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This article doesn’t even discuss the eternal problem of broken kingpins. Skateboarders don’t care about “turning efficiency”. I don’t even understand what that

This article doesn’t even discuss the eternal problem of broken kingpins. Skateboarders don’t care about “turning efficiency”. I don’t even understand what that is. If you want to make better trucks, make some where the kingpins don’t break all the time. Every skateboarder will be buying your trucks within a year or two. You’ll be an overnight success guaranteed.

robert-brown 4y ago
Having broken a couple of kingpins at high speed on roller skates, it's definitely no fun. Unfortunately, the kingpins are under a lot of stress and they're threaded. Invariably, the break occurs on the threads. Titanium kingpins are available for skates and skateboards, and are much lighter. I don't know if they help with breakage.
- nopenopenopeno 4y ago
  It’s less dangerous on skateboards because they break when landing flat from drops, but it still sucks.
- jimmaswell 4y ago
  Does it actually break or just come loose? Can loctite help?
  - Etheryte 4y ago
    When a kingpin breaks it's almost always complete mechanical failure, e.g. it snaps in half one way or another. In addition, it's usually not possible to foresee it happening by visual inspection, the wear and tear is internal.
- mrcartmeneses 4y ago
  No, steel is harder. Titanium is lighter and very strong for its weight and also very heat resistant, but not as hard as steel
AngryData 4y ago
I think the problem is using better quality materials doesn't really show up or become apparent unless you are already breaking kingpins all the time. It would take a significant marketing budget to convince people to spend 50% more on your trucks for small gains in material strength/quality, and that marketing will quickly wipe out the advantage of potentially higher sales. Will people see it as worth it when the majority of people aren't breaking them often enough in the first place to be concerned with it?
teen 4y ago
I've been street skating for about 15 years and I've had maybe 2 kingpins break total

robert-brown 4y ago

Having broken a couple of kingpins at high speed on roller skates, it's definitely no fun. Unfortunately, the kingpins are under a lot of stress and they're threaded. Invariably, the break occurs on the threads. Titanium kingpins are available for skates and skateboards, and are much lighter. I don't know if they help with breakage.

nopenopenopeno 4y ago
It’s less dangerous on skateboards because they break when landing flat from drops, but it still sucks.
jimmaswell 4y ago
Does it actually break or just come loose? Can loctite help?
- Etheryte 4y ago
  When a kingpin breaks it's almost always complete mechanical failure, e.g. it snaps in half one way or another. In addition, it's usually not possible to foresee it happening by visual inspection, the wear and tear is internal.
mrcartmeneses 4y ago
No, steel is harder. Titanium is lighter and very strong for its weight and also very heat resistant, but not as hard as steel

AngryData 4y ago

I think the problem is using better quality materials doesn't really show up or become apparent unless you are already breaking kingpins all the time. It would take a significant marketing budget to convince people to spend 50% more on your trucks for small gains in material strength/quality, and that marketing will quickly wipe out the advantage of potentially higher sales. Will people see it as worth it when the majority of people aren't breaking them often enough in the first place to be concerned with it?

teen 4y ago

I've been street skating for about 15 years and I've had maybe 2 kingpins break total