Everything you need to know about riser pads and shock pads
Shock and riser pads are plates, usually made of plastic, that are placed between the skateboard deck and the truck. Both increase the distance between your wheels and the deck.
Riser Pads:
Riser pads are designed to make wheelbite, i.e. the wheels touching the deck, more difficult when using larger wheels. As soon as the wheels touch the board, this leads to a lot of friction and usually to the board coming to an immediate standstill, which can lead to failed tricks or turns, but can also lead to falls.
The likelihood of wheelbite and the need for riser pads are influenced by several factors:
1) The size of your wheels:
The bigger your wheels are, the smaller the distance to the board will be.
2) The height of your axles:
The higher the trucks, the more distance to the deck.
3) The width of the trucks:
The wider the axles, the faster the wheels make contact with the board.
4) Adjusting your axles:
The harder you set your axles, i.e. the less they turn, the less likely you are to get stuck.
6) Your body weight:
The more weight you put on the board, the faster the trucks react.
7) The geometry of your axles:
Different manufacturers offer different steering characteristics, which can lead to faster or slower occurrence of wheel bite.
If you want to get by without riser pads, we recommend that you do not use standard or high trucks with wheels with a diameter larger than 55 millimeters. For low or mid trucks, the wheels should not be larger than 52 millimeters.
From 55 millimeters to 58 millimeters we recommend riser pads with a height of 1/8 inch. For this you need mounting screws with a length of 1 to 1 1/8 inches.
From 59 millimeters to 65 millimeters, we recommend riser pads with a height of 1/4 inch. For this, you need mounting screws with a length of 1 1/8 to 1 1/4 inches.
Above that, you should already use 1/2 inch riser pads with 1 1/2 inch screws.
Basically, all riser pads in our range fit all conventional axle brands.
By the way, it makes no sense at all to buy low or mid axles and then make them higher with riser pads in order to be able to ride larger wheels, since low axles are intended to bring you close to the ground, which usually means that low axles do not steer particularly well.
It should also be considered that the use of riser pads affects the "pop angle" of the board. Just like with larger wheels or higher trucks, the distance that the nose or tail has to travel to touch the ground when jumping away from tricks increases. This gives you the chance to build up more energy for higher jumps, but requires more strength and sensitivity.
Shock Pads:
Shock pads have similar properties to riser pads in that they increase the distance between trucks and deck. Unlike riser pads, shock pads are usually made of soft plastic or rubber. The aim is to minimize vibrations. This effect should not be overestimated, however, as a 1/16 or 1/8 inch wide rubber wedge is screwed between the deck and the axle and is compressed to such an extent that the dampening properties are partially negated. The widespread belief that shock pads prevent decks from breaking as easily is also largely a misconception. Vibrations can be reduced much more effectively by using softer wheels, such as cruiser wheels, or for street or park use, by using the new 93A wheels from Spitfire or Powell Peralta.
