Truck set-ups

[Xen]

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NFG bushings are live on their site, pivot cups too -

https://www.nfgmfg.com/shop

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V tempting

Assuming those 14.5 Conicals are thunder height? Shame they don't list recommended trucks for each size. Mostly 95a with only two bottom 90a options.

Five [presumably] top heights...oh the OCD

[munchbox]

those nfg low tops should pair well with my supercush 94a
also gonna snag the pivot cups, $10 cheaper than riptides
will post my findings once i set them up

[Mbrimson88]

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NFG bushings are live on their site, pivot cups too -

https://www.nfgmfg.com/shop

[close]

V tempting

[close]

Assuming those 14.5 Conicals are thunder height? Shame they don't list recommended trucks for each size. Mostly 95a with only two bottom 90a options.

Five [presumably] top heights...oh the OCD

I wonder how many people will buy a set of each just to try them all and figure out which ones work best for them.

Looks like that alone could be a game changer and I don't think I ever really say that about anything.

Given how much I like to modify and mess with things, having a product that is exactly what you need in the size, shape, duro and all the rest is great.  Now just to work out exactly what I need is the thing...

[manysnakes]

Maybe I missed something, but I’m a bit confused how you could just list “pivot cups” for sale and leave it at that. That’s like selling a pair of pants and just saying “pants for sale, blue”. Gonna need some more specific information there.

[fs1/2cab]

Maybe I missed something, but I’m a bit confused how you could just list “pivot cups” for sale and leave it at that. That’s like selling a pair of pants and just saying “pants for sale, blue”. Gonna need some more specific information there.

Exactly. But are we ready to think about different duros of pivot cups? I don't even know what duro the standard indy cups are for example.

But all these things from NFG are looking good.

[manysnakes]

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Maybe I missed something, but I’m a bit confused how you could just list “pivot cups” for sale and leave it at that. That’s like selling a pair of pants and just saying “pants for sale, blue”. Gonna need some more specific information there.

[close]

Exactly. But are we ready to think about different duros of pivot cups? I don't even know what duro the standard indy cups are for example.

But all these things from NFG are looking good.

The price is low enough that I figure a lot of people here would buy them just to mess with, but not if they don’t tell me which trucks they fit. I *assume* Indy (probably a safe bet), but …?

[Easy Slider]

I remembered why my new trucks and bushings don't feel as good as my old ones and I am finally happy now with them Indy 144 tits.



Indy aftermarket 92a barrel bushings. Cut the top bushing down like 0.3" and made the kingpin shorter with a angle grinder.
I hope ya all understand my english and what I mean.

That's super cool. I'd love to get some additional kingpin clearance but I don't have an angle grinder and even if I had one I wouldn't know how to use it. 

[PuffinMuffin]

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I remembered why my new trucks and bushings don't feel as good as my old ones and I am finally happy now with them Indy 144 tits.



Indy aftermarket 92a barrel bushings. Cut the top bushing down like 0.3" and made the kingpin shorter with a angle grinder.
I hope ya all understand my english and what I mean.

[close]

That's super cool. I'd love to get some additional kingpin clearance but I don't have an angle grinder and even if I had one I wouldn't know how to use it. 

They're extremely easy to use and pay for themselves. Place your foot on the center of the board, engage your safety squints and let 'er rip. 

[unregisteredhypercam2]

What is your general preference with truck width in terms of how you like to perform grinds. I went from Indy 149 to Ace 77s and the obvious huge difference in the way grinds can be performed because of the difference widths has kind of created a new madness.
I like the ability to almost shift around on top of a ledge with a larger truck but at the same time it is almost too much space in times where they can fit on top of a curb like it is a square flatbar which i dont really enjoy to be honest.

[fs1/2cab]

What is your general preference with truck width in terms of how you like to perform grinds. I went from Indy 149 to Ace 77s and the obvious huge difference in the way grinds can be performed because of the difference widths has kind of created a new madness.
I like the ability to almost shift around on top of a ledge with a larger truck but at the same time it is almost too much space in times where they can fit on top of a curb like it is a square flatbar which i dont really enjoy to be honest.

I think that is a really personal preference for truck width and a lot of factors matter. I was on 8" trucks for 15 years and now I am on 8.25" trucks and really notice that 5mm difference when I do lip tricks on quarters for example.

I also have some 8.75" trucks on my lazy day setup and although the bigger grind clearance is awesome, it still feels different and sometimes weird for me.

But I think Indy 149s are a good middle ground if you get used to them. Ace 77s are really huge, but must be nice for slappy tricks I think.

I don't know if that answered your question but yeah.

[Mbrimson88]

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I remembered why my new trucks and bushings don't feel as good as my old ones and I am finally happy now with them Indy 144 tits.



Indy aftermarket 92a barrel bushings. Cut the top bushing down like 0.3" and made the kingpin shorter with a angle grinder.
I hope ya all understand my english and what I mean.

[close]

That's super cool. I'd love to get some additional kingpin clearance but I don't have an angle grinder and even if I had one I wouldn't know how to use it. 

[close]

They're extremely easy to use and pay for themselves. Place your foot on the center of the board, engage your safety squints and let 'er rip. 

Ha yeah they do make things pretty easy, with the couple of different grinders I have.

One thing I have noticed is people cooking their bushings by pressing too hard and too long on the kingpins - just do a little at a time and don't go too hard.  Once the bushings start to bubble, it is too late.

I will often use the main (right) hand to hold the handle and trigger down but use my left with thumb on the grinder guard and fingers on the hanger or edge of the deck, just to steady it.  Works the same way when I do the angle grinding on wheels too.  Just keep the fingers out of the way of the moving parts and it is all good.  Testing it out on old parts is a good way to get used to doing things first though.

[Wizard0f0dds]

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What is your general preference with truck width in terms of how you like to perform grinds. I went from Indy 149 to Ace 77s and the obvious huge difference in the way grinds can be performed because of the difference widths has kind of created a new madness.
I like the ability to almost shift around on top of a ledge with a larger truck but at the same time it is almost too much space in times where they can fit on top of a curb like it is a square flatbar which i dont really enjoy to be honest.

[close]

I think that is a really personal preference for truck width and a lot of factors matter. I was on 8" trucks for 15 years and now I am on 8.25" trucks and really notice that 5mm difference when I do lip tricks on quarters for example.

I also have some 8.75" trucks on my lazy day setup and although the bigger grind clearance is awesome, it still feels different and sometimes weird for me.

But I think Indy 149s are a good middle ground if you get used to them. Ace 77s are really huge, but must be nice for slappy tricks I think.

I don't know if that answered your question but yeah.

Yeah, 1/4 inch doesn't seem like much, but I've been on 149s for a really long time and tried 144s at some point, tought it would be perfect since I mostly ride 8.25 and 8.38 decks with the occasional 8.5, but I ended up going back to 149s pretty quickly. There might have been other variables too, I usually ride 149 standards and when I tried 144s I got the forged titanium version, thought it would make me a tech god but I skated like crap and ended up splitting my shin open on the corner of a ledge attempting a fs crook. First thing I got was stitches, second thing was a set of 149s.

[manysnakes]

I watched some Brazilian dude on a 7.5" with Indy 129s absolutely wreck the ledges at my local park, which should lead anyone to the obvious conclusion that you'll actually just get used to anything if you put your time in skating it. That said, I think 144 with slim wheels is the narrowest I am comfortable going wrt ledge and slappy tricks. I definitely appreciate the added real estate, especially in my advanced age, when my reaction time is just so much slower.

[j....soy.....]

That’s just a Brazilian…..good….pinner set up….there is nothing more to it…

[Xen]

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Maybe I missed something, but I’m a bit confused how you could just list “pivot cups” for sale and leave it at that. That’s like selling a pair of pants and just saying “pants for sale, blue”. Gonna need some more specific information there.

[close]

Exactly. But are we ready to think about different duros of pivot cups? I don't even know what duro the standard indy cups are for example.

But all these things from NFG are looking good.

[close]

The price is low enough that I figure a lot of people here would buy them just to mess with, but not if they don’t tell me which trucks they fit. I *assume* Indy (probably a safe bet), but …?

Well, I'm usually that kind of person, but I'm not dropping $50+ to end up with bushings I won't ever use (now granted, I know I'd never need the ACE top they're selling).

[Mbrimson88]

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Maybe I missed something, but I’m a bit confused how you could just list “pivot cups” for sale and leave it at that. That’s like selling a pair of pants and just saying “pants for sale, blue”. Gonna need some more specific information there.

[close]

Exactly. But are we ready to think about different duros of pivot cups? I don't even know what duro the standard indy cups are for example.

But all these things from NFG are looking good.

[close]

The price is low enough that I figure a lot of people here would buy them just to mess with, but not if they don’t tell me which trucks they fit. I *assume* Indy (probably a safe bet), but …?

[close]

Well, I'm usually that kind of person, but I'm not dropping $50+ to end up with bushings I won't ever use (now granted, I know I'd never need the ACE top they're selling).

I feel like you (or anyone that is) could measure the existing bushings you are skating and compare them to what they would have been new and go from there.  Some bushings are almost still untouched looking from considerable periods of use, but others are so squashed down from use it is no wonder some people have such a hard time adjusting to new bushings when their old ones are so compressed or different in shape and feel to newer ones.

Somewhere way back in a thread there was all the various heights of bushings (when new) of all the brands, so if used as a reference, it shouldn't be too hard to work out what would be best for any given setup.


The softer ones will compress down more than the harder ones, but even then I have still cut down the Indy super soft to get the right mix of height and feel for some people, so that side of things is definitely a personal preference for exactly what works best.

[LebowskisRug]

I feel that you provide an exceptional level of service. I rarely encounter shop employees that even know all the brands they have in stock and would likely have their brain burst into flames if someone asked for their opinions on the combination of bushing durometer and custom height.

This is a complement btw.

[Mbrimson88]

Ha yeah but I don't think many shop employees have anywhere near as much experience and the desire to understand as much either.

Even when I was working for a big retail chain, the level of knowledge of the people who worked in the "skate section" was so minimal it was frustrating to the point where, looking back to that almost twenty years ago, when I knew so little compared to now, I was still almost a professor level of knowledge, but didn't try to bullshit my way through it the way I have seen many people do over the years, as was more often the case back then from others I worked with or saw when I went into other skate shops.  The number of times I had to fix issues created by others, even a guy who was "pro" who knew what he liked but still couldn't sort out someone else with the right product was mind blowing, to say the least.

I am far from the "be all, know all" type even now, but at least by giving people the options and right information, it went a long way to helping them get what they needed, even if I didn't make a sale, which unfortunately can be the biggest deal breaker for a shop.  The old "...just helping people doesn't pay the bills", so I heard one other non skate manager type of guy saying to another employee more than once.


Thankfully I don't need to get into the competitive sales environments like that place any more and can do what I like and help anyone who has any questions nowdays, maybe more so on here than in face to face interactions since the pandemic closed the main shop I was working in at the time in 2020, which is fine for me too.

I guess more than anything, so many people I know who did work in skate shops got burnt out or just started hating life and hating skateboarding as a result, so I really never wanted it to take over that much, or be cause for anxiety or issues the way it did for some people.

Only dealing with normal skateboards (and not scooters, bmx, or whatever other weird things, including variants on longboards) definitely help with that too.  If I don't know anything about it, I just say that and that is usually the end of the conversation right there.

If you are not interested in something, there is no need to educate yourself in all the details of it, if you never intend to use that information anyway.



To bring it back to truck setups though, this is the most intricate and detailed part of any skateboard product with so many variables, so it really does help to get everything just right when it comes to your own truck setups, when compared to other options with decks and grip, wheels and bearings, or any other shoes and gear.

Different brands of truck are one thing, but different brands of bushings, with shape, heights and durometer all having such significant effects on the ride, is it any wonder that the "madness" can be so much with truck setups?

[Mbrimson88]

I just found and reposted the Bushings info here from the Bushings thread, but I think quite a few people might be looking for the same info in the truck setups thread, so if needed I can post the whole list here as well:


https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=112631.msg3791171#msg3791171


This was mainly in response to the many options in bushings now from NFG Mfg.




https://www.nfgmfg.com/shop


They have these:

Top conical (5 options)
95a  in 8mm, 9.5mm, 10mm, 10.3mm and 11mm

Bottom (5 options)
90a and 95a barrel 13mm
90a and 95a half conical 14mm and 14.5mm

[manysnakes]

I guess more than anything, so many people I know who did work in skate shops got burnt out or just started hating life and hating skateboarding as a result, so I really never wanted it to take over that much, or be cause for anxiety or issues the way it did for some people.

Working retail is an absolute nightmare. No better way to get burned out on your hobby than to try and turn it into some kind of incredibly low wage profession.

[iw0]

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Maybe I missed something, but I’m a bit confused how you could just list “pivot cups” for sale and leave it at that. That’s like selling a pair of pants and just saying “pants for sale, blue”. Gonna need some more specific information there.

[close]

Exactly. But are we ready to think about different duros of pivot cups? I don't even know what duro the standard indy cups are for example.

But all these things from NFG are looking good.

[close]

The price is low enough that I figure a lot of people here would buy them just to mess with, but not if they don’t tell me which trucks they fit. I *assume* Indy (probably a safe bet), but …?

[close]

Well, I'm usually that kind of person, but I'm not dropping $50+ to end up with bushings I won't ever use (now granted, I know I'd never need the ACE top they're selling).

[close]

I feel like you (or anyone that is) could measure the existing bushings you are skating and compare them to what they would have been new and go from there.  Some bushings are almost still untouched looking from considerable periods of use, but others are so squashed down from use it is no wonder some people have such a hard time adjusting to new bushings when their old ones are so compressed or different in shape and feel to newer ones.

Somewhere way back in a thread there was all the various heights of bushings (when new) of all the brands, so if used as a reference, it shouldn't be too hard to work out what would be best for any given setup.


The softer ones will compress down more than the harder ones, but even then I have still cut down the Indy super soft to get the right mix of height and feel for some people, so that side of things is definitely a personal preference for exactly what works best.

fwiw, i just went and looked at the venture loose bushing kit since it had the measurements of both normal and the loose top to figure out which one i needed lol. could pretty easily figure out what the others were from there.
i just go with the fact that if i'm at the point of both knowing nfg and considering non-stock bushings, i deserve having to do the little extra work.
i'm assuming they'll get relevant info on the page, i was told they were originally going to be posted this week and not last friday so seems like they're just getting them out there for people who know/want them. hell they don't even have a section for the pivot cups or bushings yet in the menus, so HOPEFULLY they get a chart on there

[SaySo]

So, sow, sew, after roughly 5 sessions on the Masame pivot cups, back to report.

I'm using the 98A "hard" pivot cups in my 139 Indy Hollow Forged with 88A red bushings. The pivot cups fit flush with the baseplate.

Initially they felt a bit rough/hard, but after a few minutes into my first session, they got seated and felt good. I chalked that up to the "honeymoon/confirmation bias" of new gear.

I waited until I got a few more hours on them before I checked back in here.

For the past couple of years I've been riding Ace Classics but had this set of forged hollows on ice. For shits and giggles (or to tempt a flare-up of gear madness) I decided to set them up. Obviously, the turn was way different, and it felt like my board was fighting against me/wouldn't return to center and I was getting a lot more feedback from the road. I didn't want to use shock pads, but was worried I might have to.

Based upon advice of my homie at the local shop and Pal GISM (sorry, can't seem to @ people here), I gave the Masames a try.

With the softer duro (Actual Indy pivot cup duro seems to be an enigma here on the forums, but the overall consensus is that they are off the A-Duro chart, maybe a thermoplastic rather than urethane), the Masames have eliminated my need for shock pads (softer ride), have also made the turn of the trucks feel like I'm more in control, and the trucks turn much more smoothly. They also seem to return to center better.

So, TL;DR, they're worth a shot if you're in Japan/have access to them. They come in four duros: 98A (hard), 95A (medium), 90A (soft), and 80A (extra soft). Color coded: all are blue; darker shade = harder. They cost 880, tax included.

There's more info (in Japanese) here: https://masameskate.stores.jp

If you have to get them shipped overseas, honestly probably not worth it, but letter shipping from Japan can be reasonable.

As far as I know, they've only been tested/designed for Indy's and Thunders (seemingly the bulk of trucks ridden in Japan). I don't know the measurements/height/depth.

Let me know if you have any questions!

[Mbrimson88]

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Exactly. But are we ready to think about different duros of pivot cups? I don't even know what duro the standard indy cups are for example.

But all these things from NFG are looking good.

[close]

The price is low enough that I figure a lot of people here would buy them just to mess with, but not if they don’t tell me which trucks they fit. I *assume* Indy (probably a safe bet), but …?

[close]

[close]

[close]

fwiw, i just went and looked at the venture loose bushing kit since it had the measurements of both normal and the loose top to figure out which one i needed lol. could pretty easily figure out what the others were from there.
i just go with the fact that if i'm at the point of both knowing nfg and considering non-stock bushings, i deserve having to do the little extra work.
i'm assuming they'll get relevant info on the page, i was told they were originally going to be posted this week and not last friday so seems like they're just getting them out there for people who know/want them. hell they don't even have a section for the pivot cups or bushings yet in the menus, so HOPEFULLY they get a chart on there

No doubt they will get more info up.

At least I found where the bushing info was too, so reposted that.


On an other interesting note with bushings in harder varieties, I thought Thunder black (100) bushings would be way too hard, but when I put a well worn in set on a spare setup with the nut barely on, they actually felt really good and held balance a whole lot better than softer or stock bushings in the 90 range.  If I did the usual thing of cutting them down, I could very easily skate them as my normal bushings with the kingpin nut flush, given I skate medium bushings with a fair bit of give anyway.

So that brings me to the NFG MFG bushings.  I believe the 95 duro bushings in the low tops would still give a really good performance with the kingpin nut about flush with either bottom bushing depending on your truck of choice, being more on the loose side but also being very stable and holding the heavy leans just a little more, preventing wheelbite that would usually occur on softer bushings.

Just a theory anyway, but I could still get a whole lot of turn out of harder bushings that weren't done up half as tight, about the same response really when compared to softer bushings that were down a few extra turns.

[LebowskisRug]

That makes sense to me as when bushings are cranked there is stored resistance from the compression. Less cranked and there is less resistance cuz the bushing isn't already compressed to its near limits.

[braksabbath]

Made a jig and the kingpin pressed out without any effort on a forged baseplate. Compared to the last time of endless hammering and mushrooming the threads and then needing to cut it out with a hacksaw

[Mbrimson88]

Made a jig and the kingpin pressed out without any effort on a forged baseplate. Compared to the last time of endless hammering and mushrooming the threads and then needing to cut it out with a hacksaw

That is an A+ for effort and success right there!

Do you wind it down or just pull a lever?

Manual or automatic?

Too curious for my own good, but it is interesting, that's for sure.

[braksabbath]

It’s a manual 1-ton press. Put it on the floor, wind it down in place on the kingpin, have the nut on for a wider surface, put body weight into it, feel the gratifying pop and release. No heating/cold/lube/hammering necessary. For the jig I used an angle finder for the kingpin angle (~75 degrees), miter saw, impact, hole bit for the bolt.

https://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-arbor-press-3552.html

[manysnakes]

Made a jig and the kingpin pressed out without any effort on a forged baseplate. Compared to the last time of endless hammering and mushrooming the threads and then needing to cut it out with a hacksaw

Lol nice. I did the same thing - cut a hole in a block of wood, and I have an old 3 ton arbor press that I used to get mine out.

[Vintagebody]

Went back to my Thunder teams after skating Indys standards for awhile. My switch tricks just work so much better on Thunders, so I was thinking... Maybe I should get some Indy forged, or mids, so I get a lower height and quicker pop.
What you guys think? Its tough to go away from indys smooth grinding, and ofc that baseplate slide!

[Paperclip20]

Went back to my Thunder teams after skating Indys standards for awhile. My switch tricks just work so much better on Thunders, so I was thinking... Maybe I should get some Indy forged, or mids, so I get a lower height and quicker pop.
What you guys think? Its tough to go away from indys smooth grinding, and ofc that baseplate slide!

Follow your dreams but I do promise the baseplate doesn't matter after believing so for a very long time.