GromBiz C2 Review.

**melifont monk** · 09-20-2008 04:45 AM

well.......i've been asked to review the new C2 scriber trucks from Grombiz...i got to deal with the older version the C11 quite a bit and was asked if i wanted this gig....so here i am.

First off the bat, as a few of you would know i run an evo on kooky's and a DHR on RII 180s... for speedboarding, after watching Ben's footage from Evolutions 4 and the photos from maryhill (plus a broken kingpin in the randals) i've truck the DHR with the C2's.....hopefully this will give you an idea of what i'm about whist i review these trucks.

some random specs:
the trucks hangar is 200mm wide with the extensions....
8 bolt holes
you can run 2 or 4 bushings at any time.
2 different bushing duro's were given to me

it appears that you can run from 0* in the centre +/- up to 70*....which should give you plenty of choices.....this may not be the case, but set positive maxed out it turns...a lot.

**melifont monk** · 09-20-2008 05:04 AM

okay....so a little more info....

the setup is LY DHR- C2's/4 bushings-softs front,hard back/1.5cm riser/76mm flys.

myself and SteveC compared the height of these trucks today....again an RII 180 then 180 flipped then 42* plate 180 and flipped....it is exactly the same height as a flipped 42* 180...which, in my opinion, makes is pretty damn impressive trucked up the board on 76 flys is only 50mm off the ground...thats with 1.5 cm of riser under it! nice and low- good for topmounts and underflush boards.

will this make it speedboarding friendly? i' guess i'll find out tomorrow if the rain stops.
the bushings are interesting, check the photos out....weird little buggers...you can get away with only 2, or you can run 4 per truck.

With 2 the board felt quite turny just mucking around out the front of my house before the rain hit, very turny and loose, tightened the bushings up and changed the geometry, but it was still quite turny....all the good bits of the C11 without the excessive "slop"...much better.

...then i put 4 bushings per truck.

...
.
.
completely.different.truck.

it was HARD, very damn hard actually, like having a flipped 35* randal on blue luge bushings....its a ROCK! there was some play due to the amount of moving parts, but in all seriousness; so far...i'm damn impressed.

i will hopefully have FAR more to tell you tomorrow when i get a proper skate in.

i will be also running these on a schlongboard/ on a 59" mal and possibly a secret new board i'm not telling anyone about just yet....we'll see.

**melifont monk** · 09-20-2008 05:11 AM

....whilst i think of it...a few little things....

1. whilst i was trucking the DHR, the axle extensions are chromed...i flaked some of the chrome off doing them up...its not the end of the world- i was just suprised it happened.
2. my missus got freaked out by the other bushings i have to test, she told me she thought it was a fingernail!!!
3.the springs dont have to be used with the bushings...but i've been told you can....i'll give it a good thrashing without, then with and see if there is ANY difference....

like i said, tomorrow i will now FAR more to tell you all, some photo's too i hope.

any questions? thoughts, ideas? setups? anything you want me to do to these trucks that might make your mind rest easy? speak up- i'm taking requests.

**dozerdoggie** · 09-20-2008 06:34 AM

Originally Posted by melifont monk

....whilst i think of it...a few little things....

1. whilst i was trucking the DHR, the axle extensions are chromed...i flaked some of the chrome off doing them up...its not the end of the world- i was just suprised it happened.
2. my missus got freaked out by the other bushings i have to test, she told me she thought it was a fingernail!!!
3.the springs dont have to be used with the bushings...but i've been told you can....i'll give it a good thrashing without, then with and see if there is ANY difference....

like i said, tomorrow i will now FAR more to tell you all, some photo's too i hope.

any questions? thoughts, ideas? setups? anything you want me to do to these trucks that might make your mind rest easy? speak up- i'm taking requests.

any news on when the new deck will be rolled out on the fish?
they are going to make a limited edition unit in black

**melifont monk** · 09-20-2008 06:39 AM

don't know about the new deck, i haven't ridden that...but i will find out what i can....as for the black LE's...again, all i can do is ask.

**dozerdoggie** · 09-20-2008 06:54 AM

Originally Posted by melifont monk

don't know about the new deck, i haven't ridden that...but i will find out what i can....as for the black LE's...again, all i can do is ask.

saw the grom biz guys at surf expo and they were talking about a 250 price point and only available for silverfish they said they were makeing 50 copies for sale.
i had a chance to ride the c2 and it has more adjustments than my sailboat definately not user freindly or at least for a dummy such as myself.

**melifont monk** · 09-20-2008 07:12 AM

the trick is to find one setting and mark it on the trucks....eg: with a texta...that's what i'm doing, one for DH, one for free riding, one for sliding etc....

the thing you have to remember is: this is a multi * and bushing'd truck...there are lots of options....all without using tools....seems like a good idea on paper...will know more when i ride it tomorrow.

**dozerdoggie** · 09-20-2008 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by melifont monk

the trick is to find one setting and mark it on the trucks....eg: with a texta...that's what i'm doing, one for DH, one for free riding, one for sliding etc....

the thing you have to remember is: this is a multi * and bushing'd truck...there are lots of options....all without using tools....seems like a good idea on paper...will know more when i ride it tomorrow.

thanks good info i am gettin one asap

**Alpha06** · 09-20-2008 03:40 PM

Dozer are you having a mid life crisis, with skateboards instead of porches and motobikes?

More power to ya!

**dozerdoggie** · 09-20-2008 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by Alpha06

Dozer are you having a mid life crisis, with skateboards instead of porches and motobikes?

More power to ya!

no crisis i have been a gear whore for 25 years i sold off my old collection from the 80's last year and now i am getting into more long boards,ever since my first foamie i have been hooked

**melifont monk** · 09-20-2008 09:24 PM

mmmm....wind....do you love it...taking the trucks out today...more info coming.

**melifont monk** · 09-21-2008 12:49 AM

well....my first full day...with the new C2's....the wind was at about 80km/h...sun was here and there and it was threatening to rain.....

first off. i dropped my usual run into the CBD to get some coffee....its a max 50km/h...3 lanes wide and usually pretty easy to time- nice and easy start.

i clearly didn't have my head on or something, i found a cats eye and the C2 first scratch...2 minutes into my ride. ouch.

got into town and wasn't real sure about them- the just gave NO turn like i wanted...took the two top bushings out of the front and my DHR commuted like it would on RII's...was pretty nice.

then i took the back top bushings out to feel out the potential 'tune-ability' of the trucks....lets just leave it at: have you ever seen someone pedestrian slalom a DHR? no, didn't think so...but the people of hobart did today.

as anyone who has dealings with the C11's will tell you, they had a "dead shake" in the middle of their ride...this, is gone...its just not even there compared to the C11's...good job grombiz.

so at the moment i'm running the board with 2 bushing front/back as softer/harder with the front set at 40*

and the tail at 40*-15* (board) = 25*

so...all well so far? well, yes and no.

i had all my axle extensions come loose today...they weren't finger tight either....so loctite it appears is going to become my friend.
and the chrome flaking is becoming worse...

....as a commuting truck and a carver, yeah- i'd definately put there up there...i like them. Adjustable to your needs, all without tools and easy and FAST and LOW....but...

this is the evolution that needed to happen for the scriber trucks. i'll be taking these bad boys sliding and speedboarding over the next week and will be reporting back what happens with some footage too....

i think the next stop for the C2's is onto my Surf One Iron cross pintail...25" wheelbase and with 75a (sli)grippins...should be an interesting test....

questions comments? lets hear them.

**Tonyhockey** · 09-21-2008 01:55 AM

Just glad to hear you've got them and are out skating. The chrome issue was part of the initial prototype run of trucks which you are using. It won't be an issue with the production run. As far as the axle extensions loosening, that something we rarely experience. We typically give them a good half turn with a wrench and have no issues after that. I'm sure Ben will want to discuss it with you. He ran them at MH and never had an issue with loose extensions. Looking forward to hearing more about your DH and sliding.

**Alpha06** · 09-21-2008 02:57 AM

Yeah um the axle thing...not cool at all lol. Flaking? eh no biggie. Otherwise, those truck look badass. How durable are the bushings?

**mock86** · 09-23-2008 02:36 AM

hey dude ive had a c11 for 4yrs and a chance to try out c2.

I think the main thing you have to remember between the 2 is that the c11is mainly an extreme crave board to imitate surfing with the adjust to be able to carve at high speed and being a surfer i can say im yet to come across anything that comes closer.

the new c2 is aimed at slalom dh long board scene. Glad to hear you like it as for the axles im yet to have 1 come loose on myself so u may want to get it checked out.

look forward to hearing more of your reveiw

as for the adjustments all u have to remember is to point the dgree pointers in towards eachother and count from the centre down which is 1-8
so if you can count from 1to 8 your set

**melifont monk** · 09-23-2008 04:58 AM

thanks mate, i'm well aware of how to work the trucks and i worked with/in/for/etc a guy that modified C11's here in hobart for years and we tested the #### out of them to find setups that people were happy with....

...g'day tony, i got an email from ben and i'll be discussing his DH settings and trying them...

so far, my DH setup looks as its going to be 4 hard 30* tail and a soft bushing front (2) with a 40* front.

Ben also mentioned that the thread cut on my axles is larger than the sale versions and thats why it was coming loose...

more to come...DH tomorrow.

**boarders mom** · 09-23-2008 06:56 AM

This may be a dumb question, but it looks like you are limited to using their "fingernail" bushings? So not interchangeable with a set of khiro's one might already own? I'm pretty sure I know the answer, just wanted to double check.

**Tonyhockey** · 09-23-2008 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by boarders mom

This may be a dumb question, but it looks like you are limited to using their "fingernail" bushings? So not interchangeable with a set of khiro's one might already own? I'm pretty sure I know the answer, just wanted to double check.

The only dumb questions are the ones that don't get asked. You are correct and the "fingernail" bushings are the only ones that will work with the C2 bushing design. Grombiz plans on having bushing sets in 5 different duros ranging from 70a to 90a. This system allows no tool changes and pre-loading but at this time these bushings will be unique to grombiz. the bushing manufacturer is in the US. so we can make sure the quality is as good as possible.

**boarders mom** · 09-23-2008 08:31 PM

hey the son here.... i rode the trucks dh style and i loved it.... i dont know about changeing anything like bushings or widening the hanger or anything like that... any way, the hanger looks a bit fragile.... u got any info on that? i can see it holds up your flywheels but for how long?

**Grom Biz** · 09-23-2008 08:54 PM

Ben here,

The axle or hanger is made from Heat Treated Chrome Moly Steel. This is very tough stuff they uses this for pushrods in high performance cars. You would do very well to break or even bend one of these bad boys. I have been riding my downhill board for 4 years and have never bent an axle.

Hope that helps.