US20040041360A1

US20040041360A1 - Truck assemblies for skateboards

Info

Publication number: US20040041360A1
Application number: US10/234,016
Authority: US
Inventors: Benjamin Lukoszek
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-08-29
Filing date: 2002-08-29
Publication date: 2004-03-04
Also published as: CA2496919C; WO2004020059A1; NZ538944A; CA2496919A1; US7243925B2; JP2005536295A; EP1549403A1; ZA200502387B; AU2003257234A1; US20060119062A1; AU2003257234B2; EP1549403A4; WO2004020059A8

Abstract

A truck assembly for a skateboard, having a body for mounting to the underside of a skateboard deck. The body supports an axle and wheels mounted for pivoted movement for steering and includes adjustment means for varying steering characteristics of the skateboard. The axle may be mounted by a pair of opposite trunnions which define a pivot axis for the axle. The pivot axis is adjustable by a rotatable boss, preferably with a pivot arm which may be locked in place by a spring loaded pin inserted into a selected aperture. The truck may include two pairs of angled springs which are arranged similar to adjacent sides of a triangle and adapted to centre the axle. The truck assembly may include a removable spacer locatable between the deck and axle and extension pieces for the axle.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to truck assemblies for skateboards or other similar vehicles and in particular to a truck assemblies which enable steering characteristics of a skateboard or other similar vehicle to be varied.

BACKGROUND ART

Skateboards in many different designs have developed since introduction of the basic skateboard configuration. In the basic structure, the skateboard comprises a deck having on its lower side front and rear truck assemblies, each of which supports opposite pairs of wheels on a transversely extending axle. The axles are mounted for pivotal movement about axes which extend at an obtuse angle to the plane of the skateboard deck and usually, the pivot axes of the axles of the front and rear truck assemblies are of an opposite inclination. Skateboards are therefore able to be steered by the rider leaning or shifting his or her weight to one side or other of the board thereby pivoting the deck of the skateboard in opposite directions relative to the longitudinal axis of the skateboard, this causing fore and aft pivotal movement of the wheel axles in opposite directions. Usually the skateboard truck assemblies incorporate resilient pads which resist pivoting the axle of the wheels and tends to return the wheels to a neutral position.

More recently longboard skateboards have been introduced which include a deck of extended length. Skateboards of this type also incorporate truck assemblies however some difficulties are associated with steering of this type of board and maintaining their stability during a number of particular riding techniques if conventional truck assemblies are used. It is also desirable to enable adjustment of the steering characteristics of this type of skateboard to suit different applications. For this purpose it has been known to place an angled or wedge-shaped shaped packer between the skateboard truck assembly and the underside of the skateboard deck to adjust the pivot axis of the truck assembly axle and to raise the height of the skateboard deck above the axle line. This procedure however is obviously time-consuming as it involves removal of the track assembly and then reassembling with the use of the angled packer between the truck assembly and board. A further disadvantage is that each time a different angle is required for the plane of operation of the axles of the skateboard wheels, a packer of a different angle is required. Riders also fit different trucks from different manufacturers that have different pivot angles to either front or rear locations to achieve the steering stability or maneuvering characteristics they need for a particular style of riding.

Other truck assemblies have means for varying the type or characteristics of the resilient pads used to resist pivotal movement of the wheel axles such that for example a greater or lesser weight is required to be applied to one side or other of the skateboard deck to obtain the same steering movement of the skateboard truck assemblies. These systems however have disadvantages as steering then becomes dependent on the weight applied and as a result control is compromised.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to provide an improved truck assembly particularly suited for us with longboard type skateboards but which is also suited to use with other forms of skateboard or other rideable vehicle. In a particular aspect the present invention aims to provide a truck assembly in which the steering characteristics of the truck assembly can be selectively varied in a simple and effective manner. The present invention in a further aspect aims to provide a skateboard incorporating truck assemblies according to the present invention. In yet a further aspect, the present invention aims to provide an improved method and means for mounting a truck assembly to a deck of a skateboard or other rideable vehicle. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

The present invention thus provides, in a first preferred aspect, a truck assembly for use with skateboards, said truck assembly having a main body adapted to be mounted to the underside of the deck of said skateboard, an axle for supporting a pair of skateboard wheels, means for mounting said axle to said main body in such a manner as to allow pivotal movement of said axle in a plane and in opposite directions relative to said body to effect steering of said skateboard and means for selectively adjusting said plane of movement of said axle whereby to enable the steering characteristics of said skateboard to be varied.

The term “skateboard” as used herein includes conventional skateboards, longboard skateboards or any other rideable vehicle which uses truck assemblies.

Preferably pivot means mount the axle to the main body and define an axis of pivotal movement of the wheel axle and therefore the plane of pivotal movement of the wheel axle. The pivot means is suitably provided intermediate opposite ends of the wheel axle and adjustment means are suitably provided for selectively adjusting the pivot means to adjust the plane of movement of the wheel axles. Typically the axis of the pivot means lies in a plane extending longitudinally of and normal to the plane of the skateboard deck and the adjustment means adjusts the position of the axis of the pivot means in that plane. This adjustment may also adjust the plane of movement of the wheel axle which may be normal to the axis of pivotal movements.

The pivot means in one preferred form may comprise a pair of opposite trunnions and means is provided for supporting the trunnions to the main body for rotation about the pivot axis of the pivot means to allow the axle of the wheels of the truck assembly to move in their plane of movement. Preferably, the trunnions support means are adjustable to enable variation of the pivot axis of the trunnions. Means may be provided for the unrestricted adjustment of the position of the trunnion support means and therefore unrestricted adjustment of the plane of pivotal movement of the axle of the truck assembly. Alternatively means may be provided for adjustment of the position of the trunnions support means and therefore plane of pivotal movement of the axle of the truck assembly to one of a number of discrete positions.

Preferably, the trunnions support means comprises an adjustable support boss mounted to the truck body for rotational movement about an axis extending substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the skateboard and parallel to the deck of the skateboard. The axle which supports the skateboard wheels may beconcentric to the axis of rotational movement of the boss when the axis is in a “neutral” position. The trunnions support boss may be journalled to the truck body or supported by any suitable bearing or bush arrangement to the truck body. The trunnions may typically be supported for rotation in bearings or bushes in the support boss. The support boss may be provided with an adjustment arm and means may be provided for adjusting the position of the adjustment arm to thereby adjust the rotational position of the support boss and the pivot axis of the trunnions. In one form, a series of locating means may be provided to locate and define different positions of the adjustment arm. The locating means may for example be in the form of a plurality of stops, apertures, markers or indicators. The adjustment arm may include means which cooperate with, or which may be aligned with, a selected stop, aperture, marker or indicator to set or locate the position of the adjustment arm and boss. For example where the locating means are in the form of a plurality of apertures, the adjustment arm may include a pin which can locate in a selected aperture. The pin may be spring loaded to cooperate with a selected aperture to securely locate and hold the arm in a selected position. The pin may have an enlarged head which facilitates its detachment from a selected aperture. Most preferably, the arm extends generally radially relative to the axis of rotational movement of the boss and the locating means are arranged along an arc or curve on the main body of the truck assembly.

Biasing means are suitably provided for opposing movement of the axle of the wheels of the truck assembly in its pivot plane. The biasing means may be provided between the axle and truck body. Preferably, the biasing means comprise springs which may comprise coiled springs or other elastic or resilient means. Most preferably, pairs of springs or resilient means are provided on both sides of the main body and extend between, and are connected to, the main body and axle.

Preferably, the truck assembly is adapted to be mounted to the skateboard deck via a mounting member. Preferably, the truck assembly is detachably engageable with the mounting member. A spacer may also be provided between the truck assembly and mounting member, the spacer being detachably engageable with the truck assembly and mounting member. Spacers of various thickness may be provided to vary the spacing of the truck assembly from the skateboard deck.

The present invention in a further aspect provides a skateboard having a deck and a pair of truck assemblies secured to the underside of said deck, each said truck assembly having an axle supporting a pair of wheels, said axle being mounted to said skateboard deck for pivotal movement in a plane to allow steering of said skateboard and there being provided means for selectively adjusting said plane of pivotal movement of said axles of said truck assembly to enable variation of the steering characteristics of said skateboard.

The present invention in a further preferred aspect provides a truck assembly for use with skateboards, said truck assembly having a main body, and mounting means for mounting said main body to the deck of said skateboard, said mounting means comprising a first mounting member adapted to be mounted directly to the underside of the deck of said skateboard, said first mounting member having means for cooperating with said truck assembly for mounting said truck assembly to said skateboard, or with a spacer for mounting said truck assembly via said spacer to said skateboard deck.

Preferably, the truck assembly is slidably engageable with the mounting member and/or spacer and the spacer is slidably engageable with the mounting member. The axles may be lengthened by threading an extension section in place of the wheels which may be locked in place by shallow tapers machined in the axle and the extension section. The wheels may be located at the ends of the extension section.

Preferably, the first mounting member has coupling means complementary to the means on the truck assembly and spacer means whereby the first mounting part may be coupled to the truck assembly or spacer means. Further complementary coupling means are suitably provided between the spacer means and truck assembly to enable them to be coupled together. The complementary coupling means may comprise a complementary rib/groove configuration which permits the components to be slidably engaged. Releasable latch means may be provided for latching the components together in a desired combination.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein: [0017]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a truck assembly according to an embodiment of the invention; [0018]
FIG. 2 illustrates in a dissembled view the truck body of the truck assembly and associated mounting block and spacer; [0019]
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate in side and front views, the steering adjustment boss of the truck assembly; [0020]
FIG. 5 illustrates a skateboard provided with a pair of truck assemblies according to an embodiment of the invention; [0021]
FIG. 6 illustrates portion of the skateboard of FIG. 5 from the front; [0022]
FIGS. [0023] 7(a), (b) and (c) illustrate respectively one position of the steering adjustment boss and the steering effect achieved when the skateboard is tilted shown schematically in front and top views; and
FIGS. [0024] 8(a), (b) and (c) illustrate respectively a second position of the steering boss and the steering effect achieved when the skateboard is tilted shown schematically in front and top views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings and firstly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a [0025] truck assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the invention primarily designed for use with longboard skateboards but which may be used with smaller size skateboards or any other similar rideable vehicle. The truck assembly 10 includes a main truck body 11 which is adapted to be mounted to the underside of the deck of a skateboard via a mounting block 12 which may be secured by bolts, screws or fasteners to the skateboard deck and with or without an intermediate spacer 13. Complementary coupling means are provided on the truck body 11, mounting block 12 and spacer 13 which allow them to be slidably interengaged. Thus the truck body 11 may be slidably engaged directly with the mounting block 12 or the truck body 11 may be slidably engaged with a spacer 13 which is slidably engaged with the mounting block 12. Thus spacers 13 of different thickness may be provided to enable different spacings of the truck body 11 from the skateboard deck.
The complementary coupling means comprise a rib and groove type coupling comprising a pair of opposite parallel ribs or edges [0026] 14 and 14′ on the lower side of the truck body 11 and spacer 13 and a pair of opposed parallel grooves 15 and 15′ on the upper side of the spacer 13 and mounting block 12. The ribs 14 and 14′ and grooves 15 and 15′ are at substantially the same lateral spacing such that the truck body 11 may be slid longitudinally onto the mounting block 12 or spacer 13 through the cooperation between the opposed ribs 14 or 14′ and grooves 15 or 15′ and similarly the spacer 13 may be slid longitudinally onto the mounting block 12 through the cooperation between the opposed ribs 14′ and grooves 15′. The truck body 11 is maintained in engagement with the mounting block 12 or spacer 13 by latching devices comprising a latching member 16 and 16′ on a spring or resilient finger 17 and 17′ fixed to the mounting block 12 or spacer 13. The latch members 16 and 16′ are adapted to locate in a recess 18 on the underside of the truck body 11 and the latch member is adapted to located in a recess 18′ on the underside of the spacer 13 to retain the body 11 to the block 12 or spacer 13, or spacer 13 to the mounting block 12. The body 11 may be detached from the block 12 or spacer 13 or the spacer 13 may be detached from the mounting block 12 by pushing the free end of the finger 17 or 17′ downwardly to release the latch member 16 or 16′ from the recess 18 or 18′ to allow the truck body 11 to be slidably disengaged from the mounting block 12 or spacer 13, or spacer 13 from the mounting block 12. Assembly is a reverse of the above except that the truck body 11 may be pushed onto the block 12 or spacer 13 until the latch member 16 or 16′ under the influence of the spring finger 17 or 17′ locates within the recess 18 and similarly for engagement of the spacer 13 with the mounting block 12.
The truck body [0027] 11 includes a transversely extending bore 19 which is sized to accept a steering adjustment boss 20 (see also FIGS. 3 and 4) which is supported rotatably in the bore 19 by being inserted from one side thereof and which is retained by means of a circlip 21 on the opposite side such that the boss 20 is capable of rotation about the axis 22 of the bore 19, that axis 22 extending substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the skateboard deck to which the truck assembly 10 is mounted. The boss 20 may be journalled in the bore 19 or mounted via bearings therein. The boss 20 is also provided with a central bore 23 which is coaxial with the bore 19 of the body 11. The bore 23 is of a somewhat rectangular configuration and receives the main truck axle 24 which supports at opposite ends via bearings the wheels 25 of the truck assembly 10. The rectangular shape of the bore 23 accommodates pivotal movement of the truck axle 24 as described further below.
The [0028] truck axle 24 is mounted to the boss 20 by means of a trunnions arrangement comprising a pair of opposite trunnions 26 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) which are arranged intermediate the opposite ends of the axle 24 and which extend normal to the longitudinal axis of the axle 24. The trunnions 26 may be defined by a pin inserted into a bore which extends transversely through the axle 24 and projects on opposite sides thereof. Alternatively the trunnions 26 may be defined by a pair of pins which are provided on opposite sides of the axle 24 and interconnected for example by a threaded connection through the axle 24. Other arrangements however may be provided for defining the trunnions 26. The trunnions 26 are supported in opposite bores 27 in the boss 20 via bearings 28 such as roller or ball bearings or bushes so as to allow for smooth pivoting movement of the axle 24 about the axis 29 of the trunnions 24. The bores 27 may be closed on their outer sides by end caps. It will be apparent that in the position of FIG. 1, the longitudinal axis of the axle 24 is coaxial with the axis 22 of the bore 19.
The orientation of the [0029] pivot axis 29 of the trunnions 26 can be adjusted however by rotation of the boss 20 in the bore 19 of the truck body 11. To enable setting of position of the trunnions's pivot axis 29, an arm 30 which is integrally formed with the boss 20 extends radially from the boss 20. The free end of the arm 30 is provided with a spring loaded stop pin 31 which is normally urged by an internal spring 32 in the arm 30 to the position of FIG. 3 extending parallel to the axis 22 of the bore 19. The pin 31 is provided with a head 33 to enable retraction of the pin 31 against the force of the spring 32. The pin 31 may locate in one of a series of holes 34 provided at spaced apart positions along a curved member 35 of the body 11 which is centered on the rotational axis 22 of the boss 20. To change the rotational position of the boss 20 relative to the truck body 11, the pin 31 is retracted by grasping the pin head 33 and the arm 30 is then rotated in a desired direction to rotate the boss 20 arid reposition the stop pin 31 in alignment with another one of the holes 34 after which the pin 31 may be released to locate within that hole 34 to hold the arm 30 and boss 20 in a set position. It will be apparent that during this movement, axle 24 remains concentric with the axis 22 of the bore 19.
The [0030] boss 20 is also provided with relief grooves 36 and 37 extending from and on opposite sides of the bore 23 and in alignment with the arm 30, the grooves 36 and 37 and the rectangular configuration of the bore 23 accommodating pivotal movement of the axle 24 in a plane 38 (see FIG. 4) perpendicular to the pivot axis 29 of the trunnions 26. It will be appreciated that rotation of the steering boss 20 as described above will rotate the pivot axis 29 of the axle 24 as defined by the trunnions 26 to thereby vary the orientation of the plane 38 along which the axle 24 may pivot.
To hold the [0031] axle 24 in a “neutral” position extending substantially at right angles to the truck body 11 and thus skateboard deck to which the truck assembly 10 is mounted, pairs of tension springs 39 are provided on opposite sides of the truck body 11 to extend between anchoring points 40 on the truck body 11 on either side of the axle 24, and a lug 41 mounted to the axle 24 at a position spaced outwardly from the body 11. The springs 39 provide a biasing force to resist pivotal movement of the axle 24 about the trunnions axis 29. The springs are mounted at an angle to the axle in a triangular pattern so that their opposing resistance to the body weight needed to tilt the deck to produce turning remains reasonably constant for the range of deck angles. This is achieved by reducing the angle between the angle and the spring attachment or the truck body as the desk is tilted to adjust steering. The constant load assists in maintaining an even downward force on all four wheels during hard turning and hence optimised wheel grip. With conventional trucks the rubber or spring arrangement increases with deck angle and shifts the bodyweight downward force to the inside wheels, loading the wheels unevenly and reducing the overall wheel grip. The axle 24 preferably comprises a central part 42 which carries or is connected to the trunnions 26 and detachable opposite end parts 43 which carry the wheels 25. The end parts 43 may be threaded for threaded engagement with opposite ends of the central part 42 with the spring mounting lugs 41 arranged therebetween. This arrangement also allows different length end parts 43 to be substituted or removed completely for different applications or for supporting wheels 25 of different sizes or configurations.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, pairs of [0032] truck assemblies 10 are mounted at spaced apart fore and aft positions via respective mounting blocks 12 and spacers 13 (if required) to the underside of the deck 44 to form a skateboard 45 typically a longboard type skateboard. The positions of the steering bosses 20 of each truck assembly 10 may then be varied depending upon the steering characteristics required in the skateboard 45. In the position shown in FIG. 1 and assuming that the truck assembly 11 is mounted to the deck 44 of the skateboard 44 such that the pivot axis 29 is parallel to the longitudinal axis 46 of the skateboard 45, pivotal movement of the skateboard deck 44 will not cause any steering movement of the truck assembly 10 as the axle 24 will pivot in a plane at right angles to the skateboard axis 46. Thus no fore and aft pivotal movement of the axle 24 results and thus no steering is achieved.
Altering the plane of pivotal movement of the [0033] axle 24 by inclining the axis 29 of the trunnions 26 to the longitudinal axis 46 of the skateboard 44 will enable steering to be achieved. Thus if the arm 30 of the steering boss 20 is moved to a position where the stop pin 31 can locate in one of the holes 34 away from the central hole 34′ as for example shown in FIG. 7(a), the pivot axis 29 of the trunnions 26 is accordingly pivoted such as to be inclined to the longitudinal axis 46. Thus pivoting of the deck 44 as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 7(c) during riding of the skateboard 45 by for example weight shifting will be translated into a clockwise pivoting movement of the axle 24 as shown in FIG. 7(b) along the inclined plane indicated at 38 in FIG. 7(a) and therefore steer the skateboard 45. Where the skateboard deck 44 is pivoted in the opposite direction, the axle 24 will pivot in the inclined plane 38 in an anticlockwise direction to effect steering of the skateboard 45 in the opposite direction,
If the [0034] arm 30 is further adjusted as shown in FIG. 8(a) to position the trunnions axis 29 at an increased angle to the longitudinal axis 46 of the skateboard 45, the possible plane 38 of movement of the axle 24 will, relative to the axis 46, become increasingly acute such that pivoting of the skateboard deck 44 as for example indicated by the arrows in FIG. 8(c) will result in increased fore and aft clockwise pivoting movement of the axle 24 and wheels 25 and thus sharper turning through a reduced turning circle.
Of course the steering effect of both the front and [0035] rear truck assemblies 10 may be selectively varied by simply readjusting the position of the arm 30 by retracting the stop pin 31 and repositioning the pin 31 in one of the holes 34 with movement of the pin 31 outwardly from the center position resulting in a reduced turning circle or a sharper steering effect with the same pivotal movement of the skateboard deck 44. The rider is therefore able in a simple and effective manner to selectively adjust the steering required for different circumstances or different applications.
In the [0036] skateboard 45 as illustrated in FIG. 5, it will be seen that the steering adjustment arms 30 of the truck assemblies 10 are angled in opposite directions such that when the deck 44 is pivoted about the longitudinal axis 46, the front and rear axles 24 will pivot in opposite directions. In some circumstances however it may be desirable to have only the front truck assembly 10 provide a steering function and thus the arm 30 of the rear truck assembly 10 in this instance is located in the central position as illustrated in FIG. 1 where the deck of the skateboard 45 is planar. In the skateboard 45 of FIG. 5 where opposite ends of the deck 44 are inclined upwardly, the arm 30 is adjusted such that it and the possible plane 38 of pivotal movement of the axle 24 are at right angles to the axis 46
The [0037] truck assemblies 10 of the invention may be applied to skateboard decks of many different configurations and various steering characteristics of the skateboard can be achieved by simply adjusting the adjustment arms 30 in the manner described. Further handling characteristics can be varied by changing the spacers 13 or alternatively eliminating the spacers 13. Further it will be appreciated that other arrangements may be provided for supporting the axle 24 of the truck assembly 10 such that the angle of its possible plane of pivotal movement can be adjusted to adjust the steering characteristics of the truck assembly 10.
Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative embodiment of the invention, all variations and modifications thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth. [0038]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A truck assembly for use with a skateboard, the truck assembly comprising:

a main body adapted to be mounted to the underside of a deck of the skateboard;

an axle for supporting a pair of spaced wheels;

a mount for mounting the axle to the main body and permitting pivotal movement of the axle in a plane to effect steering of the skateboard; and

an adjuster for selectively adjusting the plane of pivotal movement of the axle and thereby enabling variation of steering characteristics of the skateboard.

2. The truck assembly of claim 1, wherein the mount includes a pivot mounting the axle to the main body, the pivot defining an axis of pivotal movement of the axle.

3. The truck assembly of claim 2, wherein the pivot is located intermediate opposite ends of the axle.

4. The truck assembly of claim 3, wherein the pivot is located centrally between opposite ends of the axle.

5. The truck assembly of claim 2, wherein the adjuster selectively adjusts the pivot and thereby adjusts the plane of pivotal movement of the axle.

6. The truck assembly of claim 5, wherein an axis of pivotal movement of the wheel axle lies in a first plane extending substantially longitudinally of and normal to a plane of the deck of the skateboard and wherein the adjuster adjusts the position of the axis in the first plane.

7. The truck assembly of claim 6, wherein the pivot includes a pair of opposite trunnions rotatably engaged with the main body by trunnions supports.

8. The truck assembly of claim 7, wherein the trunnions supports comprises an adjustable support boss rotatably mounted to the main body thereby providing rotational movement about an axis extending substantially normal to a longitudinal axis of the skateboard and parallel to the deck of the skateboard.

9. The truck assembly of claim 8, wherein a central axis of the axle and the axis of rotational movement of the boss are substantially co-linear.

10. The truck assembly of claim 9, further comprising an adjustment arm for adjusting a rotational position of the support boss and thereby adjusting a pivot axis of the trunnions.

11. The truck assembly of claim 10, wherein the adjustment arm is formed integrally with the support boss.

12. The truck assembly of claim 10, wherein positioning of the adjustment arm is infinitely variable.

13. The truck assembly of claim 10, further comprising a locator for locating the adjustment arm in two or more fixed positions.

14. The truck assembly of claim 13, wherein the locator comprises a plurality of one or more of a stop, an aperture, a marker, and an indicator.

15. The truck assembly of claim 14, wherein the locator comprises a plurality of apertures adapted to co-operate with a spring loaded pin to reversibly locate the arm in a selected position.

16. The truck assembly of claim 15, wherein the plurality of apertures are distributed in an arc on the main body.

17. The truck assembly of claim 1, further comprising biasing means adapted to oppose reciprocal pivotal movement of the axle.

18. The truck assembly of claim 17, wherein the biasing means comprises springs.

19. The truck assembly of claim 18, wherein the springs comprise two pairs of coiled springs, each pair located on a respective side of the main body and interconnecting the axle and the main body.

20. The truck assembly of claim 19, wherein the springs on one side of the main body and a portion of the main body define a substantially triangular shape.

21. The truck assembly of claim 1, further comprising a mounting member for detachably mounting the truck assembly to a skateboard deck.

22. The truck assembly of claim 21, further comprising at least one spacer detachably engageable between the main body and the mounting member.

23. The truck assembly of claim 22, wherein a plurality of spacers is provided, each spacer of different thickness to each other spacer.

24. A skateboard comprising:

a deck;

a pair of truck assemblies secured to the underside of the deck, each truck assembly comprising an axle supporting a pair of wheels, the axle mounted to the deck for pivotal movement in a plane to allow steering of the skateboard; and

an adjuster for selectively adjusting the plane of pivotal movement of the axle thereby providing variation of steering characteristics of the skateboard.

25. The skateboard of claim 24, wherein each truck assembly comprises:

a main body and a mount for mounting the main body to the deck of the skateboard, the mount comprising a first mounting member adapted to be mounted directly to the underside of a deck of the skateboard, the first mounting member having a mounting member adapted for at least one of cooperating with the truck assembly to mount the truck assembly to the skateboard and cooperating with at least one spacer for mounting the truck assembly and at least one spacer to the skateboard.

26. The skateboard of claim 25, wherein the truck assembly, the spacer, and the mounting member are each slideably engageable with the others.

27. The skateboard of claim 26, wherein the truck assembly, the spacer, and the mounting member are slidably engageable through rib and complementary groove couplers.

28. The skateboard of claim 25, further comprising a releasable latch for latching together two of the mounting member, the truck assembly, and the at least one spacer.

29. The skateboard of claim 25, further including at least one extension piece screw threadably engageable with the axle to thereby extend the axle and space the wheels further apart.

30. The skateboard of claim 29, including two extension pieces for each track assembly, each extension piece engageable with opposite ends of the axle.

31. An adjustable support for use with a truck assembly for a skateboard, the truck assembly comprising a generally transversely arranged wheel axle and providing support for rotation of the axle about a generally longitudinally arranged axis, the longitudinal axis being arrangeable at an angle of caster from vertical by the adjustable support, wherein the adjustable support can vary the angle of caster.

32. The adjustable support of claim 31, wherein the adjustable support provides infinitely variable adjustment of the angle of caster.

33. The adjustable support of claim 31, wherein the adjustable support provides a plurality of discreet angles of caster.