Complete Skateboard Buyers Guide

Zephyr Sports has always strived to offer a huge selection of products to fit the needs of all our shoppers. Skateboards require multiple parts to make up a complete and ride ready product. This guide will help you to find all the individual pieces needed to make a complete skateboard.

Almost all the individual parts that make up a skateboard are interchangeable between brand and size. Your final choice should come down to personal preference for performance and a style you will enjoy.

If at anytime you have a question, you can contact a live service representative at 877.814.4297 or via live chat.

Pre-Assembled Complete Skateboards come pre-built and ready to skate out of the box. All the parts have been pre-chosen and match up together for a great ride.

This is a great choice for beginners who are unsure what kind of skateboard they want or are unsure if they will continue to like skateboarding. We take all of the guess work out of shopping and offer all of our Pre-Assembled Complete Skateboards at discounted prices.

Parents looking to pick up a skateboard for a child need not worry, all the parts included with these completes are top of line components from well-known and popular manufactures.

Building a Custom Complete guarantees that you only get exactly the products you want. The flip side is making sure you get all the parts you need. The different components that make up a complete skateboard come in different sizes, builds, and designs. Below is a list of all the necessary components to build a skateboard.

• Skateboard Deck
• Set of Skateboard Trucks (2 trucks)
• Set of Skateboard Wheels (4 wheels)
• Set of Skateboard Bearings (2 per wheel, 8 total)
• Skateboard Mounting Hardware (screw & nut, 8 total sets)
• Skateboard Grip Tape (1 sheet for deck)

Custom Complete Skateboards do not come assembled.

Skateboard Decks come in a variety of sizes. The width is the most important size to pay attention to as the length with generally be proportionate to the width.

What size deck is right for me?
Choosing the size of your deck will depend on any of three factors: Your age, height, and/or shoe size. In the end, deck size will generally come down to personal preference. Though, there are some basic guidelines that can help first time buyers.

MINI - 7.0" & 7.3"

Generally intended for children and younger skaters. Height: 5'2" & shorter.
Anyone 12 years old and younger will want to consider trying a MINI before stepping in to a FULL size deck. These smaller boards are great for shoe sizes between 4-8.

FULL - 7.5" & Wider

Generally intended for teens and adults. Height: 5'3" & taller.
Anyone 13 years old and older will want to choose a FULL size deck. These full size boards are great for shoe sizes 9 and bigger.

If you know you want to buy a MINI or FULL size deck, but are unsure which exact size to try within the size range, it is best to get a smaller width. Generally wider boards will feel heavy to riders who would prefer a smaller width. Skateboarding is all about comfort and confidence, so once you find a size you are comfortable with, it is recommended that you stay with that size until it no longer feels right.

Concave

Concave is the indentation that deepens from the outside of the deck towards the middle. Skateboard decks have a concave shape for added durability as well as stability. Concave allows the deck to take more pressure from impact as well as makes the board easier to control.

Concave deepness will differ between brands. To find the most comfortable fit for your personal style, it is recommend that you try different companies. Once you find a company whose design and shape you like, you can generally expect the same craftsmanship in the future.

Skateboard Trucks consist of five parts: axel, hanger, kingpin, bushings, and baseplate. Often the size of the truck will be listed by the axel width, though it may sometimes be listed by the hanger width. Unlike decks, the size of your trucks allows for a lot more flexibility.

What size trucks do I need?
Choosing the size of your trucks will be based on the width of your deck.

Axel: 7.75" or Hanger: 5.0"

(7.25" to 8.0" deck width)
This axel & hanger size is a good fit for all MINI and FULL size decks.

Axel: 8.0" or Hanger: 5.25"

(8.0" to 8.5" deck width)
This axel & hanger size is a good fit for most decks wider then 8.0".



What is HIGH & LOW?
As well as axel and hanger size there is sometimes a high and low height size. This size determines the distance between the deck and the hanger. Trucks with a normal height work well for almost all skateboard decks. Unless noted, assume the truck height is normal.

HIGH: Designed for wheel size greater then 56mm

This truck height is good for normal riding, cruising, and carving.

LOW: Designed for wheel size 50mm to 55mm

This truck height is good for performing flip tricks and street riding.

What is the Kingpin?
The kingpin is a bolt that screws through the baseplate up to the hanger and through the bushings. By tightening or loosening the kingpin nut you can adjust how much the hanger can pivot. This will result in a tighter or looser ride. All kingpins can be adjusted. For a tighter ride, tighten the kingpin nut and for a looser ride, loosen the kingpin nut.

Skateboard Wheels come in an assortment of colors, designs, sizes, and durability. The most important item to pay attention to is the size. The wheel size describes the diameter in millimeters.

What size wheels do I need?
Smaller wheels will travel slower but allow for easier flip tricks and grinds. Smaller wheels also have a much harder ride on uneven surfaces like asphalt. Bigger wheels will travel faster but are primarily used for cruising and carving. Bigger wheels will have a smooth ride on most surfaces.

50mm to 55mm

Slower ride, allows for easy trick riding, uneven ride on rough surfaces.

56mm to 60mm

Faster ride, allows for easy cruising and carving, smooth ride on rough surfaces.

60mm and bigger

Made for longboards, old-school boards, great for speed and rough surfaces.

Skateboard Bearings are universal and come in a set of eight (two on each wheel). Any skateboard bearings will fit in to any skateboard wheel. Though the bearings are universal, the quality of bearings does differ. Higher quality bearings will last longer and remain smoother longer.

Which bearings should I buy?
If this is your first skateboard, standard lower-end bearings are best. As you continue riding and buy new boards down the road, you may want to try more expensive bearings to compare quality.

Skateboard Hardware is easy to choose. If you plan to use a riser pad, then go with a longer screw size, otherwise almost any screw will fit just fine. Hardware does not have to be an exact fit, it just needs to be long enough to fit the nut on.

What size hardware should I get?
The hardware size is only determined by whether or not you use a riser pad, though hardware is still almost all universal.

7/8" to 1"

Good for completes that DO NOT use a riser pad.

1" to 1 1/8"

Good for completes that USE a 1/8" riser pad.

1 1/4"

Good for completes that USE a 1/4" riser pad.

Grip tape is the gritty, sand papery layer that's applied to the top of a skateboard deck, so that your shoes can grip the board. Grip tape comes in many varieties, the most common being a sheet that is black on the grippy side of the grip tape. The bottom of the sheet of grip tape will peal off, revealing a very sticky underside that will stick to the top of the deck. Grip tape isn't always black, however - grip tape can be bought in any color, or transparent and even camouflage.