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How Many Bearings Does a Skateboard Need? – Answered

Fact checked by Michael Derosier

how many bearings does a skateboard need

Numbers play a pivotal role when assembling a skateboard. They may appear as measurements, sizes, or parts count. Yes, some components do not come as a single unit, like the trucks, wheels, and bearings.

Thus, taking note of these digits is as significant as practicing a trick. Trucks should be a pair. The wheels must be four, but what about their cores? How many bearings does a skateboard need?

These skateboard parts make your rides sharp, fast, and precise. Failing to meet their appropriate count won’t yield quality results. So, keep reading as we discuss bearings, their count, and their significance.

Bearings Required to Complete a Skateboard

As mentioned, wheel bearings for skateboards help your gear not just roll but move precisely.

You might be unsure how many bearings should be in a skateboard. If you think about it, we need eight of these wheel cores. Each urethane roller needs two, and that’s a total of eight.

Where do the eight bearings on a skateboard sit? These parts sit next to a spacer and two speed rings inside a wheel. More specifically, this is the sequence of a skateboard wheel setup, complete with other parts.

  1. Truck hanger
  2. Axle pin
  3. Speed washer
  4. First bearing
  5. Spacer
  6. Second bearing
  7. Speed washer
  8. Axle nut

Note that parts 4 to 6 sit inside the space on the urethane wheel. So, the wheel occupies the same axle pin length as the bearings and spacer combined.

But are there exceptions? Yes! Some setups do not call for eight pieces of bearings. And these circumstances happen because of these factors.

  1. Skateboarder’s weight
  2. Riding environment
  3. Skateboard type

Let’s dig deeper into a few skateboard setups and their number of bearings.

  • Standard skateboard

Standard boards are those that need eight bearings to function smoothly. This is the common setup as well, though in some cases, the number may change to three or five, give or take a few bearings.

The rule is: Higher numbers suit heavy riders more, and the opposite is true for skaters who are smaller.

  • Longboards

Speed racing and downhill skating are only a few things you can do with longboards. Their common denominator? The boards move at a fast pace and often use the fastest skateboard bearings.

Ideally, you may want to use four more bearings than the usual eight. But this advice comes with one caveat: Only technical rides demand 12 pieces of skateboard wheel cores.

If you’re not into such a riding style, keeping eight bearings for longboard purposes is still a wise move.

Frequently Asked Questions

bearings-on-a-skateboard

Do you put 2 bearings in skateboard wheels?

Two-bearing wheels are often a standard when setting up a skateboard. But, as we discussed above, some rollers may have more or fewer bearings than two.

Can you skate with 7 bearings?

If skateboarding on rough surfaces requires at least five bearings for good performance, how much better will it get with seven?

At the same time, if you have the resources to complete the eight clean skateboard bearings setup, why cut their count short?

How many bearings go on each wheel?

Each skateboard wheel should have two bearings. The number only changes once factors like the skater’s weight, riding style, and board type take over.

Are all skateboard bearings, the same size

Skateboard bearings sizes and longboard bearing sizes are the same. If there are sizing differences on the interiors of skate wheels, they are on the spacers’ width.

Most bearings today come with the 608 sizing standard, so they have the same diameter, width, and other measurements.

What are the types of skateboard bearings?

The most popular skateboard bearings today are ceramic and steel. But don’t get it wrong: the names only stand for the material of the balls running inside the bearing case.

Often, steel skateboard bearings cost $10 and can go as high as $80 for quality brands like Bones bearings.

On the other hand, ceramic skateboard bearings price range goes from around $50 to $165. This disparity is because ceramic surpasses steel in both speed and weight.

Conclusion

When setting up a skateboard, we should not focus only on the primary parts like decks or trucks. Sometimes, the ignored details can affect several aspects of our rides, like safety, pace, and execution.

One of these details is the bearing, a catalyst for the skateboard’s smooth performance.

So, how many bearings does a skateboard need? Generally, there should be eight, but sometimes, three would be fine; five can improve things; or 12 would give you the best speed.

Always check if exceptions apply to you. By then, you can decide how many of these parts are necessary.

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