Skateboard Parts

If you are an already experienced skater, or if you just look at a skateboard, parts used for the manufacture are pretty straight forward:
1. Most apparent of all skateboard parts is the deck, which is the platform with the cool designs you stand on. Usually crafted from maple, the length and width sometimes vary.
2. The next skateboard parts mentioned are the trucks which are the axles that hold the wheels. Attached to the deck, they vary with respect to bushing rating.
3. Wheels and bearings come next.
4. Last but not least is a collection of bolts that keep all the skateboard parts firmly attached.

Granted, this might be a bit of a simplistic rundown of the basic parts of the board, but by and large all specialty and novelty trucks, bolts and other items used are simple variations on the same theme. There are, however, some alternative skateboard parts that are known mostly to those who skate in certain disciplines and who swear by them as being instrumental in coaxing the kind of performance out of the board they are looking for.

• There are the risers which many in the know will attach to the deck before mounting the truck. This allows the board to ride higher and provide that extra bit of space which prevents wheels from suddenly locking up. Those putting a lot of wear on their axles know that this is a serious problem with which to contend.
  
• Lappers are attached to the back truck and are little more than plastic coverlets. The goal is to protect the truck when an obstacle is hit; since this is part and parcel of many tricks, lappers are generally a good idea.
  
• Some have decided that a tail guard is a good idea, and many will agree. While originally it was little more than a piece of plastic that was mounted to the deck’s tail to prevent splintering and other unsightly wear, it is not used to also act as that extra bit of stopping power.
  
• Rails are currently being added to almost all boards by those who are serious about sliding. They are little more than small plastic strips that are put underneath the deck, but they help to provide that extra help with gripping the board while at the same time preventing the underside from getting completely trashed during trick stunts.