Ever since longboarding became a thing, people started to find new ways of innovating their experiences with longboarding, skateboarding, and roller skating. And that brings us to the current topic that is mostly asked “can you use longboard wheels on roller skates.”
To make it easier for you to understand, we’ll just simplify this and tell you that yes you can use the skateboard wheels on roller skates.
But what it takes to attach a longboard wheel to the roller skates and that’s what we’re going to talk about, in this article.
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Can You Use Longboard Wheels On Roller Skates?
Yes, you can use the longboard wheels on roller skates but it depends on certain factors. The most important factor of this mix-up is their core placement. There are three different placement types of core for skateboards; center set, offset, and sides.
Using your longboard wheels on the quads requires the wheels to be at the side set placement. Similarly, if you want to use your skateboard wheels on the roller skates, then it will also require the same placement.
Also, longboard wheels are a little bigger than skateboard wheels therefore you may need to cut these wheels from the inside to make them fit.
And if you still don’t want to do this hassle and enjoy longboard wheels on the roller skates, then you will need to use a longer axle in the roller skates. We hope that your basic question of whether can you use longboard wheels on roller skates is clear now.
Other Options
There is another option for you if you don’t want to use the above-mentioned tips, that you can get the ridge or penny trucks. This is because ridge or penny trucks have a lot bigger axles and they give you a lot of room to make the side of the wheelset without doing anything.
Actually, the standard trucks do not provide a center set or offset placement settings. They only have the option of side-set placement settings for you.
How To Tell If Your Longboard/Skateboard Wheels Will Fit On The Roller Skates?
Telling if a skateboard/longboard wheel will fit on your roller skate trucks can be calculated by this very simple formula. You only need to know the skateboard wheels’ width in advance and then apply this formula ahead.
1. (Wheel width) – 24mm / 2
Apply this formula and you will get the exact answer of where your skateboard wheel will rub at the truck. It will also give you the total clearance that is between the inner bearings of the wheels.
But for detailed information about this question, we have collected some valuable information here below.
2. Wheels Diameter
Checking the wheels’ diameter is very important because both the wheels’ diameters should be the same. Like if your skateboard wheel diameter is 55mm – 65mm then these wheels can be used on roller skates.
But if your roller skate wheel diameter is not the same as the longboard wheel diameter, then these wheels are not for your roller skate trucks.
3. Wheels Width
The wheel’s width is not the same as the diameter of the wheel. The wheel’s diameter is measured by placing point A at one side of the wheel vertically and taking it to point B right in the center of the wheel.
But the wheel’s width is measured by placing point A at one side of the wheel and taking it to the other side of the wheel. You can call it the wheel’s thickness for the simplest notation. If your longboard wheels are 30mm – 35mm wide, then these wheels can surely be used on roller skates.
4. Bearing Size
Bearing sizes are different for each roller skate but most roller skates come in one size. The most common size for roller skate bearing size is 608-size which is 8mm.
This is not the final size for all the roller skates but most of them use this size because it depends on the bearing width and the balls that are used in the bearings.
Advantages Of Using The Skateboard Wheels On Roller Skates
Skateboard wheels can easily be installed on the roller skates because of the exact holes on the trucks that old wheels used to have. Skateboard wheels are widely available in all different styles and colors.
Therefore, you can choose according to your taste and personality and customize your roller skates. Skateboard wheels perform great on the skating surfaces that many cities have like the skateparks that have concrete or asphalt surface types.
Roller skate wheels have been seen more than skateboard wheels, and that brings us to the understanding that skateboard wheels are more durable. Also, it is common sense that roller skates are not made to bear any hard conditions that the skateboard wheels do; jumping, turning, maneuvering, and whatnot.
Disadvantages Of Using Skateboard Wheels On Roller Skates
Roller skates are usually more smooth and more comfortable because of their wheels. But skateboard wheels are not that comfortable and don’t provide a smooth ride so you may feel that during the rides. Falling is inevitable on a skateboard, longboard, and roller skates.
But if you use the skateboard wheels on roller skates, then the chances of you falling increase because you easily lose control over your skates.
These cement surfing types of sports are already very tiring and you feel like crunching or doing exercises. But if you use the skateboard wheels under your roller skates, they become even harder and you feel a lot of pressure on the ankles and your knees.
Roller skate wheels are specially designed in a way that when you wear roller skates, they get a good grip on the ground. Using skateboard wheels lessens that grip and that’s why you fall very easily, especially if you’re a beginner.
Can You Use Any Wheels On Roller Skates?
No, you cannot just use any wheels on roller skates because all the roller skate wheels are different in size, shape, hardness, and hub material. One should choose roller skate wheels according to how one plans to use them.
Like there are different wheels for indoor skating, outdoor, and even artistic skating requires a different set of wheels. So make sure that you didn’t waste your money on something useless.
Can You Use Skateboard Wheels On Roller Skate?
Yes, you can use skateboard wheels on roller skates. But it requires a few conditions to be met before you can use skateboard wheels on your roller skates. For example, the roller skate wheels’ size and the skateboard wheels’ size must be equal.
Similarly, skateboard wheels must be according to the side set placement on the axle of the roller skates. Or you can also cut them at the inside to make them compatible with your roller skates.
Is There A Difference Between Roller Skate Wheels And Skateboard Wheels?
Yes, the skateboard wheels are different than the roller skate wheels. Although skateboard wheels can be used with roller skate wheels still there is slight difference between them. That difference is that skateboard wheels are attached with a single axle for two wheels.
But each roller skate wheel is connected to a separate axle which means they have a dedicated axle for each wheel.
Do You Need Special Wheels To Roller Skate Outside?
Yes, roller skates have dedicated parts for all types of skating activities. Therefore, if you have to go skating outside, you will need to use the special wheels made for outdoor skating.
Those outdoor skating wheels are made to roll easily over cement, asphalt, concrete, pavements, sidewalks, and all kinds of hard and rough surfaces.
Are Roller Skate Bearings The Same As Skateboard Bearings?
There are multiple types and sizes of roller skate bearings but the most commonly used roller skate bearings are 608. This is about 8mm bearing size that gets your roller skates going.
These bearings are used in roller skates, roller derby, skateboards, scooters, and inline skates. Therefore, you can use these bearings on any roller skates without risking your hard-earned money. It’s an exception if you see that your bearing size didn’t match.
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