• 21 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Skateboard

A street board from the side, then one truck from the side and from the end, wheels cut open.

Parts of a Skateboard

Name Date

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Deck
  2. Wheel
  3. Truck
  4. Grip tape
  5. Nose
  6. Tail
  7. Bearings
  8. Kingpin
  9. Riser pad
  10. Mounting hardware
  11. Wheelbase
  12. Concave
  13. Baseplate
  14. Hanger
  15. Axle
  16. Bushings
  17. Washers
  18. Kingpin nut
  19. Pivot cup
  20. Speed rings
  21. Axle nut

Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-24. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: inside a ball bearing

All 21 parts on the diagram

Show the list

Start here: 8 main parts 8

  1. Deck The board itself, with a truck bolted under each end.
  2. Wheel One of four polyurethane wheels, two on each truck.
  3. Truck Holds the wheels to the deck and turns when you lean.
  4. Grip tape A sandpaper-like sheet on top so your feet do not slip.
  5. Nose The front end of the deck, usually a little longer and wider.
  6. Tail The back end; its upturned kick is the kicktail.
  7. Bearings Two ball bearings in each wheel let it spin on the axle.
  8. Kingpin The bolt that joins the hanger to the baseplate.

The board 3

  1. Riser pad Lifts the truck to stop the wheels rubbing the deck.
  2. Mounting hardware Four bolts and nuts hold each truck to the deck.
  3. Wheelbase Measured between the two trucks’ inner-most bolt holes.

The truck up close 10

  1. Concave The deck curves up at both edges, cradling your feet.
  2. Baseplate Bolts to the deck and holds the kingpin and pivot cup.
  3. Hanger Carries the axle; the part that swings as you turn.
  4. Axle Runs through the hanger; the wheels spin on its ends.
  5. Bushings Urethane rings either side of the hanger that cushion turns.
  6. Washers Cup washers spread the pressure on the bushings.
  7. Kingpin nut Tighten it for a stiffer truck, loosen it to turn easier.
  8. Pivot cup A small plastic or urethane cup the pivot arm sits in.
  9. Speed rings Keep the bearings off the hanger and the axle nut.
  10. Axle nut Keeps the wheel from coming off the axle.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-24. (1) Wikipedia, Skateboard, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skateboard : the deck, polyurethane wheels, trucks made of a hanger holding the axle and a baseplate mounted to the board, joined by a kingpin; two ball bearings per wheel; risers; kicktail, concave, nose, tail and wheelbase. Wikipedia, Grip tape, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grip_tape : a sandpaper-like sheet on the deck. (2) A truck and board maker's deck, truck and components guidebooks, https://www.arborcollective.com/pages/skateboard-deck-guidebook , https://www.arborcollective.com/pages/skateboard-trucks-guidebook , https://www.arborcollective.com/pages/skateboard-components-guidebook : nose, tail, kicktail, concave, wheelbase measured from the inner-most holes; baseplate, hanger and pivot arm, pivot cup, kingpin, bushings sandwiching the hanger, bushing washers, kingpin nut, axle and axle nuts, speed rings between the bearings and the hanger and nuts; bearings, riser pads, grip tape, and hardware of four bolts and nuts per truck. (3) A skate shop's truck buying guide, https://www.sickboards.nl/en/shop/61-skateboard-truck-buying-guide : kingpin, baseplate fixed to the deck with four bolts, washers, pivot cup, bushings, hanger, axle, axle nut, kingpin nut, speed rings. (4) A skate brand's parts glossary, https://liquidskateboard.com/2024/05/05/the-glossary-of-skateboarding-parts/ : grip tape on the deck, hanger, axle, baseplate, kingpin and kingpin nut, cup washers, bushings, pivot cup, riser pad. (5) A skate guide's truck anatomy, https://www.skateboard-guide.com/anatomy-of-skateboard-truck-parts/ : baseplate, kingpin, bushings, pivot cup, hanger, axle nuts, speed rings. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-24. Licence: own work

How it works

A skateboard is a wooden deck with grip tape on top and a truck bolted under each end. Each truck carries an axle with a wheel at either end, and two bearings inside every wheel.

Read the full guide

Parts of a skateboard truck

The baseplate bolts to the deck. A kingpin runs down from it through a washer, a bushing, the hanger, a second bushing and washer, and the kingpin nut. The hanger's arm rests in the pivot cup.

Nose or tail?

Both ends kick up, so look closer: the nose is usually a little longer and wider than the tail. The kicked-up ends are for tricks, for lifting the board up a curb and for popping it into your hand.

  • Trucks too loose or too stiff? Turn the kingpin nut: tighter squeezes the bushings for a steadier ride, looser turns more easily.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a skateboard?

The deck with grip tape on top, two trucks and four wheels, with two bearings in each wheel. Mounting hardware bolts each truck to the deck, sometimes over a riser pad.

What are bushings on a skateboard?

Two urethane rings on the kingpin, one each side of the hanger. They cushion the hanger as you lean, and softer bushings let the truck turn more easily.

What is the wheelbase of a skateboard?

The distance between the two trucks, measured between their inner-most bolt holes. A shorter wheelbase turns tighter; a longer one feels steadier.

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