Spitfire formula four

[Sedition]

The main thing I've taken from all the discussions about the sliding properties of the different F4 formulas on here is that many of us have different things in mind when we talk about "the slide". I mainly care about powerslides and sliding the last bit of rotational tricks on old asphalt, bricks, and tiles. Others think of reverts on ramps, bluntslides, sticking potential on coping, and/ or different grounds like concrete, wooden ramps... All this to say: What's best or even just most predictable depends on the way and where you skate. I personally find the 97s to be the most reliable across the board. To me they slide the same on different grounds, whereas the 93s are best on rough ground, but unpredictable on smooth ground, and 99s rattle my bones too much to even consider skating them on crust.

Dude knows Truth when he sees it.

[Barack Hussein]

Yo! Anyone know if the new reformulated 97a has the same type of slide as dragons, 93s, X97s and all that where it slides more slippery the rougher the ground you rolling on? Deadly icey if u make any contact with moisture... I kinda hope not. I love my 97s that came out before the change..

[Fifty8mm]

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The main thing I've taken from all the discussions about the sliding properties of the different F4 formulas on here is that many of us have different things in mind when we talk about "the slide". I mainly care about powerslides and sliding the last bit of rotational tricks on old asphalt, bricks, and tiles. Others think of reverts on ramps, bluntslides, sticking potential on coping, and/ or different grounds like concrete, wooden ramps... All this to say: What's best or even just most predictable depends on the way and where you skate. I personally find the 97s to be the most reliable across the board. To me they slide the same on different grounds, whereas the 93s are best on rough ground, but unpredictable on smooth ground, and 99s rattle my bones too much to even consider skating them on crust.

[close]

Dude knows Truth when he sees it.

I have older f4s, the first kader 58mm radials and the john cardial classic f4s and they always slid well on all surfaces. Had some newer f4s and they did not slide the same.
With that being said what scab said is relevant to every review.
I skated 101 f4s and if anything they slid about the same as the first few years of f4s but better than current f4s.

I also honestly think that f4 99a radial is the best all around wheel. But my favorite is Classic fulls.

[Reese Bruno]

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tried to break in some 101s (lil smokie tables in a 50m) today. bad tims duds, bad tims. i should show you my bluntslide slam (which is why i got them in the first place). Brimmo is right, there is mad inconsistency between sets of 101s. i have some that slide like ice but these were sticky AF... maybe need to break them in more....

Stick to 99s. Dabble in 93s. If you don't mind tyre-changing. That's my deal. Or commit to 97s.

[close]

The phrase bad tims takes me back. Did you ever lurk or post on the old dlxsf messageboard by any chance?

[close]

Why yes, I did. Swet tims, dud.

Very sweat indeed! I miss the "71 things I luv about you" thread all the time.

[kneebone]

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tried to break in some 101s (lil smokie tables in a 50m) today. bad tims duds, bad tims. i should show you my bluntslide slam (which is why i got them in the first place). Brimmo is right, there is mad inconsistency between sets of 101s. i have some that slide like ice but these were sticky AF... maybe need to break them in more....

Stick to 99s. Dabble in 93s. If you don't mind tyre-changing. That's my deal. Or commit to 97s.

[close]

The phrase bad tims takes me back. Did you ever lurk or post on the old dlxsf messageboard by any chance?

[close]

Why yes, I did. Swet tims, dud.

[close]

Very sweat indeed! I miss the "71 things I luv about you" thread all the time.

I still think it’s wild how Noah T grew up to be legit

[rocklobster]

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I love my 93s except for when I do a trick that naturally has a slide in it and I lose control and slip out.  Are the new 97s even more slippery? Or is the slide more controlled with the 97s?

[close]

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It depends what kind of ground you are on
The 93a are actually very grippy on a skatepark or smooth surface. The 97a I would say is similar to the 93a on rough ground and slides better on skatepark. For me personally I think it is the perfect combo of grip and slide.

[close]

My take is this:

When a person gets used to softer wheels for everything, you will push into things way more than you might on harder wheels.  Then when you do get into a slide, they might tend to slip out if you are not quite so balanced, or maybe feel like you have pushed so hard you are a little behind the board, especially on the "Soft Sliders" as they are designed to slide a lot.

When someone is more used to a slightly harder wheel, the compensation for the slip and slide factor is increased so someone wouldn't push into something quite so hard, so that when it does slide, the body might be more over the board rather than behind it and stay on a little better.

So what I'm hearing is that the reason I can't hold onto my backside tailslides without slipping out is because I'm riding Bones X95 instead of my usual F4 93a, definitely not a skill issue then.

[tzhangdox]

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I love my 93s except for when I do a trick that naturally has a slide in it and I lose control and slip out.  Are the new 97s even more slippery? Or is the slide more controlled with the 97s?

[close]

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It depends what kind of ground you are on
The 93a are actually very grippy on a skatepark or smooth surface. The 97a I would say is similar to the 93a on rough ground and slides better on skatepark. For me personally I think it is the perfect combo of grip and slide.

[close]

My take is this:

When a person gets used to softer wheels for everything, you will push into things way more than you might on harder wheels.  Then when you do get into a slide, they might tend to slip out if you are not quite so balanced, or maybe feel like you have pushed so hard you are a little behind the board, especially on the "Soft Sliders" as they are designed to slide a lot.

When someone is more used to a slightly harder wheel, the compensation for the slip and slide factor is increased so someone wouldn't push into something quite so hard, so that when it does slide, the body might be more over the board rather than behind it and stay on a little better.

[close]

So what I'm hearing is that the reason I can't hold onto my backside tailslides without slipping out is because I'm riding Bones X95 instead of my usual F4 93a, definitely not a skill issue then.

correct, but the more important question is why are you riding bones x95 instead of f4 93a in the first place

[Big Brother]

Tried out some Bones X99 Felipe Nunes 52mm 99A after a decade or more of riding F4s and I have no complaints.

[oh]

Although I tend to stick to the same stuff I have been riding for years, I love that DLX is constantly trying to put out new and evolved product as skateboarding also evolves. Its important that someone is trying.

I agree with this take. I remember in one of those Jenkem shop talk videos someone's hot take was "why the fuck are there so many wheel shapes?". On one hand I get how it can be confusing and annoying to go to a skate shop wanting some regular ass shit, but they only have like a selection of weird shit that's not at all standard for your setup. But, I also think that it's great to have variety, and I guess they do get the consumers to consume. I don't ride spitfires atm, but for some reason the recent Ishod shape made me turn my head and want to try some

[camel filters]

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Although I tend to stick to the same stuff I have been riding for years, I love that DLX is constantly trying to put out new and evolved product as skateboarding also evolves. Its important that someone is trying.

[close]

I agree with this take. I remember in one of those Jenkem shop talk videos someone's hot take was "why the fuck are there so many wheel shapes?". On one hand I get how it can be confusing and annoying to go to a skate shop wanting some regular ass shit, but they only have like a selection of weird shit that's not at all standard for your setup. But, I also think that it's great to have variety, and I guess they do get the consumers to consume. I don't ride spitfires atm, but for some reason the recent Ishod shape made me turn my head and want to try some

I also don't get how hard it is for people who like normal shit to just remember what they like and ask for it. It's not like the classic f4's in whatever size is hard to find at any respectable shop. I refuse to believe the majority of skaters are incapable of saying 52mm classic spitfire f4.

[Xen]

Setup the Lock-in classics today...some interesting finds:

The inner bearing seat is very recessed (or perhaps the seat is super slim, I don't use spacers) - unlike the nano rats where the inside/lock in portion gives more hanger width as is sit more flush against the end of the hanger - on the spits it actually eats up more hanger than you'd think as they hanger goes into the wheel / bearing area quite a bit deeper, even deeper than a regular classic (and deeper than a regular lockin); this also means the hanger sticks out more...

Initially I was going to run 144s but after putting these on, it almost turns them into 139 hangers (usable grind space), so much lost hanger room. Going to have to run 149s instead or a hell of a lot of inner washers  (edit: it took four thicker washers hanger-side, both sides, on a 144 to get the nut flush, with the tiniest bit if play).

Next to a 54mm Nano Rat (contact patch line up to outer edge of the wheel)


Next to a 52mm Spit classic (contact patch line up to outer edge of the wheel)


Lock-in side



Outer edge

[Fifty8mm]

Setup the Lock-in classics today...some interesting finds:

The inner bearing seat is very recessed (or perhaps the seat is super slim, I don't use spacers) - unlike the nano rats where the inside/lock in portion gives more hanger width as is sit more flush against the end of the hanger - on the spits it actually eats up more hanger than you'd think as they hanger goes into the wheel / bearing area quite a bit deeper, even deeper than a regular classic (and deeper than a regular lockin); this also means the hanger sticks out more...

Initially I was going to run 144s but after putting these on, it almost turns them into 139 hangers (usable grind space), so much lost hanger room. Going to have to run 149s instead or a hell of a lot of inner washers  (edit: it took four thicker washers hanger-side, both sides, on a 144 to get the nut flush, with the tiniest bit if play).

Next to a 54mm Nano Rat (contact patch line up to outer edge of the wheel)


Next to a 52mm Spit classic (contact patch line up to outer edge of the wheel)


Lock-in side



Outer edge

I like how the wheels look on the last picture but i have some lock in fulls the inner side grabs the ledge so fucking bad.
They cruise like a dream though.

[Mbrimson88]

Setup the Lock-in classics today...some interesting finds:

The inner bearing seat is very recessed (or perhaps the seat is super slim, I don't use spacers) - unlike the nano rats where the inside/lock in portion gives more hanger width as is sit more flush against the end of the hanger - on the spits it actually eats up more hanger than you'd think as they hanger goes into the wheel / bearing area quite a bit deeper, even deeper than a regular classic (and deeper than a regular lockin); this also means the hanger sticks out more...

Initially I was going to run 144s but after putting these on, it almost turns them into 139 hangers (usable grind space), so much lost hanger room. Going to have to run 149s instead or a hell of a lot of inner washers  (edit: it took four thicker washers hanger-side, both sides, on a 144 to get the nut flush, with the tiniest bit if play).

They look so much "rounder" on the lock in side than any Lock In shaped wheel used to look, almost like a couple of Classic sides with one squared off on the face, more so than a round Classic side and a flat faced lock in side.  Of course it could just be the pics but I know some older Lock Ins were way more like a Tablet on the back of them.


Also curious if you had turned the wheel over, would it stick out further?  I had a very old set that did this - they sat way further down the hanger on the inside than the outside face, then a few other sets sat way further out on the axle end, so there might have been some tweaking of where the bearing seat was in relation to the center / initially offset inside, then offset outside.

As you said, these one offset very much to the inside, which is why I was wondering how they would sit if turned round the other way.


Thanks for the pics and info too.

[Mbrimson88]

.

I know it has already been posted, but they look so much flatter in the stock pics:


https://www.spitfirewheels.com/spring-2025

[tzhangdox]

I havent seen irl so cant say for sure, but it looks like theres some close up wide angle phone camera distortion which makes it look a lil rounder on the lock in side.

Though I swear lock ins arent as flat on the inside side as they were when they first dropped a long time ago

[BeachChicken]

It looks like a Radial on the lock in side

[Fifty8mm]

It looks like a Radial on the lock in side

This!

[Mbrimson88]

I havent seen irl so cant say for sure, but it looks like theres some close up wide angle phone camera distortion which makes it look a lil rounder on the lock in side.

Though I swear lock ins arent as flat on the inside side as they were when they first dropped a long time ago

Yes, the original Lock Ins, when compared to the latest Lock Ins were thinner and had a much smaller round edge on the back / flat side of the wheel, whereas the newer wheel are wider and have a bigger round edge on the back.  They still have nothing on the width of the Lock In Full or Radial Full wheels, which are way wider again, just in case anyone thought I was talking about the Lock In Full shape.

It is interesting seeing the different stages and I don't doubt this will be interesting to compare these new versions too, once I get my hands on some.

[Xen]

The lock-in classics have the same inside cut shape as my set of regular lock-ins.

[Mbrimson88]

.

Nice!

Thanks again for pics and clarification.


I am guessing they might cover the whole axle if they were turned around with the flat back facing outwards, but it is not a big deal, just wondering.

[kneebone]

Formula 5

[rocklobster]

Formula 5

DLX better give him a pro model wheel in a non-shitty shape

[back smith]

Ok so now I actually like the F4 101a.  The madness is real.

It does surprisingly well on crappy asphalt.

[rawbertson.]

most people would probably do fine on 101a for like 90% of the skating they do...
i was thinking about that huge stair set dee ostrander kept slipping out on the kickflip, that probably would have been bones STF 104a era. i wonder if he had softer wheels he could have rolled away from that?

[back smith]

most people would probably do fine on 101a for like 90% of the skating they do...
i was thinking about that huge stair set dee ostrander kept slipping out on the kickflip, that probably would have been bones STF 104a era. i wonder if he had softer wheels he could have rolled away from that?

I don't know about that but Jaws did the Lyon set on some softies and actually credits the make to them.

[rawbertson.]

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most people would probably do fine on 101a for like 90% of the skating they do...
i was thinking about that huge stair set dee ostrander kept slipping out on the kickflip, that probably would have been bones STF 104a era. i wonder if he had softer wheels he could have rolled away from that?

[close]

I don't know about that but Jaws did the Lyon set on some softies and actually credits the make to them.

interesting, never knew that! is there an interview where he talks about it in further detail?

[back smith]

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most people would probably do fine on 101a for like 90% of the skating they do...
i was thinking about that huge stair set dee ostrander kept slipping out on the kickflip, that probably would have been bones STF 104a era. i wonder if he had softer wheels he could have rolled away from that?

[close]

I don't know about that but Jaws did the Lyon set on some softies and actually credits the make to them.

[close]

interesting, never knew that! is there an interview where he talks about it in further detail?

Think I've seen a couple but this one in text conveniently shows up in search hehe.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/jaws-vs-the-lyon-25/

[BL0B]

i like F4 101's at the older grippy but still smooth skate parks, the high polished & new parks get F4 99's.

[BeachChicken]

101's still roll well on slightly coarse asphalt and concrete, but for me they are just less predictable if things get remotely slick or chunky. I remember skating them at a plaza in Lima, Peru that had kinda slick tile and it was fucking scary how they would randomly skirt out. Same with that kinda shiny new asphalt.

[Unkle Fleak]

First session on F4’s today. Am I the last person on earth to try this formula?

Amazing isn’t it. It’s possible the best innovation in the history of. I wonder is that and wtf/dtf/spf was formulas that had come up in the past, but were not thought to be suitable at the time?

These are the things I want to know. I also want a history of venture.