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Has anyone ever stepped up from 149 to 159 on a 8.5” board? Was it better and how noticeable was the difference?
I rode 149s and 159s on both 8.5 and 8.75 a few years back.
The extra hanger space from 159s is rad, but personally i ended up preferring a smaller setup overall.
if you mainly ride transition, i'd say you will probably like 159s on 8.5
I think hewitt rides 159s or 169s on 8.38-8.5
Yes Peter Hewitt has ti 159s on the 8.38 (which I have been meaning to setup just to see as I have everything here) but I think too that more people who ride big transition / vert stuff usually go more for wider trucks as it balances everything out and makes it way more stable.
For a street setup, there are some guys who have done that combo before - Jamie Foy was on Thunder 151s on 8.5 boards for a while, but now is back down on more tucked in under trucks, from what others were saying.
Chris Wimer does Indy 159s on 8.5 with 56 mm conical full wheels and he shreds!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUd8k7ZF2G1/The best way to feel it out first is put three, or even four washers on the inside only of each wheel and then lean on the board to get your weight over two wheels only, as this pretty much makes them more like 153 / 154 mm in total hanger width, but still not quite the 159 width.
Even just doing that I could feel a significant difference to minimal washers on 149s, so it can make things feel different, not so much good or bad, but just different, if that makes sense.
From trying other normal 159s on 8.5 boards a while back, my balance was a bit off with the wider hanger, whereas the 149s on 8.5 and 159s on 8.6 or 8.75 just felt right, with the main area being where I would lean and grind on transition, as well as some gentle street skating.
If you like the stability, you should be stoked on the 159s on 8.5 boards.