Independent Skateboard Trucks Review

by Levi Opsatnic.  

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Built to grind.” That’s the motto for Independent trucks, and I’ve found it to be a fitting slogan. I remember when I got my first set of trucks at the tender age of 8; they were a shiny pair of Independents, recommended by my local skate shop. At that point of my life, I was pretty willing to take pointers from anyone who even remotely resembled the pros I looked up to. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but I had heard of Independent and the pros rode them.

After ten years of skateboarding, I have spent a ton of time testing out several truck companies. Most brands were certainly passable in their performance, but something was missing. Whether it was the authentic, stainless aesthetic of a fresh pair of Independents or their creamy turning ability, nothing seemed to compare. For my 18th birthday I was given a pair of Independent Trucks and have yet to ride anything else since. Independent had planted their flag on my ride.

Independent makes trucks ranging in sizes from 109 all the way up to 215 to fit a range of boards. I generally use the 149s as they suit the size of my board best. However, I have used a few other sizes over the years and can assure that the quality is preserved throughout their entire line of trucks.

To begin, Independent generally uses a very defining set of orange bushing. Some choose to swap these out with others, but over time I have found that these bushings are next to impossible to beat. I usually use my trucks for about a year or until I grind down to my axle. Before then, I don’t even consider changing bushing; in fact, I’ll usually save these bushing (as well as other parts of the truck) to use later on as they are already broken in. This helps to eliminate the annoying process of breaking in a new set of trucks.

When it comes to skateboard trucks, most people immediately think of grinding, and Independent trucks certainly aren’t a stranger to grinding. I have found that these trucks, no matter the terrain, push through anything with ease. Independent trucks provide just a little better feel underneath your feet while grinding than most other truck companies. This allows you to really fine-tune your grinds since you are just a bit more aware of what’s underneath you.

One area of skateboard trucks that can be tricky is the threading of the axle. Most complaints lie in the fact that these axles can tend to get stripped, but I have found that Independent trucks don’t suffer this as much as other trucks. I can’t exactly explain why this happens — I’m sure it’s a company secret that only the big guys upstairs at the Independent warehouse are aware of — but I can assure you, through personal experience, even if you get a brutal case of axle stripping, an axle re-threader will quickly solve this conundrum.

Even further in the world of axles, I generally use my trucks until I grind all the way through until the axle is poking through the hanger. At that point, I then recycle my old trucks onto a cruiser board that gets a little less love than my standard setup. Even though the axles are exposed I can’t notice a single detriment to my cruiser.

I have found that it is nearly impossible to beat the quality of Independent trucks. After years of bouncing around among truck brands, I can confidently say that Independent Trucks are the trucks for me. If you’re looking to test out a new pair of trucks, consider stopping by Appalachian Outdoors and giving a pair of Independent Skateboard Trucks a go. In the end, I think that you’ll find that these trucks are truly built to grind.

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