Indy finally moving all production to China?

[Lee Ralph Fan Club]

I've still got one set each of Thunders and Indys with USA stamps on the underside of the baseplates. I shall be holding on to them.

I have a friend who works in the shoe industry and he thinks things could come full circle at some point as China already has a burgeoning middle class who need to be paid proper wages. At some point it could be cheaper to make shit in the US again... Its already happening to some extent.

[pointandclick]

They made indy's in china about 12-15 years ago for a sec.  Quality suffered.    I've said it b4 but I'd love to see a persicion cut aluminum truck no cast shit.  They could make that in china or where ever and it would shit on cast trucks.

a cnc truck?

[baravettski]

True, kinda just odd to think about in general.  Indy has this "fuck you! skate fast! go die! beer!! tattoos!!" imagery when really all they do is manufacture a metal turning apparatus for a toy.  It's not that serious... I'm kinda over my 144s and want to try some aces or the 148 thunders.

Those 148 Thunders have been real great for me, granted I'm old and keep it close to the ground but they're rad.

[rob]

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They made indy's in china about 12-15 years ago for a sec.  Quality suffered.    I've said it b4 but I'd love to see a persicion cut aluminum truck no cast shit.  They could make that in china or where ever and it would shit on cast trucks.

[close]

a cnc truck?

Haha the standard models would cost more now just because defects and scuffs would be less likely

[givecigstosurfgroms]

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They made indy's in china about 12-15 years ago for a sec.  Quality suffered.    I've said it b4 but I'd love to see a persicion cut aluminum truck no cast shit.  They could make that in china or where ever and it would shit on cast trucks.

[close]

a cnc truck?

I think that's what it would be.  Whatever they make good Mtb cranks with.  They could use less material cause it would be alot stronger.  There are cast-metal cranks but only dept. store bikes have them if that's enough perspective.  So yah, not just for cosmetics ha    ha ..

[Chavo]

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They made indy's in china about 12-15 years ago for a sec.  Quality suffered.    I've said it b4 but I'd love to see a persicion cut aluminum truck no cast shit.  They could make that in china or where ever and it would shit on cast trucks.

[close]

a cnc truck?

[close]

I think that's what it would be.  Whatever they make good Mtb cranks with.  They could use less material cause it would be alot stronger.  There are cast-metal cranks but only dept. store bikes have them if that's enough perspective.  So yah, not just for cosmetics ha    ha ..

The strongest aluminum cranksets are cold-forged. Indy probably would have offered CNC trucks in the 1990s, but the only way to eliminate axle slip was to injection mold aluminum right onto the steel axle. I don't know if I could go back to banging my axle on sidewalk or light pole every 5 minutes.

[givecigstosurfgroms]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

They made indy's in china about 12-15 years ago for a sec.  Quality suffered.    I've said it b4 but I'd love to see a persicion cut aluminum truck no cast shit.  They could make that in china or where ever and it would shit on cast trucks.

[close]

a cnc truck?

[close]

I think that's what it would be.  Whatever they make good Mtb cranks with.  They could use less material cause it would be alot stronger.  There are cast-metal cranks but only dept. store bikes have them if that's enough perspective.  So yah, not just for cosmetics ha    ha ..

[close]

The strongest aluminum cranksets are cold-forged. Indy probably would have offered CNC trucks in the 1990s, but the only way to eliminate axle slip was to injection mold aluminum right onto the steel axle. I don't know if I could go back to banging my axle on sidewalk or light pole every 5 minutes.

 
Okay I think you're saying cnc trucks would mean slipping axles? 

[Willie]

Axles now usually have some kind of 'spurs' sticking out of them so they can lock into the molten aluminum and not slip.

It might be harder to accomplish the same with a CNC cut piece.


Are bike cranks really CNC pieces? I always assumed they were hammer forged. I know you can cut harder stuff with milling machines but I thought most of the time they used fairly soft aluminum billets, etc. because otherwise you'd be burning through blades.


There was a chromolly truck (G&S) for a while but I've got to imagine grinds felt more like slides on them.

[ungzilla]

Axles now usually have some kind of 'spurs' sticking out of them so they can lock into the molten aluminum and not slip.

It might be harder to accomplish the same with a CNC cut piece.


Are bike cranks really CNC pieces? I always assumed they were hammer forged. I know you can cut harder stuff with milling machines but I thought most of the time they used fairly soft aluminum billets, etc. because otherwise you'd be burning through blades.


There was a chromolly truck (G&S) for a while but I've got to imagine grinds felt more like slides on them.

Practically all high end bike cranks that aren't carbon are now forged (i.e. all Shimano stuff, lower end Campagnolo/SRAM stuff), the CNC-every-part thing is to a degree a fad that has mostly passed.

[givecigstosurfgroms]

 Just to be clear I didn't initially say 'cnc' cause I don't know what mtb cranks are made out of.  Seems obvious to me tho that there's no way that cast is going to be better or like that cast construction would have the market covered on no slip axles.

[chodekaka]

High end bike stuff is forged and then cnc into its final form. Raceface stuff is beautiful and top notch. Cnc isn’t a fad and has not gone anywhere in mtb. All high end chainrings, cassettes, stems, dropper posts is cnc.

[Trashcon]

I've still got one set each of Thunders and Indys with USA stamps on the underside of the baseplates. I shall be holding on to them.

I have a friend who works in the shoe industry and he thinks things could come full circle at some point as China already has a burgeoning middle class who need to be paid proper wages. At some point it could be cheaper to make shit in the US again... Its already happening to some extent.

I wouldn't be surprised if they start getting made in Mexico. I agree with you on the whole middle class growing in China and the whole coming to a full circle. Absolutely, they're a fast growing country, but so is Mexico. There is a shift of American products starting to be made in Mexico, as it is much closer and less expensive to ship. Machinery and Electrical machinery were the biggest exports from Mexico. Many skate company's have chosen to have their boards made in Tijuana, I've skated Toy machine,  early FA, Flip (2009ish) and Zero which have been made in Tijuana over the years and the quality of them was just as good. Glad I've hold on to my Indy's over the years. I don't do many grinds nowadays, aside from slappys, so my trucks last quite long. Made in china products aren't known to be of great quality so I'd be discouraged from made in china indy's.

[Octobre Rouge.]

i don't get this "china products quality" is bad motto.

i'm rocking a pair of China made Krux, and the overall craftmanship is top notch.

in the other hand, Dwindle boards are still terrible...