Pneumatic Wheels On Your Electric Skateboard
Does it feel like your board is obsolete when you’re unable to ride on the same terrain as other boards with larger air-filled wheels (pneumatic wheels).
Do you have a direct drive board with smaller airless wheels? That can probably make you feel left out from riding where boards with bigger pneumatic wheels can ride.
Shaboardz has a direct drive all-terrain wheel kit that is easily installed on direct drive boards, like our Rampage model. This all-terrain direct drive wheel kit also fits boards from other brands with direct drive motors.
Advantages of installing Pneumatic wheels on your electric skateboard / longboard
Pneumatic wheels provide one of the smoothest rides for electric skateboards, especially off-road! Larger wheels the are filled with air absorb bumps and vibrations much better than airless wheels
If you’ve been riding your airless wheels off-road, you’ve definitely noticed that it can be uncomfortable at times and you feel quite a bit of vibration. If you find this vibration uncomfortable, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the ride and feel that pneumatic wheels provide.
Another advantage to installing larger wheels on your board is extra ground clearance! The stock wheels on your direct-drive board are likely smaller than 150mm, so when you install the bigger wheels you’ll have more clearance to ride over rocks, sticks and other obstructions in your path. The underside of your deck will be less damaged with the increased height of your board.
This 150mm direct-drive all-terrain wheel kit has rubber tires. These tires stick to pavement in a way that airless wheels on the market just can’t match. It’s very difficult to break traction when turning at high speeds or when carving on these tires. When we use the term “break traction” we’re referring to when the wheels lose traction and begin to slide.
But it’s not only direct-drive boards that we carry pneumatic wheel kits for – we also have pneumatic wheel kits available in a number of sizes belt-drive electric skateboards. The pneumatic wheel kits for belt-drive boards come with 2 pulleys & 2 belts. It’s easy to install, just like the direct-drive wheel kit.
In contrast, it can be much easier to break traction and have the board drift or slide on pavement (especially damp pavement) on airless wheels. The result of breaking traction is the rider wiping out and crashing.
We’re telling you that it’s extremely rare for these pneumatic wheels to break traction, even when turning at high speeds and carving hard!
Once the wheels are installed and you go for a ride you’ll have more freedom to ride wherever you want! Grass, gravel and dirt will feel a lot smoother to ride on with the air-filled wheels.
Disadvantages of riding of riding on pneumatic wheels
It’s no secret that pneumatic wheels require more maintenance than airless wheels. Punctures and flats are bound to happen when riding with air-filled wheels, especially if you’re riding off-road.
Luckily, there are many tutorials online that can show you how to easily replace tubes in these pneumatic wheels. Here’s a video tutorial from us:
It can be annoying to have to change a tube or tire in the middle of a long ride, but if you’re prepared with extra tubes and you’ve educated yourself on how to change tubes when you bought this wheel kit, it will be an easier experience for you. Our wheel kits come with two extra tubes, that you can carry with you, in the case of a flat on your ride.
What other differences will I experience with larger wheels on my direct drive board?
Adding larger wheels to your direct drive board will produce higher top speeds! Direct drive boards increase in speed when larger wheels are installed. However, with this increase in top speed comes a decrease in battery range.
The rider should expect a drop in range when installing these wheels. We recommend different wheels for different occasions. If you’re going on a long ride, choose the smaller wheels. If you want a smoother ride off-road, choose the 150mm pneumatic wheel kit.
Installing larger wheels on your direct-drive board will result in a decrease in torque / power.
The board won’t accelerate as quickly as it did with the smaller wheels. Basically you’re trading a smoother ride & higher top speed for a loss in battery range and torque.
Installing the direct drive all-terrain wheel kit
Are electric skateboard wheels universal? In a sense, yes. On a direct drive board you can install most wheel types after changing the adapter on the motor. There are 3 main adapters for direct drive boards:
- ABEC adapter – this adapter fits most regular longboard wheels and other wheels like Cloudwheels discovery series.
- Kegel adapter – this adapter has a different pattern that mounts the wheel to the motor and there are many wheel brands that use this adapter (pulley on belt-drive boards) for their wheels.
- AT adapter – Our all-terrain adapter is the one you’ll receive with this wheel kit and allows you to fit these 150mm pneumatic wheels on your direct-drive board.
The main step in installing this wheel kit on your board is changing the adapter on the motor.
If your direct drive motor has 6 screws holding the adapter on to the motor, then this wheel kit should fit. Many brands in the industry use similar direct drive motors, which at the very least have the same amount of screw holes, which means the adapters and electric skateboard wheels are universal, for the most part.
The installation process is simple! Here’s a video:
Is this all-terrain wheel kit for you?
Riders on direct drive boards have previously been left out of the all-terrain experience. We hope to give the rider the freedom they crave to ride wherever they desire with the direct drive all-terrain wheel kit for electric skateboards. But before making the switch, there will be a number of things for you to consider.
- Are you willing to learn how to fix flats on pneumatic wheels?
These wheels will require more maintenance. You’re bound to catch a flat from time to time and will have to repair your wheels.
- The larger wheels will result in decreased battery range
If these wheels are larger than the current wheels on your direct drive board then you should expect a decrease in battery range when riding on these wheels.
If you’re comfortable with these things, then you’ll reap the benefits of smoother off-road rides and wheels that won’t won’t drift or slide out from underneath you when you’re carving hard or turning at high speeds.
If you’re unable to make a decision based on the information we provided in this article, the best way to understand how this wheel kit will feel on your board is to try it out for yourself!
