Increase turning radius

**pat_11_5** · 07-10-2009 12:51 PM

Just picked up a longboard, its about 40", i'm looking to increase its turning radius. I've read that softer bushings and risers may help my problem. I'm using randal trucks, i've also read that using risers with randal trucks is pointless. Anyways, i'm looking for a site that sells risers and trucks, if thats what I need to increase the boards turning radius.
Thanks,

**Bookworm** · 07-10-2009 12:52 PM

you, my good friend, are looking to DECREASE your turning radius.

risers will do the job nicely. as will softer bushings.

**Bomb303** · 07-10-2009 12:57 PM

wedged risers and softer bushings would do nicely.

**anatharc** · 07-10-2009 01:01 PM

conical bushings turn more than barrels, that might help.

**thokk2** · 07-10-2009 01:07 PM

Flat risers will do nothing. Bushings will only make it harder/easier to lean, not affect your turning radius.

You want angled risers, and/or flip your hangers. You can choose to wedge/dewedge to increase/decrease your turning radius.

**Bookworm** · 07-10-2009 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by thokk2

Flat risers will do nothing. Bushings will only make it harder/easier to lean, not affect your turning radius.

You want angled risers, and/or flip your hangers. You can choose to wedge/dewedge to increase/decrease your turning radius.

just for clarification, wedging (putting the fat side of the angled riser on the inside of the board) decreases turning radius, and dewedging (leaning the trucks "inward") increases it.

**Bomb303** · 07-10-2009 01:23 PM

**partninjas** · 07-10-2009 01:25 PM

If you have 50* randals, dont worry about wedging. Get some softer conical bushings and you will be able to carve tighter.

**hxzero** · 07-10-2009 03:35 PM

Don't wedging and softer bushings simply increase the rate at which the truck turns, allowing you to carve with less force on the trucks? The only way to truly decrease your turn radius is to shorten your wheelbase.

**SirKale** · 07-10-2009 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by hxzero

Don't wedging and softer bushings simply increase the rate at which the truck turns, allowing you to carve with less force on the trucks? The only way to truly decrease your turn radius is to shorten your wheelbase.

while it is true that wedging and bushings do not actually increase a trucks maximum turning ability, it does make it easier to turn meaning that you can get closer to that theoretical max. Think of it as a truck with double 90a elims vs the same truck with double 74a cones. both of them will turn the same amount, but the elims truck will take 100 times(not a precise number just trying to make this easy) as much force to get there then the truck with the cones. therefore softer bushings allow you to access more of your trucks potential turn ability and make you carve tighter.

**Tagsrover** · 07-10-2009 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by Bomb303

damn, you beat me to it

**thokk2** · 07-10-2009 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by hxzero

Don't wedging and softer bushings simply increase the rate at which the truck turns, allowing you to carve with less force on the trucks? The only way to truly decrease your turn radius is to shorten your wheelbase.

Wedging your trucks will make your turning radius decrease. It changes the truck's lean/turn ratio to be more turn for less lean.

**pat_11_5** · 07-10-2009 10:16 PM

so wedges will help me with my turning then? should they be angled? Ya I seem to have gotten the whole turning radius concept confused. Thanks for your help though guys. Any suggestion of a website that sells risers and bushings for cheap?

**SirKale** · 07-11-2009 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by pat_11_5

so wedges will help me with my turning then? should they be angled? Ya I seem to have gotten the whole turning radius concept confused. Thanks for your help though guys. Any suggestion of a website that sells risers and bushings for cheap?

muir skate got a 15% off deal for fishhead going on. Mile high skates is always great.

**thokk2** · 07-11-2009 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by pat_11_5

so wedges will help me with my turning then? should they be angled? Ya I seem to have gotten the whole turning radius concept confused. Thanks for your help though guys. Any suggestion of a website that sells risers and bushings for cheap?

You want angled risers, not flat risers. You use angled risers to wedge/dewedge your trucks.

**Aaron** · 07-12-2009 08:37 PM

Bushings DO change geometry. Softer bushings between plate and hanger will compress - lowering the pivot angle - increasing turn radius. If maintaining a specific or higher pivot angle matters to you use as hard a pivot at the plate that you can tolerate. Make up for the increased resistance by using a softer bushing on the other side of the hanger.