Ace trucks

[pops]

Which size AF1 should I get for an 8.75 deck? Might run the 9 inch axle without the inner washer but I was wondering if 8.5s are a better fit.

I ride Af1 66 on 8.75", one washer inner axle. There isn't any noticeable axle sticking. I believe I would get quicker turn with 55s and slightly faster flips but even with 66s I have no problem and I love the extra stability.

[al_cvbrera]

tried the af1's for a couple of weeks and then put my classics back on. from my experiencing of trying both out, the classics are way better. by a mile. the only thing i think are better on the af1's are the bushings, but thats about it.

[goodatmeth]

I'm really happy with my af1 44s, only changed the top washer because it started cutting into the sides of the top bushing (kingpin nut is flush, not tight). Why is everyone still using the curved washer design that destroys all bushings?
Using flat washers now on every truck. I still wish there was a lighter version though.

[superleftswipebby]

how’s the af1’s with bones bushings?

[CorneliusCardew]

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People say ride it until the wheels come off; last night I was skating at a spot went for a front side nose slide and my f****** wheel fell off of these Ace trucks I've never had that happen to me before.

[close]

In the short time I was on my AF1 44's (before the pivot cup cracked, still awaiting replacement going on two months time) I noticed the newly designed axle nuts on the front truck kept loosening on their own. I tighten them down pretty much all the way too, very little play if any but still every few days I'd have to tighten them back up as they would get really loose. I was riding on pretty rough streets and over occasional cobblestones so lots of vibration but still, that doesn't happen to me with regular axle nuts. Hopefully you didn't get hurt. I'd hate to get an injury because of faulty equipment. If or when I skate mine again I'm going to swap out the new fancy axle nuts for standard ones. I also hope the washer click on the kingpin goes away, it was driving me mental.

I am happy to say that I was not injured by that faulty equipment. The only faulty equipment that ever hurt me was my royal trucks when the kingpin snapped on a tiny little Ollie but I was going fast and it sent me down hard on the pavement.

[Bongwater Mojito]

My AF1 trip so far:

Been on Indys, Ace Classics and Films last years. Films started to need replacement, set up AF1 44s. First impressions: horrible, numb, ghost-popping heavy piece of metal. Switched AF1s out, rode old trucks for few weeks. Curiosity took over, back to AF1s, with more patience this time. Started getting used to them, maybe after 5-6 sessions I was pretty happy except occasional ghost pop and timing suddently getting lost. They actually felt good, until pivot cup blew out yesterday. I happened to have Riptides in my box, so replaced them.

Not sure what to think, at this retail price one would maybe expect a bit better QC, on the other hand, can't deny the turn feels nice and somehow more stable than with Classics. The break-in time felt definitely longer than any other truck, even Films.

Maybe I just didn't pay any attention to these things 15-20 years ago and happily rode any garbage sales could call as "trucks"...

[TastyBurrito]

Where can I find ACE replacement bushings?

Noticed that my bushings are pushing in to the washers and getting cut up. I didn't even tighten them down (stock looseness). Guess I really am that fat.

[Xen]

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Which size AF1 should I get for an 8.75 deck? Might run the 9 inch axle without the inner washer but I was wondering if 8.5s are a better fit.

[close]

55's if you like to flip your board, 66's if you want more stability and grind room. Both will work fine, I usually prefer flush or slightly more narrow trucks than my deck (magic carpet) but i pretty much just skate low impact street stuff these days.

[close]

That's the magic question and I concur with the answer. Still can't believe Ace didn't add an 8.75" axle to their rotation with the AF1s.

I love Ace but will always have a Thunder or other 8.75" truck in the equipment box just in case...

[close]

I'm an 8.75 guy and reached out to them on instagram about some trucks and they will be adding it to their lineup but wouldn't tell me when. I imagine it will fuck up the sizing charts once again...

60 should be just fine; fuck their conventions.

[superleftswipebby]

decided to grab a set of 55 af1s and ended up tweaking my ankle (minor) as they arrived lol. i’m coming from indy 149s. i aligned the two together and noticed that the ace’s wb looks abit funky to me.

for anyone who’s made the switch recently, what have you noticed?

[Sundaynuggets]

decided to grab a set of 55 af1s and ended up tweaking my ankle (minor) as they arrived lol. i’m coming from indy 149s. i aligned the two together and noticed that the ace’s wb looks abit funky to me.

for anyone who’s made the switch recently, what have you noticed?

I just got some AF1 55’s after riding Classics and Indy’s. I haven’t measured, but honestly to me the wb feels roughly the same as ace classics, which is slightly in from Indy.

I’ve also never had any of the QC issues with any aces I’ve had (5 pairs of classic, 1 AF1).

[LebowskisRug]

It seems lots of people are disappointed with AF1's at this point, but the other day I skated with 2 "Ace Pilots", who were both on classics and agreed vaguely that "they didn't see the point in the new trucks and didn't really like them" whatever that actually means.

Another friend that works at a shop pointed out that Ace tried to pull a Venture and gave tons of trucks to pros, but the ones he has seen locally all went back to what they were on before and from my limited time on IG it seems the same for people such as Spanky that were seen rocking them.

[logjammin]

Yeah I started to wonder how many pros would think "wtf" when they heard the weird way the trucks sounded and performed. I tried to keep rolling on my AF1 44's to give them another shot but the grind is super sticky for me. I will post the pic if anyone wants to see it, but since the stock AF1 pivot cups didn't do it for me, I went with Riptides and it caused a lot of play back and forth in the pivot cavity. The metal has already deformed substantially on the rim and I'm surprised it never ripped apart the pivot cup. I guess the "molecular level" strength isn't as strong as forged...

[al_cvbrera]

tried the af1's for a couple of weeks and then put my classics back on. from my experiencing of trying both out, the classics are way better. by a mile. the only thing i think are better on the af1's are the bushings, but thats about it.

came back to give an update. the classics are still better. haven't touched my af1's in a while and i don't plan on remounting them on my go-to. maybe its bc i got the 8.5 inch axle ones and i ride 8.25's. once my ace 44 classics are done, i COULD get the 8.25 inch axle AF1's but i'm hard pressed to even do that because i like the classics better anyway.

[juniormint]

Felt compelled to comment here on my experience with the AF1 55s I have been skating for the last 4 months. Let me foreground this by saying I have never owned Ace classics before, and have for the last 5 years been exclusively thunder 151s and 149s (loose with risers), so my judgement is based only on this comparison and maybe this might help some looking at a switch with no prior experience with aces. Was always keen to try a pair of classics but couldn't jive with the sizes as I ride 8.5 - 8.75 boards. FYI I am mainly skating street and haven't had a good opportunity in transition with them.

These are well made trucks, the QC exceeds the last pair of Thunders I had and I have had no issues with the pivot cups as commonly reported and I do a shit ton of noseslides and crooks for that matter. Slides on the nose and tail felt immediately faster and longer due the extended baseplate. One downside for me coming from thunders though slides don't feel as securely locked in, and the baseplate is pretty chewed up already. They grind normally on everything but feel especially good on concrete.

I ride them a bit looser than factory and was honestly surprised at how stable they were coming from my thunders. I have also started riding smaller wheelbase decks than I usually would with these trucks, and am really feeling the benefits in terms of maneuverability. Flatground feels good for this reason and the pop feel when combined with a steep deck is really nice, but doesn't quite have that kind of delayed heft my thunders give. They are heavy though, and I think if i was still on longer wheelbases this may be more difficult to manage, but on 14.25 - 14.5 they feel quite responsive.

Although I haven't started slaloming around the park, the turn is definitively more of a carve than a twitch like thunders, it is different, not necessarily better or worse. I feel like I had my thunders pretty dialed in turns of turn anyway. I am around 180lbs, 6'3 with size 14 clompers and am usually running 54-56 wheels when they are fresh. I don't use risers with them and get wheelbite but it is not as severe, in terms of getting thrown off the board as I would with thunders.

All in all I like them, and will keep riding because they seem to get better with age, or I am just getting more accustomed to them as you would with any truck.

[manysnakes]

Felt compelled to comment here on my experience with the AF1 55s I have been skating for the last 4 months. Let me foreground this by saying I have never owned Ace classics before, and have for the last 5 years been exclusively thunder 151s and 149s (loose with risers), so my judgement is based only on this comparison and maybe this might help some looking at a switch with no prior experience with aces. Was always keen to try a pair of classics but couldn't jive with the sizes as I ride 8.5 - 8.75 boards. FYI I am mainly skating street and haven't had a good opportunity in transition with them.

These are well made trucks, the QC exceeds the last pair of Thunders I had and I have had no issues with the pivot cups as commonly reported and I do a shit ton of noseslides and crooks for that matter. Slides on the nose and tail felt immediately faster and longer due the extended baseplate. One downside for me coming from thunders though slides don't feel as securely locked in, and the baseplate is pretty chewed up already. They grind normally on everything but feel especially good on concrete.

I ride them a bit looser than factory and was honestly surprised at how stable they were coming from my thunders. I have also started riding smaller wheelbase decks than I usually would with these trucks, and am really feeling the benefits in terms of maneuverability. Flatground feels good for this reason and the pop feel when combined with a steep deck is really nice, but doesn't quite have that kind of delayed heft my thunders give. They are heavy though, and I think if i was still on longer wheelbases this may be more difficult to manage, but on 14.25 - 14.5 they feel quite responsive.

Although I haven't started slaloming around the park, the turn is definitively more of a carve than a twitch like thunders, it is different, not necessarily better or worse. I feel like I had my thunders pretty dialed in turns of turn anyway. I am around 180lbs, 6'3 with size 14 clompers and am usually running 54-56 wheels when they are fresh. I don't use risers with them and get wheelbite but it is not as severe, in terms of getting thrown off the board as I would with thunders.

All in all I like them, and will keep riding because they seem to get better with age, or I am just getting more accustomed to them as you would with any truck.

Are these your first Ace Trucks, then?

[juniormint]

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Felt compelled to comment here on my experience with the AF1 55s I have been skating for the last 4 months. Let me foreground this by saying I have never owned Ace classics before, and have for the last 5 years been exclusively thunder 151s and 149s (loose with risers), so my judgement is based only on this comparison and maybe this might help some looking at a switch with no prior experience with aces. Was always keen to try a pair of classics but couldn't jive with the sizes as I ride 8.5 - 8.75 boards. FYI I am mainly skating street and haven't had a good opportunity in transition with them.

These are well made trucks, the QC exceeds the last pair of Thunders I had and I have had no issues with the pivot cups as commonly reported and I do a shit ton of noseslides and crooks for that matter. Slides on the nose and tail felt immediately faster and longer due the extended baseplate. One downside for me coming from thunders though slides don't feel as securely locked in, and the baseplate is pretty chewed up already. They grind normally on everything but feel especially good on concrete.

I ride them a bit looser than factory and was honestly surprised at how stable they were coming from my thunders. I have also started riding smaller wheelbase decks than I usually would with these trucks, and am really feeling the benefits in terms of maneuverability. Flatground feels good for this reason and the pop feel when combined with a steep deck is really nice, but doesn't quite have that kind of delayed heft my thunders give. They are heavy though, and I think if i was still on longer wheelbases this may be more difficult to manage, but on 14.25 - 14.5 they feel quite responsive.

Although I haven't started slaloming around the park, the turn is definitively more of a carve than a twitch like thunders, it is different, not necessarily better or worse. I feel like I had my thunders pretty dialed in turns of turn anyway. I am around 180lbs, 6'3 with size 14 clompers and am usually running 54-56 wheels when they are fresh. I don't use risers with them and get wheelbite but it is not as severe, in terms of getting thrown off the board as I would with thunders.

All in all I like them, and will keep riding because they seem to get better with age, or I am just getting more accustomed to them as you would with any truck.

[close]

Are these your first Ace Trucks, then?

Yep

[somedudefromnj]

Saw Bledsoe post in his story a setup with some Ace's and wonder if he was on that list of ppl who got them as promo

Thought y'all were tripping about the clicking, mine just started and now I see what you all mean.

As much as I like the slightly longer wheelbase, at this point I do prefer my classics

[superleftswipebby]

skated the af1 55s today. i’m skating em on a 8.5 14.25 wb fa. coming from indy 149s the pop feels off. hella ghost pop. tho i’m gettin the hang of em. the turning is amazing on these joints and this is coming from someone who dislikes loose trucks. so far i dig em. probably will go back to indys after this setup or two cus bombing hills seems like something i will not do on aces

[bigdave]

I am still riding my 55 classics on my main rig, but have AF1 55s on a slightly smaller board and dont really mind them. They're fine. I've got some AF1 77s coming today for my Curb Killer and I hope I didnt fuck up by not getting the 66 classics because for the kind of skating I wanna do with this board (curbs duh) it could be the one place I really notice a difference.

[bombsaway86]

I am still riding my 55 classics on my main rig, but have AF1 55s on a slightly smaller board and dont really mind them. They're fine. I've got some AF1 77s coming today for my Curb Killer and I hope I didnt fuck up by not getting the 66 classics because for the kind of skating I wanna do with this board (curbs duh) it could be the one place I really notice a difference.

You made the right choice. AF1s grind on concrete better than classics. They will probably hold up better than classics too if you’re skating curbs

[doomstation55]

I am still riding my 55 classics on my main rig, but have AF1 55s on a slightly smaller board and dont really mind them. They're fine. I've got some AF1 77s coming today for my Curb Killer and I hope I didnt fuck up by not getting the 66 classics because for the kind of skating I wanna do with this board (curbs duh) it could be the one place I really notice a difference.

I have this combo more or less (I have the very big egg which is the same shape just not razor top), AF1 77s with F4 classic 53s and it is a curb dream. You’ll be very happy with it.

[bigdave]

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I am still riding my 55 classics on my main rig, but have AF1 55s on a slightly smaller board and dont really mind them. They're fine. I've got some AF1 77s coming today for my Curb Killer and I hope I didnt fuck up by not getting the 66 classics because for the kind of skating I wanna do with this board (curbs duh) it could be the one place I really notice a difference.

[close]

I have this combo more or less (I have the very big egg which is the same shape just not razor top), AF1 77s with F4 classic 53s and it is a curb dream. You’ll be very happy with it.

Awesome! Thank you.

[mvdbosch90]

After lurking for a long time, reading everyone’s opinions and making some of my purchase decisions based on this, I’ve decided to also create and account and share my experience.

Until about two weeks ago I skated an 8.75 anti hero classic eagle with a 14.56 wheelbase. I first tried a pair of 8.75 Thunder High Lights II (151) on it, but it just felt off, popping and shove its just felt weird, which also showed in my incapacity to do decent flip tricks on it. I then tried Ace Classic 55’s (9.0” axles) which worked really great on that board. I tried indy’s and thunders, and I’ve always kept experimenting with bushings, but nothing really felt right. With the Ace Classics, for the first time I had the feeling I could ride them pretty loose (loose compared to my other trucks) while still having that stable center to pop my ollies and flip tricks. Although I had a lot of space to land, I started to notice that the setup was quite bulky and heavy, so I recently decided to go back to skating an 8.5 deck (Real deck with 14.38 wheelbase.

Since the 9” Ace Classic 55 where a little wide, I first tried riding it with my Thunder 151’s. It was OK, but the thunders somehow felt weird. Turning wasn’t as good as the Aces, and i got a lot of wheelbite when not landing in the centerline of my boards.

Today I went to the local skateshop to purchase a pair of aces again. I was in doubt between the classic 44’s and the AF1 55’s. I eventually chose the AF1 55’s since they matched the width of my deck better and I was curious to try them.
All I did so far was ride them for 15 minutes around my neighborhood while leaving them stock (one, maybe 1,5 thread showing). My first impression in that short period of time was the incredible steering compared to my thunders. I could make really right turns without having any wheelbite (I ride  54mm wheels). Even with the busings still feeling pretty loose in the beginning for a 185lbs/85kg guy, the stable center felt really nice, just like the classics have. Even after that short ride, I already felt the bushings getting a bit stiffer. I’m curious to see how it feels after more skating.

The steering definitely doesn’t feel like Indy trucks. So far it feels a little different then the 55’s classic, but the width difference and short skating may not be a fair comparison yet

My initial impression, even though very short, is very positive. When I’ve done some more skating on them, I’ll share my further experiences

[zozu]

Saw Bledsoe post in his story a setup with some Ace's and wonder if he was on that list of ppl who got them as promo

Thought y'all were tripping about the clicking, mine just started and now I see what you all mean.

As much as I like the slightly longer wheelbase, at this point I do prefer my classics

He's got them in his story today, and in Carl Aikens new Huf edit. I feel like if he was just sampling them he'd be done by now.

[mvdbosch90]

All right, yesterday I had my first actual skate session on my Ace AF1 55’s. My initial impression was that they turn a bit sharper than the classics and the classics seemed to have more of a stable platform in the center. On the other hand, my classics were also 55’s, so those were 9” instead of 8.5”. The metal seems to be a bit harder as others have mentioned. It was a short session though, and I wasn’t in very good shape yesterday.

Has anyone already tried putting the AF1 hangers on the classic baseplate? Or put the classic bushings in the AF1’s?

[manysnakes]

Ace is all over the grams posting about pivot cups, so
I assume that they are all back in stock.

[Goblinoid]

I actually like the new Af1s more than the classics so figured I'd drop my 2cents.

I skated my first pair of Aces, 44 classics,  for about 3 months this spring. Then moved to Af1 55s and have been riding those for the past 3 months, so I feel like I had a good chance to break them both in back-to-back and feel the differences.

The break-in time was much better on the Af1s (about 3-4 sessions on the Af1s, while the Classics need about twice the time). The Af1s seem to have better quality bushings and pivot cups, so that might explain the break in time. Speaking of pivot cups, I haven't experienced any shredding on either set.

I did experience the clicking sound on my Af1s, but over time it slowly went away. Oddly, I got a pair of Titanium Independents around the same time and they also clicked. I really think this is just a new truck issue, and it never affected my skating.

I also keep reading that people think Af1s stick on metal, which also seems to just be a new truck issue. I'd bet that until you grind through some concrete first, most trucks feel sticky on metal? I learned this the hard way on the brand new Independents - tried grinding a metal bench I always skate near my house and stuck HARD every time I tried to 50-50 it. Switched to my broken in Af1s and it grinded just fine.

One thing I noticed with the Classics was I could not stop my kickflips from rocketing, but that went away as soon as I switched to Af1s. I'd attribute that to the slightly longer wheelbase on the AF1s, however the turning feels just as good and maybe more "stable at center" on Af1s.

I also noticed that the metal on the classics wore away too fast - I had a noticeable groove in my baseplate from skating a concrete ledge for less than 2 hours, while an almost identical session on the AF1s just left normal wear.

Overall I'd guess that people's problems with Af1s clicking and grinding have to do with "new truck issues". Unless you love the inbetween size of Classic 44s, and for some reason want soft metal that won't last very long, get the AF1s.

[Dwyck]

What's the best hard/medium bushing for AF1s. Like the Indy black and the indy blue equivalent

[whale]

Second session on AF1’s, the clicking just started.
Does it go away of do I have to fix it?

[doomstation55]

Second session on AF1’s, the clicking just started.
Does it go away of do I have to fix it?

Yeah mine went away after a few sessions