Grip Factor ?

**skatardude10** · 11-29-2005 06:14 AM

I know there is the durometer scale, but I was curious about a grip factor scale of some sort...

Is there such thing? Could we maybe colaborate and create our own scale specifically for skateboard wheels ? Maybe have a testing rig setup that will test 100 - 200 lbs of downwards force, and have a consistantly increasing side load on the wheels, and have a scale measure the force that the wheels are exerting on the side load scale. Once the wheels slide out, we can say that the wheels at 100lbs of downforce can grip with 73.29lbs of sideforce, or 72lbs on average, and turn that into a normal, readable scale from 1 to 100.

Comments ?

**chaindog** · 11-29-2005 01:46 PM

you make the machine
it seems to be a viable testing procedure

**RustyBurrito55** · 11-29-2005 02:10 PM

Awesome idea! I'm surprised this hasn't been done already.

**Andrew in Ontario** · 11-29-2005 03:59 PM

id say there's too many variables involved (road surface, road temperature, wheel shape)

plus i hate math.

if u wanna slide the wheel just, lean back and kickem out.

**Hintermute** · 11-29-2005 04:31 PM

Hm.. strap sandbags to a longboard. Cut up your local asphalt and stick it to a few sheets of plywood(a few because it might sag). Board goes on stolen asphalt, one end of ply goes on carjack, start a pumping. Blah, this wont really work that well. I have no idea how to test static and 'moving?' friction, expecially on a board. I think mass opinion is a better judgement of wheel grip.

**chaindog** · 11-29-2005 04:58 PM

i like his idea

you put a certain amount of downward presure on the wheel then you increase the sideload untill the wheels break traction. the amount of sideload tells you the grip factor.

the variation of asvault has no effect on the testing procedure. test everything on one surface, perhaps griptape aplied to a peice of plywood. this way the results will be acurate relative to other wheels. i would say htis is more a way of comparing wheels than a way of actualy computing how hard you can turn before you slide out.

**skatardude10** · 11-29-2005 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by chaindog

i like his idea

you put a certain amount of downward presure on the wheel then you increase the sideload untill the wheels break traction. the amount of sideload tells you the grip factor.

the variation of asvault has no effect on the testing procedure. test everything on one surface, perhaps griptape aplied to a peice of plywood. this way the results will be acurate relative to other wheels. i would say htis is more a way of comparing wheels than a way of actualy computing how hard you can turn before you slide out.

Exactly. That way we could put all of these test results onto a "grip factor scale" or something with all of the popular wheels on it, and say I have gumballs, but I do not have avilas, and I want to know how much more avilas grip then my gumballs, I can just look at the scale, and see how they compare. I have always wanted to compare wheels like this anyways. I do not have any scales or anything to do this on though.

**Crappysurfer** · 11-29-2005 06:10 PM

i dont think its a great idea.....i dont wanna be a douche but once people get into the physics of things they will be like TECHNICALLY this is the best yea see? it would sorta ruin things because companies would be saying our sliding weels have 6lbs of sideways force!! our DH wheels are so and so
it would be cool for like an SFer to figure out but once companies and skaters talk about it itll just be bad....something fun as an experiment but dont let it get too serious

**doctor worm** · 11-29-2005 07:04 PM

i think it would be very helpful, and force compainies to evolve and make slipperyer? wheels for sliding, and ever grippier wheels for me

**Hintermute** · 11-29-2005 10:31 PM

Someone should just order a few rods of uhmw-pe and lathe/bore them to shape. squeeze in some bearings presto! sliding wheels that will probably not slow you down at all as you slide.

Rofl, that'd be great, an inverted safety slide. Some poor cat shooting off of a road and down the cliff side.

**bean-a-reano** · 11-30-2005 03:07 AM

Originally Posted by Crappysurfer2

i dont think its a great idea.....i dont wanna be a douche but once people get into the physics of things they will be like TECHNICALLY this is the best yea see? it would sorta ruin things because companies would be saying our sliding weels have 6lbs of sideways force!! our DH wheels are so and so
it would be cool for like an SFer to figure out but once companies and skaters talk about it itll just be bad....something fun as an experiment but dont let it get too serious

How would it ruin things? I guess the durometer scale ruined skating for me. I quit skating is no fun no the eggheads are here. Who wants a quiver?

**chaindog** · 11-30-2005 11:20 AM

yea id say that this would i no way ruin anything. whats wrong with company actualy knowing that their competitors have better sliding wheels than they do.

to make the mesurements acurate you need to push in both directions (push so that the outer lip is gripping and then push so that the inner lip is gripping and avaerage the two numbers) also multiple trials of each set of wheels is a must.