Gear madness support thread

[Obijuan91]

Food for thought. 55mm tall trucks on 52’mm wheels is the same as 52’mm mid trucks on 56 mm wheels for pop feel 

[moykky]

Food for thought. 55mm tall trucks on 52’mm wheels is the same as 52’mm mid trucks on 56 mm wheels for pop feel 

...if the trucks have the same effect on wheelbase, and the trucks plus wheels weight the same   

[Obijuan91]

Expand Quote

Food for thought. 55mm tall trucks on 52’mm wheels is the same as 52’mm mid trucks on 56 mm wheels for pop feel 

[close]

...if the trucks have the same effect on wheelbase, and the trucks plus wheels weight the same   

Hmmmm
Mentally debating if it’s worth doing risers
Or if better off with a bigger with with all them benefits of running things over easier and keeping speed plus added pop. Downside would be wheelbite tho…. Hmmmmm

[Mbrimson88]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Food for thought. 55mm tall trucks on 52’mm wheels is the same as 52’mm mid trucks on 56 mm wheels for pop feel 

[close]

...if the trucks have the same effect on wheelbase, and the trucks plus wheels weight the same   

[close]

Hmmmm
Mentally debating if it’s worth doing risers
Or if better off with a bigger with with all them benefits of running things over easier and keeping speed plus added pop. Downside would be wheelbite tho…. Hmmmmm

One of the things I would often say to people asking about risers is that I can always make a low truck taller but I can't make a tall truck lower.

I can never make my 55 mm tall Indy standards lower, but at least I can ride bigger wheels and have less worry there, so that has been my go to for the most part for as long as Stage XI has been out, usually on 56 mm wheels from new, although in more recent times I have been riding smaller wheels and smaller obstacles, not skating half as much bowl or bigger ramp anymore.  The forged baseplate option is good if anyone does want lower with the same hanger and everything else though.

For Thunder 52 mm and Venture 53 mm (or lower on forged baseplates), I can very easily add whatever under the truck as needed, usually options of 1 or 2 mm risers cut from rubber sheeting, even just bike tubes cut up, which can then make the best height adjustment for me, cause going for 1/8" which is 3 mm is often too much.  A single mm can make such a difference, but all it takes is a little adjusting and seeing what can feel good for each setup.  Those setups usually have between 50 and 54 mm wheels, which all works fairly well for a lower truck on what could be called a slightly more "tech" type setup.

I have also found that cutting wheel wells is an easier go to rather than adding more height to a truck, whereas before I could easily put in 1/4" risers for 60 mm wheels on cruisers or bigger boards.


Keeping most setups a little lower has meant things just feel better so I can easily understand why some people say they will never use risers at all, but I think I operate best on trucks with between 54 and 55 mm in height, front wheel wells and a little more turny front truck, for an all rounder.

Going up 2 mm in wheel size will give you 1 mm more height overall, as the axle height is at the wheel center, so it is going to always be 1 mm above the axle, which does not add to the height and 1 mm below, which does add to the height of a setup, if that makes sense.


Anyway, it is usually no problem to try risers and see what works best, sometimes even just making your own from whatever you have around, but some shops will have pretty much every size, not just the basic 1/8", or 1/4" height.

I find too that I can get 1 mm under my Shortys 7/8" bolts with low nuts without any problems, or 2 mm rubber sheet under any 1" bolts as well.  Some 1/8" risers and thicker baseplates make even normal 1" bolts hard to get done up nicely without pulling the bolt head too far into the deck.

[Sedition]

Ok kids, I need some gear help.

With DLX decks, I normally ride an “IV” stamp, Indy Forged Hollows (53.5mm tall), and 53mm wheels.

I just ended up with a “I” stamped deck, and I really do not like steep(er) kicks. In the past I’ve either just dealt with it, or on a few occasions, I’ve even tried the “park-the-car-on-it” thing, with less-than-ideal results (flatter, mushed-out kicks, yet now disproportionate concave across the middle). 

What I have never done before, is try to mitigate the effect/feel of steeper kicks with equipment changes (e.g. truck wheelbase/height and wheel size). So, out of more curiosity than anything else, I am going to try with this deck.

My thoughts are to (a) make the board lower than I normally ride, (b) shorten the truck wheelbase, or (c) some combination of both.
 
A lower board will get a quicker snap (e.g. less ghost pop). Shorter truck wheelbase will decrease the pop-angle when the kicks hit (e.g. basic physics of a lever and fulcrum), thus also getting a "flatter," quicker snap.*

I ride my trucks tad more toward the tighter side (blue 92a Indy bushings), so I was thinking forged-plate Thunders and smaller wheels (lower) before going to Ace (shorter wheelbase).

Has anyone else had an experience fucking around with their set-up in this manner? Advice? @Mbrimson88 I feel like you would have a lot of knowledge in this area.


*What I actually hate the most about steeper kicks how my feet feel more “locked-in” to the deck, and I know changing-up trucks/wheels will have ZERO impact on that.

[Obijuan91]

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Food for thought. 55mm tall trucks on 52’mm wheels is the same as 52’mm mid trucks on 56 mm wheels for pop feel 

[close]

...if the trucks have the same effect on wheelbase, and the trucks plus wheels weight the same   

[close]

Hmmmm
Mentally debating if it’s worth doing risers
Or if better off with a bigger with with all them benefits of running things over easier and keeping speed plus added pop. Downside would be wheelbite tho…. Hmmmmm

[close]

One of the things I would often say to people asking about risers is that I can always make a low truck taller but I can't make a tall truck lower.

I can never make my 55 mm tall Indy standards lower, but at least I can ride bigger wheels and have less worry there, so that has been my go to for the most part for as long as Stage XI has been out, usually on 56 mm wheels from new, although in more recent times I have been riding smaller wheels and smaller obstacles, not skating half as much bowl or bigger ramp anymore.  The forged baseplate option is good if anyone does want lower with the same hanger and everything else though.

For Thunder 52 mm and Venture 53 mm (or lower on forged baseplates), I can very easily add whatever under the truck as needed, usually options of 1 or 2 mm risers cut from rubber sheeting, even just bike tubes cut up, which can then make the best height adjustment for me, cause going for 1/8" which is 3 mm is often too much.  A single mm can make such a difference, but all it takes is a little adjusting and seeing what can feel good for each setup.  Those setups usually have between 50 and 54 mm wheels, which all works fairly well for a lower truck on what could be called a slightly more "tech" type setup.

I have also found that cutting wheel wells is an easier go to rather than adding more height to a truck, whereas before I could easily put in 1/4" risers for 60 mm wheels on cruisers or bigger boards.


Keeping most setups a little lower has meant things just feel better so I can easily understand why some people say they will never use risers at all, but I think I operate best on trucks with between 54 and 55 mm in height, front wheel wells and a little more turny front truck, for an all rounder.

Going up 2 mm in wheel size will give you 1 mm more height overall, as the axle height is at the wheel center, so it is going to always be 1 mm above the axle, which does not add to the height and 1 mm below, which does add to the height of a setup, if that makes sense.


Anyway, it is usually no problem to try risers and see what works best, sometimes even just making your own from whatever you have around, but some shops will have pretty much every size, not just the basic 1/8", or 1/4" height.

I find too that I can get 1 mm under my Shortys 7/8" bolts with low nuts without any problems, or 2 mm rubber sheet under any 1" bolts as well.  Some 1/8" risers and thicker baseplates make even normal 1" bolts hard to get done up nicely without pulling the bolt head too far into the deck.

I was running the slappy 1mm riser and I like it on a 52’mm truck but recently decided fuck it ima ride these mid trucks the way god intended too. Currently got 52’mm wheels on it and if math serves me right that’s 26’mm height added on to 52’mm makes it 78 where ass 26’mm added on to 55mm equals 81mm total height. The 56 mm wheels would be 28mm which would put total height at a whopping 80! Ok I’m done yanking yalls chain I’ve just been bored and mathings numbers lately, cuz as skaters do mm even matter?

[Obijuan91]

Ok kids, I need some gear help.

With DLX decks, I normally ride an “IV” stamp, Indy Forged Hollows (53.5mm tall), and 53mm wheels.

I just ended up with a “I” stamped deck, and I really do not like steep(er) kicks. In the past I’ve either just dealt with it, or on a few occasions, I’ve even tried the “park-the-car-on-it” thing, with less-than-ideal results (flatter, mushed-out kicks, yet now disproportionate concave across the middle). 

What I have never done before, is try to mitigate the effect/feel of steeper kicks with equipment changes (e.g. truck wheelbase/height and wheel size). So, out of more curiosity than anything else, I am going to try with this deck.

My thoughts are to (a) make the board lower than I normally ride, (b) shorten the truck wheelbase, or (c) some combination of both.
 
A lower board will get a quicker snap (e.g. less ghost pop). Shorter truck wheelbase will decrease the pop-angle when the kicks hit (e.g. basic physics of a lever and fulcrum), thus also getting a "flatter," quicker snap.*

I ride my trucks tad more toward the tighter side (blue 92a Indy bushings), so I was thinking forged-plate Thunders and smaller wheels (lower) before going to Ace (shorter wheelbase).

Has anyone else had an experience fucking around with their set-up in this manner? Advice? @Mbrimson88 I feel like you would have a lot of knowledge in this area.


*What I actually hate the most about steeper kicks how my feet feel more “locked-in” to the deck, and I know changing-up trucks/wheels will have ZERO impact on that.

Broooooh
The 1s are a fucking beast to tame. I had one and I don’t want to say I hated it butttt when it finally mellowed out I loved the hell out of it. It felt alright with mid trucks, was the reason I got 52’mm wheels to be honest too. Honestly just gotta ride it out and wear it in from my experience tho, I had it on Indy forged hollows too. I rode it on cast thunders for a bit but I can never stay on thunders for too long usually

Ohhh do lots of nose/tail slides/stalls to flex out the nose tail too. Help the break in process

[Mbrimson88]

Ok kids, I need some gear help.

With DLX decks, I normally ride an “IV” stamp, Indy Forged Hollows (53.5mm tall), and 53mm wheels.

I just ended up with a “I” stamped deck, and I really do not like steep(er) kicks. In the past I’ve either just dealt with it, or on a few occasions, I’ve even tried the “park-the-car-on-it” thing, with less-than-ideal results (flatter, mushed-out kicks, yet now disproportionate concave across the middle). 

What I have never done before, is try to mitigate the effect/feel of steeper kicks with equipment changes (e.g. truck wheelbase/height and wheel size). So, out of more curiosity than anything else, I am going to try with this deck.

My thoughts are to (a) make the board lower than I normally ride, (b) shorten the truck wheelbase, or (c) some combination of both.
 
A lower board will get a quicker snap (e.g. less ghost pop). Shorter truck wheelbase will decrease the pop-angle when the kicks hit (e.g. basic physics of a lever and fulcrum), thus also getting a "flatter," quicker snap.*

I ride my trucks tad more toward the tighter side (blue 92a Indy bushings), so I was thinking forged-plate Thunders and smaller wheels (lower) before going to Ace (shorter wheelbase).

Has anyone else had an experience fucking around with their set-up in this manner? Advice? @Mbrimson88 I feel like you would have a lot of knowledge in this area.


*What I actually hate the most about steeper kicks how my feet feel more “locked-in” to the deck, and I know changing-up trucks/wheels will have ZERO impact on that.

Is it the usual 8.25 with 14.38 wb or something else?


Yes as Obijuan91 said, the I stamp are often pretty difficult to get my head (and feet) around too, so if it is not still new in shrink or able to be returned or swapped for anything else, this is what I have done:

1. Tried not to mess with the deck itself but had shorter wheelbase trucks on it, which has helped with a couple of boards in the past, but one was just too steep no matter what.  Even tried my DIY "V8" or other drilled in Indy / Ventures and although they lightened the pop considerably, it was still too steep of an angle for my liking.  Ace will do this too, as will Thunder T-II trucks, both of which take a bit to get used to coming from regular Indy, but both work really well on any board that feels a bit too long in the wheelbase or is a bit too steep from the start.

2. If nothing else has worked in trying different trucks or bringing the wheelbase in, then I go to the old flatten the board option.  One thing I have noticed is there is a significant difference in end result when I have driven only on to the ends of the kicks before the bolts area, not over the whole board to try to flatten out the kicks, which did work way better than parking on it or driving over it pausing on the bolts area, which caused the whole board to feel "flexed out" more often than not, or made a new board feel like an old board that was ready to swap out.

3. Then with regards to the grip on the deck, specifically the middle rails between the bolts, took the edges back a bit more than I usually would which made the side to side concave feel way less steep and evened out the whole board nicely.  I have done this with a file, a rasp and even with a grinder, maybe the grinder being the best as it was on a very worn down disc and maybe just took the deck down a bit too without cutting into the wood so much as it just took the upper outside edge off which made the board feel way more mellow across it.

4. If nothing else works, put it away or list it for sale somewhere to pass on to someone, anyone, who likes steeper boards, because there are people out there who will only ride a I stamp and good for them, but I had one guy who I found like that and was able to swap a few boards with every now and then, so we both benefited from the deal - he got the steeper boards and I got the mellow boards.  Sometimes that might be easier said than done, but you never know if you never ask / offer.


* I could probably make a half dozen posts about all that, with multiple pics and a wall of text for each, but I have been trying to NOT go too over the top with everything, even though it has been raining for half a week here, so I have had a bit more time to do things online than I might have otherwise had in the last few days.

[Sedition]

Expand Quote

Ok kids, I need some gear help.

With DLX decks, I normally ride an “IV” stamp, Indy Forged Hollows (53.5mm tall), and 53mm wheels.

I just ended up with a “I” stamped deck, and I really do not like steep(er) kicks. In the past I’ve either just dealt with it, or on a few occasions, I’ve even tried the “park-the-car-on-it” thing, with less-than-ideal results (flatter, mushed-out kicks, yet now disproportionate concave across the middle). 

What I have never done before, is try to mitigate the effect/feel of steeper kicks with equipment changes (e.g. truck wheelbase/height and wheel size). So, out of more curiosity than anything else, I am going to try with this deck.

My thoughts are to (a) make the board lower than I normally ride, (b) shorten the truck wheelbase, or (c) some combination of both.
 
A lower board will get a quicker snap (e.g. less ghost pop). Shorter truck wheelbase will decrease the pop-angle when the kicks hit (e.g. basic physics of a lever and fulcrum), thus also getting a "flatter," quicker snap.*

I ride my trucks tad more toward the tighter side (blue 92a Indy bushings), so I was thinking forged-plate Thunders and smaller wheels (lower) before going to Ace (shorter wheelbase).

Has anyone else had an experience fucking around with their set-up in this manner? Advice? @Mbrimson88 I feel like you would have a lot of knowledge in this area.


*What I actually hate the most about steeper kicks how my feet feel more “locked-in” to the deck, and I know changing-up trucks/wheels will have ZERO impact on that.

[close]

Is it the usual 8.25 with 14.38 wb or something else?


Yes as Obijuan91 said, the I stamp are often pretty difficult to get my head (and feet) around too, so if it is not still new in shrink or able to be returned or swapped for anything else, this is what I have done:

1. Tried not to mess with the deck itself but had shorter wheelbase trucks on it, which has helped with a couple of boards in the past, but one was just too steep no matter what.  Even tried my DIY "V8" or other drilled in Indy / Ventures and although they lightened the pop considerably, it was still too steep of an angle for my liking.  Ace will do this too, as will Thunder T-II trucks, both of which take a bit to get used to coming from regular Indy, but both work really well on any board that feels a bit too long in the wheelbase or is a bit too steep from the start.

2. If nothing else has worked in trying different trucks or bringing the wheelbase in, then I go to the old flatten the board option.  One thing I have noticed is there is a significant difference in end result when I have driven only on to the ends of the kicks before the bolts area, not over the whole board to try to flatten out the kicks, which did work way better than parking on it or driving over it pausing on the bolts area, which caused the whole board to feel "flexed out" more often than not, or made a new board feel like an old board that was ready to swap out.

3. Then with regards to the grip on the deck, specifically the middle rails between the bolts, took the edges back a bit more than I usually would which made the side to side concave feel way less steep and evened out the whole board nicely.  I have done this with a file, a rasp and even with a grinder, maybe the grinder being the best as it was on a very worn down disc and maybe just took the deck down a bit too without cutting into the wood so much as it just took the upper outside edge off which made the board feel way more mellow across it.

4. If nothing else works, put it away or list it for sale somewhere to pass on to someone, anyone, who likes steeper boards, because there are people out there who will only ride a I stamp and good for them, but I had one guy who I found like that and was able to swap a few boards with every now and then, so we both benefited from the deal - he got the steeper boards and I got the mellow boards.  Sometimes that might be easier said than done, but you never know if you never ask / offer.


* I could probably make a half dozen posts about all that, with multiple pics and a wall of text for each, but I have been trying to NOT go too over the top with everything, even though it has been raining for half a week here, so I have had a bit more time to do things online than I might have otherwise had in the last few days.

Yeah, the standard 8.25/14.38.

I had ruled T-2 out as an option because (a) I had them before, did not like them, and (b) they are taller than Ace, and I want to be going down in height, not up.

[Mbrimson88]

Yeah, the standard 8.25/14.38.

I had ruled T-2 out as an option because (a) I had them before, did not like them, and (b) they are taller than Ace, and I want to be going down in height, not up.

I get it, but I did not find that lower equals better.

Eg I didn't suggest any Thunder option because the wheelbase is pushed out, even on a lower truck, it still makes it harder to skate, compared to Indy on a more mellow board.

Some people do like that feeling, low and heavy pop, which I can understand, which can work in some situations, but the main thing was bringing in the wheelbase, more than anything else.

If you did already have some Thunders on hand, I guess it wouldn't be so hard to even just put them on the board and stand on it and see.  I have done that with a number of boards, even without grip, just lightly doing up the bolts, I can still feel if the board is going to work or not.


Have you had Ace before?  I don't recall, but Ace are very similar to T-II trucks in that they bring the wheelbase in and they turn a whole lot more than any other truck.

Funny thing is lining up axles, Ace and T-II are so very close in axle height as well as position, at least on the sets I have in both Classic and AF1 trucks.  That is regardless of what any spec sheets say about measurements.

* I haven't seen or skated any Ace low trucks, but if you did want a very low tech setup, that could work, now I think about it.

[tzhangdox]

I would really try to fuck with it as little as possible, try not to change the trucks. Just go smaller wheels if possible.

In 2024 I was riding the same shape pretty consistently, but would sometimes get hit with some variance in concave/steepness. I had two sets of wheels that I would go in between, some newer ones in the 54-55ish range and some worn 52s that I'd throw on if I set up a steeper one.

Definitely helped a bit, but to be honest I dont think it was thaaaat necessary in my case since the variance was pretty small, was more just bored, had to tinker with something since I was at peace with my board shape, trucks, and shoes. So all thats left to fry out over was wheel shape/size, which to me is much less consequential than boards/trucks/shoes.

In your case I'd just put some 51s on and see if that helps a little. Changing trucks is probably going to open a whole can of worms that you probably want to avoid.

[Sedition]

Expand Quote

Yeah, the standard 8.25/14.38.

I had ruled T-2 out as an option because (a) I had them before, did not like them, and (b) they are taller than Ace, and I want to be going down in height, not up.

[close]

I get it, but I did not find that lower equals better.

Eg I didn't suggest any Thunder option because the wheelbase is pushed out, even on a lower truck, it still makes it harder to skate, compared to Indy on a more mellow board.

Some people do like that feeling, low and heavy pop, which I can understand, which can work in some situations, but the main thing was bringing in the wheelbase, more than anything else.

If you did already have some Thunders on hand, I guess it wouldn't be so hard to even just put them on the board and stand on it and see.  I have done that with a number of boards, even without grip, just lightly doing up the bolts, I can still feel if the board is going to work or not.


Have you had Ace before?  I don't recall, but Ace are very similar to T-II trucks in that they bring the wheelbase in and they turn a whole lot more than any other truck.

Funny thing is lining up axles, Ace and T-II are so very close in axle height as well as position, at least on the sets I have in both Classic and AF1 trucks.  That is regardless of what any spec sheets say about measurements.

* I haven't seen or skated any Ace low trucks, but if you did want a very low tech setup, that could work, now I think about it.

I have a set of Team thunders kicking around that I never use (because they are Thunders). I am going to set this thing up with my Indys....skate it for a bit, and then throw the Thunders and some other 53mm Spits I have that are worn down a bit. If that seems to be any improvement, then I'll consider going even lower with forged thunder plates.

If not, I'll start looking for Ace (or maybe, maybe T-2). Ive had Ace before...quite awhile ago, was not a fan. With Ace (or T-2), I'm certainly going to be adding some harder bushing.

This thing isn't even my main set-up anymore these days, so I'm not stressing it too hard, which is nice. This is more like a causal back-burner experiment.

[ChriSL]

Expand Quote

Food for thought. 55mm tall trucks on 52’mm wheels is the same as 52’mm mid trucks on 56 mm wheels for pop feel 

[close]

A riser has a different impact on pop angle than a bigger wheel. Imagine the point in time the tail hits the ground. Since the board rotates around the axle, the riser tilts while the wheel doesnt.
Bigger wheel increases the pop angle more, while a riser makes your effective tail longer and therefore has less pop angle increase. Hope you get what I mean.

[Richard Skidder]

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Yeah, the standard 8.25/14.38.

I had ruled T-2 out as an option because (a) I had them before, did not like them, and (b) they are taller than Ace, and I want to be going down in height, not up.

[close]

I get it, but I did not find that lower equals better.

Eg I didn't suggest any Thunder option because the wheelbase is pushed out, even on a lower truck, it still makes it harder to skate, compared to Indy on a more mellow board.

Some people do like that feeling, low and heavy pop, which I can understand, which can work in some situations, but the main thing was bringing in the wheelbase, more than anything else.

If you did already have some Thunders on hand, I guess it wouldn't be so hard to even just put them on the board and stand on it and see.  I have done that with a number of boards, even without grip, just lightly doing up the bolts, I can still feel if the board is going to work or not.


Have you had Ace before?  I don't recall, but Ace are very similar to T-II trucks in that they bring the wheelbase in and they turn a whole lot more than any other truck.

Funny thing is lining up axles, Ace and T-II are so very close in axle height as well as position, at least on the sets I have in both Classic and AF1 trucks.  That is regardless of what any spec sheets say about measurements.

* I haven't seen or skated any Ace low trucks, but if you did want a very low tech setup, that could work, now I think about it.

[close]

I have a set of Team thunders kicking around that I never use (because they are Thunders). I am going to set this thing up with my Indys....skate it for a bit, and then throw the Thunders and some other 53mm Spits I have that are worn down a bit. If that seems to be any improvement, then I'll consider going even lower with forged thunder plates.

If not, I'll start looking for Ace (or maybe, maybe T-2). Ive had Ace before...quite awhile ago, was not a fan. With Ace (or T-2), I'm certainly going to be adding some harder bushing.

This thing isn't even my main set-up anymore these days, so I'm not stressing it too hard, which is nice. This is more like a causal back-burner experiment.

Instead of changing out any of those components have you considered using a pair of shoes that feel a little thicker in the soles for your liking? It would mellow out the feel a bit until the shape flattens out some from flat ground and slappy treatment. Some heavy footed board slides could help too. Especially on a concrete parking block. Is there a spot you want to hit that could benefit from extra pop advantage?

[ChriSL]

Food for thought. 55mm tall trucks on 52’mm wheels is the same as 52’mm mid trucks on 56 mm wheels for pop feel 

A riser has a different impact on pop angle than a bigger wheel. Imagine the point in time the tail hits the ground. Since the board rotates around the axle, the riser tilts while the wheel doesnt.
Bigger wheel increases the pop angle more, while a riser makes your effective tail longer and therefore has less pop angle increase. Hope you get what I mean.

[Obijuan91]

Expand Quote

Food for thought. 55mm tall trucks on 52’mm wheels is the same as 52’mm mid trucks on 56 mm wheels for pop feel 

[close]

A riser has a different impact on pop angle than a bigger wheel. Imagine the point in time the tail hits the ground. Since the board rotates around the axle, the riser tilts while the wheel doesnt.
Bigger wheel increases the pop angle more, while a riser makes your effective tail longer and therefore has less pop angle increase. Hope you get what I mean.

Yesss, that actually makes sense. If I’m not mistaken the risers is in a set stable pop where as the wheel is always variable

[Sedition]

Instead of changing out any of those components have you considered using a pair of shoes...

I don't fuck around with shoes. I ride the same Vans over and over. Hard stop. Not opening that gate to hell by trying something different.

[SwitchBenihana]

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Yeah, the standard 8.25/14.38.

I had ruled T-2 out as an option because (a) I had them before, did not like them, and (b) they are taller than Ace, and I want to be going down in height, not up.

[close]

I get it, but I did not find that lower equals better.

Eg I didn't suggest any Thunder option because the wheelbase is pushed out, even on a lower truck, it still makes it harder to skate, compared to Indy on a more mellow board.

Some people do like that feeling, low and heavy pop, which I can understand, which can work in some situations, but the main thing was bringing in the wheelbase, more than anything else.

If you did already have some Thunders on hand, I guess it wouldn't be so hard to even just put them on the board and stand on it and see.  I have done that with a number of boards, even without grip, just lightly doing up the bolts, I can still feel if the board is going to work or not.


Have you had Ace before?  I don't recall, but Ace are very similar to T-II trucks in that they bring the wheelbase in and they turn a whole lot more than any other truck.

Funny thing is lining up axles, Ace and T-II are so very close in axle height as well as position, at least on the sets I have in both Classic and AF1 trucks.  That is regardless of what any spec sheets say about measurements.

* I haven't seen or skated any Ace low trucks, but if you did want a very low tech setup, that could work, now I think about it.

[close]

I have a set of Team thunders kicking around that I never use (because they are Thunders). I am going to set this thing up with my Indys....skate it for a bit, and then throw the Thunders and some other 53mm Spits I have that are worn down a bit. If that seems to be any improvement, then I'll consider going even lower with forged thunder plates.

If not, I'll start looking for Ace (or maybe, maybe T-2). Ive had Ace before...quite awhile ago, was not a fan. With Ace (or T-2), I'm certainly going to be adding some harder bushing.

This thing isn't even my main set-up anymore these days, so I'm not stressing it too hard, which is nice. This is more like a causal back-burner experiment.

I gotta say changing your trucks for a single deck is the least good option here and sure to be annoying. Use smaller wheels or just skate around the limitations. I got a super steep I a few decks ago like this and made the same mistake putting my AF1 on vs the normal Indy's I ride and it was just not all that enjoyable. I put the Indy's back on and just didn't do a ton of stuff on the nose, which forced me to focus on what was still good and work on that for a few weeks. Even pretty worn wheels didn't make it great, but it was workable.

[Mbrimson88]

I have a set of Team thunders kicking around that I never use (because they are Thunders). I am going to set this thing up with my Indys....skate it for a bit, and then throw the Thunders and some other 53mm Spits I have that are worn down a bit. If that seems to be any improvement, then I'll consider going even lower with forged thunder plates.

If not, I'll start looking for Ace (or maybe, maybe T-2). Ive had Ace before...quite awhile ago, was not a fan. With Ace (or T-2), I'm certainly going to be adding some harder bushing.

This thing isn't even my main set-up anymore these days, so I'm not stressing it too hard, which is nice. This is more like a causal back-burner experiment.

Nice!

OK so today I got out a I stamp board of the 8.38 size I usually ride that I had set up before, (but taken off as it was just too steep) and tried all options on it, as well as an old 8.25 well used from someone else that was always way too steep for anything I would have skated.

Both these boards still felt too steep with any and every truck combination on it, even the V8 / double drilled in trucks, which were stupidly light in the pop but the tail angle was right up there so it was quite uncomfortable.

I put on some super low old Thunder low trucks too, just to see with tiny wheels, which just made the boards feel too low and weird.


Any which way, I can't ride steep kicks / steep tails, so my best bet would have been to find someone who did like steeper boards and ask when their birthday was, or wait til Christmas...

What I did find was that driving up onto the kick (tail) of the 8.38 without going right up to bolts really helped just take the edge off without making the tail feel all kinds of soggy and did not flex out the board at all, which is the most common problem driving over the whole boards, from doing that in the past.

It was pretty much put the board under the car, drive up onto it just a bit, get out and take this pic, get back in and drive back off it, not going over the whole thing.  Could do the nose too if needed, but I don't have a problem with steep noses, just steep tails.

This pic makes it look pretty flat and wrecked, but it came back really well so I have had a good session on the board this afternoon and it is pretty much just like a IV stamp now in the tail, after putting it up on a few other boards I have to compare.

[Sedition]

Both these boards still felt too steep with any and every truck combination on it...

Any which way, I can't ride steep kicks / steep tails...

I feel like years ago I may have tried different trucks/wheels to mitigate steep kicks...and failed, and have since forgotten about it. Some how I just feel like I've done this before. If it had worked, I wouldn't still be stressing about steeps kicks to this day, but I am, so...

Something in my gut says the same thing as you, "Any which way, I can't ride steep kicks / steep tails."

As to the car thing, I have absolutely gotten the kicks to feel more IV-ish before. But as I mentioned above, the problem I then have is "IV" kicks and "I" center concave, and that feels super weird to me (it's basically the opposite of an "easy rider" lol!).

But like I said, the 8.25 isn't even my main ride anymore, so this project is more of my own curiosity into "what impact does different gear make (on steep kicks)" than anything else.

I've also since ruled out Ace unless I can could find an absurd sale---didn't quite realize just how much those trucks cost, and I'm not willing to drop that kind of $$$ for a roll-of-the dice, weird side-show of mine.

Off to the park shortly, and my first experiment with all this. Will report back later.

[rawbertson.]

i am the opposite. i have been riding seemingly really flat decks for the past while, and i just started riding this HLC made Roger Twin with super deep side concave and i am absolutely loving it. it feels like shit on your feet when you ride around, but it flips really well, which is what i seemingly need the most help with  . the kicks i want to say are on the steeper side as well but i honestly have no idea. ill have to try to check against another board. 

i am splitting hairs on wheelbase right now... i am currnetly on 14.0, coming from .5, and then previously .25. they all felt fine with the right trucks, but i think through the madness I have realized i am actually not a massive fan of 14.5". still felt hard to pop off the nose sometimes even with t2s. i honestly cant say 1 was better than the other, and i cant pick a single truck i prefer either.

i kinda found anything 58+ has abit of "break in" period for me. i want to say 56mm radial full 99a is just perfect for me after going through extreme wheel madness. had 51,52, 54,55, 56, 57, and 60mm x2 of just about every spitfire shape and duro possible   this is over the course of maybe 3-4 years. anytihng smaller feels too slow, and anything bigger can feel cumbersome on flip tricks and a bit wheel bitey(and i dont like risers or hot rods). i like the wide shape but its not for everyone.

[scab]

(it's basically the opposite of an "easy rider" lol!).

Funnily enough I've been thinking about a reverse easy rider lately. I like mellowish kicks, but also deep concave. That's a pretty hard to find. I might have to try this whole car thing. For science madness.

[DarkPools]

Personally,  i don't mind  a steep-ish tail, as I can find a way to adjust my technique to pop and it will mellow out in time anyways.

Steep noses (FA or I stamp DLX decks, among others) are often annoying for me because Nollie/Switch takes more effort than Reg/Fakie pop tricks

My ideal (in DLX numerals) would probably be a II tail and a III-IV nose for kick steepness on most BBS 8.5/8.38 deck shapes out there


If you have steeper kicks do you want smaller wheels or bigger wheels to make it feel more "normal"?

[Texas_Tone]

Personally,  i don't mind  a steep-ish tail, as I can find a way to adjust my technique to pop and it will mellow out in time anyways.

Steep noses (FA or I stamp DLX decks, among others) are often annoying for me because Nollie/Switch takes more effort than Reg/Fakie pop tricks

My ideal (in DLX numerals) would probably be a II tail and a III-IV nose for kick steepness on most BBS 8.5/8.38 deck shapes out there


If you have steeper kicks do you want smaller wheels or bigger wheels to make it feel more "normal"?

I been riding those EX7 decks the last couple setups, I enjoy the steep kicks of those, but still mellow side to side, I ride a 53mm classic so I guess on the smaller side as far as wheels go

[SwitchBenihana]

It's funny to think that these days 53 is small and 52 is for tech lords only. I remember getting 52's growing up and being pissed that my shit was too big.

I don't mind a steep nose if it's not short. IIRC some of those old PS Stix noses were actually not that long just super full. I had a steeper Manderson deck once and I was really worried about hating it but the nose was long and wide enough it was pretty acceptable.

The worst deck I've had in recent memory was a steeper DSM I think it was Jacuzzi and the nose was fairly short and there was tons of space after the bolts. I felt my foot had to be in just the perfect spot and I had to pop as hard as possible to get minimal height.

The worst for me is too flat and long of a nose I feel that I never lock into things well and slides are really slow.

[Plan9Customs]

Expand Quote

Both these boards still felt too steep with any and every truck combination on it...

Any which way, I can't ride steep kicks / steep tails...

[close]

I feel like years ago I may have tried different trucks/wheels to mitigate steep kicks...and failed, and have since forgotten about it. Some how I just feel like I've done this before. If it had worked, I wouldn't still be stressing about steeps kicks to this day, but I am, so...

Something in my gut says the same thing as you, "Any which way, I can't ride steep kicks / steep tails."

As to the car thing, I have absolutely gotten the kicks to feel more IV-ish before. But as I mentioned above, the problem I then have is "IV" kicks and "I" center concave, and that feels super weird to me (it's basically the opposite of an "easy rider" lol!).

But like I said, the 8.25 isn't even my main ride anymore, so this project is more of my own curiosity into "what impact does different gear make (on steep kicks)" than anything else.

I've also since ruled out Ace unless I can could find an absurd sale---didn't quite realize just how much those trucks cost, and I'm not willing to drop that kind of $$$ for a roll-of-the dice, weird side-show of mine.

Off to the park shortly, and my first experiment with all this. Will report back later.

303 has a 20% sale so Ace af1 hollows(only priced the 60s since that’s what I’ll need) for $67 now, so it’s pretty comparable to Indy f/h price if you do want to take a gamble.

[swongolianbbq]

It's funny to think that these days 53 is small and 52 is for tech lords only. I remember getting 52's growing up and being pissed that my shit was too big.

Right? I was looking for 53s at the local skate shop last summer and some kid was like 53?! That's sooo small!!

I pretty much put it like this, for proportions. Obviously you can use whatever on whatever but I like the way these combos look and feel

Using spitfire classics as the reference

~7.625" trucks - 48/50mm wheels
~8" trucks - 51/52mm wheels
~8.375" trucks - 53/54mm wheels
~8.75" trucks - 55/56mm wheels
~9.125" trucks - 58/60mm wheels

[Sedition]

Expand Quote

It's funny to think that these days 53 is small and 52 is for tech lords only. I remember getting 52's growing up and being pissed that my shit was too big.

[close]

Right? I was looking for 53s at the local skate shop last summer and some kid was like 53?! That's sooo small!!

I pretty much put it like this, for proportions. Obviously you can use whatever on whatever but I like the way these combos look and feel

Using spitfire classics as the reference

~7.625" trucks - 48/50mm wheels
~8" trucks - 51/52mm wheels
~8.375" trucks - 53/54mm wheels
~8.75" trucks - 55/56mm wheels
~9.125" trucks - 58/60mm wheels

It's weird, 53mm is on the smaller side, but 53mm and 54mm are like the two main sizes Spitfire always makes in their assorted drops....so I assume they are still among the most popular???

[Sedition]

Expand Quote

Both these boards still felt too steep with any and every truck combination on it...

Any which way, I can't ride steep kicks / steep tails...

[close]

I feel like years ago I may have tried different trucks/wheels to mitigate steep kicks...and failed, and have since forgotten about it. Some how I just feel like I've done this before. If it had worked, I wouldn't still be stressing about steeps kicks to this day, but I am, so...

Something in my gut says the same thing as you, "Any which way, I can't ride steep kicks / steep tails."

As to the car thing, I have absolutely gotten the kicks to feel more IV-ish before. But as I mentioned above, the problem I then have is "IV" kicks and "I" center concave, and that feels super weird to me (it's basically the opposite of an "easy rider" lol!).

But like I said, the 8.25 isn't even my main ride anymore, so this project is more of my own curiosity into "what impact does different gear make (on steep kicks)" than anything else.

I've also since ruled out Ace unless I can could find an absurd sale---didn't quite realize just how much those trucks cost, and I'm not willing to drop that kind of $$$ for a roll-of-the dice, weird side-show of mine.

Off to the park shortly, and my first experiment with all this. Will report back later.

Following-up on this...

I def liked the (Team/cast) Thunders on it more than my Indys (because it was lower). That said, I couldn't imagine dropping further down to the height of forged-plate Thunders.

It also occurred to me that mIndys might be an option, too? They are lower and with a shorter WB than Thunders, but not as squirrel as Ace? Those seem to be on sale everywhere (because they suck). Maybe I'll grab a set at some point.

In the short term, it seems like Thunders will make this thing a bit more manageable. No ideal. But manageable.

 

[SwitchBenihana]

Why not just used Forged Indy?