running bigger wheels or want more lean into your turns.
STEP 2
Pick Your Type — Hollow or Standard
Once size is sorted, the next call is weight versus strength, and that's where "hollow" comes in.
A standard truck is solid through the axle and kingpin. It's tougher, a bit heavier, and honestly bombproof — a good shout if you're hard on gear, skate rough terrain, or just want one less thing to think about.
A hollow truck, like Thunder's Hollow Lights or Venture's Hollow range, has the axle and kingpin drilled out to shave weight without giving up much strength. Less weight means a snappier pop, easier flip tricks, and less fatigue on longer sessions.
Thunder's Team Hollows, for example, pair hollow axles and hollow kingpins with a forged light baseplate — built specifically to be light without feeling flimsy underneath you.
Rule of thumb: Doing a lot of technical street skating and want your flip tricks to feel effortless? Go hollow. Cruising, more transition/park riding, or just want the toughest option going? A standard set will serve you just as well and last a long time.
STEP 3
Don't Sleep on the Components
This is the part most people skip entirely — they buy the truck and never think about what's actually holding it together. But the small stuff makes a real difference to how your setup rides.
Bushings
The rubber cushions that control turning. Softer = looser, more carvy. Harder = more stable at speed. Most Thunder/Venture trucks come stock with a solid all-rounder — like Thunder's 90DU Team Hollows setup.
Shop bushingsBaseplates
What your trucks bolt onto the deck. Forged baseplates (like Thunder's Forged Light) are lighter and stronger than cast, since the metal's shaped under pressure rather than poured into a mould.
Hardware
Kingpin nut, axle nuts, mounting bolts. A loose kingpin nut makes turning soft and unpredictable; loose axle nuts mean rattling wheels. Costs nothing to check before every session.
Shop hardwarePutting It All Together
So when you're standing in front of a wall of trucks (or scrolling our site at midnight), work through it in this order:
1
Size — match the axle width to your deck width
2
Type — hollow for lighter and poppier, standard for tougher and no-fuss
3
Components — check the bushings suit your weight and riding style, and don't ignore the baseplate and hardware
Still not sure what fits your setup?
drop us a message — we're skaters too and can sort you out with the right size on the spot.