Wheels Thread

[dr.prestige]

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Anyone try bones 100s? I’ve heard mixed reviews, looking for something a tad bit softer and wider than F4 99s without treads and the bones 100s are the only wheels that seem to fit the bill.

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they're price point wheels, not on the same level as f4. they feel softer only cause they have less rebound. they slide pretty well but just aren't that fast.

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Thanks for your input, any recommendations for a smaller wheel with no tread that is softer than F4s?

NFG 95a formula

[90sDamiano]

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Anyone try bones 100s? I’ve heard mixed reviews, looking for something a tad bit softer and wider than F4 99s without treads and the bones 100s are the only wheels that seem to fit the bill.

[close]

they're price point wheels, not on the same level as f4. they feel softer only cause they have less rebound. they slide pretty well but just aren't that fast.

[close]

Thanks for your input, any recommendations for a smaller wheel with no tread that is softer than F4s?

[close]

NFG 95a formula

Word thanks

[iw0]

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Did it for Shin !

Had some hardline 99 ojs in before and didn't really like the feel; they felt kinda sticky. These though...good slide and fast as fuck on on smooth ground. I'll have to learn backside flips so I can cry about flat spots.

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Did you ride the 99a elite Formula or some older Formula in hardline shape?

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I had the elites. I should probably caveat my sticky comments by saying that, when I was riding the hard lines, it was really hot out and I was coming from nfgs, which can feel like skating on icecubes.

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Just had a short flatground session with the 99a hardline today. Did a few powerslides and reverts. So far I'm very pleased. They are fast and slide decent. Compared to my 99a stf wheels they feel more forgiving on rough ground and the slide feels more controllable.

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I had Insane-a-thane and I’m a masochist so I bought elites. They’re surprisingly good, not as good as F4s but a solid option.

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so i have a friend who loved the insane-a-thane & is always saying how he wishes it was still around, but when i look it up i can't find out much. can someone regale me with some info and maybe i can help this dude out lol

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I couldn't say for sure, but I still have half a dozen sets of them sitting here in the shop, as they all went on clearance from the distributor, even before the pandemic and overall change of everything to being made in China.

They were a very hard and slippery wheel when compared to the Elite formula (and other brands), one set tended to flatspot easily that was in rotation in the loan pool, but they were only surface spots that would come out soon enough.

From all the people that tried them, most went with other options, only one guy I know was really keen on them.

That in itself is an indication that they were not so well received, but the new ones all look more like Insane-a-thane than Elites now anyway, the plastic white colour, compared to the milky white that they used to be, but they don't feel as hard and slippery in these new ones.

Still skate ok to me, but when I can have just ok wheels, or I can have great wheels (Spitfire F4 99s) I will go with great wheels every time, regardless of the natural urethane (non-white) colour that I know some people don't like.

i told my dude about this and he was still stoked, looks like he's #2 on people stoked on them. am i reading that right that you have a bunch sitting around? if so i might hit you up about this 

[Mbrimson88]

I told my dude about this and he was still stoked, looks like he's #2 on people stoked on them. am i reading that right that you have a bunch sitting around? if so i might hit you up about this 

Easy, if you are in Australia.

Not so easy if you are anywhere else, as shipping is expensive by air or takes months by surface.

I would say there are other "hard and slick feeling wheels" out there in the more local market in any country though, but it might take a minute to find them.

[Damoforce]

Anyone else find that Spitfires F4 really scuff up and mark easily? Like indents and ect. 101a

[Banned from the room]

Anyone else find that Spitfires F4 really scuff up and mark easily? Like indents and ect. 101a

They score on sandpapery ground.

[Xen]

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Did it for Shin !

Had some hardline 99 ojs in before and didn't really like the feel; they felt kinda sticky. These though...good slide and fast as fuck on on smooth ground. I'll have to learn backside flips so I can cry about flat spots.

[close]

Did you ride the 99a elite Formula or some older Formula in hardline shape?

[close]

I had the elites. I should probably caveat my sticky comments by saying that, when I was riding the hard lines, it was really hot out and I was coming from nfgs, which can feel like skating on icecubes.

[close]

Just had a short flatground session with the 99a hardline today. Did a few powerslides and reverts. So far I'm very pleased. They are fast and slide decent. Compared to my 99a stf wheels they feel more forgiving on rough ground and the slide feels more controllable.

[close]

I had Insane-a-thane and I’m a masochist so I bought elites. They’re surprisingly good, not as good as F4s but a solid option.

[close]

so i have a friend who loved the insane-a-thane & is always saying how he wishes it was still around, but when i look it up i can't find out much. can someone regale me with some info and maybe i can help this dude out lol

[close]

I couldn't say for sure, but I still have half a dozen sets of them sitting here in the shop, as they all went on clearance from the distributor, even before the pandemic and overall change of everything to being made in China.

They were a very hard and slippery wheel when compared to the Elite formula (and other brands), one set tended to flatspot easily that was in rotation in the loan pool, but they were only surface spots that would come out soon enough.

From all the people that tried them, most went with other options, only one guy I know was really keen on them.

That in itself is an indication that they were not so well received, but the new ones all look more like Insane-a-thane than Elites now anyway, the plastic white colour, compared to the milky white that they used to be, but they don't feel as hard and slippery in these new ones.

Still skate ok to me, but when I can have just ok wheels, or I can have great wheels (Spitfire F4 99s) I will go with great wheels every time, regardless of the natural urethane (non-white) colour that I know some people don't like.

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i told my dude about this and he was still stoked, looks like he's #2 on people stoked on them. am i reading that right that you have a bunch sitting around? if so i might hit you up about this 

#3 here - I was a huge fan of insane 101 hardlines, they were wickedly fast in bowls yet still gripped (not glassy like SPF) and unlike SPF they still worked, for me, great on street.

Personally, I didn't find the chalky (that's reserved for Ricta Chrome Cores); they really reminded me of the 1st gen of LandSharks (damn I miss those wheels).

[Damoforce]

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Anyone else find that Spitfires F4 really scuff up and mark easily? Like indents and ect. 101a

[close]

They score on sandpapery ground.

Hmm, most my skating is at the skatepark haha. Love the shapes, I feel the hardness goes away after 3-4 weeks and these marks and indents get noticeable. idk

[al_cvbrera]

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Anyone else find that Spitfires F4 really scuff up and mark easily? Like indents and ect. 101a

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They score on sandpapery ground.

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Hmm, most my skating is at the skatepark haha. Love the shapes, I feel the hardness goes away after 3-4 weeks and these marks and indents get noticeable. idk

get over it.

[PuffinMuffin]

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Anyone else find that Spitfires F4 really scuff up and mark easily? Like indents and ect. 101a

[close]

They score on sandpapery ground.

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Hmm, most my skating is at the skatepark haha. Love the shapes, I feel the hardness goes away after 3-4 weeks and these marks and indents get noticeable. idk

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get over it.

You have never contributed anything of value to a conversation. There's no reason to be so rude and dismissive of others.

I had pre-pandemic Spits 101a f4's laying around and tried them after riding a recently produced set. The new ones feel chalkier, reminiscent of 101a Dual Durometer Autobahns before they changed their formula circa ~2014.

[velvethammer]

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Anyone else find that Spitfires F4 really scuff up and mark easily? Like indents and ect. 101a

[close]

They score on sandpapery ground.

[close]

Hmm, most my skating is at the skatepark haha. Love the shapes, I feel the hardness goes away after 3-4 weeks and these marks and indents get noticeable. idk

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get over it.

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You have never contributed anything of value to a conversation. There's no reason to be so rude and dismissive of others.

Kick his ass Sea bass!

[al_cvbrera]

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Anyone else find that Spitfires F4 really scuff up and mark easily? Like indents and ect. 101a

[close]

They score on sandpapery ground.

[close]

Hmm, most my skating is at the skatepark haha. Love the shapes, I feel the hardness goes away after 3-4 weeks and these marks and indents get noticeable. idk

[close]

get over it.

[close]

You have never contributed anything of value to a conversation. There's no reason to be so rude and dismissive of others.

I had pre-pandemic Spits 101a f4's laying around and tried them after riding a recently produced set. The new ones feel chalkier, reminiscent of 101a Dual Durometer Autobahns before they changed their formula circa ~2014.

😢😢😢my wheels have dents in them 😢😢😢 i can feel them 😢😢😢😢

[Mbrimson88]

Anyone else find that Spitfires F4 really scuff up and mark easily? Like indents and ect. 101a

I have said it before and others have agreed at times, but I have always found the Spitfire F4 99s to be really stable and decent for everything, compared to the 101s which have always been a bit weird, some harder, some softer, some just don't really slide well at all and similar things.

Not sure what the deal is there, but 99s just seem to have always been a better wheel.


So many other brands that have 101s don't seem like 101s and more like 99 or even 97 or 98 with the tackiness feeling more than anything, as they just don't seem to slide well on much, when compared to other wheels.  Some seem so icy and more slippery on everything which is fine if that is what you want, but many people are not that keen on having that much slip and slide either.

I cannot even think how many sets of new and especially used wheels have come and gone, all of which I will try, given the chance, which is why Spitfire F4 99s always come up as the winner, even though I do have lots of other wheels, both hard and soft, that I like for certain ramps, or different terrain.


Visually some wheels will develop more cuts and marks, especially if you are skating something that will cause issues, eg sharp edges on a ledge or rougher bits of bitumen, along with gaps or edges of concrete, wood or other surfaces that the wheels catch on, in particular while sliding or hitting on an angle, rather than just rolling over.

[Velcro Wallet]

Not sure if it’s been covered or not…

I just set up some SML. coffee cruzers (83 I think) with new Bones Reds. I like to tighten the nut so there’s a little wiggle room for the wheel, you know, normal shit. I have washers on both sides with no spacers in the middle of the bearings.
I’ve noticed that as soon as I skate the board for a second the wiggle room has completely gone away. Wheel still spins fine but no movement side to side from the wheel. Are the bearings moving because of heat or something?? It’s tripping me the fuck out. I thought that it might be the bearings have time to set into the wheel but it’s been doing this for ages. My other 2 set ups don’t do this, one with big balls with spacers in the middle and one with modus with no spacers. This morning I loosened the fuxk out of the nuts so there was a ton of room to move the wheels side to side and straight away, no movement! My madness is kick the fuxk in! Lol help. It’s probably something very simple and I’m a straight up nob end

[Mbrimson88]

Not sure if it’s been covered or not…

I just set up some SML. coffee cruzers (83 I think) with new Bones Reds. I like to tighten the nut so there’s a little wiggle room for the wheel, you know, normal shit. I have washers on both sides with no spacers in the middle of the bearings.
I’ve noticed that as soon as I skate the board for a second the wiggle room has completely gone away. Wheel still spins fine but no movement side to side from the wheel. Are the bearings moving because of heat or something?? It’s tripping me the fuck out. I thought that it might be the bearings have time to set into the wheel but it’s been doing this for ages. My other 2 set ups don’t do this, one with big balls with spacers in the middle and one with modus with no spacers. This morning I loosened the fuxk out of the nuts so there was a ton of room to move the wheels side to side and straight away, no movement! My madness is kick the fuxk in! Lol help. It’s probably something very simple and I’m a straight up nob end

Bearings do move a lot more in some wheels compared to others.

I used to have a set of slightly softer wheels of a known "good quality" brand (no not Bones or Spitfires) that I would always have to constantly push and pull after each run as the bearings would come out of the bearing seat when I would do things that make the wheels have a sideways pressure, like smith grinds or even just a 180 on flat sliding the board around.

Some brands seem to have this more than others, or softer wheels without the harder core (and even some with) if the core does not hold the bearing in tightly.

End of the day, I got used to it, but it did drive me nuts so was happy to get off those wheels and on to something else that didn't have that issue.

If the bearings push in and pull out of the wheels too easily, you are going to have this issue for the life of the wheels, or even more so as they get older, but some combinations of bearing and wheel will also do this more or less than others, even though the bearings and wheels are supposed to have the exact same dimensions.


If you put the board on its axles, stand with both feet sort of on or around the wheel that is on the ground and pull up and push down on the upper end wheel of the same axle, feel if they pop back in a bit, often hearing a pop or click sound, and you will know they are moving or not.  Do this to both axles, then turn the board over and repeat.  This is what I used to have to do.

There is not really any solution, besides putting in spacers and running things a bit tighter, so there is no bearing movement, but often that will result in the board sounding dead or hollow, which can be off putting too.  If they don't tighten right down without the bearings stopping spinning, put a washer in with the spacer (on the inside) which gives a touch more clearance and frees up the bearings, but will still have a dead sound, unless the bearings are raw or dry.

[bombsaway86]

I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s the wheel heating up that causes this. This has been happening to me with every wheel/bearing/truck combination I’ve tried for the last few years. Common denominator is that I started skating big transition right around the time it started happening. More speed = wheels heating up and expanding = bearings backing out of wheels.

[Mbrimson88]

I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s the wheel heating up that causes this. This has been happening to me with every wheel/bearing/truck combination I’ve tried for the last few years. Common denominator is that I started skating big transition right around the time it started happening. More speed = wheels heating up and expanding = bearings backing out of wheels.

Yeah, sounds about right.

I know when we do constant laps around a square bowl the wheels do get quite warm, but I haven't had anything like that with setups, so I am curious which wheel brands in particular.

The guys who skated vert at the indoor park I was at often talked about "hot wheels" but again no mention of movement in Bones, Spitfire, OJs or other brands of wheels they had.

[bombsaway86]

When this first started happening I got new wheels, then bearings, then trucks trying to fix it. It’s happened with Bones SPF, Speedlab, and Spitfire F4 99. Bearings are always Swiss 6, trucks are always Ace.

I will say it happens a lot less with Spitfire F4 compared to Bones and Speedlab. I’ve also noticed this doesn’t happen with cored wheels. I rode some Rainskates 98a wheels for a few weeks and it never happened. It never happens on my cruiser with 78a Slimeballs either and I haul ass on that thing.

[Frank and Fred]

Anyone else find that Spitfires F4 really scuff up and mark easily? Like indents and ect. 101a

Yes, from slide tricks. But it never seemed to mess with performance. I did have a big old gouge come out of one 101 and Spitfire sent me a fresh set. I don't skate the 101s anymore though. 99s are the best all rounders.

[Xen]

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Anyone else find that Spitfires F4 really scuff up and mark easily? Like indents and ect. 101a

[close]

Yes, from slide tricks. But it never seemed to mess with performance. I did have a big old gouge come out of one 101 and Spitfire sent me a fresh set. I don't skate the 101s anymore though. 99s are the best all rounders.

All wheels do this? I mean, come on, you are riding plastic on pavement. I've experienced chunks taken out (screws on boxes) and slices (glass); nature of the beast.

[Mesteezo]

Just got a hold of some NFG 95A’s in tear drop shape…they feel really weird. While skating, they feel harder than 99A F4s, and are slower at the same time.

I was really hyped for these since I heard the creator is the guy that created the F4 formula, but honesty these feel more like a Bones wheel than Spitfires.

I can only cruise around right now since I have a fractured toe, but so far I’m not digging them that much. Maybe they’ll break in nice, we’ll see.

[iw0]

Just got a hold of some NFG 95A’s in tear drop shape…they feel really weird. While skating, they feel harder than 99A F4s, and are slower at the same time.

I was really hyped for these since I heard the creator is the guy that created the F4 formula, but honesty these feel more like a Bones wheel than Spitfires.

I can only cruise around right now since I have a fractured toe, but so far I’m not digging them that much. Maybe they’ll break in nice, we’ll see.

can't speak to the teardrops as i only have/have ridden vcuts, but the set i got from their latest run did seem a bit different than the first run appearance-wise. lighter color (i swear) and felt slicker/greasier? i was going to leave them for backups, but the difference had me curious so i threw them on for a bodega run (pnw pavement) & they felt pretty good, but i don't want to say they feel exactly the same as the first run set i have on my main setup until they are broken in a little more.
long story short - maybe it's a shape thing? someone might have better insight on this than me though 🤔

[Damoforce]

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Anyone else find that Spitfires F4 really scuff up and mark easily? Like indents and ect. 101a

[close]

I have said it before and others have agreed at times, but I have always found the Spitfire F4 99s to be really stable and decent for everything, compared to the 101s which have always been a bit weird, some harder, some softer, some just don't really slide well at all and similar things.

Not sure what the deal is there, but 99s just seem to have always been a better wheel.


So many other brands that have 101s don't seem like 101s and more like 99 or even 97 or 98 with the tackiness feeling more than anything, as they just don't seem to slide well on much, when compared to other wheels.  Some seem so icy and more slippery on everything which is fine if that is what you want, but many people are not that keen on having that much slip and slide either.

I cannot even think how many sets of new and especially used wheels have come and gone, all of which I will try, given the chance, which is why Spitfire F4 99s always come up as the winner, even though I do have lots of other wheels, both hard and soft, that I like for certain ramps, or different terrain.


Visually some wheels will develop more cuts and marks, especially if you are skating something that will cause issues, eg sharp edges on a ledge or rougher bits of bitumen, along with gaps or edges of concrete, wood or other surfaces that the wheels catch on, in particular while sliding or hitting on an angle, rather than just rolling over.

Thanks for your input!

I found my 99as nice. The wore done fairly quick but was a nice wheel. I am finding with the 101a they started really slippery and after broken in they become more grippery. Like quite a bit.

[switchfrontshuv]

does anyone have experience skating 55-56mm on thunder 149? (ride medium - loose, nah pretty loose actually)

what risers do I use? im skating 54s rn on 1/8 and its great

had 53s w no risers and fucking hated it

[juniormint]

I’ve got 56mm with 1/8 risers on my forged 151s at the moment. It’s so good, really improves the truck imo. Using the real wooden risers, can’t really tell the difference between normal plastic ones tbh. Have rocked the same with cast plate 149s with no problem. Want to snag some 58mm classic spits next.

Edit - I ride them loose.

[dr.prestige]

The NFG 95a's are indeed a lighter color as well as greasier this time around, the grease wears off after a little bit of use

[Sundaynuggets]

The NFG 95a's are indeed a lighter color as well as greasier this time around, the grease wears off after a little bit of use

Do you mean greasier in that they slide better than the previous batch of 95a?

[dr.prestige]

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The NFG 95a's are indeed a lighter color as well as greasier this time around, the grease wears off after a little bit of use

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Do you mean greasier in that they slide better than the previous batch of 95a?

That's not what I mean, they do slide well in my opinion but the grease I am referring to is from manufacturing.

[Sundaynuggets]

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The NFG 95a's are indeed a lighter color as well as greasier this time around, the grease wears off after a little bit of use

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Do you mean greasier in that they slide better than the previous batch of 95a?

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That's not what I mean, they do slide well in my opinion but the grease I am referring to is from manufacturing.

Ah, I gotcha, thanks!

[mj23]

does anyone have experience skating 55-56mm on thunder 149? (ride medium - loose, nah pretty loose actually)

what risers do I use? im skating 54s rn on 1/8 and its great

had 53s w no risers and fucking hated it

i rocked the same general specs for a while, tried a few different riser options, even spent some time with 1/4" risers as well. The taller rise made things hella twitchy, which was sort of fun for a while, but eventually I just got Indies and found my whole setup instantly became much less finnicky.