Sometimes it feels like your skateboard has a mind of its own, which doesn’t like going where you want to. So if something like this has been happening to you lately, you have come to the right place.
Your skateboard turning its way to the right could be due to many reasons like loose trucks, faulty bushings, or even bent angles. Sometimes, even worn-down tires can cause a fault in alignment.
But, again, there is no particular reason for it to move right or left; it’s just that one side could be affected more than the other. So here is some more information on why your skateboard might be turning right.
Checklist for the things that might be wrong
Here are some reasons for your skateboard to be turning right:
1. Cheap Skateboard
If your skateboard is made of plastic material, it’s a toy. For serious skateboarders, a well-made skateboard is a necessity. Even beginners need to make sure that they don’t buy a skateboard that won’t last even a month.
If you want to check the skateboard’s quality, you can spin the wheels with your hands and see if they rotate for a good few seconds. If it stops after two to four seconds, you need to look for something else.
Sometimes, only one of the wheels is not as smooth as others. It means that the nuts are too tight. So it’s better to get it checked before taking it out of the store.
2. Cracked or Dried Bushings
A cracked or dried bushing is the most common reason behind the misalignment of your skateboard. Bushings are pieces located at the center of trucks. It bends and compresses to help you turn smoothly.
Bushings lose compression and flexibility when it gets old. If you tend to steer in one particular direction, it creates uneven squash on one side. The misalignment can happen even if your bushings are new.
So, it is better to lean in the opposite direction of where your skateboard is going. It will become even in a few days.
Check the nuts, and make sure that they are all evenly tightened. Finally, if you see a tear or crack in the bushings, you know that it’s time to replace them. Invest in some good-quality bushings if you are replacing them.
3. Uneven Trucks
Check if one of your trucks is loose or tight than the other, this could be making your deck steer in the right direction. Most of the time, the trucks are open when the skateboard is bending in one direction.
However, it should not be too tight either otherwise, the movement will feel forced.
You can also check your skateboard’s pivot. Again, if you feel the jiggle, you have a problem right there.
4. Worn out wheels
Skateboards always tend to wear more from one side than the other because we tend to move more in one direction (our stronger side) than the other.
Your stance decides which side will wear out faster. You can change your direction for a few days to fix this problem. Then, it will help them even out.
Other than these few significant reasons, check your base plates, mounting holes, bearings, and any other hardware that might be causing the problem.
You might realize that your stance is causing the pain. Rectify it sooner so that you don’t end up wearing one side down completely.
