THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST. PLEASE REFER TO MANUFACTURER INSTRUCTIONS IF UNSURE! WE ARE NOT HELD LIABLE FOR ANY UNSAFE ADJUSTMENTS YOU MIGHT MAKE.
TOESTOPS
Make sure you adjust your toestops if you have a plate with adjustable toestops!
Simple but important. Just like your trucks, we recommend playing around with the adjustment of your toe stops to see what height/angle works best for you. Watch out for screwing them in too far where it will then hit the boot, but also don't wear them so low that there isn't much thread in the insert as this can cause pressure on the stem and base plate. Higher end plates will have an allen key mechanism to tighten your toe stops in place. Mid-range/basic plates will usually use a nut and washer. Entry level skates will have a NON ADJUSTABLE toe stop called a BOLT-ON toe stop. You can change bolt-on ones once they wear down but you cannot adjust the length of these ones. Adjustable toe stops often come in 2 stem lengths - short or long. Toestops come in imperial or metric thread. 99% of skates use imperial toestops but Roll-Line plates, Moxi Rainbow Riders and STD plates use metric. So make sure you know which type your skates have!
If you are changing the toestops/jam plugs please use some oil or grease to make sure they go in without stripping the thread on the plates. Please do not try to force toestops in - if you put them in at a wrong angle or there is grit in the threads there is a chance you might thread the toestops which can result in them getting stuck and potentially needing to replace the plates! Please be aware that dragging one toe stop to stop with adjustable toe stops is a no-no and you are not covered under warranty if your toe stop thread gets damaged. Most toestop issues are classed as wear and tear or 'user error' and are NOT covered under warranty so BE CAREFUL!
TRUCKS & CUSHIONS
Adjusting the kingpin nut (AKA: loosening/tightening your trucks) will change how much pressure you need to put through your edges to turn, or create power transfer. Loose trucks will give you a more squiggly feel where you don’t have to apply too much pressure to turn, however it can affect precision and quickfire moves. Tighter trucks will give you a ‘snappy’ feel. If you’re not sure what you like then experiment by loosening or tightening your trucks until you get an action you like the feel of. Make sure to adjust all 4 so there is a similar amount of thread showing. Just make sure you don’t loosen them so much so your trucks are rattling or so that your cushions have no compression in them or on the flip side don't overtighten so they look like they are 'bulging'. If you feel you are over tightening or over loosening your trucks to get the action you like then you might want to consider changing your cushions to get the most efficient action from your plate. Entry level skates will often have crappy hard rubber cushions, so upgrading to urethane cushions and trying different hardnesses of cushions can make a huge difference. Cushions come in various options of soft to hard. A soft cushion will give you more squish and ease of lateral maneuverability. A harder cushion will give you more stability and precision.
It is a good idea to check your plates and trucks before each skate session to make sure everything is healthy. When you do this make sure you check all your bolts to make sure they are tight, check your cushions aren’t flattened, check that nothing is bent, snapped, cracked or rattling around.
The Powerdyne Arius plates specifically say to check the Axis Pins before each time you skate as over time they can work their way loose - especially if skating outside or aggressive skating.
IMPORTANT: Non-maintained skates are always going to be considered operator error, so please do keep an eye on them and replace any parts immediately. We, or manufacturers, are not liable for any issues that arise from not maintaining your skates properly. These are a piece of sports equipment so replacing parts is completely normal and often NOT a fault.
WHEELS
Sometimes skates that are factory made have over tightened the wheels as they are done by machine. Or who knows - maybe they feel a little rattly? Wheels should spin freely but have no up and down wobble on the axle. If you are changing your wheels, we recommend that you tighten them down tightly and then start to loosen them off to find that right mix of free spin but no wobble. Beginners may actually prefer them a little tighter just so you don't actually have as much roll! Be careful not to over tighten and damage the bearing.