Hey what's up! This is Tim with Tactics Boardshop.
I'm gonna quickly go over what size hardware you should get for your skateboard,
and then I'll give you a couple quick tips about hardware. Let's get to it!
Your hardware needs to be long enough to reach through the deck and the truck baseplate
with enough thread sticking out for the lock-nut to fully thread onto the bolt.
But you also don't want hardware that's too long because
tightening the nut onto an extra-long bolt is a pain
and with some hardware, if it's too long the threads don't go all the way down to the deck
and it's impossible to tighten them.
Plus it just looks ridiculous.
If you have a standard 7-ply deck with no risers,
7/8" hardware is the smallest hardware you can use.
If you want to have risers on your deck you'll have to get longer hardware to accommodate for the extra width.
A 7-ply deck with 1/8 riser will need at least 1" hardware
1/4" risers will need at least 1 1/8" hardware.
3/8" risers will need at least one 1 1/4" hardware.
And 1/2" risers will need at least 1 3/8" risers
But most hardware companies don't make 1 3/8"
so you'll have to go up to 1 1/2 inch
It's okay if your hardware sticks out a little bit but try to keep the extra length less than a 1/4 inch.
If your hardware does not at least reach through the top of the nut
and doesn't sink into the nylon lock part of the nut.
Then your hardware is too small and it will fall off really quickly.
You'll never really need 2 inch hardware unless you're using giant 1 inch + risers
If you have a thicker deck such as an 8 or 9-ply longboard
or if you have trucks with an extra thick baseplate, like some longboard trucks
you'll need an extra 1/8 to a 1/4 inch to accommodate for that extra width.
Hardware comes in a couple different styles.
The most common are Phillips head hardware and Allen head hardware.
They function exactly the same but with the Allen hardware you'll need 1/8" Allen wrench to tighten them.
Most Allen hardware sets come with the proper wrench.
There's also dome headed hardware sometimes called pan head, button head, or truss head hardware.
These should be exclusively used for long boards because you'll feel the bumps under your feet
and they will affect your tricks and could potentially hurt if you land on them with a lot of impact.
Be sure to keep your hardware tight.
Hardware tends to loosen on their own from the vibrations of riding.
There's not much you can do about it except tightening them every so often.
If your hardware gets too loose it can cause the trucks to shift slightly from side to side.
Which can be really distracting and throw you off balance when you're trying tricks.
Plus the jiggling sound they make when they're loose is pretty annoying.
When tightening hardware, you need to tighten them from both sides
Using a 3/8 inch wrench or socket from the nut side,
and your Phillips screwdriver or your Allen wrench from the bolt side.
If you don't go from both sides, the hardware will just spin in place.
A skate tool makes this very easy because you can hold the bolt in place with one hand
and tighten the nut with the other.
Don't over tighten your hardware.
Tighten them until they are flush with the top of the deck
but don't countersink them where the top of the bolt is below the top of the deck.
Sinking them too far into the deck can cause pressure cracks to form on the underside of the deck
and can make the deck lose some of its pop.
Hardware eventually gets stripped or breaks and you'll have to get new hardware.
It's okay to skate with missing hardware,
but it starts to get pretty sketchy if you're only skating with two bolts on each truck
It's best to keep four on each truck for security sake.
Lastly regular bolts from a hardware store don't tend to work very well
because they're made of weaker metal alloys and can't withstand the lateral stresses in skateboarding.
To quickly sum things up 7/8" hardware is the smallest you can use for a deck with no risers.
But in general, 1-inch hardware is a safe bet for most setups.
If you're getting risers or have an extra thick board or trucks,
go up 1/8 or 1/4 inch to accommodate for it.
If you got any questions at all just leave them in the comment box down below
or just give us a call and we can help you get the answers you need.