What Are Skateboard Bushings?
Skateboard bushings are the small rubber cylinder or conical shaped parts found in your trucks. Bushings are responsible for stability and turning of your skateboard. Each truck consists of a set of 2 bushings, one top bushing and one bottom bushing.
Every truck that you buy will come with bushings built in however, it is important to change your bushings every once in a while when they start wearing out.
What Skateboard Bushings Should I Go For?
There are 2 main bushing designs for skateboarding, cone and barrel. The design you decide to go with should depend on what you expect from your bushings. The cone bushings will allow you to turn the board easier and allow for a more mobile feel. Barrel bushings on the other hand will give you more stability when skating at high speeds.
Another factor to take into consideration when choosing your bushings is it's hardness. Bushing is made out of rubber and it's hardness is measured using durometer scale just like the skateboarding wheels. The higher the number the harder is the bushing. When choosing the durometer level of your bushings, you want to take your riding style and weight into consideration as the harder bushings will make your skateboard less responsive where the soft bushings will make it more responsive and easier to maneuver.