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 In the past sk8board wheels were manufactured from a range of
plastics, the two most common being low cost polyethylene and the more expensive
polyurethane. Today all wheels, except the hard plastic ones found on children's
toys, are made of polyurethane. This does not mean that they all perform the same as
each manufacturer produces their own blend of polyurethane resulting in wheels which vary
in hardness, strength, speed, grip and durability.
Shore A Durometer Apart from size the only other property you may be able to establish before purchase is the wheel hardness. Wheels are available in a range of different hardness' normally measured in Shore A Durometer units. This hardness scale ranges from 0 to 100 and most sk8board wheels are in the range 70a (very soft) to 100a (solid). The 'a' rating relates to the specific range traditionally used for sk8board wheels. This rating is designed for soft plastics in the 20 - 90a range but is less accurate for hardnesses over 90a. For this reason some manufacturers of hard wheels use Shore 'B', 'C' or 'D' Scales and then convert back to a Shore A equivalent rating. This explains why some manufacturers quote hardnesses over 100a. Such ratings are technically incorrect and cease to have meaning. The Shore Durometer hardness test does not serve well as a predictor of other properties such as strength or resistance to scratches, abrasion, or wear. As a result wheels are the hardest part of a board to buy based on specification alone as no two wheels of the same size and hardness perform the same. For outdoor use softer wheels (Duro. 85a - 95a) perform best. For indoor/skatepark use harder wheels (Duro. 94a - 98a) perform better. Experts prefer very hard wheels (Duro. 99a or 100a). However, these have less grip than the softer wheels and are not recommended for the average skater. Size Matters Wheels are available in different diameters, generally between 50mm and 100mm. Large wheels accelerate slowly but reach a faster top speed. Small wheels accelerate quickly but are ultimately slower. For most street and park sk8ing choose wheels between 50mm and 60mm in diameter (54 and 56mm being popular sizes). Trick skaters prefer smaller lighter wheels. Large ramp, pool and rough ground sk8ers prefer the larger diameters. Wheels 70mm and above are for specialised outdoor, speed, longboard and/or off-road use. Old Skool style wheels tend to be wider (40mm plus), heavier and squarer. New Skool wheels tend to be smaller in diameter, narrower (30mm), lighter and more rounded. Although wheels can cost up to £40 a set, good quality wheels can be purchased for £10 - £20 a set (see reviews). Common makes of wheels include; | Ricta | Flip | Element | Alien Workshop | Blind | World Industries | Zero | Birdhouse (Tony Hawk) | Chocolate | Powell | Hubba | PIG | Spitfire | Maple | Panic | Blueprint | Stateside | Toymachine | Herion |
Tip 2: Wheel performance is greatly influenced by the bearings used and hence it is important to buy good quality bearings to get the best from your wheels. |
Tip1:
Remember most makes of wheel are designed to have a metal spacer fitted between the
bearings. These metal spacers are not supplied with the wheels! Spacers cost
approx. £2 a set of 4 and come in two common sizes; 8mm long or 10mm long depending on
wheel size. These are required to reduce the lateral loads on the bearings and
prevent axle slip. If the wheel has an unusual distance between the bearings try
using a combination of spacers and speed washers to make up the correct spacing.