Pivot Cups & Kingpins

**marv** · 06-25-2006 09:58 PM

so i found these old Thunder trucks on my old skateboard and I thought it would be fun to try to make them turn reasonabley well

first off, what size of pivot cups. I see that Khiro offers large and small, but which one would fit. or is there another company that makes cups that would fit?

also, i noticed that the kingpin has these things sticking up near the front of the bolt that hold it into the base plate. By the place at the non-threaded side of the bolt, about 8 ridges of metal stick out that keep the kingpin from moving when you tighten the bolt. Where can i get a new one of these? i want a slightly longer one than what i have...

thanks so much guys

**xxguitarist** · 06-25-2006 11:05 PM

ummm do you want pivot cups, or bushings?
people dont really tune trucks by swapping pivot cups.

**WalkTogether** · 06-26-2006 02:16 AM

Small pivot cups.
Knock the kingpin out with a hammer.
Kingpins are called grade 8 bolts at hardware stores. They're about a dollar each.

**marv** · 06-26-2006 09:50 AM

i know a kingpin is a bolt, but these ones are all funky
they are unlike any kingpin i have seen
i guess i'll just make due with them

oh and yes i do want new pivot cups guitarist, the old ones are thrashed and in aweful condition

**Mile_High_Mark** · 06-26-2006 09:52 AM

Are they the ones with the funky button-like top?

**lettucefresh** · 06-26-2006 10:10 AM

yeah, sounds like you've got the button-head kingpins. it might require some jb weld to get a new one in there to stick.

**marv** · 06-26-2006 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by lettucefresh

it might require some jb weld to get a new one in there to stick.

Those are the ones Mark!
where can i get new ones oh great retailer of goods?

But i alrady hammered them out so can i get them to stick back in?
will i have to glue or weld them (or new ones) in order for them to stick?

thanks guys

**Mile_High_Mark** · 06-26-2006 11:18 AM

The replacement Indy kingpins should fit. They're all one length, however. Some folks retrofit a grade-8 bolt, but that usually requires some JB Weld to keep it in place.

**marv** · 06-26-2006 11:22 AM

so if i buy a new one, will it be the same size as the one i have now?
i cant find the measurment of the replacement ones

**Mile_High_Mark** · 06-26-2006 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by marv

so if i buy a new one, will it be the same size as the one i have now?
i cant find the measurment of the replacement ones

Probably.

**lettucefresh** · 06-26-2006 11:48 AM

oh, this makes perfect sense, we can save .05 cents per unit by using these inferior, hard to replace kingpins which only come in one size. the kids will eat it up.

**Mile_High_Mark** · 06-26-2006 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by lettucefresh

oh, this makes perfect sense, we can save .05 cents per unit by using these inferior, hard to replace kingpins which only come in one size. the kids will eat it up.

It's all pretty weird, innit?

If I could get Core baseplates separately (w/o having to buy 10,000) of 'em, I'd sell them. In the meantime, I cannibalize 'em and run them on my 101's and 215's.

**Sensei** · 06-26-2006 11:57 AM

That's because they make more money off of kids who just buy a new set of trucks when they bust a kingpin, which most kids do. Marketing 101.

**lettucefresh** · 06-26-2006 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by Sensei

That's because they make more money off of kids who just buy a new set of trucks when they bust a kingpin, which most kids do. Marketing 101.

having worked at a mostly street oriented core shop, i can tell you most kids DON'T just buy a new set of trucks. I don't know what goes on in shops like zumiez, but most of our customers don't have the money and therefore try to replace the kingpin, the problem is that when the button-heads shear off they are impossible to get out because of they are put into the baseplates 1) whole, 2) by a machine, 3) because of the little ridges on them
we were constantly either drilling out old kingpins on a drill press (huge pain in the ass), or trying to ship them back to destructo/ indy/ etc, only to have to wait 2 weeks to give some kid who just wants to skate a new baseplate.
Sorry for the rant, but it just pisses me off so much the way shortboard companies run skateboarding. and it's not the kid's fault, they just want to skate.