Bushings Question

[Shoestring]

I am looking at learning to pump on my lush Makonga and have read that changing the bushing would help.
I am based in the UK and the local options seem to be Bones, Thunder and Doh doh`s with Grades from 92a to 100d. Which should I choose to go with my Draft trucks and what do the grade numbers like 92a mean ?

[Skinart]

The numbers are a measurement of durometer. The higher the number, the stiffer the bushing. The stiffer the bushing, the more stable it is--because
you have to lean harder to get it to compress.

There are three primary concerns you should have with bushings--especially for pumping. Only two of them are ones you can assess 'in the bag'.
The third may be the most important--but you will only know by reputation and experience how to rate a bushing in it.

1. Durometer: This is usually color coded in some way, and will require digging to find out what that code is. It is the basic metric of apples to apples
comparision of bushings...but it isn't quite apples to apples... In general, you want the softest bushings you can comfortably handle. Too soft and your
board will be flopping around under you--too hard and you will have to work too hard to get the board to turn. IMHO, the perfect bushing duro is one
where turning feels as effortless and intuitive as walking.

2. Bushing shape. The shape of the bushing affects the resistance curve. This purely a personal preference and will require experimenting to find what you like.

3. Resilience. This is the tricky bit that I think has the greatest effect on pumping. This is the measure of how fast the bushing rebounds to it's original shape.
The faster it rebounds, the better your pump is.


Consider: When you pump you begin by entering a carve, this compresses the bushing. The key part of the pump has to do with releasing the
carve, and thus, the energy of the compressed bushing, and redirecting that energy into forward momentum. The faster the rebound, the more energy
gets redirected.

For me, Khiros work pretty darn well--but so do Randals. The big difference is that in Khiros I can dial in a more precisely optimum duro to get an
'effortless' pump. It isn't really effortless, I'm just not fighting the bushing or working to maintain balance.

The other big difference for me is that Randals seem to lose their 'snap' faster than the Khiros--but this may be a biased subjective view because the Randal
bushings aren't as good of a duro for me.

Unfortunately, none of this helps you decide which bushings to buy--you will just have to go out and invest some money in a variety of bushings.
Many people even used mixed duros (one duro on top, another on bottom--or even different duros between front and back) in search of the perfect
fluid pump.

Hopefully what this post will help you with is in analyzing the characteristics of the bushings you do buy, so you can figure out the set-up that works for you.

But keep in mind, the best set-up this month might be less than ideal less month. As you gain skill, you can get more out of your bushings, and may notice
your bushings are limiting you. For me, as my balance got better, I became much less tolerant of harder bushings--they made me feel like I was fighting to
turn.

If you notice your ride seems less...stokey--try a fresh set of bushings! You would be amazed at how often this revives a board--and at how
particular you get regarding your ride characteristics.

[Shoestring]

Thanks for the excellent reply !!