How to Change Mountainboard Parts and Customize Your Board

A mountain board has several components, including a deck, whose function is to be the rider’s base, and a mounting point for parts like trucks. They also have bindings to secure a rider onto the board and four wheels.

Mountainboards often require pneumatic tires for traction on different surfaces like pavement or gravel roads. These tires are also ideal for tackling rugged terrain.

Additionally, a mountainboard also has two steering mechanisms called trucks. These trucks can help the rider turn corners by distributing weight equally among all eight contact points at once.

Below is a look at the various components of a mountainboard and how to change them. You’ll also want to regularly clean them as part of your board maintenance.

How to Change Mountainboard Parts

Wheels

Wheels are the most commonly changed parts of a mountainboard. This could be because of damage or a leak in the tube. If the valve is destroyed, you have to get a new tube. You could also change them to a different type to suit your mountainboarding style.

Freestyle riders prefer the 8-inch wheel for its lightweight design. It provides plenty of grip and traction when doing tricks on larger surfaces or when transitioning from one type of top move to another.

Larger wheels on a longboard generally work best on downhill runs, where high-speed handling abilities will help you stay composed while traveling at breakneck speeds with power.

Steps for Changing the Wheels on a Mountainboard 

Tools

• 3mm Hex
• 15mm wrench
• Crescent wrench
• Replacement wheel

Instructions

1. Begin by assembling the tools you will need.
2. The first step is to deflate the tire and twist the hub apart if your tire uses twisters. For the case of rockstars or tri spokes, use an Allen key to unscrew the bolts and store the bolts to avoid misplacing them, then take the tube out of the tread.
3. To reassemble, put the deflated tube back into the tread, then for tri spokes and rockstars, take the outer spacer and feed the tube valve through the hole in the spacer.
4. Push the valve far enough so that the bridge at the bottom of the valve comes through. Put the hub back together around the tread line up the holes for the bolts. Line up the valve between the hub-spoke and the bolt to make it easy for a pump to fit. At this point, you can pump up the tire.
5. For twisters, differentiate between the inner and outer hubs and the outer part that usually has printing. Fit the deflated tube onto the tread and place the tread and tube onto the outside hub. Align the valve stem with the valve stem hole.
6. Align the hubs, insert the inside hub onto the outside hub with the stem holes aligned, and twist the two hubs into a lock position.
7. Install the bearing by pushing them into the hubs on each side.
8. Slide the wheel onto the axle and tighten the nut to put the wheel on the truck.
9. Once done, loosen one-quarter turn to give the wheel room to spin freely. Leave only a small amount of play when you wriggle the wheel up and down.

Trucks

The trucks of a mountainboard allow it to turn in different directions. They have three major components. There’s the hanger that holds up your board, damping material that helps reduce shock when you land on it, plus springs for pushing off with more force.

Tools

• 3mm, 4mm, and 5mm hex
• 14 and 15mm wrenches

Steps for Changing Trucks in a Mountainboard 

1. Matrix trucks have a top truck, bottom hanger, spring, and egg shocks. To install the top track, keep the kingpin nut on the indie of the board, then line it up with the bolts on the top of the board and push it through. Screw the nuts onto the end of each screw. Hold the nut and tighten each screw.
2. Put the wheels on the trucks before installing eggs shocks, springs, adjustments screw, washer, top tophat, bottom, and top hat, and bottom screw.
3. Place the spring on top of the bottom top hat, then place the egg inside.
4. Stand on the opposite side of the board, then place the washer over the adjustment screw followed by the top tophat.
5. Fit the top of the screen to the top tophat, then push the bottom into place. Flip the board, align the hole using an Allen key, insert the bottom screw, then repeat the process for the other screw.
6. Tighten the adjustment screws. Remember that the tighter they are, the more pressure you require to turn the board.
7. The process used to change matrix trucks is the same for Vector and ATS trucks.

Bindings

The binding is a crucial part of the longboard that allows you to grip and control it while staying secure. There are adjustable straps called “bindings” that connect your feet with this device, ensuring they stay put when riding down hills or paste-rolling across cracks in sidewalks.

Steps for Changing Bindings in a Mountainboard 

Tools

• 3mm 4mm hex
• 10mm wrench

Procedure

1. Figure out the most comfortable position for your feet on the board, usually about shoulder-width or wider.
2. With your feet on the board, place the bindings above them and line up the holes in the bindings to the predrilled holes in the board.
3. Put the washers on the screws and screw two screws to each bracket.
4. Repeat the process for the other bracket

Brakes

Some mountainboards have big brakes that are most often attached to both front wheels, which allow the rider greater control over their speed when going down long runs. These brakes are operated with a hand-held lever which, when pulled, causes both brake mechanisms to work at the same time. The rear pads may be omitted not to lock up and skid so easily.

Steps for Changing Brakes in a Mountainboard 

Tools

• 5mm Hex
• 15mm wrench
• Crescent wrench
• Pliers

Procedure

1. Disconnect the binding strap from the L bracket and slide the leash loop over the bracket.
2. To install the brake disk on the wheel, you have to disassemble the wheel first.
3. When mounting the brake disk to the twister hubs, screw the bolt directly into the hub.
4. If you have roc stars, place the spacers over the screws then the disk over the screws on top of the spacers.
5. Tighten down the nuts on all the screws, then attach the leash to the deck using leash truck mounting screws and washers included in the brake kit.
6. Note the right from left, then use a 5mm hex key to screw the brake arm assembly into the brake steadhole in the bottom track.
7. Guide the spring alignment pin into the spring adjustment hole and repeat the process for the left brake arm.
8. Slide the cable lead onto the end of the brake cable and over the cable casing.
9. Feed the cable and cable casing through the bottom of the truck assembly. The cable should rest on the bottom corner of the bottom track.
10. Assemble the brake pads onto the brake arms, then push inward on the top of each brake arm so that the brake pad is pressed flat against the disk.
11. Align the pad with the edge of the disk, then tighten the brake pad using a 5mm hex, then continue to push inward on the top of the brake arm to hold the pad in place.
12. Insert the cable lead into the cable lead unit and attach it to the top of the left brake arm.
13. Slide the rubber cable over the end of the brake cable and pull the brake cable through the notch provided, then tighten the cable lock in the screw just enough to prevent the cable from slipping.
14. Use pliers to pull the slack out of the cable so that each brake pad is placed about one-sixteenth of an inch from its disk.
15. Tighten the cable lock-in screw with a 5mm hex key. The screw must be tight enough to prevent the cable from slipping through the cable notch.
16. Clip the excess and crimp the edge. Attach the cable clamp to the truck.

A person can change and customize the various mountainboard parts themselves. All you need is the necessary tools and basic DIY skills. Follow the steps described above to change the respective parts.

See also: our guide to DIY mountain boards with 3D printers and custom dirt skateboards