Hey, congrats! So you got a new skateboard on the go. If you haven’t got a new one then there is nothing to worry about, things will be the same. Here is our compact guide on how to assemble a skateboard. We have discussed all the things that you need to know to set up a skateboard.
So Let’s not waste your time and get started.
Tools Checklist:
We hope you have all the elements you need to assemble a skateboard. We have given the list of tools you will need throughout the process. So you don’t miss anything.
Tools you will need: Wheels, bearings, grip tape, board, hardware, trucks, skate tool, razor blades, and screwdriver.
Have you check-marked at all tools? I hope you have. Now, what??? Now it’s time to join all parts together and build a legendary skateboard.
So let’s get right into it.
Required Steps For Assembling Skateboard
Step 1: Attach the grip tape with the board:
So now, let’s actually put this thing together. You have your board, you have your gears, and you need to turn it into an actual skateboard. The first thing you have to do is grip the board. All boards come with a plastic cover. Your board is also covered with plastic, isn’t it? Haha! I know everything. Let’s take that off.
The best way to put on grip tape that I recommend is to start from the middle. It’s kind of the center of the grip tape and starts at the middle and then goes through the outsides. Push it down!
So what you have to do is take off the paper backing from the grip. Now you just have to put the grip tape on the board. Hold on! Please make sure you don’t get air bubbles. For that, what you can do is, lay the grip on the center and then lay out the rest. So once that is on top, all you have to do is push from the center and push out. Make sure all air bubbles are pushed off.
There you go!!! Your grip tape is ready to cut it down.
Scrap edges of the board:
Hope you correctly placed the grip tape, and you are good to go. Now you have to score the grip tape. What it does is create an outline for you to cut. You can use a skate tool for it. If you haven’t one, then you can use your screwdrivers to do it. When you start doing it, you will see the actual outline of the board. Do it around the whole board. By doing this, we’re moving to our next tape.
Cutting the grip tape:
Alright, So now that you have created the outline around the whole board, it’s time to cut the excerpts. Take a razor blade or any kind of cutter to cut the extra tape down. Now you have to pull the grip tape and pull the razor blade around the board from underneath. So put the razor blade from the underside of grip tape. When the blade will be popped up, put some gentle pressure on the blade, and pull it around the whole board.
HOLD ON! After cutting the grip tape, you might be thinking about throwing away the excerpts, but do not. We will use this to sand down your grip tape. So after cutting the grip tape, you will go back again with the extra piece of tape and rub the edges of the board. This will decrease the chances of peeling off the grip tape.
Step 2: Putting the Trucks and Wheels on Your Deck
Once your board has nicely griped, you are ready to put the trucks onto the board. Let’s do it quickly. Pick a screwdriver and poke it from the bottom of the board through the mounting holes. Boom! This will allow you to put hardware from the top of the board and put the trucks on. While putting trucks, just remember one thing, the kingpin’s face will always be inside of the board. If you do this wrong, that will be the worst. It will go in the opposite direction you want to go.
Example: While riding, If you lean to left, the board will go to the right, crazy, haha!
Okay! Now just put the trucks on there and attach with the finger, and then tighten the nuts & bolts with the screwdriver & skate tool. Do it to both sides, but don’t tighten the nuts too much; otherwise, the board can be damaged. Now you’re good to go to the next step.
Again, Both track’s bushing parts will be faced inside the board.
Step 3: Put the bearing into the wheels:
After completing the upper steps, Now It’s time to put your bearings into your wheels. You can use your trucks to do it. What you have to do is take 2 bearings and put it into the truck axle. Now take a wheel and push it straight down into the truck axle. Now lift it up, and you will see one of your bearings is into the wheel, cool! Now let’s flip the wheel and do the same thing to the other side.
After putting two bearings on to the wheel, apply some pressure to both sides, and you are on the go. It’s the easiest way to put bearings without any other tools. You can use this technique to remove bearings from wheels too.
Step 4: Get Your Wheels IntoThe Trucks
So we have come to our final step. Now It’s time to attach the wheels and trucks together and start riding. So let’s put the wheels to the trucks. Apply some pressure to fit in trucks. Place the speed washer that comes with trucks. Put the nuts and tighten them with the skate tool or screwdriver. Tighten it down, but don’t do it too much. This will help the wheels to rotate smoothly. Repeat that process to all 4 wheels.
Boom! Your skateboard is ready to go on the road.
Final words:
We tried to put all the messy answers together. Building a skateboard is always joyful, whether it’s the 1st time or 100th. Now that you have learned how to assemble a skateboard, it’s time to apply it to your board. Happy riding!