The Indy Thread

[JugeL]

Thanks for everyone sharing their thoughts, will keep them in mind when my trucks are soon done.

I think the spinning would more be affected by the wheelbase being more in. Atleast i feel it when riding standard Indys that things like 360s come much easier, than when riding Thunders. I feel like complete fucking idiot even trying back 3s On Thunders.

[Vintagebody]

Well in order to go straight with indys, u have to pressure the board more then thunders, which in turn flexes the board in a way that gives for easier 360s, as the board springs with you easier. If that makes sense. I just watched Oppenheimer and is now a physicist

[Frank and Fred]

Well in order to go straight with indys, u have to pressure the board more then thunders, which in turn flexes the board in a way that gives for easier 360s, as the board springs with you easier. If that makes sense. I just watched Oppenheimer and is now a physicist

Put on a lab coat and you can be a professor. I look forward to the lecture.

[LebowskisRug]

Thanks for everyone sharing their thoughts, will keep them in mind when my trucks are soon done.

I think the spinning would more be affected by the wheelbase being more in. Atleast i feel it when riding standard Indys that things like 360s come much easier, than when riding Thunders. I feel like complete fucking idiot even trying back 3s On Thunders.

Put your foot more in the back pocket/hang the toes off slightly, delay rotation slightly after popping and it's parity I've found.

[JugeL]

Expand Quote

Thanks for everyone sharing their thoughts, will keep them in mind when my trucks are soon done.

I think the spinning would more be affected by the wheelbase being more in. Atleast i feel it when riding standard Indys that things like 360s come much easier, than when riding Thunders. I feel like complete fucking idiot even trying back 3s On Thunders.

[close]

Put your foot more in the back pocket/hang the toes off slightly, delay rotation slightly after popping and it's parity I've found.

Delaying rotation really does work indeed. Also i've noticed that when skating Thunders you have to be more on your front foot which kinda throws my balance off still. That's why the switch to Indys is pretty tempting.

[manysnakes]

I admit openly that I don't feel the same differences in trucks that others feel, but I can say that I put on some Forged Indy Hollows a few weeks ago, but didn't skate them much due to work, illness and travel. Finally squeaked out a session last week and did a first try heelflip - which has basically never happened in ~35 years of skateboarding. As well, my kickflips are way quicker with the hollows than with Ace AF-1s. Pop feels the same as any Indy IMO, but the very quick and easy flick was immediately noticeable.

[Lou Strux]

Not sure if this is better suited here, or in the Ace thread, but I’m gonna go ahead anyway…
You reckon if I put a stage XI & an AF-1 in a shoe box & just left them there for a reeeally long time, they’d eventually get bored in there & fuck, producing an offspring that possesses the turn of an Ace with the pop of the Indy?
Love my Aces, AF-1 AND Classic, but the XIs feel so much better when I crack that tail.
I regularly have both Indy & Ace with me at the same session & my ollie height is improved by 33% due to the difference in timing.
I spent most of the last 40 years exclusively on Thunders, so maybe I just don’t care for that right wheelbase dim when it comes to ollies?

[logjammin]

Not sure if this is better suited here, or in the Ace thread, but I’m gonna go ahead anyway…
You reckon if I put a stage XI & an AF-1 in a shoe box & just left them there for a reeeally long time, they’d eventually get bored in there & fuck, producing an offspring that possesses the turn of an Ace with the pop of the Indy?
Love my Aces, AF-1 AND Classic, but the XIs feel so much better when I crack that tail.
I regularly have both Indy & Ace with me at the same session & my ollie height is improved by 33% due to the difference in timing.
I spent most of the last 40 years exclusively on Thunders, so maybe I just don’t care for that right wheelbase dim when it comes to ollies?

Ace classics with an 1/8" riser under them should get you the Indy height you like and the turn of Ace. Especially if you don't care about inverted kingpins or messing with bushings at all, the classics run pretty bitchin' stock as they are. I would ditch the top washer though to really get that extra twitch n carve, but that's me.

[dirtjers]

I know this is usually discussed in the ace threads, but have we determined the cause of the washer clicking?

I took a year and a half hiatus from Indy (ventures), and my first pair back was breaking in so good til the front one started making that crazy noise.

They’re 144 standards. I’ve got the orange cylinder aftermarket Indy bushings with the right washers so i shouldn’t be changing any geometry. Kingpin nut is just about flush too, but I can see the washer move if I move the truck back and forth with my hands. The bushing kinda makes the bottom one slide, the top one seems to be pretty ok.

Also, second part to my question; does it just go away?

[LebowskisRug]

Did you use the stock or aftermarket washers? I'd stick to the stock ones. I have found the aftermarket top to be sharp and they're a bit smaller of a dish and sometimes the bushings spill over the sides. A friend had the same problem and I asked my local shop and they acted as if it was common knowledge to always use the stock.

[manysnakes]

A few years ago, someone linked to some cheap sleeved lower washers on Amazon and I bought a pair. I installed them on some nearly new Ace trucks - the fit was snug over the kingpin and I had to manipulate the bottom bushing to get it seated, but the clicking went away permanently and has never returned.

Looking for them now, I can’t turn anything cheap - just expensive ones from Array, the longboard company. Maybe someone who isn’t looking at their phone without their glasses will have better luck or maybe you’re stuck buying the $30 ones intended for Caliber IIIs.

[logjammin]

Buddy of mine put some stage 4 hangers on his slappy baseplates with the stock stage 4 bushings and the geometry worked perfectly, turning was nuts and paired with OG krux pins. He didn't use loctite though, so his hanger flew off mid slappy lol. 

[Mbrimson88]

I know this is usually discussed in the ace threads, but have we determined the cause of the washer clicking?

I took a year and a half hiatus from Indy (ventures), and my first pair back was breaking in so good til the front one started making that crazy noise.

They’re 144 standards. I’ve got the orange cylinder aftermarket Indy bushings with the right washers so i shouldn’t be changing any geometry. Kingpin nut is just about flush too, but I can see the washer move if I move the truck back and forth with my hands. The bushing kinda makes the bottom one slide, the top one seems to be pretty ok.

Also, second part to my question; does it just go away?

It iis almost always the metal washer moving on the kingpin, so when the bottom washer, or more commonly the top washer is pushed from side to side, the pressure with the kingpin tightened down causes it to click when it moves to the left or right.

A couple of options that have worked for some people but not for others, most of which I have tried with some success as well:

Tape around the kingpin where the washer touches
Wax on the bottom of the nut / top of the washer
Any sticky adhesive that creates a layer between the nut and washer like blu tac or similar product, not permanent, just something to stop the pressure from moving the washer as much from side to side

It did seem to happen more with some combinations of bushings, washers, trucks but in every case the clicking stopped for either a session or longer, but it is quite annoying until it goes away, or you work out what is going on and fix it.

[dirtjers]

Did you use the stock or aftermarket washers? I'd stick to the stock ones. I have found the aftermarket top to be sharp and they're a bit smaller of a dish and sometimes the bushings spill over the sides. A friend had the same problem and I asked my local shop and they acted as if it was common knowledge to always use the stock.

I have the stock washers on the bottom, and I am using ace washers on the top. I had them laying around, so when I put the aftermarket indy bushings in I figured why not - they seemed less sharp and there were some slap recommendations. Now that I type this I wonder if that has something to do with it…. But it’s weird the back truck is fine.

[dirtjers]

Expand Quote

I know this is usually discussed in the ace threads, but have we determined the cause of the washer clicking?

I took a year and a half hiatus from Indy (ventures), and my first pair back was breaking in so good til the front one started making that crazy noise.

They’re 144 standards. I’ve got the orange cylinder aftermarket Indy bushings with the right washers so i shouldn’t be changing any geometry. Kingpin nut is just about flush too, but I can see the washer move if I move the truck back and forth with my hands. The bushing kinda makes the bottom one slide, the top one seems to be pretty ok.

Also, second part to my question; does it just go away?

[close]

It iis almost always the metal washer moving on the kingpin, so when the bottom washer, or more commonly the top washer is pushed from side to side, the pressure with the kingpin tightened down causes it to click when it moves to the left or right.

A couple of options that have worked for some people but not for others, most of which I have tried with some success as well:

Tape around the kingpin where the washer touches
Wax on the bottom of the nut / top of the washer
Any sticky adhesive that creates a layer between the nut and washer like blu tac or similar product, not permanent, just something to stop the pressure from moving the washer as much from side to side

It did seem to happen more with some combinations of bushings, washers, trucks but in every case the clicking stopped for either a session or longer, but it is quite annoying until it goes away, or you work out what is going on and fix it.

Yeah, I did notice the stock washers have a bunch of play, like they’d been given a bigger hole than necessary. Never noticed that before (but probably never thought about it).

[LebowskisRug]

@moonordie

Tagging you here with questions about Indy bushings. Lots of pros crank their Indys:

Chico with hard yellows and threads showing: https://youtu.be/N3L6UtA_Fgg?t=64

Justin Henry with Ace bushings cranked: https://youtu.be/zZJC5FZa3vc?t=8

Alex Willms stock bushings 3 threads showing: https://youtu.be/LNDT4FCNxCo?t=17

Ryan Townley with 2-3 threads: https://youtu.be/V0zLaoJGSKg?t=32

Dakota with yellows and threads: https://youtu.be/POWYcIOvJRY?t=15

Don't be afraid to tighten your Indys there's this weird "I just ride them as they come" vibe to them which is sick if that works, but most people I personally know that ride them tighten them more than Slap seems to suggest.

From my experience with orange and blue bushings is the blues require 1-1.5 less turns than stock. I like this better because it firms up the end of the turn/wheelbite and the top still has a nice carve to it. The more threads showing the more the bushings are preloaded with compression and the less you'll get at the top.

[manysnakes]

Don't be afraid to tighten your Indys there's this weird "I just ride them as they come" vibe to them which is sick if that works, but most people I personally know that ride them tighten them more than Slap seems to suggest.

The whole "don't adjust your new trucks" things is weird because they do not arrive at some ideal configuration. I guarantee you that there's some worker with a low PSI air hammer in the factory just installing thousands of nuts a day with absolutely zero concern for torque or anything such as that.

[Frank and Fred]

@moonordie



Don't be afraid to tighten your Indys there's this weird "I just ride them as they come" vibe to them which is sick if that works, but most people I personally know that ride them tighten them more than Slap seems to suggest.

Funny you mention that. I just went out to bomb some hills on my Stage 4s and decided to tighten them a notch or two as they are so wild on center. Lo and behold they felt pretty great at "high" speed tight.

[brownjenkin]

Don't be afraid to tighten your Indys there's this weird "I just ride them as they come" vibe to them which is sick if that works, but most people I personally know that ride them tighten them more than Slap seems to suggest.

From my experience with orange and blue bushings is the blues require 1-1.5 less turns than stock. I like this better because it firms up the end of the turn/wheelbite and the top still has a nice carve to it. The more threads showing the more the bushings are preloaded with compression and the less you'll get at the top.

This is great advice. Moderately tightening mine made a world of difference. They carve just as well and I feel way more stable when setting up and landing. Really tempted to try out the blue bushings.

I'll add Leo Romero and David Gonzalez to the list of pros with seriously cranked Indys. And Reynolds tightens his enough to warrant angle grinding his kingpins.

[Firebert]

Expand Quote

Don't be afraid to tighten your Indys there's this weird "I just ride them as they come" vibe to them which is sick if that works, but most people I personally know that ride them tighten them more than Slap seems to suggest.

From my experience with orange and blue bushings is the blues require 1-1.5 less turns than stock. I like this better because it firms up the end of the turn/wheelbite and the top still has a nice carve to it. The more threads showing the more the bushings are preloaded with compression and the less you'll get at the top.

[close]

This is great advice. Moderately tightening mine made a world of difference. They carve just as well and I feel way more stable when setting up and landing. Really tempted to try out the blue bushings.

I'll add Leo Romero and David Gonzalez to the list of pros with seriously cranked Indys. And Reynolds tightens his enough to warrant angle grinding his kingpins.

It’s just madness with him. He hasn’t done a smith or feeble since 1996

[brownjenkin]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Don't be afraid to tighten your Indys there's this weird "I just ride them as they come" vibe to them which is sick if that works, but most people I personally know that ride them tighten them more than Slap seems to suggest.

From my experience with orange and blue bushings is the blues require 1-1.5 less turns than stock. I like this better because it firms up the end of the turn/wheelbite and the top still has a nice carve to it. The more threads showing the more the bushings are preloaded with compression and the less you'll get at the top.

[close]

This is great advice. Moderately tightening mine made a world of difference. They carve just as well and I feel way more stable when setting up and landing. Really tempted to try out the blue bushings.

I'll add Leo Romero and David Gonzalez to the list of pros with seriously cranked Indys. And Reynolds tightens his enough to warrant angle grinding his kingpins.

[close]

It’s just madness with him. He hasn’t done a smith or feeble since 1996

Ha! I was actually going to add that it is Reynolds so it's entirely possible a 1/4 of a mm of kingpin showing bugs the shit out of him to the point of having to deal with it

[LebowskisRug]

I know this is usually discussed in the ace threads, but have we determined the cause of the washer clicking?

I took a year and a half hiatus from Indy (ventures), and my first pair back was breaking in so good til the front one started making that crazy noise.

They’re 144 standards. I’ve got the orange cylinder aftermarket Indy bushings with the right washers so i shouldn’t be changing any geometry. Kingpin nut is just about flush too, but I can see the washer move if I move the truck back and forth with my hands. The bushing kinda makes the bottom one slide, the top one seems to be pretty ok.

Also, second part to my question; does it just go away?

I'd put the stock Indy washers back on and see if it happens. You changed a few things at once so I would try to isolate components.

[rikki]

I've been preferring to ride my trucks tighter lately, so I went out and tried the blue medium hards for the first time yesterday. After a bit of breaking in they started to feel really good -- not needing to crank them as much as the stock oranges feels like a good thing to me. Pop felt solid even though I'm still getting the feel of the bushings. I think after a bit more breaking in they'll be perfect.

One question: I read somewhere that the bottom bushing is a wee bit taller than on the stock ones – is this true and by how much?

[Scottboarding]

One question: I read somewhere that the bottom bushing is a wee bit taller than on the stock ones – is this true and by how much?

I can’t speak for the barrel aftermarket’s but can confirm the conical aftermarket’s are taller than the stock bushings. I don’t know the measurement but from what I can tell by eye and feel the aftermarket bottom is the exact same size as the stock bottom with the washer. If you don’t use the bottom washer with the aftermarket bushing that should keep the same geometry as the stock with washer.

[256 Ply]

[rikki]

Ok so my OCD took over so I had to measure the bottom (cylinder/barrel – no experience in conical bottoms, mind you) bushings of 1) stock oranges and 2) aftermarket blues.

Both measured exactly at 12mm high/thick – so there's actually no difference. I can now be at peace.

[dirtjers]

Expand Quote

I know this is usually discussed in the ace threads, but have we determined the cause of the washer clicking?

I took a year and a half hiatus from Indy (ventures), and my first pair back was breaking in so good til the front one started making that crazy noise.

They’re 144 standards. I’ve got the orange cylinder aftermarket Indy bushings with the right washers so i shouldn’t be changing any geometry. Kingpin nut is just about flush too, but I can see the washer move if I move the truck back and forth with my hands. The bushing kinda makes the bottom one slide, the top one seems to be pretty ok.

Also, second part to my question; does it just go away?

[close]

It iis almost always the metal washer moving on the kingpin, so when the bottom washer, or more commonly the top washer is pushed from side to side, the pressure with the kingpin tightened down causes it to click when it moves to the left or right.

A couple of options that have worked for some people but not for others, most of which I have tried with some success as well:

Tape around the kingpin where the washer touches
Wax on the bottom of the nut / top of the washer
Any sticky adhesive that creates a layer between the nut and washer like blu tac or similar product, not permanent, just something to stop the pressure from moving the washer as much from side to side

It did seem to happen more with some combinations of bushings, washers, trucks but in every case the clicking stopped for either a session or longer, but it is quite annoying until it goes away, or you work out what is going on and fix it.

Soooo after a session on Tuesday night it seems to be…gone? Didn’t skate yesterday or today yet but both days I stood on the board to check and seems like it’s non-existent. Little bit of pivot squeak in the front still but I can totally deal with that.

The current bushing/washer combo is still the aftermarket orange cylinders, ace roadside washer, Indy aftermarket boardside washer.

This got me thinking about what you said in bold - did you mean it goes away only to cruelly come back? Or generally works itself out?

I have no idea why I even care so much about that noise, I’m usually not so picky but that one is maddening lol

[Mbrimson88]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

I know this is usually discussed in the ace threads, but have we determined the cause of the washer clicking?

I took a year and a half hiatus from Indy (ventures), and my first pair back was breaking in so good til the front one started making that crazy noise.

They’re 144 standards. I’ve got the orange cylinder aftermarket Indy bushings with the right washers so i shouldn’t be changing any geometry. Kingpin nut is just about flush too, but I can see the washer move if I move the truck back and forth with my hands. The bushing kinda makes the bottom one slide, the top one seems to be pretty ok.

Also, second part to my question; does it just go away?

[close]

It iis almost always the metal washer moving on the kingpin, so when the bottom washer, or more commonly the top washer is pushed from side to side, the pressure with the kingpin tightened down causes it to click when it moves to the left or right.

A couple of options that have worked for some people but not for others, most of which I have tried with some success as well:

Tape around the kingpin where the washer touches
Wax on the bottom of the nut / top of the washer
Any sticky adhesive that creates a layer between the nut and washer like blu tac or similar product, not permanent, just something to stop the pressure from moving the washer as much from side to side

It did seem to happen more with some combinations of bushings, washers, trucks but in every case the clicking stopped for either a session or longer, but it is quite annoying until it goes away, or you work out what is going on and fix it.

[close]

Soooo after a session on Tuesday night it seems to be…gone? Didn’t skate yesterday or today yet but both days I stood on the board to check and seems like it’s non-existent. Little bit of pivot squeak in the front still but I can totally deal with that.

The current bushing/washer combo is still the aftermarket orange cylinders, ace roadside washer, Indy aftermarket boardside washer.

This got me thinking about what you said in bold - did you mean it goes away only to cruelly come back? Or generally works itself out?

I have no idea why I even care so much about that noise, I’m usually not so picky but that one is maddening lol

Yeah sometimes it does just go away on its own, other times when using wax or other things, it is good for a bit and then comes back.

What I did notice when I had a minute to mess around with things on a new set of Ace trucks a while back, was the clicking would increase if I tightened the kingpin nut down more, or decrease if I loosened it off, so once the bushings wear in a bit, then it decreases the pressure between the washer and nut so it will not have so much force pushing things left or right, which causes the click (to go left) then click (to go right) and so on.

Same as if I had something to prevent the binding, so a little wax on the underside of the nut meant that it would not catch so much, in other cases I had with other random truck and bushing combinations.


As with everything, when you are out and skating and things are loud all round, you don't really even notice it, but just standing on a board, leaning heel to toe and back again, hearing click, click, CLICK, CLICK... it definitely gets to me as well.  Knowing it is doing that means I need to fix it otherwise it will keep bugging me.  That's the maddening bit to me too.

[rikki]

It's gotta be the Ace top washer. I skated my Indys with an Ace top washer a while ago, and while the truck felt great, the legendary Ace click appeared all of a sudden, not constantly, but every now and then. I was used to the click sometimes coming and going while riding Aces and getting used to it, but on Indys it was strange, man.

Anyway, it's something that will go away eventually, always. Don't start taping up your kingpin or doing other cumbersome stuff.

[dirtjers]

Yeah, the ace washer does feel good, but def not worth the hassle. Took em out and put the stock washers back in.