Skateboard Risers Buying Guide
How to Buy Your Skateboard Riser Pads
This piece of equipment is mostly used for low trucks that have a big wheel set! we don't recommend you doing these kinds of adjustments unless you are an experienced skateboarder and know exactly what you are going to get out of these modifications and how it is going to affect the set up of your board.
They are basically plastic pads that are mounted between the skateboard trucks and the skateboard deck. They increase the space between the truck and deck, raising yourboard! This piece of gear will only be necessary if you are experiencing wheel bites during a sharp turn, the wheel bite is the effect caused by larger wheels that get to touch your deck while turning which is not a good sign!
Riser pads come in a variety of colors and thickness levels. Depending on your skateboarding style, riser pads can improve the lifespan of your skateboard deck by reducing the risk for stress cracks where the deck and the trucks meet.
This gear will be necessary as the wheels get larger since there's a greater chance for wheel bite, In general, the longer the board is, the larger the wheel and the more height is needed in a riser pad you will also need lager hardware to adjust to the new height provided by the risers
Hardware Size Calculator
Once you have certainty that you are going to install riser pads you'll need to adjust your hardware size to accommodate the extra height as mentioned above, here is a helpful chart that shows you the comparison and which hardware height you will need depending on the riser that you get:
- No Riser - 7/8" to 1" hardware
- 1/8" Riser - 1" to 1 1/8" hardware
- 1/4" Riser - 1 1/4" hardware
- 1/2" Riser - 1 1/2" hardware
Top Selling Riser Pads!
Riser Pads And Shock Pads
They both look pretty similar but don't get confused , they have completely different applications, they are placed in the same part of the board but do not perform the same action, riser pads are used increase the height between the trucks and wheels to avoid wheel bites and improve turning and they are mostly used in cruisers and longboards and shock pads are used to decrease the impact and absorb it which is very helpful when you perform big air tricks that involve a heavy drop, these are mainly designed for street skateboarding decks.
Another of the main differences is the materials these parts are made of, riser pads are made of a hard plastic and shock pads are made of a rubber softer or a dense foam which is specifically designed to absorb impact which is something riser pads simply won't do.
Riser pads are commonly used in longboards and cruisers since it had the advantage of een improving speed as opposed to the sock pads that are most commonly used on shortboards for the street skateboarding discipline practice which does involve big air tricks and impact, another thing to keep in mind is that shock pads also tend to reduce speed which is something not so necessary when it comes to street or park skateboarding
Riser pad shapes
Rectangular
This is the standard shape for skateboard riser pads. This shape will increase your deck height and decrease shock felt in your feet. Keem in mind that the higher your board is from the ground, the harder will be to maneuver. Skateboarders and longboarders can both benefit from rectangular pads, but if you have large longboard wheels, it's best to choose a thicker riser pad to avoid wheel bite. Try with different heights and eventually you will find one that works for your board and personal skateboarding style.
Angled/Wedge Risers
The shape of angled risers not only raises your trucks, but also fixes them at an angle from your deck. You can install them so they are angled away from the center, or towards the center. Adding wedge risers changes the angle of the kingpin and the pivot point, which means that you can increase or decrease how much your trucks turn depending on which direction you face the angled risers.
Riser Pad Holes
Manufacturers conveniently put an extra set of holes in most riser pads to support both new school and old school skateboards since old school trucks were larger. So to avoid having to sell both old and new pads as separate products, manufacturers simply drilled an extra set of holes to give skateboarders the option of which type of trucks they want to use, so once again, don't throw away the old board you have just shape it into a stylish vintage transportation vehicle!