tuning your trucks for performance - my dual stange bushing set up

**daygoVR6** · 05-08-2007 07:32 PM

Ok so im back at it again tunning the board up a bit and Id figure Id share a bit for those that have never done this - pretty simple really just takes a bit of time to find the right setting you are really looking for

Starting out im using a 40 inch round knose kick tail with very basic no name brand trucks, w/ S9 9 Ball wheels - those of you with the randall style truck you can acheive the same results but dis assembly and re assembly might go a bit different than what I show here - note the 1/4 inch flat raisers in use here

As you can see a little maintence and clean up is a good idea at this point as well as my board has been through hell in the last few weeks of skating - what I am installing are these ...truck bushings called Doh-doh by Shorty's the purpose of these bushings is to use a softer durometer for easier carving and turning - these specifically are availble in different hardnesses Blue = soft 88 durometer Yellow = medium soft 92 durometer, Red = medium hard 95 durometer, White = really hard 98 durometer, and they also offer a Black for even more firness than the white (typically best for large ramps and bowls) what I am using is a blue bushing on the top (side closest to the deck) and a yellow bushing on the bottom) to give a softer bushing that will ride on top of a firmer

The best way to do this is to remove the entire assembly from the deck itself - gives you the most access to what you are working on

start by removing the main adjustment nut on the trucks this should give you full access to the hardware you need to remove to make the swap

Once you have removed whats there basically re assemble the parts in reverse order

Note the main top washer has been flipped over to keep the bushing from cutting into the washer itself and ruining your work

Once you have it all back together re attach your trucks to your deck - note the use of a now angled riser

Basically repeat the process on the 2nd assembly - a monkey should be able to figure out how it all goes really

So the results - way softer ride with alot more carving ability - the bad - this set up was way to soft and i ended up with wheel bite - much to the pain in my left knee so watch how soft you go and play with it a bit and see what will work best for your deck - i ended up going with a set of red bushings all the way around after my first initial testing but im thinking of trying a yellow bushing on top with a stiffer red bushing on the bottom - we will see how that goes, the red bushings fell great actually with this set up - maybe I will find some knee pads before i go to crazy on the soft set up , oh and I also changed back to the flat risers from the angled ones i attempted to use

**green** · 05-08-2007 08:05 PM

Correction, the bottom bushing is the one closest to the deck. Do not change the terms please, all it does is confuse everyone. But other then that its a good simple walk through.

**VulgarDisplayCFH** · 05-08-2007 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by green

Correction, the bottom bushing is the one closest to the deck. Do not change the terms please, all it does is confuse everyone. But other then that its a good simple walk through.

You don't have to be an ass about it..

**daygoVR6** · 05-08-2007 08:55 PM

ummm ya what he said ....i think i explained it simple enough

**billdee** · 06-29-2007 05:01 PM

dodos suck!!! use khiros, bones or Bithes!!!

thanks for the tip

**daygoVR6** · 07-01-2007 11:27 AM

eH no problems so far there are other aftermarket ones out there all a matter of preference

**guivans** · 07-20-2007 10:16 AM

Those seem to be CORE trucks....TGMskateboards mounts them on many boards!
I bought trough theirs ebay store my 46" longboards, set up with CORE 7.0 trucks, as wide as the R180...nice trucks...
Cheers

**bucksaw87** · 07-20-2007 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by guivans

Those seem to be CORE trucks....TGMskateboards mounts them on many boards!
I bought trough theirs ebay store my 46" longboards, set up with CORE 7.0 trucks, as wide as the R180...nice trucks...
Cheers

nope core trucks have a black baseplate and the hangar is a bit rounder around the axle

**guivans** · 07-21-2007 05:34 AM

Yes..mine do have a black baseplate.Just thought could be an older model...even so, preety similar desugn ah?
Cheers

**andrew_cruise** · 07-21-2007 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by billdee

dodos suck!!! use khiros, bones or Bithes!!!

thanks for the tip

acctualy the blue doh dohs are erally nice and have nice compression

**hyzershot** · 07-21-2007 08:26 AM

In the very last picture your angled riser was shown backwards, did you install it that way? Is it possible that you didn't like the angled risers because of that?

I too agree w/ the idea of not changing terminology for this tutorial (top is still top and bottoms are between the truck and deck) besides, removing the whole truck from the board just to change a few bushings........

and please, PLEASE if you are going to make a guide for people to reference use a spell checker before you hit the submit button. Overall, thanks for your time and effort. I think this might help someone someday. Although if they couldn't figure this out for themselves I would feel real bad for them.

**Crappysurfer** · 07-21-2007 10:23 AM

yeah, removing a whole truck JUST for bushings is overkill

**dustm** · 07-21-2007 10:56 AM

Changing bushings alone yeah, but he also switched out the riser to an angled riser.

The orientation he has it on the front truck increases turnyness and will acutally work to reduce wheelbite as well in most cases.

**bucksaw87** · 07-21-2007 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by guivans

Yes..mine do have a black baseplate.Just thought could be an older model...even so, preety similar desugn ah?
Cheers

haha from the angles shown, the hangar kinda sorta looks like a core hangar, but i'd have to see a front view to be sure. it's got the straight pivot and everything, so it very well could be

**mcste11er** · 01-16-2008 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by guivans

Those seem to be CORE trucks....TGMskateboards mounts them on many boards!
I bought trough theirs ebay store my 46" longboards, set up with CORE 7.0 trucks, as wide as the R180...nice trucks...
Cheers

not to hijack this tread or anything but could someone pm me a short review on these core trucks. im in desperate need of really cheap trucks.

**guivans** · 02-19-2008 06:58 PM

I was playing with the trucks today, trying to get a good pumping combo, and the way i got it was with my softer bushings (obvious)....the problem is that they are taller than the standard bushings that came with the trucks, and i can only get them assembled without the washers!
Do u guys think that will ruin the bushings or no?Is it common to use it that way?
Cheers and thanks

**Willl** · 02-19-2008 07:12 PM

not to be hatin', but you said that flipping the washer keeps the bushing from cutting into the washer. I think that you would need some really hard bushings to cut into the washer.

**Fizzle45** · 04-24-2008 12:29 PM

Pretty sure he just wanted to say keep the washer from cutting in to the bushing.

**stocago** · 04-29-2008 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by guivans

I was playing with the trucks today, trying to get a good pumping combo, and the way i got it was with my softer bushings (obvious)....the problem is that they are taller than the standard bushings that came with the trucks, and i can only get them assembled without the washers!
Do u guys think that will ruin the bushings or no?Is it common to use it that way?
Cheers and thanks

If you don't use the bottom washer it's no big deal, as it still has a platform albeit a smaller one, but you shouldn't run the top bushing with just the nut and no washer. Some washers are very thin. I'd use those. Or you can try shaving one of the bushings. Or get a longer kingpin.

**bawjustice** · 05-11-2008 09:19 AM

last summer i bought a dregs maggie 44. i was very excited because my first longboard was a dregs 44 and it was amazing. the new board was just as good except for the trucks that came stock on it. they are the worst designed trucks ive ever seen. they are gullwing trucks and they were the loosest things ever. the first issue i had was when i went to tighten them. i tried 3 different sets of sockets and none of them fit the nut right. there was not enough room between the nut and the actual truck to slide a socket wrench over it, let alone sneak in any other type of wrench or plier. so after fighting with the thing to get the nut tightened i went to ride again and it felt just as loose. so i tightened it again, same thing. then i noticed the bushings. as i tightened the trucks the bushings just squished flat. it was the strangest thing i ever saw. ill try to post some pictures up here when i dig them out of my closet.

so basically
im going to using them to set up a 2nd board for me. any suggestions on what bushings i should buy for it? or has anyone ever experienced something similar?