Indy's Kingpin Length (Standard vs Hollow)

[uwedinho]

So I don't know how to take the kingpin out and just don't have anything to measure this so I want to know if anyone has done this before...

Problem is I have a set of Indy's standard and forged hollow. Both broken in and adjusted so they feel the same. I realise that the kingpin thread is showing more on the forged hollow trucks. I tried switching bushings around and it's the same.

Sorry I don't want to be totally unscientific here... Because if the kingpin is longer, more threads will show. So to me, counting threads showing doesn't mean anything if the amount of compression is indeed the same but just that one kingpin is longer in total length.

Which then made me wonder, the length of Indy's hollow kingpin has to be longer, right? If it is, I will probably grind it down somehow...

[Dan Gerous]

No need to take the kingpins out, just remove the hanger and bushings of both and compare the length of the kingpin that is out of the baseplate. Even if the actual kingpins are or are not the same length, they could sit slightly deeper (or not) in forged vs cast baseplates, but it's the length that sticks out that could affect how much thread will show on each setup with the same bushings at the same compression.

[uwedinho]

Thanks for pointing that out. It is indeed only the part that sticks out that matters.

[Mbrimson88]

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Generally Indy standard kingpins stick up 35 mm from the baseplate when I measured some, as do Thunder and Venture.  Ace sit about 37 to 38 mm out from the baseplate and Slappy sit only 33 mm out from the baseplate, as they use lower head bushings.

The hollow kingpins were the same, but some could be a little more or less depending on the products or even sometimes depending on how much the machine pushes them into the baseplates, but the difference is minimal maybe half a mm tops between a few different ones of the same brand and type.


In general I will usually get things to exactly where I want them according to the feel of bushings, especially if the bushings are already nicely worn in, then get an angle grinder to the kingpin just taking off a little of the front edge so there is less chance of catching on anything.

This works for both standard and hollow kingpins, but the hollow kingpins seem to catch a lot more than standard ones do, or at least I really know when a hollow kingpin has hit concrete or anything, as it really digs in and makes a noise I can only say I don't like to hear.


I used to angle grind down the kingpins to around 32 mm but then sometimes changing out bushings was a pain.  To say I would use low top Indy bushings on them, so I could get them down a lot lower.

Anyway a simple angle grinder or similar tool works great in taking down kingpins, still easy to get the nut on and off, so just taking a little off at a time, not going too hard on them (otherwise they can cook the bushings) and generally not trying to take them down too much works well for me.

Seen any number of others doing this as well from top pro skaters like Shane Oneil just taking a bit off and Andrew Reynolds taking them down a lot, depending on their own needs too.

[Mbrimson88]

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This was one of my info posts from a while back to help with the kingpin grinding thing:

[Richard Skidder]

You mentioned forged hollows. The forged plates are thinner. Not just at the base but as a whole. It exposes more of the kingpin where it exits the baseplate by about 1.5 millimeters which can look like a lot on a kingpin.

[Mbrimson88]

You mentioned forged hollows. The forged plates are thinner. Not just at the base but as a whole. It exposes more of the kingpin where it exits the baseplate by about 1.5 millimeters which can look like a lot on a kingpin.

The baseplates are thinner on forged trucks (making the truck overall height 1.5 mm lower), but the kingpin still only sticks out 35 mm in both standard and hollow kingpins on their cast and forged baseplates.

A couple of the hollow kingpins did seem to have a little more material up top, so could be 35.5 mm tops on one of them, but overall from the half a dozen sets of them I checked they are all sitting about the same.


One of the guys I skate with was having issues saying one truck was always not as tight as the other - nuts flush just to try to get them even and sure enough, one of the kingpins was 34.8 or so mm so just a touch shorter than the usual 35 mm even.

Crazy how such a very small difference can affect performance so much though.

[Mbrimson88]

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Here are three pics of Indy kingpins from three sets of trucks I had out and was swapping over on boards yesterday.

Standard, right on 35 mm kingpin

Forged with hollow kingpin also right on 35 mm.

Then another forged with hollow kingpin, just sitting at the back a touch over 35, but the front that would touch is just on 35 mm as well.

I had seen a few others that were not completely pressed into the baseplate and sat a touch lower, as well as others that had been naturally grinded down a fair bit, but they don't really count as far as the main thing with untouched or as new kingpins and their heights.

Interesting to note they all had 13 threads, but as per the second and third one, some had a bit more up top too, while others were very much flat on top with the last thread and then rounded right off.

They have changed this over the years but the current ones all do look pretty much the same now.

[Richard Skidder]

Great info @Mbrimson88 looks like they took into consideration the depth of the kingpin housing when thinning out the forged version.

[uwedinho]

I had a chance to check mine finally cause of upgrading bushings. The hollow kingpin of my forged baseplate is sticking out more, like a thread. Which is consistent with how much thread is showing after rebuilding the truck. Just want to out this information out there.