The Ace hards are 94a top and bottom. I love them, they are the hardness that I wish normal stock bushings would be. They still turn well and always come back to center for me (unlike Thunder or Independent stock - get stuck on one side or other). Worth checking out Ace hard low bushings.
I used to try stuff like this. Reusing my old bushings and whatnot. You're honestly better off just putting in all new bushings from the brand of truck you ride. I ride independents so i get the medium bushings and start fresh when i need to. I also replace the pivot cups here and there. I know breaking them in sucks but its completely worth it. Just skate transition for a couple hours and they'll be ready to go and feel amazing and last so much longer.
They’re made from the same stuff that’s in the bushings our vehicles use so they keep their hardness when the weather changes. Also the only bushings I’ve found with an even 95a duro instead of 94a or 96a.
I've only skated Aces for years now and I've noticed that sometimes Ace bushings take a good 3 sessions to break in. They might be super soft at first and then firm up or the other way around. I don't understand the science of it but I've come to accept that that's just the way it is. Ace Classics and AF1s have slightly different bushings but both white and both come with mediums stock. They have a different duro for top and bottom. Top is always cone shaped and bottom barrel. I'm thinking you probably have Ace Classics tops on bottom if the shop had a bunch of them laying around from people who've switched to some other bushings straight away. Could be AF1s tops also though. Maybe test both when your Ace bushings need replacing and see which ones work best.
I use Bones hard bottom bushing on the bottom and stock top Thunder bushing on top. I use the top Thunder washer on the bottom of the truck and the Bones washer on top. Fits perfect 👌
Hard bones bushings(used properly like the instructions say on the bushings) with thunder trucks is the only thing that works for me, but I skate freestyle flat. I have a pair of ace, with ace hard bushings, and it's nice to cruise on, but I think they're still too soft. They absorb my shock when I pop more. The soft and hard ace bushings both cruise nicely though I can't even ride tensor trucks, they bushings pop through the trucks and get stuck in weird positions. I really like the look of their trucks so I've bought a couple pairs and every single one had the same problem and didn't even last a day.
Years back the rim on the bones bushings lasted for a way longer time, I feel like they got cheap on the process or materials they use and are not the same anymore. The newer bones rims crack so easily now its extremely annoying bc they're great bushings until the rim or core breaks through.
Sizing wise, bones bushings should fit correctly in thunders if you keep the original bottom washer. Then it all depends on finding the hardness you like. The height of the bottom bushing is important to maintain the designed geometry - if it’s a different height, you’re more likely to have the hanger at an angle that is putting uneven pressure on the bushings, which leads to quicker blow outs. Indy’s/ventures would require removing the bottom washer with bones. What I found I like is to keep the stock bottom bushing and just replace the top bushing with bones and the flat washer on all my trucks, but I like keeping with venture/Indy’s barrel bottoms for a more solid center. Flat washers on top are key for a deeper turn and not slicing the bushings like what happened in your video! But then again, who the hell am I trying to tell Tom Asta how to ride his trucks!?
bushing madness is real , I bought both the bones mediums and hard and ended up just going back to the doh doh orange mediums they go perfect with ventures and feel great when they break in .
I used to do also change out my thunder bushing with bones. But I recently decided to give royals a chance and so far I haven't had to do anything with them. They feel pretty good. They don't grid as good as thunders. But they feel like a really good inbetween Venture and thunder. I like them a lot!
I use aftermarket conical medium hard independent bushings, theyre blue. Apparently, theyre the same material as bones bushings but they are way more durable. I noticed the bones bushings have quite a short life span
This is what I am using as well but my top washer does dig in to the top bushing. Been thinking about replacing the top washer with a flat washer or something.
I just got a set of the Thunder Titaniums and the break in process has been a pain. They stick so much to one side and will be super loose then 30 minutes later really tight. Im very glad to hear that even a pro is struggling to find a proper set up
I ride a crazy combination. I also skate a weird mix. What i learned over all the years of trying different bushings is that the most important thing is that the hanger of the truck is leveled out correctly and that the pivot fits well in the baseplate. You can check that if you look at your truck from the side if it's leveld out even. What works good if your bushings are too low is to put a few washers under the bottom bushing. Works best with the little bones washers
I find Bones Medium/Hard (although clunky at the start) only take a day to break in, they'll feel soft after that for cruising but you'll never get wheel bite on some silly hard turn or whatever. Although my truck sometimes feels "stuck" in a FS/BS direction, so you need to give it an umph every now and again
Switched to Ventures recently and liked the clear purple stock bushings, but they eventually blew out. After seeing recommendations online, I put the hardest Mini Logo bushings in and they feel pretty good. Just barely tighten them and you've got a really stable board you can still turn.
Yea Tom 🔥🙌🏻, when I skated thunder highs I used to have the yellow medium bones bushings. No washers. But agreed to the life expectancy of the bushings especially Canadians weather they’re great
Ace Highs have that yellowish off-white tint, so I believe they probably were Ace bushings. I have yet to try Ace bushings stock, but I have a pair of trucks yet to use. Currently I have Bones hards in Ace lows, and they're perfect, but the Ace Highs might just be fine, can't wait to see. I'll also get rid of my shock n riser with the Ace Highs because I've been liking that height combo
Finally!! I always like those ace highs!! And swore that they changed the bushings from the classic to af1. But that explains it, they did have the yellow tint so must have been the highs
Been running Independent Super Soft bushings in my Aces for like 5+ years at this point, but the stock Ace bushings are super nice and an easy second choice for me personally.
I've always liked Independent bushings. I'll either go with the stock ones which are medium, or the hard ones. I usually skate independent trucks anyway, but I've tried the bushings in a few other trucks and they seem to work a lot better than the stock ones from those. They last a long time too.
I use bones hards on my tensors and im 250lbs. I go thru them atleast one set every other month. Had washers seperate from the bushing and even had similar to like your experience with the bottom and the threads rubbing against. I do wish they lasted longer for sure.
I rock Maurio's twin tail 8.25 with Thunder hollows + Bones hard black bushings, but they are barely tightened. No threads showing. I'm 6'1", 195lbs. The rebound is amazing and the trucks don't feel tight. A lighter rider might think they were tight trucks but who knows. I agree that the slim top washer from Bones is clean.
yesss thanks for the info and thanks for supporting my dog maurio ! im only like 135 so ive tried medium bones and they even felt too tight thats why i go with the softs! weight def plays a big role in the bushing game ! im feelin that washer though i agree! THANKS for watching man
thunder clears in indy trucks. Conical bottom give me a looser feel while riding medium tight. No speed wobble, almost no wheel bite. They do take a few sessions to break in but will chip away before they get soggy.
I have Ace AF 1 hollow. I did try their hard bushings ( I think the top and bottom are both 94a) just to see what they were like and it was like riding a totally different truck. It must be the two different hardness’s in the stock/medium bushings (I think the top bushing is 92a and the bottom is 86a) that make Ace trucks unique. I kinda wanna try them on Krux K5 inverted kingpins.
I always used stock venture feather lights back in the day. Now I use the Indy mid stock bushings. Once I’m skating more maybe I’ll mess around with bushings. That kick flip front crook was sick Tom! First T all dayyyyyyyy
haha the ace bushings looked insane!! so huge. im sure you looked...but they do have Ace Low Hard bushings. i also run into bushing problems. wouldnt mind a couple more videos on bushings.
I like skating mix and match bushings. I really like a hard and soft bushing in each truck. If you go hard for the bottom bushing and soft for the top it gives you responsive trucks with faster rebound. Right now I have bones medium for the bottom bushing and Indy soft for the top and I skate the 159 Indy mids.
I have a set of ace trucks. Just the standard set. But my top bushing blew out on them and now im running bones soft for the top and ace for the top. Ace makes good bottom bushing but terrible top. Running the same bushing set up as you. And I’ll tell you everyone who steps on my board says my trucks feel so smooth.
for thunders trucks usually i use the thunder stock clear bushing on top bottom the bones hard bushings black ones feels solid turn when needed it to and just get right back
I ride ace trucks with a regular hard bottom bushing (board side bushing) and a low hard top bushing (roadside bushing) I also use the flat washer on the road side bushing but keep the bottom stock so it won’t brake the pivot cup and since I have a short bushing I just grind down the kingpin for more clearance
The bottom bushing seems to be where most of the bushing force and rebound comes from, while the top is to help stabilize. I use Indy hard (black) on bottom, and med (orange) on top and they work great for me on Indys. Super responsive rebound, avoids wheelbite except for extreme scenarios, but the top medium still allows for super fast response. I love seeing how people fuck with their trucks so much it's great.
I like Bones hard bushings on most trucks. I sometimes use the original washer under the bottom bushing when the Bones is lower than the original bushing with its washer. When my Bones bushings wore out, I replace the flat washers on top bushings by cupped ones. I just got some Thunder 151 trucks and want to replace the stock bushings with harder ones. They say the original 90DU are medium but the 90DU are the softest bushings at Thunder. I'll try them with Bones hard bushings. But I'll look for Thunder hard or medium hard bushings.
I tryed the bones hard bushings and ended up using them now over 2 years. I like to use the stock metall ring on top, that comes with trucks on top bushings, but i have nothing under my lower bushing. I ride with venture low trucks and have no problems!
I use ace hardware bushings. The stock ones were way to loose even when I tightened them. Switched to hard bushings and now the trucks feel perfect for my liking.
Thunder hollows always and replace the stock bushings with the 94 or 95 Du thunder bushings. Break in process usually takes me about 2 days before they stiffen up.
my elite setup is front truck has no top bushing and an ace bottom bushing with washers hanging and rattling loose on the top. The back truck either has a top bushing with the washer flipped sonit doesnt dig into it or just washers tightened down medium to tight. Also i run a tensor magnesium mid baseplate with ace or indy hangers.
speaking of nollie shove crooks, Jack Olson did a gnarly one a big hubba in his part that came out last week. Tom can totally get that with a nollie heel out I'd love to see it
@@JM-ie5bp not true, my stage 4 Indy’s I had to swap out those red bushings. I still have a superb turn without it being so twitchy like an ace truck. The harder bushings are for more control VS sneezing and your trucks turn on you instantly. They are more precise for flat ground in my opinion.
@@cbass757 Hmm. Different preference I guess. Even with the mediums I have to have the bolt on as loose as possible without falling off or those are even too tight. I just like to be able to swerve I guess.
I have a bag of bushings and homemade wax, I regularly swap combinations out in search of "the one" setup 😆 gonna have to find and try some of those top washers
I skate the white 98a shorty’s doh dohs. I put a factory bushing on top in the front truck though. Loosens the front truck up enough for more pinch on crooked grinds.
Ace classics have a harder than normal top bushing (94a I think. Thunder whites are like 90a). You're using it as your bottom (the low height probably works for thunders which are lower) and the hard durometer mixed with the conical shape should feel stable in the middle with deep, responsive carves once you start to lean. That's just my explanation of your current set up
of course i tried out different shit as a kid but my entire life (35) ive ridden nothing but indys with the standard orange bushing and i love absolutely everything about them
I've tried almost every kind of bushings on Thunders... from Indy standards to the "higher end" of the bushing market like Riptide... and Thunders are hard to find bushings that fit up top.
If you use a razor blade, those little metal disk pop off the bones and I think u put the original shield washer on top, that’s why it fit your truck better before.
I have so many problems similar to this. My treflips are the test trick, and if my treflip doesnt work, then the trucks are off. I finally get to a setup I like, and something breaks, and shit just gets discombobulated.
I use the extra hard independent bushings. I dont like any threads exposed either and i have to really try to get wheel bite for any contact with the board which is how i prefer it... i will never understand Daewons set up, and dont think i ever will. To each his own .. 👊
i have a pair of thunders and indies and the bottom indie bushing is smaller than the stock thunder bushing(bones bottom is the same height as the thunder without the washer) so it will make your truck angle in a bit and will make the bushings crack faster. and the the top bushing is too tall for thunder. you can get it to fit but the truck wont work right
I always skate the Thunder Medium bushings and find that they are perfect. The stock ones are a bit too soft and break quickly for me. That goes for Indy, as well, but I only skate Thunder these days.
yes bushing are really a problem for me too, i tried hard indy ,medium etc but i like them tight and i don't know how to do sometimes, with hard ones the board is always on one side or another strange .. i just bought venture to see ,hope it will work great !
This video is kinda old so idk if you’ll see this. I bought a set of Thunder Hollow Lights in black with black bushings and they’re stiff. Even for me as someone who always skated right trucks and how heavy I am. I also have a set of Thunder Lights with translucent bushings and they’re way too soft. So I bought Thunder 97A’s and they’re more my taste. Not as hard as the black bushings, but they’re hard enough. So my suggestion is get the Thunder bushings in a solid color, which I’d think is 93A and up. Then rock the stock top bushings because it’s probably translucent and softer. My thoughts are stable but turns.
Maybe try and get the soft, med and hard from Doh-Doh and try out different combinations. I have the hard Doh-Dohs on the bottom and soft/mediums on top. I tried a few different combinations before I got to my setup sorted, but now it’s way easier to switch them knowing exactly which ones I like👍🏼
Ace trucks are known for being super loose. I ride the AF-1 cause I love how they grind...but I swapped in the ACE hard bushings to make it more manageable.
i think u'd benefit from a conical bushing since u were riding a top bushing underneath 😏 i also think you're fighting w/ the way Thunders ride since their dimensions are unique (i think) i'd suggest the Indy 92a Conical cuz they're harder than regular mediums, but the shape makes them respond quicker like a softer bushing. The harder ring on Bones bushings acts like a washer. Add a real washer on top and they're gonna get cut up rly bad, that's why i took the top washers off my setup. Best decision i ever made, but idk how that would affect your Smiths & Crooks. I haven't had any trouble w/ the bushing being more exposed at all. 💙
Only 135 lbs and prefer the Indy medium hard bushings on their Forged Hollows for the same reason. Tighten the nut til it's flush with the kingpin, and we're good!
@Tom Asta I've been messing with my bushings now for years and I completely understand all your pros / cons with the brands you mention. Personally I've landed on the non-stock Thunder bushings now and I love it. They sell separately 94a (light blue) 95a (dark blue) 97a (dark red) and 100a (black). The stock 90a bushings feel terribly loose on day one I agree, but in comparison the 94a hardness and above feel wayy better. If you equip the hard bushings and they feel too hard simply take curb wax and apply it to the edges that touch metal. It makes the bushings feel a couple hardness lower and never squeak also.
I love Thunder trucks and the stock bushings, but the bushings on the pair I'm riding wore out. So I picked up the bones mediums and I rock them without washers. So far they feel really good.
Ive been using double Bones Mediums for years with 7 threads in with Tensor base-plate, and i try to get hollows for my hangers its just preference, currently using hollow kingpin and regular hanger. But I use Bones Mediums, on top and bottom, and i am currently switching to tops soft and bottoms medium.
I think you should try the indy 90a conical bushings and pivot cups. Or the indy conical from 88a to 94a! The break in time with indy bushings is very short too.
I ride Indys and right now have the original bushings on them but i really prefer Shorty's Doh Doh mediums. I mistakenly bought the hard ones and the kingpin nut had to be Barely on there so the lock part of the nut was just grabbing the threads (super scary!) I thought my axles were going to fall off any second!
I usually skate stock thunder bushings but if I skate hills I put a thunder hard or super hard bushing on the bottom or top depending on how steep the hill is. But if it’s SF, then I’ll put both hard bushings in because of the speed wobbles.
I use Thunders with Indy conical hard bushings. Its been the best setup for me so far. I just dont like the shape of Bones bushings. Feel like they make balancing mannies harder because they're narrower. Could be all in my head tho lol
For me I have bones hard on bottom and bones soft on top for the Thunder titanium 147s but you like your board way looser than mine; but I get that crisp hard consistent pop but a deep pinch at the same time so thanks for the idea of using mismatch bushings
Ace bushings start off loose but get tighter over the course of a couple days-a couple weeks, I personally ride trucks so loose they jiggle, maybe try the conical Indy bushings or try to keep using the ace bushings. Also the top ace bushings changed from the classic aces to the af1 aces
Ace stock bushing is softer than the top one. It's 80a They also make hard bushing that both bushing are 94a. They do make a bushing for the low trucks. The Thunder lower bushing with the Bones top bushing is decent. Skate the clear ones. The white thunder bushing is too loose
@@tomasta appreciate you getting back, I know as a skateshop owner that the bones bushings has a weight class for each class. Much love my dude you rip!
Indy after market hard bushings work best for me. Either the black or the yellows. Work great on indies obviously, but ive also used them on ventures with success. Im a medium tight truck kinda guy though.
Ventures get a lot of hate and boy do I regret not trying them sooner. Every truck turns some better than others but playing around with bushings helps a lot. Thing I like about ventures is how damn stable they are.
@@DOODOOBUTT_, yeah facts. Im a taller guy, so im heavier than your average skater to begin with, so ventures lack of turning, and how stable they are, are actually huge pluses to me haha.
