Are Longboard Trucks and Skateboard Trucks the Same?

Sources disagree on whether longboard and skateboard trucks are interchangeable. Ghost Boards notes they aren’t always compatible but some models allow it, Concrete Waves states you can use them interchangeably due to standard hole patterns, and Warehouse Skateboards says they can’t be used interchangeably. A common question is, are longboard trucks and skateboard trucks the same?

The “look nearly identical” part is what trips people up when they wonder, are longboard trucks and skateboard trucks the same? Both are T-shaped metal assemblies that connect wheels to a deck. But that visual similarity hides a design philosophy split. RKPs and TKPs steer your board in mechanically opposite ways, and that choice dictates everything from your top speed to your kickflip height.

What follows: a breakdown of the four specs that separate longboard trucks from skateboard trucks, a clear guide on when you can mix them (and when you absolutely shouldn’t), and the real handling consequences of getting the match wrong.

Key Takeaways

• The core split is Reverse Kingpin (RKP) vs. Traditional Kingpin (TKP) design. RKPs face outward for stability, TKPs face inward for quick, snappy turns.
• Width matters for stability. Longboard trucks commonly run 150mm to 180mm to match wider decks, while skate trucks commonly range from 110mm to 160mm for trick-focused agility.
• Kingpin angle dictates responsiveness. Most longboard trucks use a 50-degree “high angle” for carving; skate trucks like Independent’s 72-degree angle prioritize a lower ride height for pops and grinds.
• Bushing hardness is a feel divider. Longboard bushings can be as soft as 78a for smooth lean, while skate bushings often hit ~100a for a snappy, stable platform.
• Physical interchangeability is contested. Sources disagree, but a safe rule is: don’t swap them unless you’re building a specific hybrid (like a wide cruiser) and understand the handling trade-off.

The Primary Difference: RKP vs. TKP

Look at the kingpin, the big bolt holding the hanger to the baseplate. Which way does its nut point?

On a Reverse Kingpin (RKP) truck, the kingpin faces the outside of the board. This is the standard for most longboards. The pivot point of the hanger faces the board’s tip or tail. This orientation, combined with a lower baseplate angle, creates a longer lever arm for your weight. When you lean, the truck turns progressively, offering stability that increases with speed. It’s why downhill bombers run RKPs; the design dampens the twitchiness that leads to speed wobbles.

On a Traditional Kingpin (TKP) truck, the kingpin faces the inside of the board. This is the default for street and park skateboards. The hanger’s pivot point faces inward. This setup lowers the board closer to the wheels, which is critical for generating pop for ollies and kickflips. The turning response is also sharper and more immediate, great for technical street skating, but far less stable when you pick up speed.

The Technical Snippet: Reverse Kingpin (RKP) trucks orient the kingpin toward the board’s outside edge, promoting stability and progressive turning for speed and carving. Traditional Kingpin (TKP) trucks orient the kingpin inward, lowering the deck for tricks and providing a quicker, more direct steering response suited for technical street and park skating.

This isn’t just labels. It’s physics. An RKP truck resists your initial lean slightly, then gives you smooth, controlled turn. A TKP truck reacts almost instantly to weight shifts. Put the wrong type under your deck, and the board will fight you. A longboard with TKP trucks becomes a nervous, unpredictable ride at anything faster than a push. A skateboard with tall RKP trucks loses its pop and feels disconnected for flip tricks.

The Width and Angle: Stability vs. Carving

Once you know the RKP/TKP split, the other differences make sense. They’re all about optimizing for a specific job.

Truck width needs to match your deck. Longboards are wider, so their trucks are wider. Standard longboard trucks for shapes like pintails are 180mm. Smaller shapes like surfskates might use 150mm or 165mm. Skateboard trucks, built for narrower decks, commonly range from 110mm to 160mm, often in 10mm increments.

Why does this matter? A truck that’s too narrow for your deck reduces stability, your heels or toes can overhang the edge, making balance feel precarious. A truck that’s too wide makes the board heavier and less nimble. The rule from Tactics is to keep the difference between deck width and truck width to less than 1/4 inch.

Kingpin angle, sometimes called baseplate angle, is the other big lever. Most longboard trucks come with a 50-degree, “high angle” kingpin. This steep angle is what allows for those deep, satisfying carves at lower speeds. For high-speed riding, you’ll see specialized trucks with angles of 44, 42, or even 40 degrees. These “low angle” trucks sacrifice tight turning for increased stability; the faster you go, the less you need aggressive steering input.

Skateboard trucks have a much steeper angle. Independent Trucks, a benchmark for street skating, have a 72-degree kingpin angle. This lower angle is a key reason skateboards sit lower to the ground. A 42-degree truck will turn far less than a 50-degree truck with the same pressure, which is exactly what you want when you’re trying to stay in a tight grind or maintain a straight line off a vert ramp.

Specification	Typical Longboard Truck	Typical Skateboard Truck
Kingpin Design	Reverse Kingpin (RKP)	Traditional Kingpin (TKP)
Common Width	150mm – 180mm	110mm – 160mm
Common Kingpin Angle	50 degrees (cruising), 40-44 degrees (downhill)	~72 degrees (e.g., Independent)
Bushing Hardness	Softer (e.g., 78a)	Harder (e.g., ~100a)
Primary Purpose	Stability at speed, carving, cruising	Trick performance, pop, grind clearance

Bushing Hardness: The Feel in Your Feet

Bushings are the urethane donuts that fit around the kingpin. They’re your suspension. Their hardness, measured on the Durometer A scale, is a huge part of your board’s personality.

Longboard bushings are typically softer. Ghost Boards notes they can be as soft as 78a, about the same hardness as some longboard wheels. Softer bushings compress more easily, giving you that smooth, fluid lean into a carve. They absorb road vibration and make pushing long distances less taxing on your legs.

Skateboard bushings are harder, often measuring closer to 100a. This gives the deck a “snappier” feel. When you ollie, you want the board to rebound quickly to center. Hard bushings provide that stable, immediate return, which is essential for the precise footwork of street skating. They also prevent the truck from turning too easily when you land a trick off-center.

You can swap bushings to tune your ride. A heavy rider might need harder bushings to prevent wheel bite on a longboard, while a skateboarder wanting a surfier feel might try slightly softer cones. But the stock setups tell the story: longboards favor forgiveness and lean, skateboards favor precision and snap.

Can You Swap Them? Compatibility and Consequences

Here’s where the sources in our research flat-out disagree. Here are the three positions.

1. Ghost Boards says due to size differences, they aren’t always compatible, but some models (like their 180mm Ghost Trucks) have multi-hole baseplates that allow installation on a skate deck. They even suggest that for a wide skate deck (up to 10″) used as a cruiser, running a longboard truck could make sense performance-wise.
2. Concrete Waves asserts you can use them interchangeably since truck baseplates have standard hole patterns, but cautions that RKPs are not recommended for skateboards as they’re higher and affect pop.
3. Warehouse Skateboards states definitively: “skateboard trucks and longboard trucks can’t be used interchangeably.”

Who’s right? Technically, the mounting holes are often standard. You could probably bolt a longboard truck onto a skate deck. But should you? Only in very specific edge cases.

Where this goes sideways: Putting tall RKP trucks on a standard skate deck. The board will be significantly higher off the ground, killing your pop for ollies and making the board feel tippy and awkward for flip tricks. It’s a mismatch of design intent.

The functional exception is the hybrid cruiser. If you have a wide, kickless skate deck (say, 9.5″ or wider) that you only use for pushing around, a 150mm RKP truck could offer a smoother, more stable ride than a TKP truck. Conversely, putting a low, narrow TKP truck on a long-speed longboard is asking for speed wobbles. The truck won’t provide the damping or stability needed.

The other hard rule is wheelbase. Tactics states that for decks with a wheelbase of 20 inches or more, RKP trucks provide a more stable and responsive setup. Putting TKP trucks on a deck that long makes it feel both twitchy and unresponsive, the worst of both worlds.

How to Identify What You Have

Not sure what’s on your board? Here’s a 30-second check.

1. Find the kingpin. It’s the largest bolt/nut assembly connecting the hanger to the baseplate.
2. Locate the pivot cup. It’s the round, often plastic, socket at the front of the baseplate where the hanger’s pivot point sits.
3. Trace the orientation. If the kingpin is on the same side as the pivot cup (both between the wheels), you have a Traditional Kingpin (TKP) truck. If the kingpin is on the opposite side from the pivot cup (kingpin outside, pivot cup inside), you have a Reverse Kingpin (RKP) truck.
4. Measure the width. Common skateboard truck axle widths range from 110mm to 160mm. Common longboard sizes are 150mm, 165mm, 180mm.

This quick ID tells you everything. An RKP truck is for cruising, carving, and speed. A TKP truck is for streets, parks, and technical tricks.

What are the parts of a skateboard truck?

All trucks share the same core components, but their dimensions and setup differ. The baseplate bolts to the deck and holds the kingpin, a large bolt that acts as the truck’s main pivot. The kingpin secures the hanger, which is the T-shaped metal piece that holds the axle. Bushings, the urethane cushions around the kingpin, determine how easily the truck turns and rebounds. The axle runs through the hanger to mount the wheels. For a stable, smooth ride, longboard trucks typically use softer bushings and a kingpin angle around 50 degrees. Skateboard trucks often use harder bushings and a different kingpin orientation for sharper, more immediate turns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a difference between longboard and skateboard trucks?

Yes, the core difference is kingpin orientation. Longboards use Reverse Kingpin (RKP) trucks for stability, while skateboards use Traditional Kingpin (TKP) trucks for a lower, trick-ready setup. This leads to differences in width, angle, and bushing hardness.

Can you put longboard trucks on a skateboard?

Physically, sometimes, mounting holes can match. But performance-wise, it’s rarely a good idea. The taller RKP trucks will raise the skateboard deck, severely hindering pop and flip tricks. It might only make sense on a very wide, kickless cruiser skate deck used solely for transportation.

What’s harder, longboarding or skateboarding?

They’re different skill sets. Skateboarding (street/park) has a steeper initial learning curve for basic tricks like ollies. Longboarding (downhill, freeride) requires advanced skill for high-speed control and carving. Beginners often find cruising on a longboard easier to pick up initially than trick-focused skateboarding.

Can a beginner use a longboard?

Absolutely. For a beginner interested in cruising, commuting, or casual riding, a standard longboard with 50-degree RKP trucks is often more stable and forgiving to learn on than a trick skateboard. Start on flat, smooth pavement.

Can you go to a skatepark with a longboard?

You can, but it’s not ideal. Longboards are longer and less maneuverable, making them poorly suited for skatepark features designed for quick turns and technical tricks. They can also be a hazard to smaller skateboarders. Stick to street cruising or designated longboarding paths.

The Bottom Line

Longboard trucks and skateboard trucks are cousins, not twins. The RKP vs. TKP divide is a line drawn by purpose: one for flow and stability, the other for pop and precision. While a multi-hole baseplate might let you bolt one onto the other’s deck, the result is usually a board that does nothing well.

My rule after a decade of coaching and building boards: match the tool to the job. If you’re building a cruiser, look at the best longboard trucks designed for smooth travel. If you’re hitting the street park, the best skateboard trucks for trick performance will serve you better. And if you’re ever unsure about truck compatibility for a hybrid project, lean towards the design that matches your primary riding style. Your knees and your board control will thank you.