If you want to make the ultimate smooth-riding cruiser skateboard, adding a set of longboard wheels seems like the go-to option. Although it is possible to put longboard wheels on a skateboard, there are some serious downsides that you’ll learn about throughout this article. Luckily, you can use some other options to get a smooth cruising wheel that performs better with a skateboard deck.

Can You Put Longboard Wheels On A Skateboard?

Yes, you can put longboard wheels on a skateboard as long as the wheels are under 70mm in diameter and you have 1/2″ riser pads. Any larger wheel will be too close to the skateboard deck, making it hard to turn without getting wheel bite. Opt for a 60mm – 65mm wheel for a more comfortable ride.

Although there are longboard wheels up to 85mm, these wouldn’t be able to fit on a regular skateboard simply because of how the wheels are positioned. On most longboard decks there are wheel wells for the wheels to sit without being covered by the deck.

However, skateboard wheels sit beneath the deck giving the wheel limited room for height. That’s why 70mm is the max wheel diameter to put on a skateboard, but even that is cutting it close. For safety, a better max diameter limit would be 68mm. Below is an image of a cruiser deck with 60mm wheels for reference.

If you tried to put a 70mm wheel on your skateboard there would be little to no room between the top of your wheel and the deck. That means when you try to turn by leaning side to side, the deck and wheel would touch giving you wheel bite. Now I’m sure you can already imagine what happens with wheel bite, but in a nutshell, it’s a guaranteed way to get ejected off your board.

So to make room for the larger wheels, riser pads lift your deck up by 1/8″, 1/4″, or 1/2″ depending on the size of the riser. With longboard wheels, 1/2″ risers are going to be necessary. Once these are installed, it gives your wheel 1/2″ more clearance, therefore offering more side-to-side movement for turning without the risk of wheel bite.

Unfortunately, the larger the wheel, the less of an improvement the risers will give. To give me the most room for leaning into turns while cruising, I opt to use a 60mm wheel for my cruiser decks rather than a much larger longboard style wheel.

So assuming you have a set of wheels under 70mm (but preferably in the 60mm – 65mm range) let’s break down how to put these wheels on your skateboard!

How To Put Longboard Wheels On A Skateboard

Before you get started, you’ll need the following:

Step 1: Remove Both Trucks From Your Skateboard

First, you need to remove both trucks from the skateboard since you will replace the hardware and install riser pads. Using a 3/8 socket or skate tool, place the socket over one of the nuts holding your trucks to the deck. Then take a Phillips screwdriver and place it in the head of the related bolt on the grip-tape side of your deck. Rotate counterclockwise to loosen off the nut from the bolt.

Now repeat for the remaining bolts that are mounting your trucks. Once all are undone, lift the trucks off the hardware and put them to the side. You’ll be mounting them again shortly!

Step 2: Replace Existing Hardware With 1 1/2″ Hardware

Most skateboard decks have 1″ hardware to mount the trucks, however, this is too short once you add riser pads into the mix.

Too Short
Just Right

Pop out all of the remaining bolts in your deck and replace them with the new 1 1/2″ hardware. I am using Pig Phillips Head Hardware for this setup.

Step 3: Place 1/2″ Riser Pads On The Hardware Bolts

With all of the bolts sticking through your deck, place the riser pads over the bolts. Make sure the smooth side of the riser is against your deck.

Step 4: Install Your Trucks Over The Riser Pads

Now it’s time to reinstall your skateboard trucks, threading the baseplate through the bolts and adding the nuts to tighten them into place. Once again use the 3/8″ socket or a skate tool with a Phillips’s head to hold the bolt in place as you tighten.

Finger Tighten Nuts Onto Bolts
Tighten All Bolts

Step 5: Place Bearings Inside Of Longboard Wheels

Once both of your trucks are mounted with the risers, take your longboard wheels and install your bearings. I am using a bearing press on my skate tool for this install, but I share how to remove and install bearings without a skate tool in this post.

Make sure that the bearings are fully seated in the wheel and are not sticking out from the bearing bore.

Step 6: Mount Your Wheels On The Trucks

After the bearings are put into your wheels, place your wheels onto the truck axles and tighten them on with the axle nut. Make sure there is a speed washer on either side of the wheel on the axle to prevent damage to your bearings. These washers should already be on your trucks unless you removed them previously.

When tightening your wheels, make sure that they have a millimeter or two of wiggle room to ensure they spin freely and smoothly. If you are using bearing spacers (which I am not), you can tighten down your wheel until it is snug.

Testing Out The Setup

With your wheels mounted, stand on your board and wiggle it side to side. With a higher center of gravity than before, you have a lot more leverage over your trucks which can make them feel a bit looser. If needed, tighten your trucks to help make the board feel more stable. If it is still too loose, consider changing your bushings to a harder durometer such as the Bones Hardcore Bushings.

Here’s how my setup looked when I mounted longboard wheels on my 10.5 cruiser deck:

And here’s how the wheels look on my 8.5″ skateboard deck:

If you’re curious about the kit I used to build the deck in this example, here’s everything I used, excluding the decks:

Can You Do Tricks On A Skateboard With Longboard Wheels?

With 1/2″ risers on a skateboard with longboard wheels, you can do basic tricks but will be limited by the size and weight of the wheels. Since the wheels are much larger, you’ll likely get wheel bite when landing tricks. Longboard wheels are also softer making it harder to slide and pivot tricks.

Depending on the size of the longboard wheel you’re using, the likelihood of wheel bite will vary. Unfortunately, there’s no getting around the fact that landing a bit sideways on your board with longboard wheels will likely cause the deck and wheels to touch.

Very Easy To Get Wheel Bite With Larger Wheels Above 60mm

That’s why doing any proper tricks down drops or stairs are going to be a no-go on a setup like this since you’ll be launched off the board the moment you land.

What you could get away with though are basic tricks like ollies, shuvits, a cruise around the bowl, or even board slides on a flat bar.

In general, any skateboard with longboard wheels on it should be dedicated to cruising around town and smoothly ripping along rough concrete. Anything regarding tricks should be left to smaller, harder wheels specific to skateboarding.

The Pros And Cons Of Putting Longboard Wheels On A Skateboard

Now that you know how to mount your wheels to make this setup work, let’s break down some pros and cons to this type of setup that you may not have considered.

Advantages:

1. Longboard Wheels Are Great For Cruising

Longboard wheels are larger with softer durometers than most skateboard-specific wheels. With a larger wheel, your board will roll faster and hold speed better, while the softer durometer will make the wheel feel smooth no matter where you skate. For cruising around town, commuting to work or school, or even as a board for getting to the skatepark, this type of setup is awesome.

2. Rough Concrete Will Feel Like Butter

For the same reason, longboard wheels are great for cruising is the same reason they will feel like you’re on a cloud even on the roughest concrete. Most longboard wheels have a soft durometer between 78a and 87a. This means they do a great job at reducing the vibration from uneven cement or bumps and cracks in the road.

3. The Larger Wheels Will Hold Speed Well

Although larger wheels take a bit longer to accelerate and get up to speed, once they get going, they go fast. The larger your wheel diameter, the faster your wheel can go. This means when skating on larger longboard-style wheels, you’ll be able to hold speed for longer without needing to push.

Downsides:

1. Riser Pads May Throw Off Your Balance

If you aren’t familiar with using riser pads, the first thing you’ll notice is how wobbly you feel. Since riser pads and the larger wheels lift you that much further off the ground, don’t be surprised if you feel a bit off-balance. With some time on the board, you’ll get used to this feeling, but at first, it’s a bit of a pain.

2. Wheel Bite Is Going To Happen

Even with riser pads, putting longboard wheels on a skateboard is almost asking for wheel bite. If you have a larger diameter wheel such as 65mm – 70mm, leaning hard into turns will likely make your deck and wheel touch. In some cases, you’ll just slow down a bit, but when you’re really leaning hard into a turn, this wheel bite will stop your board on a dime and send you flying.

With that said, as long as you’re aware of this happening, you can opt to kick turn instead of leaning to help reduce your chances of getting ejected.

3. Tricks Will Be Much Harder To Do

Since longboard wheels are larger, heavier, and softer (therefore more grippy), most tricks will feel a lot harder to do. Even popping an ollie will feel like you’re lifting a brick off the ground compared to a regular skateboard setup.

Likewise, rotational tricks such as 180s, 360s, or any trick you pivot out of will become more challenging since soft longboard wheels stick to the ground like glue. Unlike a hard skateboard wheel, longboard wheels have far more friction with the ground so they require a lot more force to get them to slide.

Ultimately, if you’re skating longboard wheels on your skateboard, don’t expect to land any new tricks you’ve been trying to learn.

So creating a setup like this is awesome if you want a cruiser-style skateboard that’s smooth to ride, holds speed, and can get you around town. However, this is going to be a terrible idea if you want to do tricks on your board or even shred in the bowl. If tricks are what you’re more interested in than cruising, check out this other guide I wrote sharing some of the best skateboard wheels for tricks and street skating!

Happy Shredding!

Brendan 🙂