How to fix a skateboard that turns by itself? If you’ve experienced this problem, you know how frustrating it can be.
The good news is that there are easy ways to fix your skateboard that turn by itself and as long as you have the right tools and materials on hand, it’s easy to get back on track in no time.
In this article, I’ll show you a list of different solutions for your board that turns on their own and how to fix each one.
Why does my skateboard turn by itself?
There are a few common reasons why your skateboard turns on its own. Let’s see
- Bolts are too loose
- Your wheels are unevenly balanced or worn
- Your trucks are loose or damaged
- Faulty bushings
- Broken Bearings
- Bent Truck Axles
First, make sure you have the right supplies. You’ll need:
- A Skate Tool
- Some screws and bolts (in case you need to replace parts)
- A hammer
- A pair of pliers or wrench
How to Fix a Skateboard That Turns by Itself?
- Adjust both trucks
- Replace the bushings
- Replace worn-out wheels
- Replace curved or bent trucks axles
- Replace Damaged Baseplates
- Clean or change Faulty Bearings
- Tighten all the bolts, screws, and nuts properly
- correct foot placement
- Bonus Tips For beginners
Let’s Get Started:
1. Adjust Both Trucks:
The most common reason for skateboards that turn by itself is that the trucks are loose on the board. To fix this, you need to adjust both trucks.
First, make sure your trucks are parallel with each other. If one is too tight and another is too loose, then it creates a problem.
So you have to loosen or tighten your skateboard trucks accordingly and make sure that both trucks are adjusted equally to parallel with each other.
Ensure that the trucks aren’t too loose. If the truck is too loose, then it may not be able to hold the wheels straight and may cause them to turn by themselves. If this is the case, tighten your trucks with an Allen wrench until they’re snug.
2. Replace the Bushings:
Skateboard bushings are the secret to your board turning smoothly and without resistance.
Bushings are rubber pieces located in the trucks and act as a cushion between the truck and the deck, keeping the board stable while you skate it.
Over time, bushings are worn down from frequent riding, weather, and wear and tear and become less flexible,
This causes your bushings to wear unevenly as you turn, which means one side of the bushings will get compressed much more than another side.
This causes skateboard trucks to turn in one direction over another, which can make it feel like your board is turning on its own.
Replace your worn-out bushings with new ones to solve this problem.
Replace Faulty pivot cup bushing: If a pivot cup bushing is faulty or damaged, the deck will turn on its own when pushed down. Also, Replace this part with a new one if necessary.
3. Replace Worn-out Wheels:
Over time, the wheels can wear down to the point where your board won’t roll straight, making it difficult to use.
The first thing you should do is make sure that the wheels aren’t out of shape. If one wheel is leaning to one side or is slightly smaller than the others, you’ll have to replace that wheel.
The easiest way to determine if your skateboard wheels are out of shape is by measuring them with a ruler and comparing them.
If one wheel is significantly smaller than another, it’s probably time to buy new ones.
If your wheels are not out of shape and still don’t roll right, then it’s possible that your bearings are worn out.
You can check this by rolling your board and feeling for any resistance as it rolls forward or backward. If there’s resistance, you’ll need new bearings and new wheels.
4. Replace Curved or Bent Trucks Axles:
A curved truck axle is a serious problem and can cause a lot of damage to your bearings if not taken care of.
If your truck has a curved or bent axle, then it will not roll straight; rather, it will roll in or out depending on the curve of your axle.
This is a problem because it will put pressure on your bearings unevenly—one side may be under more stress than the other.
This can cause premature wear or even outright damage to your bearings.
There is an easy way to determine if your axle is bent or not. All you need to do is remove your wheels and check whether the axle is straight or not.
If it is not straight and curved or bent, you will need to replace your truck as soon as possible to prevent more damage.
5. Replace Damaged Baseplates:
The baseplate of your skateboard is what keeps the trucks attached to the deck, so if it’s damaged, it may cause your skateboard to turn by itself.
Luckily it doesn’t happen often, but men are more likely to have this problem because they’re more aggressive.
The most common problem with baseplates is that the mounting holes get ripped up and worn over time, making the board unstable and weaker.
Sometimes the baseplate itself deforms due to the stress the bolts put on it. All of these issues can be addressed by replacing the baseplate.
Replacing a damaged baseplate with a new one is a fairly simple process.
6. Clean or Change Faulty Bearings:
A faulty bearing could lead to a number of problems.
If you notice that your skateboard wheel is moving unsteadily or squeaking, it’s probably due to faulty bearings.
Maintain your bearings regularly to stay safe on the road and have a smooth ride.
The bearings collect dirt and dust over time, so it is essential to keep them clean.
Two options are cleaning them with soap and warm water or blowing away debris with compressed air.
If your bearings are not functioning properly due to water damage, then you may need to replace them completely.
If you notice that the bearings of your skateboard are broken or damaged, you should immediately replace them with new ones.
7. Tighten all the Bolts, Screws, and Nuts Properly:
Many times, the reason why skateboard wheels are turning by themselves is that the bolts or screws are not tightened adequately.
It is a common error for skaters who forget to tighten the bolts properly or may even over-tighten them. In this case, you must loosen the nuts and bolts, allowing the wheels to rotate freely to ensure smooth sliding.
To prevent toppling over your skateboard, it is also important that you tighten all of your bolts properly.
You should regularly check your skateboard’s bolts and screws and other parts such as bearings and bushings. If they are loose, they might cause your skateboard to turn by itself when you’re riding on it.
8. Correct Foot Placement:
If your feet are not in the correct position when riding a skateboard, your body will naturally lean toward one side of the board as you move forward.
This may cause the skateboard to turn slightly by itself and cause discomfort in your ankles and knees from having to compensate for this unnatural movement pattern.
9. Bonus Tips for Beginners:
For all of us, sometimes the unexpected happens: you’re skating down the street, and suddenly your board starts turning the opposite way. It’s not easy to stay on your feet when this happens, but it would be even harder if you didn’t know what to do.
With some practice, you can prevent this from happening in the first place, but here are some tips if you’ve already lost your balance.
- Watch out for the ground.
- Make sure the wheels are on properly.
- Put your feet in the right place.
- Adjust your weight distribution.
- Don’t lean too forward or back.
- Practice makes perfect.
Wrap Up ON How to Fix a Skateboard that Turns by Itself:
This guide should have helped you fix a skateboard that turns by itself.
There’s no way to tell if a skateboard turns by itself without knowing how it’s been used and what’s been done to it.
However, the problem could be from various things, such as a misaligned wheel, a loose truck, a wheel with a bad bearing, or the deck itself is warped.
If your board turns by itself, the best thing you can do is to take it to a skate shop to have it looked at.
