The dreaded wheel bite occurs when a wheel comes into contact with the deck during a turn, stopping the forward motion. This causes a rider to loose balance and/or fall off the board.
Thankfully, this issue can be avoided. Adding risers will increase the space between the wheels and the deck, reducing the chance of contact. Tightening the kingpin nut will restrict the amount of movement the trucks have. This will increase stability and reduce wheel bite.
Changing your bushings in the trucks to a high durometer will decrease the turn radius and avoid wheel bite. To learn more about bushings, read our article Bushings: A Creative Outlet Explained.
Switching out your wheels to a smaller set will allow more room between the board. For more information on wheel size, read our article Big or Small.
Use a higher truck baseplate degree. 50° baseplates are the most common and great for avoiding wheel bite. 44° and below will bring the truck closer to the deck, increasing the change of contact. To learn more about baseplates, read the article Short and Sweet.
Picking a different deck will also reduct the chance of wheel bite. Wheel cutouts, wheel wells, and flared wheel wells allow more space between the deck and the wheels.
Wheel bite is nasty, but there are ways to prevent it. Have more questions? Send us an email at [email protected].