wanted: 85 mm tracker trucks

Slalom Skateboarding Equipment
Post Reply
Erin Riffel
Erin
Erin
Posts: 108
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2004 8:48 pm
Location: Vancouver, Canada

wanted: 85 mm tracker trucks

Post by Erin Riffel » Fri Mar 05, 2004 4:08 am

Looking to buy some 85 mm Tracker trucks for a wee banana board that a friend is making for me. Also would be interested in some 64 mm Cherry Bomb wheels if you happen to have some you would like to sell.
thanks

Glenn S
Posts: 522
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2002 2:00 am

Post by Glenn S » Fri Mar 05, 2004 4:23 am

Erin,
You should be able to get some of the newer 88mm Tracker "Mid-Tracks" from someone lying around in their unused skateboard parts box I'd think. Or you could easily get one from one of the online slalom skateboarding gear dealers that stock Tracker trucks.

I currently have one mounted on one of my tight slalom setups as a front truck wedged fairly extreme and with shaped down o.d. Stimulator bushings and I really like it. Great truck!

If you don't find a set from another private party I have one that is new/unused that I could sell you. But I'd want about what it would cost new. But I only have one, not a pair.

Brady Mitchell
Posts: 180
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2002 2:00 am
Location: Hollywood Hills, Florida

Post by Brady Mitchell » Fri Mar 05, 2004 1:47 pm

From solidskate.com....

Tracker Midtracks $30.00 / pair

Riser pads required. Drilled for both new and old school bolt pattern.
86mm Midtrack on B-2 baseplate.
Got ants?

Glenn S
Posts: 522
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2002 2:00 am

Post by Glenn S » Fri Mar 05, 2004 6:32 pm

Erin,
That is a good deal ($30) on a set of the MidTracks on the B2 baseplate which is what I have.

I've also seen some MidTrack hangers on the RTS baseplate, but they must have lengthened the pivot from the hanger they used with the B2 base. Anyone know about the difference between these MidTracks?

My MidTrack hanger will not fit properly on the RTS base (not even close), it will only fit on the B2 base.

So I think there must be two versions of the newer MidTrack, or the one that fits the RTS base is probably the newest. I think you'll like either.

Nick Krest
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2003 1:00 am
Location: Bombora's, California

Post by Nick Krest » Fri Mar 05, 2004 7:16 pm

Tracker has a display board at their factory showing all their slalom trucks, which includes the FulTrack S and the MidTrack S - both on RT-S baseplates, with polished hangers.

The 85mm Polished MidTrack S (part number TK-RT-SMID) lists for US$20.00 each.
The 106mm Polished FulTrack S (part number TK-RT-SFUL) also lists for US$20.00 each.

Any Tracker dealer can order these trucks. http://www.trackertrucks.com/

Nick Krest
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2003 1:00 am
Location: Bombora's, California

Post by Nick Krest » Sun Mar 07, 2004 6:53 pm

Also on the Tracker price list are two other varieties of MidTracks, one raw, and one polished:

Part # MT-750 is the 85mm Raw MidTrack w/stock cushions only, which lists for US$15.00 each.
Part # MT-750/TT is the 85mm Polished MidTrack which lists for US$20.00 each.

Pictured below is the Raw finish, which is available at Longskate.com.
Image
picture by longskate.com

Glenn S
Posts: 522
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2002 2:00 am

Post by Glenn S » Sun Mar 07, 2004 7:15 pm

Nick that is the MidTrack that I have with the B2 base. But I tried putting the hanger to an RTS base and it was way off. But I've seen Richy Carrasco using an unpolished MidTrack hanger on an RTS base on his TS setup. So I could only imagine that the hanger had to be made a bit different (pivot made longer) to fit the RTS base. Have you ever seen a MidTrack with an RTS base or actually compared the two side by side?

Also you can see in the picture you posted above that the kingpin is short. if your going to put almost any other bushing in there, especially trimmed Stimulators you'll need a longer kingpin. 2 1/4" grade 8 works great.

Here is a picture of the MidTrack I'm using with some trimmed/shaped Stimulator bushings, and in this picture below I've got a 2 1/2" kingpin (with a very loose nut) that has since been replaced by a 2 1/4" that is perfect for Stimulators:
Image

Wes Eastridge
WesE
WesE
Posts: 566
Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2002 2:00 am
Location: northern Virginia, suburb of DC, USA

Post by Wes Eastridge » Sun Mar 07, 2004 8:23 pm

At the Mountain State Slalom Skate 03, one of the prizes was a pair of shiny Midtrack hangers on RTS baseplates.

I wish Tracker would just go ahead and make the true RTS hanger available in an 85mm width. Same with the RTX. They’re a truck company - They should offer some trucks, dammit!

Wesley Tucker
1961-2013 (RIP)
1961-2013 (RIP)
Posts: 3279
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2002 2:00 am

Post by Wesley Tucker » Sun Mar 07, 2004 8:49 pm

Wes,

Don't "wish," but DO!

Contact Buddy and ask him how much it would cost to do a run of 100 or 200 hangars (50 to 100 sets.) Buy them from him wholesale. You're probably looking at somewhere between $1750 and $2000 cash.

Then post on this and other internet locations that you have so many 85mm Midtrak hangars available. Put a good markup on them to cover your inconvenience, risk and the rare nature of the product. Probably 50% would be more than reasonable. Maybe even contract with Geezer to do his conversion and put even more markup on the sale.

Then set back and wait for the orders to come in. There's no reason not to net at least $1000 on the deal less what product you keep for yourself

Oh, but don't forget: there's probably a reason Tracker hasn't made this decision and you might find out the hard way why a truck like you want isn't available. Also, why would I offer this advice and not follow it myself? Two reasons: I have all the MidTraks I need and secondly, I don't have two grand.

Nick Krest
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2003 1:00 am
Location: Bombora's, California

Post by Nick Krest » Sun Mar 07, 2004 10:50 pm

Looking at my price list, I see 26 distinct trucks that Tracker offers. That doesn't include finish differences. In contrast, Indy offers 6. Seismic offers 8. Radikal offers 2. PVD offers 1 (well, 0 really, as they're NLA).

WesVirginia, send some 106 RaceTracks over to MMW and have him saw 10mm off each end and replace the axle. That'll be faster and cheaper than any other solution.

Wes Eastridge
WesE
WesE
Posts: 566
Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2002 2:00 am
Location: northern Virginia, suburb of DC, USA

Post by Wes Eastridge » Mon Mar 08, 2004 2:43 am

Yeah, I know I can do either of those things (well, not WesT’s solution, as I need that $2000 to go towards a replacement vehicle that I will need two months before yesterday). My primary statement is that, instead of going to the trouble of retrofitting Midtrack hangers to RTS baseplates (if what Glen says is true), why Tracker not just offer the better truck (RTS hanger) in midtrack-width.

Glenn S
Posts: 522
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2002 2:00 am

Post by Glenn S » Mon Mar 08, 2004 3:33 am

I dont feel that there is anything wrong with the MidTrack on the B2 base I've got that is pictured. Nothing at all. I like it very much. With the bit of tweaking I've done (different bushings, and taller kingpin, and a dab of silicone grease in the pivot cup) it is great at a front truck. With the stock, hard as rock, bushings that the truck comes with and the stock kingpin that is too short it was not good.

I say don't hesitate to get this truck with the B2 base if your willing to tweak it a bit to perform better. Try it you might like it. And I do think it is great that Tracker at least trys different things compared to a company like Indy. But I like my Indy 101s too. It's all good.

But if anyone has one of these shiny MidTrack hangers that comes in an RTS base I'd sure like to know how much different they are than the one that I have.

Wes Eastridge
WesE
WesE
Posts: 566
Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2002 2:00 am
Location: northern Virginia, suburb of DC, USA

Post by Wes Eastridge » Mon Mar 08, 2004 4:48 am

Not once did I ever say anything was wrong with Midtracks.

I say don’t hesitate to get RTSs if you see them with 85mm hangers. You might not see them this way, so just get whatever is available that accommodates what you want to do with them.

Glenn S
Posts: 522
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2002 2:00 am

Post by Glenn S » Mon Mar 08, 2004 5:16 am

Wes sorry I was not saying that "you" said they were bad. Just because I posted after you does not mean I am directing my post at you. I'm just posting my feeling about the truck I've got and voicing my opinion to this thread as a whole.

But I do get the feeling from posts at another forum that I read a year or so ago that some did not like that B2 Base for some reason when they talked about modern FullTracks and MidTracks. And I get the feeling that if online dealers had the shiny RTS MidTrack version for sale with pictures on sites and in stock that they'd probably get more sales while buyers would not look twice at a B2 version, just a gut feeling. Maybe it is not the B2 but the dull finish that turns people off? I mean look at the longskate picture, it is not the most appealing truck for sure. And for all I know maybe the RTS version is actually a better performing truck. I'd like to know if there is a difference between the two.

Eric Wallgren
Geezer-X
Geezer-X
Posts: 67
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2003 1:00 am

Post by Eric Wallgren » Mon Mar 08, 2004 5:41 pm

Fully a third of the 50 trucks or so in the shop for axles right now are being narrowed to 100, 90, 85, or 80 mm. I think the gnarly pivot mid on an RTS 'plate is great, you just need to make a special pivot cup from Delrin.

I have a pair of MMW SuperTeam prototypes which replace the stock Tracker pivot with a balljoint. You can set the geometry to essentially any hanger on any baseplate. They won't be cheap, but the work amazingly well...

Post Reply