Adjustable Stiffness Skateboards: Innovations in Skateboarding

Skateboard trucks with an inverted kingpin orientation differ from traditional trucks by mounting the kingpin into the baseplate with the threaded end facing downwards toward the deck. The baseplate features a recessed area that houses a hex nut with a long shaft, securing the kingpin. This inverted design allows for easy adjustment of truck tightness by tightening the nut, without the kingpin protruding from the bottom, reducing the risk of it catching on obstacles. The recessed nut design also prevents contact between the hard kingpin and the softer baseplate material, minimizing wear and reducing truck wobble.

A skateboard truck with adjustable tightness enhances maneuverability and prevents wheel bite while avoiding kingpin snagging on obstacles. It features a baseplate, hanger, kingpin, and a permanently affixed threaded shaft nut inside the baseplate. The kingpin is inverted compared to conventional trucks, so tightening it lowers the head away from the ground. The embedded shaft nut ensures stability and prevents wear of the kingpin against the baseplate.

A skateboard truck design that allows for adjustable tightness of the truck turning while also preventing the kingpin from protruding below the baseplate surface. The truck has an inverted kingpin orientation where the threaded end faces the deck bottom. The kingpin threads into a fixed shaft nut inside the baseplate. As the kingpin is tightened, it lowers closer to the baseplate rather than protruding. This prevents the kingpin from hitting obstacles on the ground.

A skateboard truck that allows the user to adjust the torsional stiffness of the truck. The truck has a fork-shaped arm with compliant tongs that flex when the truck turns. The tongs are prevented from over-flexing by spacers on the axle. Clamping the wheels against the tongs loads the axle in tension, allowing the user to adjust torsional stiffness by adding or removing spacers.