High Trucks vs Low Trucks

So, you’re building a custom board and you’re not sure what height trucks to choose and want to know the difference between high and low trucks. Here’s a quick guide to help you make the right decisions. This is only a rough guide, and everyone skates differently so, at the end of the day, choose what feels best for you. For a more in-depth guide on trucks, check out our Skateboard Truck Guide.

Skateboard Truck Height

Truck height is the distance between your wheel and your deck and is measured from the baseplate to the truck’s hanger. Trucks are available in three heights; low, medium and high. Most skateboard truck companies only make lows and highs, but more are starting to offer Mids. Here are some quick facts that might help you choose the right skateboard truck.

The Difference Between High and Low Skateboard Trucks

Low Trucks

Low trucks are considered the most stable. They are are fast turning, have a responsive pop, better stability when grinding and a more stable centre of gravity. Ideal for technical skateboarding, flip tricks, and ledge grinds. So, if you’re a technical skateboarder and like to hit the streets and skateparks, lows are a great choice.

Make sure you choose a wheel between 50mm to 53mm to avoid wheel bite.

Mid Trucks

The best of both worlds, Mid trucks are the most versatile truck choice as you have some of the stability of lower trucks and the option to use larger wheels for better handling on rough surfaces. Mids are a good choice if you like to skate transitions as well as the streets.

We recommend 53-56mm wheel size.

High Trucks

Tighter turning, more room to pivot and can run larger wheels and looser trucks. You’ll get a faster, smoother ride however the board will be harder to balance on. You can ride them pretty loose without having to worry about wheel bite, which is when your wheel touches the base of your skateboard and can make the board abruptly stop. High trucks have a snappier hookup but offer less stability at higher speeds, so no hill bombing! Highs are perfect for transition skateboarding so ideal for mini ramps, bowls and vert ramps.

We recommend 56mm+ wheel size.

More pop?

Some skateboarders argue that higher trucks give better pop, as your tail is further away from the ground, but the jury is out on this one, as technique and ability is a major factor in how well you can pop the board. We’ll leave this one up to you to decide.

Should I ride High or Low Trucks?

Truck height is personal preference and you will naturally find which trucks best suit you as you skate more and find out what type of skateboarding you like to do, for example choose high trucks if you want to cruise around or skate transition, mini ramp or bowls and choose low trucks if you just want to skate street and park and do technical tricks.

No truck height is better than the other, the right truck is the one that fits your needs, style and ability although if you are new to skateboarding, it’s good to remember the closer you are to the ground, the more stability you have.

View our extensive range of skateboard trucks here or visit our store.