Nothing can ruin a skate session or evening cruise faster than if your skateboard suddenly starts turning on its own. This is a common problem with skateboards, but there are a variety of issues that could be at play. In some cases, it may be your hardware at fault, while other times, it could be how you’re positioned on the board. With that said, there’s one main culprit for causing a skateboard to turn on its own.
One of the most common reasons for skateboards to turn on their own is due to worn-out bushings. Bushings are plastic pieces found in the center of your truck that control the steering stiffness. Over time they can become cracked or worn out from high impacts, therefore affecting your steering.
Even if you’re a casual skater, your bushings can dry out and get cracked from long-term use. However, this may not always be the case. There are also various other factors that could be at play when a skateboard turns on its own. Let’s break down what each of them is and how you can fix them!
Common Reasons Your Skateboard Turns On Its Own + How To Fix It!
1. Your Bushings May Be Broken Or Worn Out
Like I mentioned before, the bushings are often the first thing to check if you notice your skateboard has gone rogue. You can find the bushings by looking at your trucks and finding the colored plastic pieces inside. These are called your bushings, and they ensure your board steers smoothly.
With constant high impacts, weather, and aging, your bushings can become cracked or worn out to one side. This will make them naturally favor one side over the other, causing your trucks to bend, therefore making your skateboard turn.
How To Fix:
After looking at your bushings and noticing they look a bit rough, you can easily replace them. By removing the center bolt from your truck, you can lift out your bushings and make room for new ones. It’s best to buy replacement bushings with the same brand as your trucks to ensure they fit best. Then, for the ultimate fix, make sure to get a bushing rebuild kit (matching the brand of your trucks) that will replace the bushings, pivot cups, axle nuts, kingpin nuts, and washers.
2. Your Trucks Are Too Tight Or Loose
Another common reason for your skateboard to start turning is the tightness of your trucks. This is especially common if one of your trucks is looser than the other. If your back truck was looser than the front, for example, the loose truck may turn more and cause your board to track differently.
How To Fix:
This problem is easy to solve with the help of a skate tool. Start by standing on your board and wiggling back and forth. If one truck is looser than the other, you will likely feel a bit more give there. With your skate tool, tighten or loosen the central bolt of your trucks to change their stiffness. A little goes a long way in most cases, so adjust in small amounts at a time!
After a bit of adjustment, your trucks should feel more even and help prevent your board from turning on its own.
3. You’re Using A Cheap Skateboard
With skateboarding, quality does matter; and it could be a reason for your skateboard to be turning. For example, with cheap Walmart boards, you could have plastic trucks that bend and warp under the weight of you riding it. These skateboards are great for just getting a taste of skateboarding but are not meant to last. Problems like this are bound to occur the second you start using your deck for more high-impact skating.
How To Fix:
Unfortunately, the only solution to this one is to get a new skateboard. I would recommend getting a complete setup from your local skate shop that is pre-built for you. These are more affordable than a custom deck but much higher quality than a toy Walmart deck. If you want a board that lasts, this will be the move.
4. You Have A Broken Pivot Cup
The pivot cup is located between the baseplate of your truck and the kingpin. This little piece of urethane helps your trucks to turn and pivot smoothly along with the help of your bushings. Now just like the potential problem bushings pose, pivot cups can also wear out over time. If they have become cracked, they won’t pivot and correct properly, making your skateboard turn by itself.
How To Fix:
You will need to take apart your truck and locate the pivot cup to inspect it for any cracks. If it looks damaged or wiggles a lot when placed in your truck, it may be time to replace it. In this case, I would recommend getting a bushings repair kit specific to your brand of the truck that will replace the pivot cups, bushings, and everything else related to turning!
4. You Have Broken Bearings
Your bearings are located inside your wheels and are what makes your wheel spin. If they are old or haven’t been cleaned in a while, they can end up falling apart and cause issues with wheel spin. If one of your bearings is broken or extremely dirty, your wheel can wobble and cause your skateboard to turn slightly.
How To Fix:
In most cases, bearings are just full of dust and debris, so cleaning them should solve this problem. With the help of a bearing cleaning kit, you can deep clean all your bearings in just a few minutes.
If, however, you notice that the balls inside your bearing are missing, this means that it has fallen apart and shouldn’t be skated on. Therefore it’s time to get some new bearings. I would recommend the Bones Reds or Bronson Speed Co Bearings.
5. Your Wheels Are Worn Down
If you have been riding the same set of wheels for a long time, they will start to wear on the outer edges and take on a cone shape. This irregular shape can cause your board to turn in random directions simply due to where there’s the most surface area of your wheels.
How To Fix:
This happens to just about everyone, but it doesn’t mean you need new wheels. Instead, take off your wheels with a skate tool and flip them to the other side. Now your wheels should wear down on the larger side and prevent your skateboard from turning.
6. Your Deck Is Warped
Have you ever bought a new skateboard deck that, for some reason, was heavily discounted? Well, it might have been because it was warped. Of course, most skate shops will let you know before you purchase a warped deck, but maybe they weren’t that courteous the last time you were in.
Either way, a warped deck can cause your trucks to mount out of alignment and cause your skateboard to turn. Another problem is that the deck itself could skew more to one side or the other, causing a weight imbalance on the board.
How To Fix:
Unfortunately, there’s no way to fix a warped deck other than buying a new one. To check whether a deck is warped or not, look at it from eye level on the front, back, and sides. For example, a normal skateboard deck should have smooth and linear curves, while a warped one will have noticeable distortion.
7. Bent Truck Axles
Your truck axles are what your wheels are mounted on, and they sure can take a beating if you’re skating hard. But, with that said, even if you’re just cruising, it’s possible to bend a truck axle if you accidentally hit one of your wheels hard against something.
With a bent axle, your bearings and wheels will not spin smoothly on the axle and cause alignment issues. Even worse, this unaligned spinning of your bearings can destroy your bearings completely.
How To Fix:
The only fix for this would be to purchase new trucks. However, before jumping to conclusions, look at how your wheels and bearings sit on the axle. If they look flush and fit snuggly on the axle, it’s unlikely this is your problem.
8. Your Hardware Is Loose
The hardware of your skateboard is the nuts and bolts that attach the trucks to the skateboard deck. These commonly loosen over time, which can create play in your trucks. For example, if the baseplate of your truck can wiggle side to side, it might force your skateboard to turn in a different direction mysteriously.
How To Fix:
Loose hardware is one of the easiest fixes since you just need to tighten a few bolts. First, using a skate tool (if you have one), tighten all the nuts and bolts that attach your trucks to the deck. Once you’re done, grab your trucks and wiggle them to see if they move. Once they’re snug, you’re good to go, and the problem is solved!
9. Your Foot Placement Is Incorrect While Pushing
Besides problems with the actual setup of your skateboard, how you ride it can also play a factor—things like pushing mongo or the placement of your foot while pushing can cause your board to turn.
How To Fix:
If you think this might be the issue, make sure that your foot is over the center of your board while you push. Also, be conscious of whether you are leaning to one side or the other, as this will change how your board travels. If you have extremely loose trucks, it can be hard to keep your board level, so you may need to tighten your trucks.
10. You Aren’t Aware Of Your Leaning While Riding
The final reason your board is turning is simply because of how you are leaning while you’re riding. I have seen many people complain about their skateboards turning while teaching skate camps, and it turns out they’re just heavily leaned to the right or left when trying to ride straight. This is common for many beginner skateboarders, but it’s an easy fix once you’re aware of it!
How To Fix:
If you aren’t aware of your lean, it can seem like the skateboards are turning on their own. If that’s the case, consciously counterweight in the opposite direction you turn to correct your board. This will ensure your skateboard goes straight, so you stop veering off course!
With all these tips in mind, it’s also important to remember that skateboards aren’t perfect. Most skateboards will naturally veer right or left when you aren’t standing on them. Although there are real potential issues you’re having, it’s also possible that you just need to counter-steer while you’re skating. If you notice that your board always drifts in one direction, it may be as simple as you weighting that side without noticing. In many cases, tightening your trucks will fix that in no time!
Happy Shredding!
