What is rake?
Rake is a term used to describe the position of the axle in relation to the bushing seat.
- Bushing seat: Where the bushings sit in the hanger when everything is tightened down
Rake is a design element of trucks where the axle is offset from the bushing seat, which changes how the truck responds to your steering input.
Zero rake
Wtih zero rake, the amount the truck turns will be directly correlated to the amount of lean you put into the truck. Some riders can report this feeling relatively "dead" in turns.
Positive rake
With positive rake, the truck will feel a little more responsive, but be less stable. Riders commonly report positive rake trucks feeling "surfy", "turny", or "lively." Higher rake numbers tend to be associated with narrow hangers and precision trucks. Standard cast trucks tend to have 0-5mm of rake, but some slalom or slalom downhill trucks can have 10mm of rake.
Negative rake
With negative rake, the truck will feel less responsive, but more stable. Trucks oftentimes are not designed with negative rake, but you can take a positive rake hanger and flip it before reinstalling it onto the baseplate, resulting in a negative rake truck.
