Spitfire formula four

[rocklobster]

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Hey Spitfire, please get rid of Tablets and Lock in full and bring back radial slims and classic full.
Thanks.

[close]

lmao next thing u know their next drops gonna be conical slim and tablet full

.

[rikki]

Tablet Fulls would probably result in a quantum singularity collapse of reality as we know it.

[Mbrimson88]

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Rounded sidewall > Conical/sidecut. Always. I have a theory that conicals are just easier to manufacture. They can mold and then cut the side. Sort of how they do with Tablets according to this thread. Radials and shit they have to mold at a curve and get more precise.

[close]

Is that accurate? My understanding was that all wheels are milled/cut down to size from a larger mold, rather than directly molded. I'm not super familiar though so maybe someone else can weigh in.

From seeing some videos of pouring wheels, the mold is very much accurate and exact, just trimming off a little excess where the urethane pours in.

Could be different with different manufacturers though, but the only time I know that the Spitfire wheel manufacturer actually machine down wheels to make smaller ones is when they make the Lil Smokies from other bigger wheels that have imperfections or whatever issues that don't allow quality control to let them through as their original sizes and shapes.

I will have to try to look up a video I saw, but I don't think I have ever seen Spitfire wheels poured, apart from some very distant still pics from ages ago - big secret I guess.


* No good ones / short ones to post right this minute, but looking up something like how to make skateboard wheels shows a few interesting videos.

[Enrico Pallazzo]

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Rounded sidewall > Conical/sidecut. Always. I have a theory that conicals are just easier to manufacture. They can mold and then cut the side. Sort of how they do with Tablets according to this thread. Radials and shit they have to mold at a curve and get more precise.

[close]

Is that accurate? My understanding was that all wheels are milled/cut down to size from a larger mold, rather than directly molded. I'm not super familiar though so maybe someone else can weigh in.

[close]

From seeing some videos of pouring wheels, the mold is very much accurate and exact, just trimming off a little excess where the urethane pours in.

Could be different with different manufacturers though, but the only time I know that the Spitfire wheel manufacturer actually machine down wheels to make smaller ones is when they make the Lil Smokies from other bigger wheels that have imperfections or whatever issues that don't allow quality control to let them through as their original sizes and shapes.

I will have to try to look up a video I saw, but I don't think I have ever seen Spitfire wheels poured, apart from some very distant still pics from ages ago - big secret I guess.


* No good ones / short ones to post right this minute, but looking up something like how to make skateboard wheels shows a few interesting videos.

Awesome, thanks for the insight. Definitely makes sense in terms of minimizing material loss. I stand corrected on my earlier theory, not sure where I got that idea.

[Mbrimson88]

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Rounded sidewall > Conical/sidecut. Always. I have a theory that conicals are just easier to manufacture. They can mold and then cut the side. Sort of how they do with Tablets according to this thread. Radials and shit they have to mold at a curve and get more precise.

[close]

Is that accurate? My understanding was that all wheels are milled/cut down to size from a larger mold, rather than directly molded. I'm not super familiar though so maybe someone else can weigh in.

[close]

From seeing some videos of pouring wheels, the mold is very much accurate and exact, just trimming off a little excess where the urethane pours in.

Could be different with different manufacturers though, but the only time I know that the Spitfire wheel manufacturer actually machine down wheels to make smaller ones is when they make the Lil Smokies from other bigger wheels that have imperfections or whatever issues that don't allow quality control to let them through as their original sizes and shapes.

I will have to try to look up a video I saw, but I don't think I have ever seen Spitfire wheels poured, apart from some very distant still pics from ages ago - big secret I guess.


* No good ones / short ones to post right this minute, but looking up something like how to make skateboard wheels shows a few interesting videos.

[close]

Awesome, thanks for the insight. Definitely makes sense in terms of minimizing material loss. I stand corrected on my earlier theory, not sure where I got that idea.

I have seen some videos of people shaping wheels down to specific shapes and sizes from a common mold though, so you are not that far off for some people / brands / wheel manufacturers.

Even for reshaping bigger wheels down to smaller wheels, the process is still the same, or for plain gravity poured open molds - lathe cut or edge tool and trim the wheel in some or round off the edge, as per one Powell video where the Mini Cubic wheels are poured in a single mold and they have to take off the flat back, or so it appears.


Spitfire seem to be injection mold set, so four nozzles force the urethane into the mold, at least seeing some older wheels that have distinct four quarter parts and then one that did actually split and come apart in the four quarters that I had, so that is an interesting one to note.  Not sure if they still do it that way or a single injection or pour, as per some others.

I had heard it said Pointech or some similar brand name was the company there in SF that poured the wheels, but there is so very little information on it.  Now they are poured in Mexico, possibly as part of the DLX / BBS manufacturing joint business, which would make sense, but again, zero info, at least that I could find.



This is an interesting read, which I found when looking for more info, from pre 2000 so it has been a while since that came out.


https://www.skateboarding.com/news/spitfires-champion


* Amazing read about Ruben Orkin too, which is worth it.

[smg1138]

Hey Spitfire, please get rid of Tablets and Lock in full and bring back radial slims and classic full.
Thanks.

I'm totally with you on this. The Classic Fulls are probably my favorite shape of all time. When I ride classics I usually ride 53's but the standards are just a tad too narrow than I really like. Lately I've been on Radial 53's and I really like those because they feel like a worn down Classic.

[Lou Strux]

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Rounded sidewall > Conical/sidecut. Always. I have a theory that conicals are just easier to manufacture. They can mold and then cut the side. Sort of how they do with Tablets according to this thread. Radials and shit they have to mold at a curve and get more precise.

[close]

Is that accurate? My understanding was that all wheels are milled/cut down to size from a larger mold, rather than directly molded. I'm not super familiar though so maybe someone else can weigh in.

[close]

From seeing some videos of pouring wheels, the mold is very much accurate and exact, just trimming off a little excess where the urethane pours in.

Could be different with different manufacturers though, but the only time I know that the Spitfire wheel manufacturer actually machine down wheels to make smaller ones is when they make the Lil Smokies from other bigger wheels that have imperfections or whatever issues that don't allow quality control to let them through as their original sizes and shapes.

I will have to try to look up a video I saw, but I don't think I have ever seen Spitfire wheels poured, apart from some very distant still pics from ages ago - big secret I guess.


* No good ones / short ones to post right this minute, but looking up something like how to make skateboard wheels shows a few interesting videos.

[close]

Awesome, thanks for the insight. Definitely makes sense in terms of minimizing material loss. I stand corrected on my earlier theory, not sure where I got that idea.

[close]

I have seen some videos of people shaping wheels down to specific shapes and sizes from a common mold though, so you are not that far off for some people / brands / wheel manufacturers.

Even for reshaping bigger wheels down to smaller wheels, the process is still the same, or for plain gravity poured open molds - lathe cut or edge tool and trim the wheel in some or round off the edge, as per one Powell video where the Mini Cubic wheels are poured in a single mold and they have to take off the flat back, or so it appears.


Spitfire seem to be injection mold set, so four nozzles force the urethane into the mold, at least seeing some older wheels that have distinct four quarter parts and then one that did actually split and come apart in the four quarters that I had, so that is an interesting one to note.  Not sure if they still do it that way or a single injection or pour, as per some others.

I had heard it said Pointech or some similar brand name was the company there in SF that poured the wheels, but there is so very little information on it.  Now they are poured in Mexico, possibly as part of the DLX / BBS manufacturing joint business, which would make sense, but again, zero info, at least that I could find.



This is an interesting read, which I found when looking for more info, from pre 2000 so it has been a while since that came out.


https://www.skateboarding.com/news/spitfires-champion


* Amazing read about Ruben Orkin too, which is worth it.

For sure, there once was a time when wheels (Spitfires specifically, and prolly most others) were poured as oversized “ingots” of urathane & then machined down, via lathe, to the size/profile desired.
That was decades ago though.
Aside from Lil Smokies being “turned/cut” on a lathe, I don’t know what kind of molding tech most folks are using these days.
The change from a grooved riding surface (who remembers the old Spitfire tagline about being “ground round”?) to our present day smooth scenario leads me to think a large leap in wheel mfg tech that I’m not so up to date on has taken place. Probably while I was busy looking the other way, or…
Regardless, Formula Fours happened & the game changed.
Now we’re here.
Thank goodness, too.
Those old formulas had me riding Bones & the like just to avoid flat spots.
Haven’t had an issue since they switched whatever the heck they changed.
No complaints here.
Spits for life.

[CarcassToss]

I can second a Radial being like a worn Classic. When I got my 93 I got a 54 Radial and compared it to a worn 56 Classic and it was reallllllly similar.

If Classic Fulls are the ones they had a few years ago that were 54 and had lots of small Bigheads as graphics those were great too! I got them not realizing the difference until a friend commented and they ended up being awesome once worn down but I could never find another set.

Tablets are fucking trash. Dumbest shape.

[Ok]

what is the shortest (smallest), wide wheel?

[ImmanuelCunt]

I can second a Radial being like a worn Classic. When I got my 93 I got a 54 Radial and compared it to a worn 56 Classic and it was reallllllly similar.

If Classic Fulls are the ones they had a few years ago that were 54 and had lots of small Bigheads as graphics those were great too! I got them not realizing the difference until a friend commented and they ended up being awesome once worn down but I could never find another set.

Tablets are fucking trash. Dumbest shape.

They were called repeaters. On my second pair of them. In Europe you can still find them but it I guess it is old stock and gone soon since they are still 10 euros cheaper.

[Lou Strux]

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I can second a Radial being like a worn Classic. When I got my 93 I got a 54 Radial and compared it to a worn 56 Classic and it was reallllllly similar.

If Classic Fulls are the ones they had a few years ago that were 54 and had lots of small Bigheads as graphics those were great too! I got them not realizing the difference until a friend commented and they ended up being awesome once worn down but I could never find another set.

Tablets are fucking trash. Dumbest shape.

[close]

They were called repeaters. On my second pair of them. In Europe you can still find them but it I guess it is old stock and gone soon since they are still 10 euros cheaper.

Repeaters?!?
Shoot, they still have those in stock at "the Big Z."

https://www.zumiez.com/spitfire-repeater-formula-four-53mm-99a-skateboard-wheels.html

[fakiefs180]

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Reading about Conical vs. Radial Slims triggered a mild wheel shape madness here. I'm on slightly worn Classic 52s now, and have similarly worn Classic Full 52s on shelf. I wonder if the difference is noticeable. For my skating, Conical Full vs. Classics is clearly distinguishable. On Conical Fulls my already dadcore-style kickflips go even worse, 360 flips are mostly out of question, but on the other hand they seem to roll forwards like a freight train, which feels nice when having non-tech low impact sessions I mostly have nowadays.

What do you think, does Classic vs. Classic Full make a difference?

[close]

i think brimmer said something to the effect of: a classic full in say a 52, is the equivalent to a classic 54, after it’s been slid down to 52.
hopefully i got that right.
never had the fulls.

i love classics.
currently skating small sizes (52) of lock ins and conical fulls.
i completely identify with your take on the effect of wider wheels and flip tricks.

i have some 56 radial fulls and they look shocking.

[close]

agree with this line of thinking... I used to skate 54mm classics, but loved em even more after wearing them down for a while... so now I skate 52-53mm radials or conical fulls (what I feel to be an equivalent of a used - classic 54). 

I'd LOVE it if Spitfire made radial fulls in 50-52mm.  small and WIDE.

i have a set of the lil smokeys 49mm conical full, and the width is perfect, just wish they were a couple mm bigger to start with

52mm Radial shape. I know there are some 53mm ones out right now, but I can't do uneven numbers.

[Fifty8mm]

I'm still waiting on a bighead shaped 50mm f4.
Loved a donut shaped wheel.

[rocklobster]

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I can second a Radial being like a worn Classic. When I got my 93 I got a 54 Radial and compared it to a worn 56 Classic and it was reallllllly similar.

If Classic Fulls are the ones they had a few years ago that were 54 and had lots of small Bigheads as graphics those were great too! I got them not realizing the difference until a friend commented and they ended up being awesome once worn down but I could never find another set.

Tablets are fucking trash. Dumbest shape.

[close]

They were called repeaters. On my second pair of them. In Europe you can still find them but it I guess it is old stock and gone soon since they are still 10 euros cheaper.

[close]

Repeaters?!?
Shoot, they still have those in stock at "the Big Z."

https://www.zumiez.com/spitfire-repeater-formula-four-53mm-99a-skateboard-wheels.html

https://shredzshop.com/search?q=+Repeaters&options%5Bprefix%5D=last

52 and 54 still available if you like your F4s potato colored

[nollieboulala]

Haven’t flatspotted spitfires in a loooong time. Bought some brand new OG classic 55s and they flatspotted first session just barely sliding down a bank at a 1 year old skatepark with perfect ground. Thought that didn’t happen anymore?

[moonordie]

Haven’t flatspotted spitfires in a loooong time. Bought some brand new OG classic 55s and they flatspotted first session just barely sliding down a bank at a 1 year old skatepark with perfect ground. Thought that didn’t happen anymore?

Probably you got regular OG classics?

[smg1138]

Haven’t flatspotted spitfires in a loooong time. Bought some brand new OG classic 55s and they flatspotted first session just barely sliding down a bank at a 1 year old skatepark with perfect ground. Thought that didn’t happen anymore?

Are they F4's or standard? The standard Spitfire urethane can flatspot pretty easily IME which is why I always pony up the extra cash for F4's.

[rawbertson.]

Spitfire needs to just stop selling the classic formula because there are too many people who dont even realize there is a difference.
just like Bones needs to stop with their horrible naming conventions for wheel shapes.

I will just parrot what others have said and there is a reason people used to call it SHITFIRE and its cause of the classic formula

[Sedition]

Spitfire needs to just stop selling the classic formula because there are too many people who dont even realize there is a difference.
just like Bones needs to stop with their horrible naming conventions for wheel shapes.

I will just parrot what others have said and there is a reason people used to call it SHITFIRE and its cause of the classic formula

Facts.

[Ok]

Back to the question at hand-- I've been skating dragons recently and it has gotten progressively more annoying.  I mostly skate fairly crusty hills, with skatepark visits maybe once ever few weeks.  Like big wheels since I'm old.  Should I got back to 97a spit 58 mms or try the 93s.  Cant stand the wet donut feeling of the dragons on any semi- smooth ground (although, they didn't feel like this for me at first- maybe because I put them on in freezing conditions--now in the summer its just way too rubbery).

dragons do feel rubbery. i haven’t tried 93s, but it sounds like they are closer to dragons, maybe slightly less annoying.
the new 97s sounded good from a trusted poster (@144p). if you want something different, by more than a few degrees, i’d say try the 97s.

these softer wheels are nicer on the body, as an older person i notice it

[Frank and Fred]

don't think the 'reformulated' 97s will be out for a good few months yet.

[smg1138]

What are they changing with the 97's?

[Frank and Fred]

What are they changing with the 97's?

@144p has the most info but it seems they might be taking some of the juice from the new 93s and updating the 97s to have a higher rebound, making it faster and slide better.

[Free hat]

Spitfire needs to just stop selling the classic formula because there are too many people who dont even realize there is a difference.
just like Bones needs to stop with their horrible naming conventions for wheel shapes.

I will just parrot what others have said and there is a reason people used to call it SHITFIRE and its cause of the classic formula

I agree. The classic formula should be marketed as a price point option if anything.

[Xen]

Spitfire needs to just stop selling the classic formula because there are too many people who dont even realize there is a difference.
just like Bones needs to stop with their horrible naming conventions for wheel shapes.

I will just parrot what others have said and there is a reason people used to call it SHITFIRE and its cause of the classic formula

Expand Quote

Spitfire needs to just stop selling the classic formula because there are too many people who dont even realize there is a difference.
just like Bones needs to stop with their horrible naming conventions for wheel shapes.

I will just parrot what others have said and there is a reason people used to call it SHITFIRE and its cause of the classic formula

[close]

I agree. The classic formula should be marketed as a price point option if anything.

But that's what the 'burners' formula is now.

F4>Classic>Burner

You'd think they'd do a regular F4 big head (unless it's too close to a raidial, have no idea what the shape is).

[fakiefs180]

Expand Quote

Spitfire needs to just stop selling the classic formula because there are too many people who dont even realize there is a difference.
just like Bones needs to stop with their horrible naming conventions for wheel shapes.

I will just parrot what others have said and there is a reason people used to call it SHITFIRE and its cause of the classic formula

[close]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Spitfire needs to just stop selling the classic formula because there are too many people who dont even realize there is a difference.
just like Bones needs to stop with their horrible naming conventions for wheel shapes.

I will just parrot what others have said and there is a reason people used to call it SHITFIRE and its cause of the classic formula

[close]

I agree. The classic formula should be marketed as a price point option if anything.

[close]

But that's what the 'burners' formula is now.

F4>Classic>Burner

You'd think they'd do a regular F4 big head (unless it's too close to a raidial, have no idea what the shape is).

I always thought the bigheads are like a classic full shape. It looks very similar to my first set of spitfires which was 2006.

[Xen]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Spitfire needs to just stop selling the classic formula because there are too many people who dont even realize there is a difference.
just like Bones needs to stop with their horrible naming conventions for wheel shapes.

I will just parrot what others have said and there is a reason people used to call it SHITFIRE and its cause of the classic formula

[close]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Spitfire needs to just stop selling the classic formula because there are too many people who dont even realize there is a difference.
just like Bones needs to stop with their horrible naming conventions for wheel shapes.

I will just parrot what others have said and there is a reason people used to call it SHITFIRE and its cause of the classic formula

[close]

I agree. The classic formula should be marketed as a price point option if anything.

[close]

But that's what the 'burners' formula is now.

F4>Classic>Burner

You'd think they'd do a regular F4 big head (unless it's too close to a raidial, have no idea what the shape is).

[close]

I always thought the bigheads are like a classic full shape. It looks very similar to my first set of spitfires which was 2006.

Sorry massive image. Yea, it looks real close to a classic full if not the same damn thing (which lots of people actually want on the regular).

I guess tablets and lock-in fulls sell.

[rikki]

dragons do feel rubbery. i haven’t tried 93s, but it sounds like they are closer to dragons, maybe slightly less annoying.
the new 97s sounded good from a trusted poster (@144p). if you want something different, by more than a few degrees, i’d say try the 97s.

these softer wheels are nicer on the body, as an older person i notice it

The 93s feel a whole lot different compared to Dragons. I mean, significantly so. The 93 feel like a real wheel pretty much anywhere, where as Dragons turn into woollen socks once the ground goes smooth.

[Ok]

Expand Quote

Spitfire needs to just stop selling the classic formula because there are too many people who dont even realize there is a difference.
just like Bones needs to stop with their horrible naming conventions for wheel shapes.

I will just parrot what others have said and there is a reason people used to call it SHITFIRE and its cause of the classic formula

[close]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Spitfire needs to just stop selling the classic formula because there are too many people who dont even realize there is a difference.
just like Bones needs to stop with their horrible naming conventions for wheel shapes.

I will just parrot what others have said and there is a reason people used to call it SHITFIRE and its cause of the classic formula

[close]

I agree. The classic formula should be marketed as a price point option if anything.

[close]

But that's what the 'burners' formula is now.

F4>Classic>Burner

You'd think they'd do a regular F4 big head (unless it's too close to a raidial, have no idea what the shape is).

i think one advantage of the big head/‘classic’ formula, is tradition. the wheels are also a little softer, and brilliant white. important to some.
the wheels do flatspot easier, but….some of that can be mitigated by the user: much like bushings, you can just roll around, carve around, for a few days, and then the wheels seem less vulnerable.

[fakiefs180]

Got some 52mm Conical Fulls, I usually only ride the regular Conicals. Will I lose my last remaining flips now? I think after all, the Conical Fulls are only like 4 mm wider as the regular Conicals. My thinking was, that the Conical Fulls help with the crusty streets. And maybe locking in on coping, rails and ledges.

Anyone on here might rode both shapes and can say something about that experience?