Riser Pads Eighth Inch

Why 1/8-Inch Riser Pads Are Essential for Mid-Sized Wheels

Wheel bite occurs when your deck tilts steeply during a deep carve and contacts the spinning wheel surface, causing sudden deceleration. Installing an eighth-inch (3.175 mm) riser pad creates immediate vertical clearance between the deck base and truck baseplate. This slight lift enables skaters to run 53mm to 56mm wheels comfortably while maintaining responsive steering geometry and direct board control.

Beyond wheel clearance, high-grade polyurethane and thermoplastic riser pads act as structural dampening layers. The pad absorbs sudden impact shocks upon landing down stair sets or rolling across rough aggregate asphalt, dispersing mechanical stress away from the mounting bolt holes and preventing premature stress fractures along the bottom veneer.

Key Technical Benefits and Setup Advantages

Selecting an eighth-inch pad offers a practical middle ground between raw truck-to-deck contact and oversized quarter-inch longboard risers. It preserves low pop angles while introducing key performance benefits:

• Wheel Bite Prevention: Delivers essential clearance for 53mm–56mm wheels under loose truck configurations.
• Deck Stress Protection: Mitigates baseplate pressure gouges and micro-cracking around drilled truck holes.
• Vibration Damping: Moderates high-frequency road chatter to reduce foot and ankle fatigue during extended street sessions.

Hardware Sizing and Installation Notes

When integrating 1/8-inch riser pads, pair them with 1-inch or 1-1/8-inch mounting hardware. Standard 7/8-inch bolts will not leave enough thread exposed through the nylon locking nuts. Align the riser pad with the deck mounting holes, press the bolts through from the grip tape surface, seat the riser flush against the bottom ply, and tighten the lock nuts diagonally in an alternating cross pattern to preserve flat truck alignment.