Which Way Do Trucks Go on a Longboard?

Mount trucks so the kingpin and bushings face inward for Standard Kingpin (SKP) trucks and outward for Reverse Kingpin (RKP) trucks. SKP trucks point toward each other at the deck’s center, while RKP trucks point toward the nose and tail. This orientation is dictated by the truck’s internal geometry, not preference, and getting it wrong drastically alters turning feel and stability.

That direction, inward for SKP, outward for RKP, isn’t just a suggestion. It’s a mechanical requirement baked into the truck’s pivot design and bushing seat. The pivot cup in the baseplate and the corresponding pivot point on the hanger are designed for a specific orientation. A common question from new riders is which way do trucks go on a longboard. Flip a truck around, and you reverse that arc, fighting the bushing’s intended compression and turning your board into a unpredictable mess.

What follows is a breakdown of that golden rule for which way do trucks go on a longboard, the tools and hardware you’ll need, and the step-by-step differences between top-mount and drop-through setups. We’ll also cover the tuning variables you control, bushing durometer, baseplate angle, and the option to flip RKP hangers, so you can dial in your ride after the trucks are pointed the right way.

Key Takeaways

• Standard Kingpin (SKP) trucks face inward, with kingpins pointing toward the deck’s center. Reverse Kingpin (RKP) trucks face outward, with kingpins pointing toward the nose and tail.
• Truck width should match deck width within 1/4″. Use 150mm hangers for decks 8.5″ or narrower, and a minimum of 180mm for decks 9″ or wider.
• Drop-through mounting requires disassembling the truck. You mount the baseplate from the top of the deck through a precut hole, then reassemble the hanger underneath.
• Bushing durometer between 84a and 90a offers a good “do-it-all” balance for most riders, balancing responsiveness and stability.
• Overtightening the kingpin nut deforms bushings. A good test: try to spin the top washer in a circle; if it moves, tighten more.

The Golden Rule: Standard vs. Reverse Kingpin Orientation

The single most important factor is your truck type. You have two categories: Standard Kingpin (SKP) and Reverse Kingpin (RKP). Each has a fixed orientation.

Standard kingpin trucks are the traditional design found on most street skateboards. The kingpin, the large bolt holding the hanger and bushings, is positioned between the axle and the baseplate. For these, the rule is absolute: the kingpin and bushings face inward, toward the center of the deck. Both trucks should point at each other. This is how Independent, Ace, and most other street trucks are designed to work.

Common mistake: Mounting SKP trucks outward. The pivot cup and hanger geometry are reversed, making the truck feel dead on one side and overly sensitive on the other. The board will fight you in a turn.

Reverse kingpin trucks are the standard for most dedicated longboards. Here, the kingpin is on the opposite side of the axle. The rule flips: the kingpin and bushings face outward, toward the nose and tail of the deck. Brands like Paris, Caliber, and Gullwing Reverse trucks are built this way. This outward orientation is recommended for RKP trucks on decks with a wheelbase of 20″ or more.

The result was a board that felt twitchy and unstable at any speed above a crawl. It’s an easy fix, but it wastes an hour of tuning time.

A Quick Visual Check

Stand over your board. Look at the trucks. On an RKP setup, the front kingpin should point toward the nose, the rear toward the tail. They point away from each other. On an SKP setup, both point toward the middle. If they’re not, you’ve found the problem before even stepping on the board.

Truck Components and What They Do

Before you grab a screwdriver, know what you’re looking at. A truck isn’t just a metal T; it’s a system.

The baseplate is the flat piece that bolts to your deck. It houses the pivot cup and has the mounting holes. The hanger is the T-shaped part that holds the axles; it swings on the kingpin. The kingpin is the long bolt that runs through the hanger and bushings, secured by a nut. Bushings are the urethane donuts that fit over the kingpin, above and below the hanger; they provide the resistance that defines your turn.

The pivot cup is a small, often overlooked urethane insert in the baseplate. The hanger’s pivot point sits inside it. This is why orientation matters, the hanger is designed to swing in one specific arc. Force it the other way, and you’re grinding metal on plastic.

Tools and Hardware You’ll Need

You don’t need a workshop. For a basic assembly or remount, you need two things: a Phillips screwdriver and a skate tool or a 3/8-inch wrench for the kingpin nut. That’s it.

The hardware is specific. Each truck requires four screws and four nuts to secure the baseplate to the deck. For a complete setup with two trucks, that’s eight screws, eight nuts, eight axle washers for the wheels, and four lock nuts for the axles. Always lay it out first. Finding you’re short one screw after you’ve started is frustrating.

Where this goes sideways: Using wood screws or sheet metal screws from the garage. Skate hardware is designed with a specific thread pitch and head shape to sit flush with your grip tape. The wrong screw can strip the deck’s mounting holes or protrude uncomfortably.

Top-Mount vs. Drop-Through: Mounting Changes the Process

Your deck type changes your first move. A top-mount deck, the most common type, has the trucks bolted directly to its underside. A drop-through deck has a large hole or slot cut through it; the truck baseplate mounts from the top, “dropping through” the deck, which lowers your ride height.

For a top-mount, the process is straightforward. Insert the eight screws through the deck from the top (poking through the grip tape holes first). Flip the board over, slide the trucks onto the screws (add riser pads now if you’re using them), and hand-tighten the nuts. Ensure your truck orientation is correct before fully tightening.

A drop-through deck requires disassembly. You must take the truck apart. Remove the kingpin nut, top washer, bushing, and hanger. Feed the four mounting screws through the baseplate, then place the baseplate through the deck’s cutout from the top. From underneath, add washers and nuts to hold it loosely. Then, reassemble the truck: slide the bottom bushing and washer onto the kingpin, then the hanger, then the top bushing, washer, and kingpin nut. This is the only way to get the hardware in the right order.

The part nobody mentions: When reassembling a drop-through truck, the order from the base of the kingpin up is: baseplate, washer, bushing, hanger, bushing, washer, kingpin nut. Get this sequence wrong, and the truck won’t turn correctly, no matter how perfectly you’ve oriented it.

Consequences of Mounting Trucks Backwards

What happens if you get it wrong? It’s not a subtle difference.

Mounting an RKP truck inward (like an SKP) lowers the ride height, but inverts the truck’s intended turning geometry, which is exactly why understanding which way do trucks go on a longboard is critical. This might sound good for stability, but it comes at a huge cost: the truck’s turning geometry is inverted. The board will feel incredibly “dead” or unresponsive on one side of the turn and then suddenly grab on the other. At speed, this can induce speed wobbles because the trucks are not compensating in sync.

Mounting an SKP truck outward (like an RKP) has the opposite effect. It raises the ride height and makes the truck turn more aggressively, but it becomes unstable and prone to tipping. For street skating, it also places the kingpin nut in a vulnerable spot for grinds.

The fix is simple. Loosen the mounting nuts, rotate the truck 180 degrees, and retighten. The five minutes it takes will save you a session of confusion and a possible fall.

Matching Trucks to Your Deck: Width and Patterns

Orientation is job one. Fit is job two. Your trucks need to match your deck’s width and mounting hole pattern.

Truck width should roughly match deck width. The axle ends shouldn’t extend more than 1/4 inch beyond the deck’s edge. Too wide, and you risk catching a foot or shoe on the wheel. Too narrow, and the board feels tippy. For a deck 8.5 inches or narrower, a 150mm truck works. For a deck 9 inches or wider, Warehouse Skateboards recommends a minimum of 180mm hanger width.

Mounting hole patterns are a silent compatibility check. There are two standards:

• Old School: 2.5 inches lengthwise, 1.625 inches widthwise.
• New School: 2.125 inches lengthwise, 1.625 inches widthwise.

Most modern longboard decks and trucks use the New School pattern. Some trucks, like Independent 159/169 and Gullwing models, are double-drilled for both patterns, giving you wheelbase adjustment options. Others, like Mini Logo trucks, only use the New School pattern. Check your deck’s holes before assuming a truck will fit.

Truck Brand/Model	Mounting Pattern Compatibility	Notes
Independent 159/169	Double-drilled (Old & New School)	Classic street truck adaptable to longboard cruisers.
Gullwing Reverse	Typically double-drilled	Common choice for RKP longboard setups.
Mini Logo	New School only	Often found on completes; check deck compatibility.
Paris V3	New School	The most popular longboard truck; rarely needs pattern checking.

Tuning Your Setup: Angle, Bushings, and the “Flipped” Option

Once your trucks are on correctly, you can tune the feel. Three main levers control your ride: baseplate angle, bushing hardness, and, for RKP trucks only, the option to flip the hanger.

Baseplate angle, like 50-degree or 44-degree, is stamped on the baseplate. A higher angle (e.g., 50°) produces more turn with less deck lean, according to Concrete Waves. A lower angle (e.g., 44°) gives more lean with less turn, favoring high-speed stability. Sources describe the effect differently: Warehouse Skateboards states a higher angle allows sharper turns because of increased deck lean, while Concrete Waves states a higher angle gives more turn with less lean.

Bushing hardness ranges from 78a (soft) to 98a (hard). Ghost Boards considers 84a to 90a bushing durometer a good, ‘do-it-all’ hardness rating. Softer bushings make turning easier; harder bushings increase stability. Don’t overtighten the kingpin nut to stiffen a turn, you’ll just deform the bushings. If you need more resistance, get harder bushings.

Flipping RKP Hangers is a special case. You can mount an RKP truck with the kingpin facing inward (like an SKP). This “flipped” orientation lowers the ride height and increases stability by lowering the center of gravity, but it reduces responsiveness. It’s a valid tuning choice for downhill or when you want a more planted feel, but it only works with RKP trucks.

How to Tell Front from Back (They’re Identical)

Here’s a relief: for most longboard setups, the front and rear trucks are identical. There is no designated “front” truck. They are symmetrical components. You decide which is the front based on which end of the deck you point forward.

Some advanced riders use a split-angle setup, running a lower-degree baseplate (like 44°) on the rear for stability and a higher-degree baseplate (like 50°) on the front for turn. In this case, the trucks are physically different, and you must keep track. For most riders, just pick a nose, mount the trucks with the correct outward/inward orientation, and go.

Step-by-Step Mounting Instructions

Start by identifying your truck type. For standard kingpin trucks, orient the baseplate so the kingpin and its surrounding bushings face inward, toward the middle of the deck. For reverse kingpin trucks, they should face outward, toward the board’s nose and tail. On a drop-through deck, you’ll need to fully disassemble the truck, feed the kingpin up through the deck’s mounting hole, and then reassemble it. The reassembly order from the baseplate up is: baseplate, washer, bushing, hanger, bushing, washer, and finally the kingpin nut. Secure each truck with four screws and nuts, checking that the hardware is snug against the deck.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which way should trucks face on a longboard?

For Reverse Kingpin (RKP) longboard trucks, the kingpin and bushings face outward, toward the nose and tail. For Standard Kingpin (SKP) trucks, they face inward, toward the deck’s center. Always identify your truck type first.

What if I mount my trucks backwards?

Your board will handle poorly. Turning will feel uneven, with one side feeling dead and the other overly sensitive. It will be unstable at speed. The fix is easy: loosen the mounting nuts, rotate the truck 180 degrees, and retighten.

Do I need special tools to put trucks on?

No. A Phillips screwdriver for the mounting screws and a skate tool (or a 3/8-inch wrench) for the kingpin nut are all you need. A skate tool combines both and is a worthwhile small investment.

Can I use skateboard trucks on a longboard?

You can, but there are limits. Standard Kingpin (SKP) skateboard trucks are best suited for smaller, shorter longboard cruisers because they sit lower and are more agile. For larger longboards with a wheelbase of 20 inches or more, Reverse Kingpin (RKP) trucks are more suitable.

Before You Go

Be clear about one thing. The orientation rule isn’t a mystery or an advanced technique. It’s the first box you check, like putting your shoes on the correct feet. Get it right, and everything else, bushing swaps, angle adjustments, wheel choices, becomes a matter of fine-tuning a working system. Get it wrong, and you’re trying to tune a problem you created.

If you pull your trucks off for any reason, take a picture with your phone before you do. That visual reference is faster than any guide when you’re holding a baseplate in your hand and second-guessing which way it spins. And if you’re ever in doubt, remember the community mantra that works for both SKP and RKP setups: “When in doubt, pivots out.” The pivot point on the hanger should face the outside of the board. That simple check has saved more setups than any tool in my bag.