Tensor Trucks

Tensor Trucks is a skateboarding truck company founded and designed by professional skateboarder Rodney Mullen in 2000. Tensor's parent company is Dwindle Distribution. They offer trucks in three different heights (lo, mid, hi) tailored for differing wheel diameters; the hi is designed for 58mm wheels and smaller, the mid for 54mm or smaller, and the lo for 52 and smaller. Mullen holds US patent no. 6,443,471B1 [ [http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6443471.PN.&OS=PN/6443471&RS=PN/6443471 United States Patent: 6443471 ] ] for design features implemented in Tensors. Tensor trucks are manufactured in China.

Tensor has also teamed up with Oust Skateboard Bearings to put out a co-branded Oust/Tensor line of skateboard bearings, as well as working on experimental Tensor trucks with enhanced parts.

Tensor released a new truck called the Response on March 2007. It is an all-metal design, foregoing the plastic baseplate sliders of the original design, and is touted as the lightest truck, 11% lighter than the industry average truck. [http://www.dwindle.com/catalog/spring07/pages/page47.jpg] [ [http://www.tensortrucks.com/response/ Tensor Trucks ] ] In 2008 tensor released a supreme light truck made of magnesium.

Key design features

Baseplate sliders

The most visible feature on a Tensor truck (not including the Response model), is the polymer baseplate slider. Trucks can wear out on the baseplates from nose and tail slides. The slider is replaceable and is touted to slide better than standard aluminum baseplates.

Interlocking bushings

Tensor bushings (or cushions) use a patented design which features a flange on the bottom bushing that connects to the top bushing to stabilize the truck.

Baseplate nibs

Tensor features four fangs on each baseplate designed to dig into the board to prevent the truck from shifting when mounting hardware loosens.

Buttonhead kingpin

Tensor implemented a grade 8 buttonhead kingpin with machined splines on it to prevent it from spinning in the baseplate. The buttonhead is lighter than the hex kingpin, which was the then-industry standard. Independent, Thunder, Venture, Krux, Fury, and Destructo have since implemented buttonhead kingpins.

Team

*Rodney Mullen
*Daewon Song
*Ronnie Creager
*Enrique Lorenzo
*Jake Duncombe
*Lauren Perkins

Previous team riders

*Chris Haslam
*Ryan Sheckler
*Chris Cole
*Dave Mayhew
*Guy Kampfen
*Kanten Russell

External links

* [http://www.tensortrucks.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.dwindle.com/ Dwindle]
* [http://www.dwindle-experimental.com/ Dwindle Experimental]
* [http://www.oustbearings.com/ Oust Bearings]

References

*http://www.twsbiz.com/twbiz/industrynews/article/0,21214,704249,00.html