trimmed wheels

[paul brunninkhuis]

i am looking for some more grippy wheels for the back (maybe also front)

situation: 85 kg, homemade deck, 86A front 82A back 3dm avalons, trackers (rts rtx)

i was thinking about zigzags 80A or avalons 80A.

anyone know the difference that trimmed avalons provide concerning grippyness?

thanks in advance!

paul

[Eric Brammer]

Paul, the issue here may Not Be your Wheels, but rather your AXLES. The standard bearings used fit 8mm as the inside diameter, but unfortunately, most skateboard trucks are actually based on US 5/16" roundstock, which has an outside diameter that's just enough smaller to let your wheels "slop" up+down even when the axle nuts are reasonably tight. Having either the current trucks you own (if you like the general way they reespond in turning action) re-fitted with 8MM axles will contribute greatly to an improvement in traction. There are, of course, Expensive Trucks that have had this feature either added or built-in currently available from various truck manufacturers and a few good 'one-off' shops. I encourage you to explore those offerings, even IF you like the steering input you get from your Trackers. Guys like Geezer-X have been modifying trucks to suit for some time now, so there's a whole slew of possibilities, If you've got money and time.

As for wheels, you can improve what you're on, though the stock Avalon has few vices. It's one true 'handicap' is that under high side-loads, the stock lip of the wheel will 'wiggle' and de-form (or as JG describes it, the Sharpei Effect, named after the dog breed that has wrinkly/flexible skin), and this cause lateral skips, often at high-side-load, which equals occassionally unpredicable traction. Trimming those wheels on a belt-sander, or by grinding wheel, does gain one some extra grip. However, really only a few millimeters of width is needed to obtain a better, more predictable grip. Wheels that have been trimmed more than 8mm in width will be less grippy, though more predictable.
Manx had sought to bring a wheel to market that reduced the 'squirm' factor by re-shaping both inner+outer lips of the wheel. They succeded, but with the compounds they chose, only the very soft durometers hold well, the over-80a ones will slide more than you'd expect (for a give durometer). ABEC 11 Grippens had similar issues, but with the softer durometers. They'd flex laterally a tad too much (though the lip was doing fine, the 'squirm' was happening above the tread area), but as a harder-durometer wheel (IE, front usage), they're very good indeed. Grippens will work well if you add 3-4 points of durometer to your normal hardnesses, but beware of going too hard at the rear. Seismic/3DM offers a 'pre-trimmed' wheel, the Hotspot, which took all the good stuff of the Avalon, and tried a re-shaping that would need no extra trim taken off. I've run them, and they're nice enough, but seem to feel slower, even if they're more predictable. ABEC 11's Reflex Formula ZigZags are faster, no doubt. It turns out that they're a bit grippier, and quite predictable, and fast enough that 66mm will stay right alongside a 70mm Flashback in pure speed (Schwippert proved that to me last year). I'd say unbiasedly that right now, the ZigZags are the best all-around wheel in slalom, as they got the shaping, sizing, and roll-fast formula that's versatile enough to put a racer in contention on most any hill, though slightly trimmed Avalons or a Hard Grippen front/Soft Manx rear might just edge those out in certain venues.

No matter, though, as the truck axle-to-bearing fit is your actual issue. Fix that first, then go wheel shopping.

[YOYO SHULTZ]

Paul, let's talk when we meet in Am'dam.
Maybe Skip can solve our 8mm axle issue.......you know that he has a lathe in his basement. He cut down some street truck for Freestyle and I will bring them with me to test (not for Slalom though).
He's calling his machine an 'adult toy'.........

[paul brunninkhuis]

haha thanks yoyo!

and eric, thanks a lot for your in depth answer!!
unfortunately my financial resources do not allow me to get any lavish stuff.. yet!

[Eric Brammer]

Then get some 80A Zig Zags for now. Get the 8mm axle after trying out a few trucks, get the truck that 'rides right'.

[paul brunninkhuis]

Then get some 80A Zig Zags for now. Get the 8mm axle after trying out a few trucks, get the truck that 'rides right'.

thanks again for your advice!