FAQ

Orders placed by 11:00am Pacific Time on a business day ship the same day from Culver City, California. Orders placed after 11:00am, on weekends, or on holidays ship the next business day. We might be slow in some ways, but we sure do ship fast.

Yes. Free ground shipping on cart subtotals over $65 USD within the US, Puerto Rico, and Canada. The threshold is calculated pre-tax and post-discount, and excludes apparel (which ships separately from our print-on-demand partner).

Yes. Real-time express rates (FedEx, UPS) are shown at checkout based on your destination. Same 11:00am Pacific cutoff for same-day dispatch.

FedEx, UPS, USPS, and DHL eCommerce / DHL Express. PO Box orders automatically route through USPS. PO Boxes are not accepted for Canada or international delivery.

Estimated delivery times are calculated and shown at checkout based on the method you choose. Once your order ships, tracking is emailed to you. If tracking looks off, email taco@orangatangwheels.com or call +1 (310) 839-1800.

Yes, worldwide from Culver City. Real-time international rates are shown at checkout, and all international orders ship Delivered Duty Paid (DDP): duties and taxes are calculated and included at checkout, so there are no surprise fees on delivery.

Yes, and Canada gets the same deal as the US: orders over $65 USD ship free. Orders ship DDP, so duties and taxes are included at checkout. PO Boxes are not accepted for Canada.

No. Canadian and international orders ship Delivered Duty Paid. Import duties and taxes are calculated, included, and itemized at checkout, and you will not be double-charged on delivery. In some regions the carrier may still ask you to confirm details before final delivery, so keep an eye on tracking.

Most likely the carrier picked it up but hasn't scanned it yet. That can take 24 to 48 hours, especially for USPS or during busy weeks. If nothing moves after two business days, email us with your order number and we'll chase it.

Check with neighbors, the lobby, the building next door, and around back. Carriers sometimes mark packages delivered a few hours early, and most turn up the same day or the next. If it's still missing after that, email taco@orangatangwheels.com and we'll work with the carrier to file a claim. Outcomes aren't guaranteed by the carrier, but we'll advocate for you.

We'll help track it down and file a claim with the carrier on your behalf. We strongly recommend signing up for the carrier's free delivery tools (UPS My Choice, FedEx Delivery Manager, USPS Informed Delivery), especially if your delivery spot is unattended. Carriers may deny lost or stolen claims when secure delivery options aren't used.

New Year's Day, MLK Jr. Day, Valentine's Day, President's Day, Good Friday and Easter, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Orders placed on closure days ship the next business day. The full list is in our Shipping Policy.

Most of our apparel is made to order by a print-on-demand partner, which means less overproduction and more styles. It ships separately from wheels and hardware with its own tracking, doesn't count toward the $65 free shipping threshold, and isn't eligible for free shipping.

We can't guarantee it once it's placed, because the warehouse moves quickly. Email taco@orangatangwheels.com or call +1 (310) 839-1800 immediately and we'll try to catch it. If it has already shipped, refuse delivery or use the standard return process; standard return conditions and shipping costs apply.

Sometimes, if you reach us before it ships. Once an order is moving we can't guarantee changes, and failed deliveries due to incorrect addresses may mean extra fees, delays, or cancellation. Carrier address-correction fees are $25.50 for standard service or $130 for express freight.

If it hasn't shipped, usually yes. Reach out right away with your order number and the swap you'd like. Once it has left the building, you're welcome to return the unmounted wheels (within 30 days) and reorder the right ones.

If it hasn't shipped, email us and we can usually combine. If it has, place a separate order and give us a heads-up so we can flag your account and avoid duplicate fees where possible.

Send us both order numbers right away. If neither has shipped, we'll cancel the duplicate. If one or both have shipped, we'll treat the extra as a standard return.

30 days, hassle-free. Let us know within 30 days of delivery that you'd like to return, then ship it back within 30 days of that notice. You cover return shipping on standard returns; items must come back in as-new condition, ideally in original packaging. Full details in the Return & Refund Policy.

Use the Returns & Exchanges form, or email taco@orangatangwheels.com. We'll confirm and send a Return Authorization (RA#) with instructions.

After you've notified us: Orangatang Wheels, Attn: Returns (include your RA#), 10575 Virginia Ave, Culver City, CA 90232. Use a tracked and insured method. We can only refund packages we actually receive.

Holding them up to your setup, checking clearance, and confirming size: fine. Pressing bearings in and rolling around the block: not fine. Once urethane meets pavement, it's yours. Wheels showing scuffed contact patches, flat spots, or bearing marks in the core aren't eligible for return. If you're unsure about fit, ask us before you open the box; we love that conversation.

Standard 30-day returns of as-new items have no restocking fee. Items showing light handling (bearings pressed in and removed, for example) but still resellable may see a 15% restocking fee deducted from the refund.

Once we receive and inspect the return, refunds go out within 3 to 5 business days of approval. Your bank may take another 5 to 10 business days to post it.

Final-sale items: sale, clearance, B-Stock, and apparel (made to order). Damaged or defective items are always handled separately: tell us right away and we'll replace or refund in full.

Email us photos and your order number. We cover return shipping on damaged, defective, or incorrect items and will replace or refund you in full.

Yes, under the standard return conditions. Gift returns are refunded as store credit to the recipient.

Exchanges run through the return process: we refund the returned set once received, and you place a new order for the right one. Before you reorder, tell us your weight and how you ride and we'll point you at the durometer you actually want.

Yes. Every Orangatang wheel and bushing is covered by our Limited Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, for the original owner, when purchased new from an authorized dealer. Full terms on the warranty page.

Cores separating from the urethane, voids or air pockets in the urethane, cracked or misaligned cores, and bushings that split or shear under normal riding. The kind of thing you'd typically see in the first weeks of riding, before much wear.

Normal wear (coning, flat spots, worn skin, shrinkage, bushing compression set), impact damage (chips and chunks from rocks, curbs, cracks, hard landings), heat damage from electric motors or hubs, improper installation (over-tightened nuts, missing spacers, bushings in the wrong trucks), alterations, unauthorized sellers, and anything involving the implosion of the sun. Bearings, hardware, tools, apparel, and stickers aren't covered by the warranty; damaged or defective ones are handled under the return policy.

Most chipping is impact damage (a rock, a curb edge, a hard slide on rough pavement), which isn't covered. Manufacturing defects are. Send photos through the warranty form and we'll take a look; many wheel claims can be evaluated from photos alone.

Coning is normal, especially on sharp-lipped wheels ridden hard through turns. Rotate your wheels regularly (swap front to back and flip them so the inside edge becomes the outside) to even out wear and extend their life. It isn't a defect, but if the wear pattern looks bizarre, send us a photo.

Submit photos and proof of purchase through the warranty form. If it looks covered and we need the product in hand, we'll issue an RA# and shipping instructions. Remove bearings, insure the package, use a trackable method. We typically inspect within 10 business days of receipt.

Yes: a receipt or order confirmation showing you're the original owner and bought from an authorized Orangatang dealer. Gift recipients count as the original owner with the gift receipt or order confirmation.

The brand that built the complete. Start with the shop or brand you bought it from; they'll route it correctly (and if it's our sister brand Loaded Boards, they'll already know the drill).

Major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover), PayPal, and buy-now-pay-later through Shop Pay Installments and Affirm at checkout.

Shop Pay Installments and Affirm are available at checkout for eligible orders. Approval and rates are set by the provider, not by us.

A single prepaid Visa, Mastercard, or gift card works. Checkout can't split payment across two cards; if you need to combine balances, load them into a PayPal account first and check out with PayPal.

Usually a billing-address mismatch or a hold from your card issuer. Double-check the billing address matches what your bank has on file and try again. Still stuck? Email us and we'll sort out an alternative.

Three questions narrow it down fast:

1. What kind of riding? Cruising, downhill, freeride, surfskate, e-skate, long-distance pushing, or freestyle. Different wheels are built for each.
2. How big a wheel? Small (62 to 70mm) is nimble and trick-friendly. Mid (73 to 80mm) is the versatile carving and freeride zone. Big (85mm and up) rolls over everything and excels at distance, e-skate, and rough pavement.
3. Sharp lips or rounded? Sharp lips grip hard for carving and downhill. Rounded lips are more forgiving and slide predictably.

Most wheels come in several durometers so you can dial grip versus slide once you've picked the model. Want a direct recommendation? Tell us your weight, your board, and your pavement at taco@orangatangwheels.com. The Wheel Buyer's Guide goes deeper.

You want grip, a smooth roll, and lively rebound. The Love Handles (65mm) are quick, light, and pumpable. The In Heat (75mm) is balanced for energetic carving with high traction. The Kegel (80mm) has supple, muscular grip and has been a favorite all-rounder for years. The Caguama (85mm) is big and beautiful: high roll speed and lots of grip in a comfortable cruising wheel.

Sharp lips, predictable grip, stable roll. The 4President (70mm) pairs grip with acceleration for tight courses. The In Heat (75mm) is built for hard turns and downhill. The Kegel (80mm) is predictably grippy at speed. For downhill freeride with drift, the Beefcake (73mm) and Durian (75mm).

Stone-ground urethane (no break-in), rounded lips, slide-friendly shapes. The Skiff (62mm) for slashing and all-terrain, the Fat Free (65mm) for tech slides and tricks, the Stimulus (70mm) as the restless jack-of-all-trades, the Beefcake (73mm) for catch-free high-speed slides, and the Durian (75mm) for plusher, bigger drifts.

Surfskate setups reward pumpable, grippy wheels with quick acceleration. The Love Handles (65mm) are the classic pick: compact, grippy, fully pumpable. The 4President (70mm) adds speed, the Stimulus (70mm) adds some slide, and the In Heat (75mm) is for riders who want a bigger, grippier wheel with lots of rebound.

Big, smooth, plush, and fast-rolling. The Kegel (80mm) holds speed easily. The Caguama (85mm) is the commuter standard for rough pavement. The Bee's Knees (90mm) is the long-haul sweet spot between the Caguama and Dad Bod. The Dad Bod (105mm) is absurd distance per push; it's kinda like cheating. Just add risers.

Small, light, slide-friendly. The Fat Free (65mm) and Stimulus (70mm) are the go-tos; the Skiff (62mm) if you want a street-style all-terrain alternative.

Bigger wheels roll faster, carry momentum longer, and smooth out cracks and rough pavement, at the cost of weight, slower acceleration, and more wheelbite risk. Smaller wheels accelerate quickly, feel nimble, slide and trick more easily, and fit more boards without risers. Contact patch width does the rest: wider grips, narrower slides.

Yes. Purchase price includes a set of 4 wheels. Bearings are sold separately.

Yes. On Orangatang wheels, color indicates durometer, so you can read a rider's setup from across the parking lot. Each product page lists which color is which hardness for that wheel.

Durometer is urethane hardness on the A scale. Softer (lower number) means more grip and shock absorption with a slower, smearier release. Harder (higher number) means faster roll, easier and longer slides, and less grip. For most cruising and pushing, 77a to 80a feels great. For freeride and predictable slides, 83a to 86a. Lighter riders can go a step softer; heavier riders a step harder.

Happy Thane is our proprietary wheel urethane, poured in California. It's tuned for high rebound (energy back on every push and pump), consistent grip, and smooth, predictable release when you ask it to slide. Every wheel in the current lineup is poured in Happy Thane. Our bushings use a different formula, Randy Thane, tuned for high-rebound support.

New urethane has a smooth outer "skin" that's grippy and a little grabby until it wears in. Stone-ground wheels have that skin ground off at the factory, so they slide predictably right out of the box with no break-in. Surface-skin wheels keep it for maximum grip, ideal for carving, pumping, racing, and commuting. In the lineup, the Skiff, Fat Free, Stimulus, Beefcake, and Durian are stone-ground; everything else is surface skin.

Sharp lips dig into the pavement through a turn for maximum grip and a defined edge; they hook up hard and release with more warning. Rounded lips transition smoothly from grip to slide and back, which is more forgiving for freeride, dancing, and learning to slide.

Some. An offset hub (bearing seat between the center and inner edge) balances grip and slide and is our default. A centerset hub puts the bearings in the middle, which wears evenly and lets you flip the wheel around to even out wear, handy for freeride. The Skiff, Beefcake, and Bee's Knees are centerset.

Stone-ground wheels, no. Surface-skin wheels have a little extra grab for the first few sessions until the skin wears through; carve them around a smooth lot for a bit before trying slides. It's not required, but the first slides on fresh skin can be grabby.

Those are thane lines, and they're a feature, not a problem. Softer, higher-rebound urethane leaves a little of itself behind when it slides. They're a good sign your wheels are gripping and releasing the way they should. They also mean your wheels are slowly getting smaller, which is the deal we all make.

Cool, dry, out of direct sun. Prolonged heat, UV, and solvents will harden, discolor, and degrade urethane over time. A closet beats a car trunk in July.

Depends on the deck, trucks, bushings, and risers. Rough rules: most drop-through and topmount longboards handle 70 to 75mm without risers; 80 to 85mm usually wants risers or wheel wells; 90mm and up wants risers and a deck designed for big wheels. Tell us your deck and trucks at taco@orangatangwheels.com and we'll suggest a maximum.

If your wheel rubs the deck on hard turns, yes. Add 1/8" or 1/4" risers to lift the deck, and add the riser height to your mounting hardware length. Tighter trucks or harder bushings also reduce bite. The Dad Bod (105mm) needs risers on almost everything.

We recommend them. Spacers sit between the two bearings inside the wheel so you can tighten the axle nut without crushing the bearings; speed rings sit between the bearing and the hanger or nut to reduce friction. Our Jehu V2 bearings have both built in, so you don't need to add anything.

Yes. All Orangatang wheels use the standard skateboard bearing size (8mm axle, 608 bearings), so they fit any standard skateboard or longboard truck. Whether the diameter fits your deck without wheelbite is the real question (see above).

Snug, then back off until the wheel spins freely with a tiny bit of side-to-side play. Over-tightening (especially without spacers) compresses the bearings and can damage the core. Cracked cores from over-torqued nuts aren't covered under warranty, so err on the side of gentle.

The Nipples are a classic barrel shape: big, lively, supportive, and a noticeable upgrade for energetic carving, pumping, dancing, and freestyle. The Knuckles come as an insert-barrel plus gumdrop pair with tighter tolerances, for quick edge-to-edge transitions and customizable turning. If you want maximum support and rebound, Nipples. If you want quicker, more tunable turning, Knuckles. Both are poured in our Randy Thane formula.

Softer bushings turn more and are less stable; harder ones turn less and hold up better at speed. Match to weight: lighter riders go softer, heavier riders go harder, and if you're between sizes, pick based on whether you want more turn or more stability. Each product page has a recommended weight range per durometer.

They're designed for reverse-kingpin longboard trucks (Paris, Bear, Randal, Carver, Caliber, Gullwing, Tracker, Atlas, and similar). They are not designed for traditional-kingpin street trucks. Check the compatibility list on each product page and compare measurements with your current bushings before ordering; this is the number-one cause of bushing returns.

Remove the kingpin nut and old bushings, note the washer arrangement, and install the new set the same way (boardside bushing first, then hanger, then roadside bushing, washer, nut). For the Knuckles, the insert barrel goes boardside and the gumdrop roadside. Tighten until snug, ride, then adjust. Step-by-step instructions are on each product page.

A set covers one truck: two bushings (boardside and roadside). Order two sets to do both trucks.

The Kegel (80mm), Caguama (85mm), Bee's Knees (90mm), and Dad Bod (105mm) have cores designed to accept pulleys and motor-drive adapters, and they're the wheels most e-skate builders spec. The Kegel is one of the most popular e-skate wheels in the world. The rest of the lineup (In Heat, Stimulus, 4President, and so on) isn't designed for e-skate drivetrains.

No. Pulleys and adapters come from the board or drivetrain maker, machined to fit our cores. Most e-skate brands list which Orangatang models their pulleys fit; check with them before ordering.

The urethane and core are covered against manufacturing defects like any other Orangatang wheel. Damage from motor or brake heat, hub-motor sleeves, or pulley installation isn't. If you're running high-power setups on long descents, let the wheels cool between runs; heat is urethane's least favorite thing.

Any standard 608 skateboard bearing fits. We sell Jehu V2 bearings, which include built-in spacers and speed rings so installation is foolproof and the axle nut can't over-compress them.

Integrated spacers and speed rings mean nothing to lose, nothing to line up, and no way to crush the bearings by tightening the nut. Press them in, tighten to snug, roll.

Pop the shields off, drop the bearings in a jar with isopropyl alcohol or a citrus solvent, shake, pour off, repeat until clear. Dry completely, then add a few drops of bearing oil (not WD-40). After salt, mud, or a swim, replacement is usually the better call.

Topmount decks: 1" or 1-1/4". Drop-through decks: 1-1/2" or 1-3/4". Add the thickness of any risers or shock pads. When in doubt, longer is safer than shorter. We carry both button-head and countersunk hardware.

Yes. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope (large-envelope postage, about $1.20 in the US) to Orangatang Wheels, Attn: Stickers, 10575 Virginia Ave, Culver City, CA 90232, and we'll send stickers back.

Apply through the Rider Sponsorship page. Riding a lot, tagging us, and being a good presence in your local scene all help your case. We read every application and reply.

Slide jams, push races, group rides, dance jams: send it through the Event Sponsorship form (please, not by email, so it doesn't get lost). We can help with product, swag, and promo.

We're open to collaborations that make sense for both sides. Send a short overview (who you are, what you're proposing, timeline, visual references) to taco@orangatangwheels.com.

Yes. Fill out the New Dealer Application. Existing dealers order through the B2B portal linked on our Dealer Resources page.

Use the Add Your Store page and we'll get you on the map.

Tracking is emailed as soon as your order ships. You can also check your order history. Can't find the email? Check spam, then email us with your order number.

We run occasional promotions through our email list and social channels; subscribe at the bottom of any page to hear first. We don't honor expired codes or stack multiple promotions on one order.

We have a limited program for working skaters, shop employees, and industry partners. Send a short intro (who you are, where you work or who you ride for) to taco@orangatangwheels.com.

Please do. There's a small walk-in retail space at our Culver City building, 10575 Virginia Ave, Monday to Friday 9AM to 5PM Pacific. The wheels are poured in the back.

Email taco@orangatangwheels.com, call +1 (310) 839-1800, or pick a department on the Support page. We aim to respond within one business day.