Gear madness support thread

[Vintagebody]

I have both forged and std indys! I dont like short tails. Prefer 6.6"+

[Mbrimson88]

Recently got a AH Eagle 8.38 w 14.5" WB. Skate with Thunders. Been mostly on 14.25 wheelbases, but also a 14.38 which I really loved. I actually notice I struggle with 180s or 360s. The true wheelbase is like 17.68", versus 17.43". So not that much difference, but my god is it noticeable. Thinking about swapping to my Indys so its 17,5". What you guys think?

Been on that shape for quite a while now and yes it is somewhat more difficult to skate for street type stuff, but I am more transition / old guy chill type stuff so it is not too bad for me, although I definitely feel the short tail on it.

Then with all the drilling baseplates going on, I thought I would try it, even just the back truck only, drilled in 1/4" and I actually like it a lot more for an all rounder on Indy standards.  Definitely not for everyone, but it makes the tail feel more "normal" to me and I still like the nose as is.

Others have drilled in Ventures on both ends, which is a little too much, but as a street / tech board, they really like it.  Thunders can't easily be drilled in, so I would not even think about that as an option, but Indy and Venture, or any other truck which can easily be made in to an 8 hole baseplate is worth trying on it, if you are so inclined.

I still have lots of the normal 8.38 boards set up - yeah too many boards any which way you look at it - but this green eagle with drilled in baseplate actually works really well for me, so I am going to set up some more boards like this too and see how I go with them.

Not even six months ago I would have thought it crazy to drill in a single baseplate to skate on this board, but here I am, skating it and liking it a lot more, especially on the steeper boards I might not usually skate otherwise.  Baseplate is 1/4" in so that makes the wheelbase 14.25 now with a 6.7 or so tail.  The board is old and already worn down a little in the tail so it makes it work well.


* Some of the other 8.38 BBS boards all have 14.38 wb, with longer tails, so boards like Passport, Polar, Generator 8.38 and others all maybe feel that little bit better in that regard, just in case you were liking the width but wanted a bit more tail on your boards.

[FrenchSkater]

I was supposed to have a Real Deck 8.12, 31.3 and 14 wb board, but the shop where I ordered it was wrong, I received 8.12, 32 and 14.25 wb.. I said to myself "Fuck it madness, I love Real, and normally all the boards work with my indy forged hollows" THIS IS THE CASE!! If it can help people get out of madness... I'm really happy, I did my first session with this deck today, and it was perfect. Glad to finally no longer take into account lengths or wb.

When you think about it... It's only small millimeters of differences and when you think about it, it's stupid.. If we know how to do the tricks, we can do them with all boards.. But it's hard to reason when you're in hell.

[moonordie]

I was supposed to have a Real Deck 8.12, 31.3 and 14 wb board, but the shop where I ordered it was wrong, I received 8.12, 32 and 14.25 wb.. I said to myself "Fuck it madness, I love Real, and normally all the boards work with my indy forged hollows" THIS IS THE CASE!! If it can help people get out of madness... I'm really happy, I did my first session with this deck today, and it was perfect. Glad to finally no longer take into account lengths or wb.

When you think about it... It's only small millimeters of differences and when you think about it, it's stupid.. If we know how to do the tricks, we can do them with all boards.. But it's hard to reason when you're in hell.

How dare you?

[Mbrimson88]

Expand Quote

I was supposed to have a Real Deck 8.12, 31.3 and 14 wb board, but the shop where I ordered it was wrong, I received 8.12, 32 and 14.25 wb.. I said to myself "Fuck it madness, I love Real, and normally all the boards work with my indy forged hollows" THIS IS THE CASE!! If it can help people get out of madness... I'm really happy, I did my first session with this deck today, and it was perfect. Glad to finally no longer take into account lengths or wb.

When you think about it... It's only small millimeters of differences and when you think about it, it's stupid.. If we know how to do the tricks, we can do them with all boards.. But it's hard to reason when you're in hell.

[close]

How dare you?

Ha yeah, even a couple of mm can be the best, or the worst for how a product feels, be it wheels, trucks, even deck, but hey, I am sure if someone ONLY had that option they could make it work, but as this is the madness thread, I would rather get rid of something I don't like the feel of and set up something better.

Speaking of those DLX 8.125 x 32 with 14.25 wb boards, I don't know how many I had of those over the 2007 to 2018 years, but it was a lot and that was all I skated for a long, long time, mostly on Indy 139s but then tried Indy 144s when they came out in 2017, which was a welcome change up.  Still got half a dozen completes of those old setups too, but I have moved on to bigger and wider boards now, but that size and shape was great back then as an all rounder for everything.

Such good memories when ever I see a black eagle, or set up something similar for someone.

[Xen]

Expand Quote

I was supposed to have a Real Deck 8.12, 31.3 and 14 wb board, but the shop where I ordered it was wrong, I received 8.12, 32 and 14.25 wb.. I said to myself "Fuck it madness, I love Real, and normally all the boards work with my indy forged hollows" THIS IS THE CASE!! If it can help people get out of madness... I'm really happy, I did my first session with this deck today, and it was perfect. Glad to finally no longer take into account lengths or wb.

When you think about it... It's only small millimeters of differences and when you think about it, it's stupid.. If we know how to do the tricks, we can do them with all boards.. But it's hard to reason when you're in hell.

[close]

How dare you?

lol, right? Sacrilège!

[Too Frank To Fred]

2024 was a year of gear experimentation for me, particularly wheels. I never learn. Testing the waters with different product can send you down worm holes  and then you have shoe boxes full of shit sitting not being used. Since it's nearly the official end of summer, I'm donating a bunch of gear to a non-profit today to cleanse my soul.

Just had to get that off my chest.

[MxsDx]

2024 was a year of gear experimentation for me, particularly wheels. I never learn. Testing the waters with different product can send you down worm holes  and then you have shoe boxes full of shit sitting not being used. Since it's nearly the official end of summer, I'm donating a bunch of gear to a non-profit today to cleanse my soul.

Just had to get that off my chest.

Care to share which non-profit? Would love to donate gear to a group that will put it to good use.

[Too Frank To Fred]

Expand Quote

2024 was a year of gear experimentation for me, particularly wheels. I never learn. Testing the waters with different product can send you down worm holes  and then you have shoe boxes full of shit sitting not being used. Since it's nearly the official end of summer, I'm donating a bunch of gear to a non-profit today to cleanse my soul.

Just had to get that off my chest.

[close]

Care to share which non-profit? Would love to donate gear to a group that will put it to good use.

https://www.amppdx.org/

Artist Mentorship Program in Portland Oregon. They engage youth without stable housing or who are vulnerably house with Art, Music, drop in meals etc... They also have organized a few skate events and give out boards. They recently did a work shop where kids got to assemble boards and keep the ones they put together. I know they always need trucks in particular.

[Xen]

Been on Venture (hollow forged/stock) for a bit, switched out to thunder TI/forged and suddenly my board didn't feel or sound dead and 103 STFs and spits came to life again, loud chirps and hard feel (the 97a spits took on a second life but too much wheelbite @55mm); anyone notice this with their Ventures? Knowing full well that Thunder forged have a tinny effect, but didn't assume vent forged would be that different - I honestly thought it was the STFs being a shit run or something. Going to try out some different Vent hangers and plate combos to see if it's just these hangers...goddamnit

[Thebird]

Been on Venture (hollow forged/stock) for a bit, switched out to thunder TI/forged and suddenly my board didn't feel or sound dead and 103 STFs and spits came to life again, loud chirps and hard feel (the 97a spits took on a second life but too much wheelbite @55mm); anyone notice this with their Ventures? Knowing full well that Thunder forged have a tinny effect, but didn't assume vent forged would be that different - I honestly thought it was the STFs being a shit run or something. Going to try out some different Vent hangers and plate combos to see if it's just these hangers...goddamnit

Never noticed this switching between Ventures and Thunders before, but now you have me wanting to experiment.  The thing that always makes me feel like my decks are dead and the wheels are too soft are quiet bearings.

[BeachChicken]

Anecdotally my Venture cast hollows sound great. They sound louder landing things and I think the bearings sound louder for some reason it's kinda weird.

[Boog]

Anecdotally my Venture cast hollows sound great. They sound louder landing things and I think the bearings sound louder for some reason it's kinda weird.

Same with mine too.

[FrenchSkater]

Are there people like me who ride Indy forged hollows for a long time, and then switched back to standard ones ?

I skated hollows for over a year, and I had used indy standards in very good condition, and what a horror for me... whether with my current Real 8.12 X 32 and 14.25 Wb, or a sk8mafia 8.125, 31.4 and 14,1 Wb. The sessions were a nightmaire, impossible to pop correctly, no constant mastery of tricks (Especially the 360 ​​flip)

Do you believe that over 30 years old, we can only skate trucks with lighter versions ? With heavy and high trucks, now,  I really feel like a child who has difficulty lifting his board.. Or is this an adaptation time for muscle memory or something like that? Thank you for enlightening me and testifying to this ahah

[Sedition]

Are there people like me who ride Indy forged hollows for a long time, and then switched back to standard ones ?

I skated hollows for over a year, and I had used indy standards in very good condition, and what a horror for me... whether with my current Real 8.12 X 32 and 14.25 Wb, or a sk8mafia 8.125, 31.4 and 14,1 Wb. The sessions were a nightmaire, impossible to pop correctly, no constant mastery of tricks (Especially the 360 ​​flip)

Do you believe that over 30 years old, we can only skate trucks with lighter versions ? With heavy and high trucks, now,  I really feel like a child who has difficulty lifting his board.. Or is this an adaptation time for muscle memory or something like that? Thank you for enlightening me and testifying to this ahah

Use what works, and don’t muddle in the affairs of what doesn’t. This is the key.

Long ago I forced a switch from Indy to Thunders? Why? Because DLX > NHS for a zillion reasons. I rode them for quite some time. They never quite jived with me. I can’t remember the reason, but I ended up back on my forged Indys again. I suddenly felt “home” again. In retrospect, Thunders were a tad too low for me. And that baseplate issues. And the turn. I’ve tried standard Indys a few times since, too. They are too high. Forged Indys are my happy place. They work for me. Stay with what makes you happy, rather than chasing a contrived sense of change. Moreover, who cares what did/didn’t work for others. Find what works for you.
 

[FrenchSkater]

Expand Quote

Are there people like me who ride Indy forged hollows for a long time, and then switched back to standard ones ?

I skated hollows for over a year, and I had used indy standards in very good condition, and what a horror for me... whether with my current Real 8.12 X 32 and 14.25 Wb, or a sk8mafia 8.125, 31.4 and 14,1 Wb. The sessions were a nightmaire, impossible to pop correctly, no constant mastery of tricks (Especially the 360 ​​flip)

Do you believe that over 30 years old, we can only skate trucks with lighter versions ? With heavy and high trucks, now,  I really feel like a child who has difficulty lifting his board.. Or is this an adaptation time for muscle memory or something like that? Thank you for enlightening me and testifying to this ahah

[close]

Use what works, and don’t muddle in the affairs of what doesn’t. This is the key.

Long ago I forced a switch from Indy to Thunders? Why? Because DLX > NHS for a zillion reasons. I rode them for quite some time. They never quite jived with me. I can’t remember the reason, but I ended up back on my forged Indys again. I suddenly felt “home” again. In retrospect, Thunders were a tad too low for me. And that baseplate issues. And the turn. I’ve tried standard Indys a few times since, too. They are too high. Forged Indys are my happy place. They work for me. Stay with what makes you happy, rather than chasing a contrived sense of change. Moreover, who cares what did/didn’t work for others. Find what works for you.

I agree ! When I went back on my forged (in fact it was yesterday), I also felt like "at home".. Could it be because I had been riding them for a long time or simply was it my "goodilocks" zone ? I remember saying that indy hollows literally work with ALL boards.. At least that's my impression !

But it is true that once we want to change, we realize that it handicaps us more than it helps us.

[BOILED ANGEL]

never riding forged again that shit lame

[diplodocus]

I love my forged indys after i switched from thunders. I went thunder standard->thunder team hollow->thunder hollow lights . didn't expect to like it at all but I love them so much more than any other truck i've tried

[BOILED ANGEL]

staying on regular venture lows for now after years of indy heft and ghost pop, HRT muscle atrophy is a pain in the ass but the v-lights kind of lack that cathartic oomph and i probably need some cardio anyway

[FrenchSkater]

To continue this conversation, I still have my standard indy (139) aside, I think that despite everything, I will use them when my forged hollows reach their end.. It annoys me to have bought them and not to use them (despite how I said above, the indy forged are PERFECT.) This madness me said , that despite everything if I bought them, that's what I wanted them and that I have to use them.. 

Do you think that the standard indys have a real difference in terms of pop and weight on deck with a Wb 14 ? If anyone has had this experience, I would like some feedback !

[Creachteach]

To continue this conversation, I still have my standard indy (139) aside, I think that despite everything, I will use them when my forged hollows reach their end.. It annoys me to have bought them and not to use them (despite how I said above, the indy forged are PERFECT.) This madness me said , that despite everything if I bought them, that's what I wanted them and that I have to use them.. 

Do you think that the standard indys have a real difference in terms of pop and weight on deck with a Wb 14 ? If anyone has had this experience, I would like some feedback !

You know, when your forged hangers are through, you could just use your standard hangers on your forged plates. And keep that forged height you love. Some say it’s a cool feeling truck that way.

[FrenchSkater]

Expand Quote

To continue this conversation, I still have my standard indy (139) aside, I think that despite everything, I will use them when my forged hollows reach their end.. It annoys me to have bought them and not to use them (despite how I said above, the indy forged are PERFECT.) This madness me said , that despite everything if I bought them, that's what I wanted them and that I have to use them.. 

Do you think that the standard indys have a real difference in terms of pop and weight on deck with a Wb 14 ? If anyone has had this experience, I would like some feedback !

[close]

You know, when your forged hangers are through, you could just use your standard hangers on your forged plates. And keep that forged height you love. Some say it’s a cool feeling truck that way.

This could be an idea yes.. But I really wonder what the standards give on a deck with 14 wb .. very curious 

[Mbrimson88]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

To continue this conversation, I still have my standard indy (139) aside, I think that despite everything, I will use them when my forged hollows reach their end.. It annoys me to have bought them and not to use them (despite how I said above, the indy forged are PERFECT.) This madness me said , that despite everything if I bought them, that's what I wanted them and that I have to use them.. 

Do you think that the standard indys have a real difference in terms of pop and weight on deck with a Wb 14 ? If anyone has had this experience, I would like some feedback !

[close]

You know, when your forged hangers are through, you could just use your standard hangers on your forged plates. And keep that forged height you love. Some say it’s a cool feeling truck that way.

[close]

This could be an idea yes.. But I really wonder what the standards give on a deck with 14 wb .. very curious 

To use standard hangers on forged baseplates is the regular go to for some people I know, especially if they have already skated their hollow or ti hangers to death. 

Easy to swap parts and see what works, given regular hangers with solid axles are made exactly the same as hangers with hollow axles, Indy marketing says the hollow axles are 7% lighter, so it is not that much overall really.

Happy to say I have mixed and matched and I can feel the lower height on forged baseplates, more than anything else, but I tend to prefer the taller truck for my own skating and needs.

As to 14" wb, I have a couple of boards with shorter wheelbases, so the only thing different on those compared to longer wheelbase boards is the turn is quicker, as well as the round spinning tricks, eg 360 flips and the like - shorter wb means they get around faster than on longer wb boards.

It is not a huge difference, but it is noticeable, on two boards of the same width, the DLX 8" Full SE with 14.0 wb and the normal 8" with 14.38 wb.

[zozu]

Going through some more truck madness and I have realised that there isn't a single truck from the big 4 that I don't need to modify somehow.

Thunder - No bottom WASHER and I use either a stock washer, bones washer or no washer depending on the season.

Venture - Loose trucks conversion bushings or Indy 78a aftermarket with bones top washer.

Indy - Indy 78a bushings and sometimes a bones top washer usually in summer when I am not fat.

Ace - Bones top washer and/or krux bushings but even then they are either too tight or too loose.

I weigh 150 on average. Not really asking for help just venting, as needing to modify any truck I select adds another layer to the gear madness. Sometimes I think I should just bite the bullet and stay on Independent as I fuck with them the least (usually just swap the bushings and I am good to go) but theres always something that pulls me away to try something else.

[j....soy.....]

Looks like you found the right place though…..

[Xen]

Going through some more truck madness and I have realised that there isn't a single truck from the big 4 that I don't need to modify somehow.

Thunder - No bottom bushing and I use either a stock washer, bones washer or no washer depending on the season.

Venture - Loose trucks conversion bushings or Indy 78a aftermarket with bones top washer.

Indy - Indy 78a bushings and sometimes a bones top washer usually in summer when I am not fat.

Ace - Bones top washer and/or krux bushings but even then they are either too tight or too loose.

I weigh 150 on average. Not really asking for help just venting, as needing to modify any truck I select adds another layer to the gear madness. Sometimes I think I should just bite the bullet and stay on Independent as I fuck with them the least (usually just swap the bushings and I am good to go) but theres always something that pulls me away to try something else.

I feel you!

No matter the truck, I have to swap in harder bushings (185lbs on average)...but that's not that big of a deal and stock bushings are geared for the 'average' user.

[Luismps]

It was going so well without madness when I broke a kingpin on my Thunder 148 - that I immediately ordered another one.
However, I rode a 149 in April 8.25 without any expectations. And the worst happened! Flip tricks better than ever!
My head is spinning and madness is back strong

[BeachChicken]

Nothing wrong with swapping in bushings. What's wrong is when the truck design necessitates it (looking at you, Thunder) b/c the design and/or bushing quality suck so bad. I like the way Thunders pop, grind, and turn, but the short bushing life got pretty old and annoying to deal with especially when one blew out in a country that didn't have rebuild kits in stock.

[BL0B]

Going through some more truck madness and I have realised that there isn't a single truck from the big 4 that I don't need to modify somehow.

Thunder - No bottom bushing and I use either a stock washer, bones washer or no washer depending on the season.

Venture - Loose trucks conversion bushings or Indy 78a aftermarket with bones top washer.

Indy - Indy 78a bushings and sometimes a bones top washer usually in summer when I am not fat.

Ace - Bones top washer and/or krux bushings but even then they are either too tight or too loose.

I weigh 150 on average. Not really asking for help just venting, as needing to modify any truck I select adds another layer to the gear madness. Sometimes I think I should just bite the bullet and stay on Independent as I fuck with them the least (usually just swap the bushings and I am good to go) but theres always something that pulls me away to try something else.

no bottom bushing?

[Texas_Tone]

Going through some more truck madness and I have realised that there isn't a single truck from the big 4 that I don't need to modify somehow.

Thunder - No bottom bushing and I use either a stock washer, bones washer or no washer depending on the season.

Venture - Loose trucks conversion bushings or Indy 78a aftermarket with bones top washer.

Indy - Indy 78a bushings and sometimes a bones top washer usually in summer when I am not fat.

Ace - Bones top washer and/or krux bushings but even then they are either too tight or too loose.

I weigh 150 on average. Not really asking for help just venting, as needing to modify any truck I select adds another layer to the gear madness. Sometimes I think I should just bite the bullet and stay on Independent as I fuck with them the least (usually just swap the bushings and I am good to go) but theres always something that pulls me away to try something else.

You aren’t alone my G