Slalom with Bennett question

[setkaos]

Just wondering how you guys/gals think a combo of
front Bennett Vector 4.3 (110mm hanger)
rear Tracker RT-S (106mm hanger)
would work for tight/hybrid slalom deck? Deck would be around 29" with 19 and 20 inch wheelbases.

[stevie]

Just wondering how you guys/gals think a combo of
front Bennett Vector 4.3 (110mm hanger)
rear Tracker RT-S (106mm hanger)
would work for tight/hybrid slalom deck? Deck would be around 29" with 19 and 20 inch wheelbases.

I think it should work great. Replace the Bennett bushings with something softer/bouncier. Use washers below the bottom bushing to keep the stack height the same as stock.

I also recommend you wedge both trucks approx 10 degrees (thick ends of both wedges towards tail). You have to be careful not to overwedge Bennetts.

Let us know how it works.

[bpz]

I'd suggest using a center-set wheel, like a Grippin, in the front, to reduce the track width of the Bennett.

[marv]

bennett:
replace stock bushings w/ white khiro barrells. stack washers on the bottom, until you have made up for the large stock bushing. try using 1 soft, khiro wedge, that might be all you need.

rts:
dewedge. i recomend 1 hard, khiro angled riser. try medium bones hardcore bushings or harder, depending on your weight.

try an 84a grippin in the front, and maybe like an 80a manx/zig zag/hotspot in the back.

[Slob-air]

[stevie]

It looks like you've found the perfect answer to every slalom rider's needs for every situation. Thanks.

[scabus maximus]

The "Tower" is a great solution. I tried stacking washers and the amount of slop is just too much. Anothr good solution would be some direct-replacement URETHANE bushings from Bennett (after all, it's almost 2007, not 1977.)

[Slob-air]

Stevie - Thank you. And you're welcome.


scabus maximus - The stock bushings in the Bennett Vectors are made by the same manufacturer who did them for Bennett back in the day. Same formula (still on file apparently).

They do seem stiffer though and are about a 90a.

80a and 85a Bennett big red rubber bushings are apparently coming soon and are to be followed with Bennett Urethane bushings in the same dimensions, but a wider variety of durometers.

[Christophish]

I'm hoping I have a set of those Bennett mods coming for Christmas! My b-day was the beginning of December, and my wife told me my present would have to be for Christmas instead, because it won't be available until Dec. 23..... hmmmmm!

Slob's not talking either.....

[xxguitarist]

80a and 85a Bennett big red rubber bushings are apparently coming soon and are to be followed with Bennett Urethane bushings in the same dimensions, but a wider variety of durometers.

i think i'll be getting some when that happens.

[sniffleless]

I am in the process of setting up a hybrid board with Bennetts up front.
I get over my injuries and get the board set up and it finally rains. So I haven't tried the set up out yet.

So who has tried them out yet? Pro's, con's, observations?

All I know is that they turn DEEP. Lots of riser involved to prevent wheel bite. I like the look of the turn when I'm standing on the carpet. Can't wait to try them out. I've been riding a set on another board so I figure I have an idea what they are going to skate like. This will be the first time I pair them with another truck (Tracker RTS). Hope I get a good evening to try this out soon. I'd love for them to work well as a front slalom truck for me. I'll let everyone know what I think once I get to run cones on them a few times.

[msk]

I rode Richy's board with Bennetts today. Compared to my own TS board (RTX/RTS), Richy's with similar wedging and a longer wheelbase turns tighter. I had to lean deeper with the Trackers, despite a shorter wheelbase, to make the same course.

Best solution for bushings is cut a slice from another bushing to make up the difference. Having a taller bushing allows for a more linear response...

[sniffleless]

I've been using the tops of my black Khiro barrel bushings and filing them down to make bushing risers for my other Bennetts. That has been working well for me. I may take a hack saw to the bottom barrels and split them into halves to use as risers on my next set.

Right now I have my Bennett set up with a B!tch bottom on top and a barrel on bottom. I want to run a few runs like that and then try two barrels to see which I like better.

I'm hoping the Bennett could be a poor man's answer to the need for performance trucks. Can't afford the Radikals or Airflow or Splitfires or G.O.G and the custom offsets aren't any better price wise. So hopefully the Bennett will be a step up from my Trackers.

[SteveC]

Yeah I just cut a ring off the original rubber bushing.
run that baseplate side of a orange or white khiro/stim etc.

now I need one for MY board...

I'd certainly say that a Bennett/rts will out turn a rtx/rts
monk and scribblers 21" boards can make the same courses with Bennett/rts that my 19" rtx/rts makes.

[sniffleless]

I've been reading on the slalomskater forum and some of those guys were talking about stablity problems with over wedging and pumping and turning problems due to the axle being so far forward. Now I did get to take one lap down the parking lot and back at work on friday. The pump felt good to me. I'm running about a 15 degree wedge right now.
(on a side note: how the hell have I ended up with so many 5 degree Khiro wedges? I've only bought two and I currently have like six or more. ??? Although I did use one on this set up and another on my regular board. Rainy days are good for tweaking and changing set ups. Hope I can test those soon.)

[Lobo]

I found out that if you wedge the Bennett more than 15 degrees in the front, it will start to be harder to turn, initially. 20 was not smooth at all. Seems like 15 degrees is the sweet spot.

[Gary in VA]

I've been running a GeezerX modded Bennett on the front of my hybrid deck (21" wheelbase). I tried 20 degrees, 15 degrees and 10 degrees of wedge. 10 was the sweet spot for me. Any more than that and it felt like the wheel wanted to tuck under the deck. I'm running a orange khiro barrel on the bottom and a white Khiro barrell on the top (pic has other bushings). Flat washer on top and a flipped one on the bottom. I've run a measured 5.5' straight course with 20 cones and have been able to run it clean on a 21" wheelbase.

[sniffleless]

I can see what you mean about the wheel wanting to tuck under. I'm gonna give the 15 a few more tries before trying out the 10 again.

[IGSA-1]

My Bennett Hanger is cut down to 95mm and we replaced the stock axle with stainless Oust axle. For bushings I'm using a red Radikal conical on the bottom and a white bitch on the top. The truck is wedged 15 degrees. In the past I was using an RTS in the rear dewedged with a blue Radikal barrel on the bottom and a black Radikal barrel on top. This set up worked really well. Now I've switched out the RTS for a Splitfire with a massively dewedged 35 degree baseplate.

Everyone experienced skater who tries out my board is amazed. Btw I have this set up on an Axe II with either Hot Spots or Zig Zags depending on conditions. Here is a photo of me riding the board in the 100 cone TS at the Oregon State Games. My smile says it all!!!

[pavedwave]

I've been reading on the slalomskater forum and some of those guys were talking about stablity problems with over wedging and pumping and turning problems due to the axle being so far forward. Now I did get to take one lap down the parking lot and back at work on friday. The pump felt good to me. I'm running about a 15 degree wedge right now.

lemme guess.. ss.com.. pauliwog again?? i gotta chat with him at hood river about this!

i agree that any truck can be overwedged, but IMHO think the "sweet spot" on bennetts needs to also take into account the angle of the hill you're running. its not like you'd want to pull off your trucks and re-wedge based on every course, but you might have one bennett front set up for "steep/GS" and another set up for "flat/hybrid".

for me the sweet spot on bennetts -- for long distance pumping -- is between 15--17 degrees. it doesn't really feel overwedged until beyond that. it CAN get squirrelly at speed, wedged that much, but speeds usually top out around 20--25mph.

i rode marcus's axe/bennett combo on the Salem slalom hill, and that was probably around 10 degrees, and it felt perfect, a little more stable given the steepness and speed of the hill (25--30mph). on the other hand if i were wedging a short board with bennett for flat cyber, i'd probably knock it back up to 15+.

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EDIT!!! -- LOL. now that was bizarre timing.... hey marcus!

wild, i had thought your front wedge was closer to 10, not 15. it felt perfect just from a couple short pumps on the hill! that board's dialed. ...so apparently my flatland board must be closer to 20?!