Gear madness support thread

[Sedition]

A Story of Madness…or Enlightenment

(This post could go in this thread, or the DLX shapes thread, but I’m putting it here.)

I have tried the DLX 8.38 a few times before. For several reasons, I was really put off by it. Those reasons included:

- No Man’s Land between 8.25 and 8.5 trucks.
- Longer WB than I normally ride
- Nose/Tail way more “rounded” than I like
- Whether it actually is, tail felt a lot a shorter than my normal ride.
- If I want a bigger / more stable set-up, the DLX 8.75 is my well established jam. The 8.38 seemed like this weird wasteland between series stability (8.75) and agility (my regular 8.25).

Well, I’ve seen enough banter about how “good” the 8.38 was, that I decided to try it, again (against all better judgement).

I got a IV stamp, and set it up with Indy Forged 149s. Initially I had 53mm classics on it, but they just seemed wrong for some reason (These are my standard wheels on my trusty 8.25).  So, I decided to try 54mm Radials on it. Now I’ve got a deck, trucks, and wheels that I’ve •all• had questionable history with. I look at this complete set-up, and think, “Dude. WTF are you doing?!?”

I head off to the local park. I’m rolling around just doing some real basic stuff, to get the feeling of it all…and I’m liking it. A lot. My mind start reeling. How?  How are you possibly liking this set-up? I tell myself, “Stop thinking. Just skate.”

I’ve been riding that set-up ever since, and having a lot fun with it. Today I even bought III stamp 8.38 for my eventual next deck.

I am shocked by all of this. Skateboarding is so weird.

[DarkPools]

The madness is a funny thing because all it takes is one good session on gear you swear mathematically or scientifically does not work for your preferences to go "now, wait a minute, why do I like this?"


When I was younger (about 10-14 years ago now) I swore by the 8.38 size from DLX. Paired with Bones V5 usually on 149 standards or hollows (when they first dropped). It was the perfect size to me. Wider than 8.25 but slimmer than 8.5, yet offered all the positive qualities of both sizes below/above 8.38.

Eventually it was harder to find (temporary drought of that size in my area) so moved to 8.5 and rarely looked back. Nowadays, I run 8.5 consistently.

[rocklobster]

The madness is a funny thing because all it takes is one good session on gear you swear mathematically or scientifically does not work for your preferences to go "now, wait a minute, why do I like this?"

I swear I'll never leave the Venture camp and the last time I rode Indy in 2019 I didn't love them. Then I try a friends setup with Indys and I start questioning my conviction so IDK anymore.

[LebowskisRug]

I was the same with the 8.38. I had a Baker 8.38 with 144 Indy cast plates and ti hangers and loved it. I got a III stamp DLX 8.38 and didn't love it and shelved the deck.

A few months later and I had switched to Thunder 148 and had some brand new 53 Classics on it. Had snapped my 8.38 Sci-Fi and had it in the car to leave at the park so I set it up. It was oddly really, really great. Surprisingly good for nose manuals and any fakie trick wheelbase be damned. I rode it for a while until it got super soggy and flat, but it was a great setup that I often think of returning to.

After that deck I went back to the 8.25 DLX and had 3 in a row and they just never felt right. Thunder, Indy, Venture, smaller wheels, big wheels, they just never quite felt like home.

[lildonut92]

Has anyone ever had 148’s on an 8inch deck? I’ve only ever been about having the right size truck with my board and sometimes magic carpet life. However, my truck madness had led me down the path of curiosity.

Forged indy 139’s are too tall. Venture lo’s and thunder 147’s are too low. That really only leaves me with forged venture hi’s (which I have right now) or 148’s (cast or forged).

Would the wheels really stick out THAT much?

[Ok]

Has anyone ever had 148’s on an 8inch deck? I’ve only ever been about having the right size truck with my board and sometimes magic carpet life. However, my truck madness had led me down the path of curiosity.

Forged indy 139’s are too tall. Venture lo’s and thunder 147’s are too low. That really only leaves me with forged venture hi’s (which I have right now) or 148’s (cast or forged).

Would the wheels really stick out THAT much?

you’ll be fine.
some pros and cons imo: hot rodding is more stable, but wheelbites quicker. i like my ollies, when im going faster, on the wider trucks.
the quick wheelbiting, means less turning, but more pinching.

visually i’ve liked the way it looks, but i can be convinced to like the way magic carpet looks too.

i’m riding an extreme hotrod rn, and i really like it, but most often i find that it messes with my flip tricks

its not going to be that noticeable, imo.
i have forged baseplate, solid axle 148s and they are very good.

[Boog]

Has anyone ever had 148’s on an 8inch deck? I’ve only ever been about having the right size truck with my board and sometimes magic carpet life. However, my truck madness had led me down the path of curiosity.

Forged indy 139’s are too tall. Venture lo’s and thunder 147’s are too low. That really only leaves me with forged venture hi’s (which I have right now) or 148’s (cast or forged).

Would the wheels really stick out THAT much?

Nah they won't stick out much. You can run them in an 8.

[Mbrimson88]

Expand Quote

Has anyone ever had 148’s on an 8inch deck? I’ve only ever been about having the right size truck with my board and sometimes magic carpet life. However, my truck madness had led me down the path of curiosity.

Forged indy 139’s are too tall. Venture lo’s and thunder 147’s are too low. That really only leaves me with forged venture hi’s (which I have right now) or 148’s (cast or forged).

Would the wheels really stick out THAT much?

[close]

you’ll be fine.
some pros and cons imo: hot rodding is more stable, but wheelbites quicker. i like my ollies, when im going faster, on the wider trucks.
the quick wheelbiting, means less turning, but more pinching.

visually i’ve liked the way it looks, but i can be convinced to like the way magic carpet looks too.

i’m riding an extreme hotrod rn, and i really like it, but most often i find that it messes with my flip tricks

its not going to be that noticeable, imo.
i have forged baseplate, solid axle 148s and they are very good.

That does seem like a good combo.  One of the "old 00s pro" street guys I know has that setup, always on DLX proddy so a Real / Krooked 8.06 deck, the forged baseplate on 148s with 50 or 51 mm Classic Spitfire wheels and he makes that thing work like a dream.

To look at his board I cannot see wheel sticking out at all from standing on it, just the axle nuts and it is very stable.  He says that combo works better for him, the forged baseplate keeping it low, the 148 hanger being a bit taller so more kingpin clearance than 147s, the fairly small wheels, not too wide, super street tech and ledge / manny / rail tricks for days.


I used to run the Indy 144s (8.25 trucks) on the black eagle which was 8.125 with medium sized Classic wheels and it worked really well too, so if you want a little more stability, that combination should be good.

[Sedition]

...Venture lo’s and thunder 147’s are too low...

Dude, they make these things called "riser pads." You should be able to get those Lows and 147 to the exact height you want.

[Ok]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Has anyone ever had 148’s on an 8inch deck? I’ve only ever been about having the right size truck with my board and sometimes magic carpet life. However, my truck madness had led me down the path of curiosity.

Forged indy 139’s are too tall. Venture lo’s and thunder 147’s are too low. That really only leaves me with forged venture hi’s (which I have right now) or 148’s (cast or forged).

Would the wheels really stick out THAT much?

[close]

you’ll be fine.
some pros and cons imo: hot rodding is more stable, but wheelbites quicker. i like my ollies, when im going faster, on the wider trucks.
the quick wheelbiting, means less turning, but more pinching.

visually i’ve liked the way it looks, but i can be convinced to like the way magic carpet looks too.

i’m riding an extreme hotrod rn, and i really like it, but most often i find that it messes with my flip tricks

its not going to be that noticeable, imo.
i have forged baseplate, solid axle 148s and they are very good.

[close]

That does seem like a good combo.  One of the "old 00s pro" street guys I know has that setup, always on DLX proddy so a Real / Krooked 8.06 deck, the forged baseplate on 148s with 50 or 51 mm Classic Spitfire wheels and he makes that thing work like a dream.

To look at his board I cannot see wheel sticking out at all from standing on it, just the axle nuts and it is very stable.  He says that combo works better for him, the forged baseplate keeping it low, the 148 hanger being a bit taller so more kingpin clearance than 147s, the fairly small wheels, not too wide, super street tech and ledge / manny / rail tricks for days.


I used to run the Indy 144s (8.25 trucks) on the black eagle which was 8.125 with medium sized Classic wheels and it worked really well too, so if you want a little more stability, that combination should be good.

whenever a poll comes out for hotrod vs magic carpet, i find myself extolling the virtues of the carpet. i shouldn’t be trusted in any matters of gear: im just gonna switch it up later. currently skating an 8.38 on 6.1s and it’s sick. might hate it when this 2 weeks of rain stops and i go out again.

[rikki]

Quite many homies of mine seem to rock 8.25 decks with Indy 149's and speak highly of the combo. I've always been more of a magic carpet guy. Most often riding 8.25 with either Venture 5.6 or Indy 144s, which both result in tiny bit of carpet. Having said that, would be interesting to try a more of a hot rodded setup.

[moonordie]

Quite many homies of mine seem to rock 8.25 decks with Indy 149's and speak highly of the combo. I've always been more of a magic carpet guy. Most often riding 8.25 with either Venture 5.6 or Indy 144s, which both result in tiny bit of carpet. Having said that, would be interesting to try a more of a hot rodded setup.

I find that I skated the best in this stage of life on 8.25 with 8.5 trucks.

[munchbox]

i dont think i can go sub 32” after getting used to 32.5”
the options are looking bone thin nowadays. no complaints

[Bongwater Mojito]

I used to run the Indy 144s (8.25 trucks) on the black eagle which was 8.125 with medium sized Classic wheels and it worked really well too, so if you want a little more stability, that combination should be good.

This has been my go-to with Indies. 8.125 with 144s, 8.375 with 149s and maybe at some point 8.5 with 159s.

I like the stability and the extra grind area. Flip tricks need more oomph, though.

[moonordie]

Expand Quote

I used to run the Indy 144s (8.25 trucks) on the black eagle which was 8.125 with medium sized Classic wheels and it worked really well too, so if you want a little more stability, that combination should be good.

[close]

This has been my go-to with Indies. 8.125 with 144s, 8.375 with 149s and maybe at some point 8.5 with 159s.

I like the stability and the extra grind area. Flip tricks need more oomph, though.

Can't wait to try 8 on AF-1 44. Should be fun.

[In A Jar]

Been injured for a while and getting close to the okay to skate again.  I normally like 8.25/14.25 with ventures.  I have attempted to get 8.5/14.5 to work as I know there are benefits for me since i'm 6'3" size 12 shoes, but I haven't had luck.  I'm just wondering if it's even remotely possible to make 8.5/14.5 feel as light/flippy as 8.25/14.25 with Indy or Ace (or anything) since they don't push out the wheelbase as much? 

[munchbox]

there are a ton of 8.5+ boards with 14.25wb
id go there before that rabbit hole

[DarkPools]

Been injured for a while and getting close to the okay to skate again.  I normally like 8.25/14.25 with ventures.  I have attempted to get 8.5/14.5 to work as I know there are benefits for me since i'm 6'3" size 12 shoes, but I haven't had luck.  I'm just wondering if it's even remotely possible to make 8.5/14.5 feel as light/flippy as 8.25/14.25 with Indy or Ace (or anything) since they don't push out the wheelbase as much?

I skate plenty of 8.5 x 14.5 or 14.25 WB decks, usually no longer than 32.3 with Indy. I find some of the 14.25 can be quite nimble. DLX's standard 8.5 molds [there are 2 I believe] may seem to scratch that itch. However, their 8.38 if you can find them may be the better choice. That way, it's between the two sizes but you get benefits of both, plus you can use your 8.25 trucks still and not feel like you need to size up your trucks either! However, if you're looking to buy Indy or Ace, the 8.25 or 8.5 trucks can work on 8.38 or 8.5 as intended.

Krooked and Anti Hero have an 8.38 with either 14.5 or 14.38 WB (need to check specs) and it feels quite nimble to flip, but still sturdy for the taller/bigger folks. Black Label, The Killing Floor, and Element have 8.5 x 14.5 that may not be as light/flippy as the 8.25/14.25 combo, but with Indys they do get you close to that feeling, imo.

5' 10" with 11/11.5 shoes here btw and 8.5s are my go to: I flip my board a lot and usually don't have much trouble unless I am physically having an off day

[In A Jar]

Thanks for the replies. I know I can do 8.5/14.25, but I have the same issues as 8.25.  I feel much more natural skating 14.5, but I struggle with flip tricks.  I don't really think there is any magic truck that could make 14.5 feel like 14.25 with ventures but I guess I was hoping. 

[Mcidraque]

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I used to run the Indy 144s (8.25 trucks) on the black eagle which was 8.125 with medium sized Classic wheels and it worked really well too, so if you want a little more stability, that combination should be good.

[close]

This has been my go-to with Indies. 8.125 with 144s, 8.375 with 149s and maybe at some point 8.5 with 159s.

I like the stability and the extra grind area. Flip tricks need more oomph, though.

[close]

Can't wait to try 8 on AF-1 44. Should be fun.

i've been on that setup (dlx 8.06 on AF1 44) for the past 2 years or so, and haven't looked back since.

[moonordie]

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I used to run the Indy 144s (8.25 trucks) on the black eagle which was 8.125 with medium sized Classic wheels and it worked really well too, so if you want a little more stability, that combination should be good.

[close]

This has been my go-to with Indies. 8.125 with 144s, 8.375 with 149s and maybe at some point 8.5 with 159s.

I like the stability and the extra grind area. Flip tricks need more oomph, though.

[close]

Can't wait to try 8 on AF-1 44. Should be fun.

[close]

i've been on that setup (dlx 8.06 on AF1 44) for the past 2 years or so, and haven't looked back since.

From which board size were you coming from?

[LebowskisRug]

I haven't magically made a short board feel longer with Ventures. A few months ago my Thunder bushings shit the bed and I had some V-Lights in my car. In order to skate and not just sit there I threw the V-Lights on a 14.38 WB, which was the longest I had ever skated and what do you know it actually worked awesome. I ended up on the cast V-Hollow, which is still much longer effective WB than my old Thunders or Indys.

I'm now on a Manderson 8.38 with the Ventures, which is shorter than the 8.38/14.38 I was on prior and it feels marginally better than when I rode Indys on 14.25 (The Manderson is a smidgeon shorter WB, but longer kicks).

I would say don't worry about it until it is a problem. My flip tricks feel great, my setup feels stable, and the downsides are pretty damn small. I'd say coming back from injury the stability will be an asset and they won't hold you back. I think the people on here that act like they can't do anything on a specific set of trucks or setup are exaggerating or not willing to spend the time tweaking their form or don't have specific tricks in the first place. I have always sucked at front shuvs and its not the trucks. For a nice boned out kickflip it took about 5 frustrating minutes of different foot positions to figure out what worked and now I love the way they feel.

[Mcidraque]

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I used to run the Indy 144s (8.25 trucks) on the black eagle which was 8.125 with medium sized Classic wheels and it worked really well too, so if you want a little more stability, that combination should be good.

[close]

This has been my go-to with Indies. 8.125 with 144s, 8.375 with 149s and maybe at some point 8.5 with 159s.

I like the stability and the extra grind area. Flip tricks need more oomph, though.

[close]

Can't wait to try 8 on AF-1 44. Should be fun.

[close]

i've been on that setup (dlx 8.06 on AF1 44) for the past 2 years or so, and haven't looked back since.

[close]

From which board size were you coming from?

dlx 8.5-31.8-14.25 + indy 159 (had that set-up going from 2015-2020ish) and prior to that dlx 8.25 + indy 149's (2008-2015ish)

graduated to the 8" dlx shape around 2000 so after covid (and moving back to my hometown where flat and few ledges is all we have) i've been loving the 8+44af1 combo

[diplodocus]

So I'm thining of sizing down my wheels from 54 to 53. I know, it is 1mm. But what did you notice when you sized down in wheels? Does it pop faster being 1mm lower?

I mainly ride curbs and mini, basic flat and grinds.

[Firebert]

So I'm thining of sizing down my wheels from 54 to 53. I know, it is 1mm. But what did you notice when you sized down in wheels? Does it pop faster being 1mm lower?

I mainly ride curbs and mini, basic flat and grinds.

Sizing down from 54 to 53 would only lower your height 0.5mm. I doubt you could feel the difference, wheels naturally wear down more than that in their lifespan.

[DERBY]

So I'm thining of sizing down my wheels from 54 to 53. I know, it is 1mm. But what did you notice when you sized down in wheels? Does it pop faster being 1mm lower?

I mainly ride curbs and mini, basic flat and grinds.

maybe maybe not. but i doubt youll notice much at all. i bounced around from 50 to 52 to 58 to 56 to 54 to 60 within a year and i felt like the shape/width is what threw me off the most.

Does it pop faster being 1mm lower?

yeah but not by much

[Mbrimson88]

So I'm thining of sizing down my wheels from 54 to 53. I know, it is 1mm. But what did you notice when you sized down in wheels? Does it pop faster being 1mm lower?

I mainly ride curbs and mini, basic flat and grinds.

It comes down to a few things, but to ask:


How long do your wheels usually last you?

Do you skate them from new down to a certain size every time and then put new ones on or at what point do you swap out wheels usually?

Are you going down to the same shape of wheel, or a different shape too?


For Spitfire, they get thinner as they get smaller, so it will be a little smaller overall going down a bit like that, but more than anything, a smaller tech type of wheel will not last as long as a bigger more chunky wheel, but you can maybe do a bit more on a smaller wheel right from go, compared to a bigger wheel you have to wear down and get used to again, if you do wear your wheels down a lot before swapping them out.


To have the luxury of getting bigger wheels, putting them on one setup for some things then having smaller or more worn down wheels on another setup is something that not everyone can afford or even wants, but this works well enough if you are into that sort of thing.

The other side of it is getting wheels that are pretty much exactly as you want, then swapping them out once they wear down a mm or two, so you always have pretty much the same size everything and it is way less to get used to every time you set up a new board, new wheels or whatever.

That is the usual pro setup sort of thing, but it can be a bit more expensive overall, especially if you go through wheels quite quickly like some people do.

[DarkPools]

So I'm thining of sizing down my wheels from 54 to 53. I know, it is 1mm. But what did you notice when you sized down in wheels? Does it pop faster being 1mm lower?

I mainly ride curbs and mini, basic flat and grinds.

To add with info not yet shared. I typically buy between 53 and 55mm of Spitfire F4 Conical or Conical Full depending on what the shop has. I have noticed going from 53 to 54/55 (in the same shape) that the wheel felt "heftier" just ever so slightly. Took a little longer to wear in to my sweet spot, but it was noticeable with the 1-2mm difference.

If you size down 1 mm you may notice they're slightly more nimble and not as heavy from the get-go. Or you may not notice anything. Also, any wheelbite you previously had with new wheels may not be as prevalent on the new set. I noticed the inverse when I sized up, so your experience could be similar but in the other direction.

How the wheels perform from the jump: identical in locking in, grinding, feel, etc. for me

[Sedition]

So I'm thining of sizing down my wheels from 54 to 53. I know, it is 1mm. But what did you notice when you sized down in wheels? Does it pop faster being 1mm lower?

I mainly ride curbs and mini, basic flat and grinds.

I ride and 8.25" deck with 53mm Classics. I mostly skate the same things you do. As mentioned, Spitfires get wider/narrower if you are going bigger/smaller with wheel size. I have tried 51mm through 55mm Classics on my 8.25" set-ups. 53mm is absolutely my "golden" zone. I do notice some differences, even going up/down 1mm in wheel size. But, I honestly don't want to tell you what *I* notice about those differences as to not give you preconceived notions about what *you* will experience when trying a different size--better to just suss those things out for yourself. Give them a shot, and then check-back in....and I'll give you the full Madness Rundown of my take on how just 1mm makes things feel different.   

[mstuntbless]

^^why don’t you give us your full madness take on it..just for fun!