OJ Wheels Skateboard Wheels

Choosing skateboard wheels comes down to durometer and diameter. The durometer of a wheel is the softness/hardness rating of a wheel, while the diameter determines the size. Sometimes, the diameter and durometer are printed on the wheel. To identify the durometer rating on a wheel look for a number followed by an "A" or a "B." The diameter rating will either be followed by “mm” or no letters at all and should fall somewhere in the range of 48mm - 70mm. For more on durometer and diameter, checkout the Skateboard Wheels Section in our Buyer’s Guide.

Determining what diameter and durometer of a skateboard wheel you need comes down to what type of skating you'll be doing. Skating rails, boxes, ledges, stairs, and gaps (street skating) usually calls for anything from a 48mm to a 60mm with a durometer in the high 90’s to 100a. Skateboarders who strictly skate ledges, rails, and manual pads may skate a small hard wheel that’s nimble and slides easier against ledges. Skateboarders who exclusively skate vert (halfpipes, pools, quarter pipes, and ramps at your park) use a bigger, sometimes, square-ish wheel. This type of wheel has more surface area that provides more stability and speed, but can be less forgiving for technical skating. If you took a poll at your local skatepark, the median wheel size would be somewhere in the 52mm to 58mm range and the average durometer falling in the 96a - 101a range. This is because most skateboarders skate a little bit of everything. Want to learn more about types of skating? Check out the Skateboard Decks section in our Buyer’s Guide for videos about types of skating.

Like most things in skateboarding, the difference between one wheel and another is fairly small, but to someone who knows what they like, that difference is huge. Much like when you’re looking at new skate shoes, you’ll probably want to stay in familiar territory when buying new skate board wheels. But like when you buy new wheels or a complete skateboard (early on in your skateboarding career at least), it’s good to switch it up and try something a little different. For example, go from a 52mm to a 54mm or 53mm. You never know what kind of difference a millimeter or two’s going to make until you try, right?

One last thing about skate wheels to consider: bigger wheels may need riser pads to create enough clearance between your board and the wheel. A large wheel will rub against your board when you apply pressure to one side of your board to turn. As your truck reacts to your weight shifting to one side, the gap between your wheel and deck narrows, and without proper clearance, your wheel will rub or bite into your deck, causing you to stop abruptly. This is commonly referred to as wheel bite. For more about risers, see the Riser and Shock Pads section of our Small Components section of the CCS Buyer’s Guide. And finally, to extend the life of your wheel, be sure to rotate them regularly as wear dictates.