When should I buy precisions?

[beigebomber]

[gavmck]

This post made me happy, I'll pretty much agree with all that except I am too slow and bought the persishuns, oops!

All this info is very good though, if you follow the advice, you'll end up on a good path. The path to persishuns!

[Dan Mactaggart]

great advice man

[keef]

Hi, that's a good post, and well written.
However, there is an alternative, you touched on it yourself when you wrote that you can talk to board/truck makers and specify your own custom requirements. Due to our sport's top level competitors still being 'normal people' we can speak to them too. I have personally spoken to at least 3 top level DH and freeride skaters. I found out what gear they used after studying their style on U tube and other such mediums, so as to pick the style that was close or similar to mine. That way it gave me a starting point, and I knew that I was safe to bomb my mountain roads in the knowledge that the set up I had was capable of hitting 50mph even if I wasn't. Sure there are still gains to be made by trial and error, and different set ups for high speed, or technical runs, but I had a safe starting point. In addition to this my favourite set up is now nothing like what I thought I would want. For example, left to my own devices my DH board would be a double drop long wheelbase with grippy wheels, and it is actually a top mount on precisions with drifty wheels, and a shorter wheelbase.
I am all for trying lots of different gear, but not all of us are able to afford it. As for the main question, precision or cast, I think an average skater can tell the difference, I know I can and I'm only average, and when the speed starts to pick up, I'd rather be on precision any day.

[TexasBomber]

So many precisions so little time. Of what I own my Kahas reign supreme!!

[Azn300]

i just don't go fast enough for precisions. (Florida) so i wouldnt need them. i would like to have a set of kahas though.

[guivans]

Although in nowadays, you have a lot of possibilities for half-precisions, this is, cast plates with cnc hangers. So, the money step gets shorter, and gives peeps more maneuverability.
I never tried precisions, so i dont know how they feel...by now, the normal trucks i have fully fill my technical needs.
Gonna try a randal 42 plus GOGs in a week from a friend....

In all cases, great post you written there...

[beigebomber]

Well, as if we needed to hear MORE from me....
But this is a question.
Anybody got any strong feelings about precisions for freeride? It seems like an odd idea to me, as I tend to think of precisions for insane grip and smoothness, and freeride as being anarchic truck abuse. For me, freeride is about big, chunky, cheap trucks that slide like greasy squirrels (fed up with the butter allusion). But the 'Summerland' vid I watched recently had some insane freeriding on Bear Smokies.
Whaddaya all think?

[bagelbum]

Truer axles will lead to better wheel wear, leading to more time spent freeriding™.

[cilibird]

great post man, its exactly how i feel about getting ready to drop cash on precisions, so far i've tried randals, indy's, force and crails, and I'm getting me a set of paris soon. Loving crails so far though. Everyone tells me with the money I've spent on casts, I could have gotten a set of kahas or kookys, but I'm just not that knowledgeable enough to know the difference that precisions would make, but they're so pretty though.......

I have a question, ppl often run split angles with casts and say they're awesome, so why not do this with precisions as well?

[gavmck]

Anybody got any strong feelings about precisions for freeride?

Depends which ones you ride I guess and what you like riding around. I've done drifty riding on kookys and it's fun and all, but the LEAN you want for freeride isn't there as much so it's harder to break the wheels free. I like a super duper loose as hell leany turny setup for freeride, which I don't feel you would get from persishuns.

[keef]

Depends which ones you ride I guess and what you like riding around. I've done drifty riding on kookys and it's fun and all, but the LEAN you want for freeride isn't there as much so it's harder to break the wheels free. I like a super duper loose as hell leany turny setup for freeride, which I don't feel you would get from persishuns.

Absolutely, couldn't have said it better. When I first started DH / Freeride, I only had my Grizzles 1052s, so I just used to flip the hanger for DH.
Top mount on Smokies wiv black Jimzs may be old skool (now all these new precision trucks are available), but it's still my choice for DH.

Oh and I forgot got some Randal 35s on a Carbon drop through with a little flex for fast hard carving like 30 - 40mph.

[d-dub]

I have a question, ppl often run split angles with casts and say they're awesome, so why not do this with precisions as well?

most of the people that run split angle cast will also run split angle precision, even if they're not made that way. i wedge dewedge my munkaes to a 50/35 because thats what i like. it just happens that a lot of the people that have access to cnc's and make precisions like same angles. people will make trucks to fit THEIR needs first. just the way it is, but it doesnt mean you cant mod it to make it fit your needs.

[gavmck]

Yah I run 52/42 on kookys because that's the way I like my board to run, more turn up front. I've got that wedge built into the board I ride, shawing!

[SeanML]

Depends which ones you ride I guess and what you like riding around. I've done drifty riding on kookys and it's fun and all, but the LEAN you want for freeride isn't there as much so it's harder to break the wheels free. I like a super duper loose as hell leany turny setup for freeride, which I don't feel you would get from persishuns.

Surf-Rodz Trucks can get pretty carvy. I've got them wedged 10* and they can make 90* sidewalk turns. Nice lean too.

Drift, on the other hand... well, they're really meant to grip. A bit frustrating for myself, who is trying to learn standups haha.

[/shameless plug]

[gavmck]

Surf-Rodz Trucks can get pretty carvy. I've got them wedged 10* and they can make 90* sidewalk turns. Nice lean too.

Oh yeah, carvy is easy, just run mad soft bushings. But for getting KRUNK LEAN, I think you need the lack of restriction of a cast truck, like bear grizzleys or sabres. I have much harder bushings in sabres compared to kookys and yet still get waaay more lean.

[streetheap]

Well, as if we needed to hear MORE from me....
But this is a question.
Anybody got any strong feelings about precisions for freeride? It seems like an odd idea to me, as I tend to think of precisions for insane grip and smoothness, and freeride as being anarchic truck abuse. For me, freeride is about big, chunky, cheap trucks that slide like greasy squirrels (fed up with the butter allusion). But the 'Summerland' vid I watched recently had some insane freeriding on Bear Smokies.
Whaddaya all think?

I recently setup an older Hellcat for my son. He wanted to try Smokeys, and since we had a set not being used I put them on his hellcat. We took out the hanger sphericals, flipped the hangers, and didn't plug them. Instead, we put in some blue bones hardcores with a small flat washer so they would have room to squish around (a mod a few people on here have done/do). Very nice controlled slides, and leans like a mofo. Keeps the kingpin away from the ground as well.

[SeanML]

Oh yeah, carvy is easy, just run mad soft bushings. But for getting KRUNK LEAN, I think you need the lack of restriction of a cast truck, like bear grizzleys or sabres. I have much harder bushings in sabres compared to kookys and yet still get waaay more lean.

I think you'll find our bushing seats are only as restrictive as you make them... throw an eliminator in there, and it's locked in solid; throw a tall cone in, and you've got TONS of lean to play with.

Lean has a lot to do with KP angle as well... if you run them at the stock 45* or lower, you'll have, well... What's the term K-Rimes uses, Gangster Lean?

[TexasBomber]

Dopamine Dave once told me that RII 180's w/ 42 plates is all anybody really needs for a great DH setup. I agree if your skills, body and mind can naturally be at peace on high-speed runs. I'm not one of those skaters, so the precisions give me an almost a perceived and sometime evident stability that aids my mind. I believe a great DH run consist of the body (skill) and mind being in total sync. One without the other, things could get ugly.

I recently setup an older Hellcat for my son. He wanted to try Smokeys, and since we had a set not being used I put them on his hellcat. We took out the hanger sphericals, flipped the hangers, and didn't plug them. Instead, we put in some blue bones hardcores with a small flat washer so they would have room to squish around (a mod a few people on here have done/do). Very nice controlled slides, and leans like a mofo. Keeps the kingpin away from the ground as well.

Wow, my 08 set has my king pin sitting so low is a magnet for anything 1/4" off the ground. I hit everything. I abandoned the stock sphericals and JimZs for Reflex barrels and feels looser on the DH, which I like, but they are certainly no Kahas. I'm alos running them on a Hellcat the modification that leaves the top bushing in the spherical space makes my board rattle. did you experience this?

[driftfreak]

you get them at their cheapest, aka when they go on sale.
daddiesboardshop has kahas on sale right now, the only reason why I got any at all.