Gullwing Sidewinder trucks are made for carving. If you plan on bombing hills, don’t get these. They’re double kingpin (DKP) trucks and set you high off the ground, making it easier to get speed wobbles.
The Gullwing Sidewinder trucks have a more rail-to-rail carving feel. They’re not as easy to pump from a standstill as a spring-based surfskate.
If you have a local shop that carries the Gullwings, buy from them.
How To Install Gullwing Sidewinder Trucks?
Installing Gullwing Sidewinders is pretty straightforward. Mount them to your deck of choice, similarly to how you would with any other trucks. Depending on the size of the wheels and deck you use, you might need to add riser pads to avoid wheelbite.
You can see in the image below that they should be installed with the bushings facing inward, like a traditional kingpin (TKP) setup.
By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from Concrete Waves. We'll respect your privacy and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Test for wheelbite
Before you start riding your setup, push the wheels downward with some force to see if you’ll get wheelbite. If you do, you’ll either have to tighten up the trucks, mess with the bushings hardness or add additional riser pads.
Gullwing Sidewinder vs Carver
Carver trucks have a much mellower rail-to-rail lean compared to Sidewinders, which offer a deeper carving experience. If you want something more stable to go for longer distances, then go for Carver.
Gullwing Sidewinder vs Waterborne
Waterborne has an entirely different feel since it has a front pivoting and back rail adapter, making it much easier to pump than Sidewinders. If you want something to pump from a standstill but also offer some rail-to-rail lean, then go for
Gullwing Sidewinder vs Spring Adapters
YOW, Smoothstar, and SwellTech are all spring adapter surfskates, so I’m gonna group them into one for this comparison (even though they all have their own unique feel). Like the
Community Insights
“Had them on a custom longboard- 39-inch deck. Depending on the deck shape, you will need to add risers to prevent wheelbite. Great trucks for cruising with a surfy feel. Can be tightened to make them ride a bit stiffer if necessary. Better turning and carving compared to traditional longboard trucks but no where near Carver, Smoothstar, Swelltech, etc. That being said, probably one of my favorite cruising trucks for long distances.” –DaddyBear84
“Yeah.. I have them on a
“Try using it only in front and leave a TKP in the back, it will make the ride super carvy but also stable. The problem with the sidewinder is that no matter how you tweak it, using it in the back will always give you wobbles at medium speed unless you use very hard bushings and kill the fun. Pair it with s 149 Indy in the back for max fun.” –el_miguelosky
“I have them in a 2ft board with 60mm wheels, a dream for streets and avoiding pedestrians but a nightmare when you pick up some speed.” –shortynotsorry
“The key is to either drop-through or wedge to bring your ride height down, then tweak bushings. Softer front roadside and stiffer back boardside.” –liammilross
“I got a pair as a gift and I didn’t know what to do with them so I put them on a Chocolate Skateboards Couch deck 9.25×13.875 wheelbase and paired them with OJ Keyframes. It’s a good downtown cruiser setup to go get coffee on relax days, but that’s about it. The small wheelbase with high trucks is super carve-y!” –rayvvision
