I’ve long been a proponent of the flat top washer WHEN people complain about the turn/need more turn. Just riding mine stock, dramatically increases the life of the bushings. Plus some people that know how to skateboard have told me that it helps their pinch (stock top washer). I would not know, because I can’t pinch …shit.
In my experience (keep in mind the fact that I ride 55mm square wheels and high trucks - trash for pinch objectively) I found the opposite. I felt that in warm temperatures the venture stock setup would pinch well and offer good pop out of crooks too, given the stock washer gives it that extra little rebound to snap back in place.
Actually surprised me how good they felt on crooks (I mean you'd have to consider the longer WB gives better pinch too right)
In cold weather (less than 6-7 degrees C, id say), I find that the hardening of the bushing exaggerates that effect for pinchy tricks and it's a lot harder to to get into a solid pinch and hold it; its as if the truck is pushing you off and this leads to willies and coming out of crooks to noseslides.
The only way I've found to solve this is to use ace low bushings since they dont freeze untill negative temperatures, but unfortunately I have no access to those atm. Rn to combat this issue im just using 78a indy bottom bushings and a 78a top bushing (shaved down to venture top bushing height) for my front truck. This isn't working as well as i'd like however since indy bushings freeze to fuck around 6-7 degrees too.
Guess ill just wait for spring -_-