Silent Slides: The Secret to Deep-Sixing the Screech

[animal chin]

Brian has totally silent balls...He knows what he is doing when it comes to the spacing. The best way I can describe the squeel is relating it to a bicycle brake. If they hit at the wrong angle, they squeel. but if they are tuned right they are silent. The wheel will tilt off axis enough to put most of the load on the edge, causing the squeel, and coning. If it is spaced just right, and slides with an even load across the contact patch you will have no squeel, and no cone. If your wheels have drag with a spacer cranked down, try an extra speed washer between the bearing, and spacer. You should be able to crank it all the way down, and spin freely. Try it, your deck will feel and sound like it's all one piece of gnarly danger.

[doctor worm]

no squeel doesnt eliminate coning, but it cuts down on coning and flatspots big time. it makes a world of difference, especially for standers.

[solarvibe]

sorry, a little off subject, but do you find that the softness of the superballs makes them wear a lot faster?

I've got a set of 80a prototypes that earthwing sent me and i havnt wanted to slide them too much cause i love the wheels and havnt wanted to wear them down too fast.

anyway, what are your thoughts sofa.

Hi, I'm not Sofa, but I'll field this one. The Earthwing 62mm Slide A formula wheels are not soft at all. They use a very smooth wearing urethane, which you might say has a "soft" feel... and they definitely don't wear faster. I've been using the same set of wheels for a year. Same set I used at Slidefest 06 and Powerslide Jam NYC.

Those 80a protos were meant to be street cruiser wheels, not slide wheels.

Personally, I LOVE silent slide wheels. Yeah, it's all about the skating, I know, but when I hear a silent slide, I know that the rider has fine-tuned his or her setup. I think on a subconscious level it adds style points, in my mind anyway. Your mileage may vary.

Hope this helps.

[bpz]

Most of what was posted before is correct. If you crank down on your nuts and your wheels aren't spinning FAIRLY freely, I'm going to guess that either:
a) You're not running precision STEEL spacers or Biltins
b) Your hangers are not faced
These two I think are the most important factors when trying to quiet down and smooth up slide wheels. The Superballs are all that I'll slide on now, and that was before I'd even met Brian or Mike.

The Earthwing Superballs are indeed very hard, despite the fact that mine are nearly silent. A lot of people just assume that they're soft, or something like that.

OH YEAH, the core of the Superballs definitely helps keep everything super true and aligned, I think it helps a lot.

[Daniel M.]

OH YEAH, the core of the Superballs definitely helps keep everything super true and aligned, I think it helps a lot.

the superballs core is a beast to get bearings into without a press, which i assume is a good thing. they slide nice and quiet, with mhm free bearings and his precision spacers.

[bpz]

I've never had a problem using an extra truck hanger or my trucks attached to a deck to get bearings into 'em... much easier than most other hard wheels, actually.

[dssoccer127]

hey can someone post a video or link where there is someone w/ silent slides

[Mile_High_Mark]

Bearing press + steel spacers (or Biltins) + faced hangers = vewwy qwiet

[Brian Holden]

hey can someone post a video or link where there is someone w/ silent slides

Its hard to tell by video, its trully something you have to hear to believe.

[AJ]

You just need to find a facing bit that you can attach to a drill...

Where gjya buy yurr facing bit in Onterrible?

[JBH]

the superballs core is a beast to get bearings into without a press, which i assume is a good thing. they slide nice and quiet, with mhm free bearings and his precision spacers.

Smear a drop of lube in the wheel core or on the outside of the bearing. It'll pop in much easier.

[mcgoon]

Where gjya buy yurr facing bit in Onterrible?

I answered your question in the Ontario forum bro...Take care man!!

[bpz]

Its hard to tell by video, its trully something you have to hear to believe.

Exactly.

On one hand, sometimes I wish I had a little bit of a screech... When I drop in from the top of a hill at jams or contests, I feel like my first few slides go unnoticed as nobody in the crowd can hear me coming.

[doctor worm]

silent slides make you look like you have soo much control. like they make you seem all layed back and chillin while youre ripping slides.

[Adam Gough]

I accept this probably works, But the physics in my head still can get around this. When i slide with my unmodified slide setup with 97a hard wheels, there is a screech. Is this not because of the friction between the wheel and the road. If not what is actually making the loud noise...

[jmasta]

i love the loud screech.... i don't see why you'd want to get rid of it

i like how everyone looks to see what made that crazy sound

[1009photo]

only problem with biltins is they get dirty uber fast, you end up going through a lot of rubbing alcohol

[bpz]

Not when you give 'em seals rather than the shields they ship with... (:

[AJ]

Sofa, does any seal pop into them readily?

[bpz]

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