Skateboard Problems and How to Fix Them
Most skateboard problems are one of about ten things, and most of them cost nothing to fix. Before you buy parts, work through this.
The order below matters. Start with the free checks. Loose hardware and worn wheels explain the large majority of boards that suddenly feel wrong.
Start here, in this order
- Check the axle nuts and kingpin. Free, ten seconds, and the single most common cause.
- Look at the wheels. Coned, flat-spotted or worn wheels explain most handling complaints.
- Spin each wheel by hand. If one stops fast, that is a bearing or an overtightened nut.
- Look at the tail and the bolt holes. This is where a dying deck shows first.
- Only then start thinking about replacing anything.
Skateboard problems by symptom
| Symptom | Most likely cause | Fix | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board pulls to one side | Wheels worn unevenly (coning) | Rotate diagonally and flip each wheel | Free |
| Wheels spin slowly or seize | Overtightened axle nuts, or dirty bearings | Loosen nuts first, then clean bearings | Free to $22 |
| Regular clicking while rolling | Loose axle nut, or a bearing shifted in the wheel | Tighten and reseat | Free |
| Dry grinding or rumbling | Grit in the bearings | Clean and re-lubricate, or replace | Free to $80 |
| Regular thud at speed | Flat spots from locked-up slides | Replace the wheels. Not repairable | $55 to $85 |
| Board will not turn | Kingpin too tight, or hard bushings | Loosen a quarter turn at a time | Free |
| Board feels vague and unstable | Kingpin too loose, or cracked bushings | Tighten, or replace bushings | Free to $15 |
| Speed wobbles | Trucks too loose for your speed and weight | Tighten a quarter turn at a time. Harder bushings if you are heavier | Free to $15 |
| Wheels touch the deck, board stops dead | Wheel bite. Trucks too loose or wheels too big | Tighten, harder bushings, or riser pads | Free to $12 |
| Squeak or creak when turning | Dry pivot cup or dry bushings | A little wax or lubricant in the pivot cup | Free |
| Axle nut keeps loosening | Nylon lock nut has worn out | Replace the nuts | $6 |
| No pop off the tail | Deck is compressed and finished | Replace the deck | $90 to $180 |
| Grip peeling at the edges | Water got underneath | Replace the sheet. Dry the deck first | $12 to $25 |
| Board feels soggy, no snap | Deck has been wet and the plies have swollen | Replace the deck. Not reversible | $90 to $180 |
Why does the board pull to one side?
Nine times out of ten this is coning. Wheels wear into a taper because almost everyone pushes with the same foot and slides in the same direction, so the inside edges go first. The board then wants to track toward the smaller wheels.
Rotate them diagonally, front left to back right and front right to back left, and flip each wheel so the worn face points the other way. Do it every four to six weeks and the problem never appears.
If rotation does not fix it, check the trucks are tightened evenly. Riders often adjust one and forget the other.
Why are the wheels slow?
Spin each wheel by hand and count how long it turns. If one stops noticeably faster than the others, you have found it.
Check the axle nut first. Overtightening is the most common cause and costs nothing to fix. The nut should be tight enough that the wheel does not rattle sideways, but loose enough that it spins freely. There should be a barely detectable amount of side play.
Then the bearings. Grit plus old lubricant becomes a grinding paste. Cleaning takes about twenty minutes and usually restores them completely. If the races are rusted or pitted, they are finished, and that is almost always the result of getting wet.
How do you stop speed wobbles?
Speed wobbles are an oscillation that builds as the board tries to correct itself and overshoots. Three causes, usually together.
- Trucks too loose for your speed. Tighten the kingpin a quarter turn at a time and retest. Do not crank it down in one go.
- Bushings too soft for your weight. Heavier riders, roughly 80kg and up, overpower stock bushings. Harder bushings are $6 to $15 and are the real fix.
- Tense legs. Stiffening up feeds the oscillation. Bend your knees, keep your weight forward and relax. Counter-intuitive, and it is the difference for most people.
If it only happens on one hill, it is speed. If it happens everywhere, it is setup.
What is wheel bite and how do you stop it?
Wheel bite is the wheel contacting the underside of the deck during a hard turn. The wheel stops instantly and so do you, usually forwards. It is one of the more reliable ways to get hurt on a skateboard.
Three fixes, cheapest first: tighten the kingpin, fit harder bushings, or add riser pads between the deck and trucks. Risers raise the deck away from the wheels and are the definitive fix if you are running larger wheels.
Riser pads need longer hardware. Standard bolts are 7/8in. With 1/8in risers you need 1in, with 1/4in risers you need 1 1/8in. Buy both together or the board will not go back together.
Is the deck finished, or is it me?
Riders blame themselves for a dying deck far longer than they should, because it happens gradually. Three tells:
- Razor tail. The tail has worn to a sharp edge. It changes how the board pops long before it looks bad, and it will cut you.
- Cracks around the truck bolts. Look on the top of the deck. Cracks radiating from the bolt holes mean the plies have started separating.
- Dead pop. The board looks fine and no longer springs. Maple compresses with use and it does not come back.
If the trucks, wheels and bearings are healthy, replace only the deck and move everything else across.
It got wet. What now?
Deal with it that day. Dry the board, spin the wheels hard to throw water out of the bearings, then pull the bearings and re-lubricate them. Steel bearings rust quickly and once the races pit they are done.
The deck matters too. Maple absorbs water, the plies swell, and the board goes soft. One soaking is survivable. A habit is not.
Skateboard troubleshooting FAQ
Why does my skateboard pull to one side?
Almost always unevenly worn wheels. Wheels cone into a taper because most people push and slide in one direction. Rotate them diagonally and flip each one. If it still pulls, check the trucks are tightened evenly and the deck is not warped.
Why are my skateboard wheels slow or not spinning freely?
Either the axle nuts are overtightened or the bearings are dirty. Back the nuts off until the wheel spins freely with only a tiny amount of side play. If that does not fix it, the bearings need cleaning and re-lubricating, which takes about twenty minutes.
What causes speed wobbles on a skateboard?
Trucks that are too loose for your speed, usually combined with tense legs. Tighten the kingpin a quarter turn at a time until the wobble stops. Harder bushings help riders over about 80kg. Stiffening up makes it worse, so bend your knees and stay relaxed.
Why do my wheels touch the deck and stop the board?
That is wheel bite, and it stops the board dead. It happens when trucks are too loose or wheels are too big for the setup. Tighten the kingpin, fit harder bushings, or add riser pads. Riser pads need longer hardware, so buy both together.
Why does my skateboard click or grind when I roll?
A regular click usually means a loose axle nut or a bearing that has shifted in the wheel. A dry grinding sound means the bearings have grit in them. Check the nuts first, since it takes ten seconds and is the more common cause.
Why has my skateboard lost its pop?
The deck is worn out. Maple compresses over time and the board stops springing off the tail. It is not repairable and it happens gradually enough that most riders blame themselves. Check for razor tail and cracks around the truck bolts to confirm.
Still not right? Bring it in
Bring the board to 435A Bridge Road, Richmond and we will go over it with you. A good share of the time the fix is a quarter turn on a kingpin and it costs nothing, which is genuinely a better outcome for us than selling you parts you did not need. Nobody on our floor works on commission.
Free shipping Australia wide on orders over $90. Call 03 9421 2293 if you want to describe it before you come in.
Keep reading: Skateboard Maintenance Guide · How Much Does a Skateboard Cost? · How to Choose a Skateboard · What Size Skateboard Do You Need?
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