speedboarding
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The Ride. We had a lot of feedback on these trucks, from many riders and contributors to the Consortium often devising “reasons” why they might have another few days on these trucks. The slogan is, “Holey Trucks, they turn!” and it’s totally legit. These are very turny trucks and they easily carve inside the similarly-wide RII-180’s. However, they’re still as stable (some say more stable) as an RII we’ve ever ridden. We attribute this to the hourglass-design of the lower bushing, which provides instantatnous response with a rapidly-rising spring rate to impart stability deep in the carve.
We had particular fun with these trucks in the parking-garage races that have become a staple for many of our riders. Our crew mounted the Holeys on pintails, speedboards, carving decks and even a sliding deck or two. After garage sessions with Consortium memvers, the comment we heard most often was, “Where can I get these?” Just an instant desire to obtain a pair, after riding them. Pressed for more detail, our riders feel the Holey trucks give a ride that’s distinct from any Randal: they’re light and crisp, more agile and responsive. We found them to be excellent for pumping, and great for the tight-turns and carves necessary for cross-campus transport at our favorite universities. IF we found a limitation to these trucks, it’s exactly what you’d expect from a turny-truck with these angles: it’s not a speed truck on par with the Randal DH or other truck in this comparison review.
We’ve tried different bushings in the setup and discovered a few things. First, the hourglass bushing is taller than any aftermarket bushing, so it’s necessary to shim-up the lower bushing if another is chosen. Second, the hourglass design is certainly a big factor in the feel these trucks provide. Third, the upper bushing washer contacts the hanger during deep carves or turns when left in the stock configuration. This will lightly scar the hanger, but it also causes a stiffening of the truck as the torsion force transfers from the urethane to metal-on-metal. From a safety standpoint, we don’t like this one bit, as it means a great deal of stress is transferred directly to the kingpin. We don’t like it from a riding feel perspective either, and the simple fix works wonderfully: flip the top washer so it’s cupped outwardly and away from the hanger. There’s no more contact and the trucks ride even more plushly. It’s noticeable to anyone and we highly recommend this simple trick. One rider commented, “ with the “cup” flipped, they’re way more agile than an RII-150! I like the turn on them and rail pressure is very reliable with weight transfer. It’s sublime at higher speed.” Finally, in regard to bushings, we simply love the oem lower bushing and have found none better for this truck.
Wrapping up the Holey Trucks. These very-nicely designed trucks are certainly not just a “knock-off” of the Randal. With lightening, a fresh approach to kingpin geometry and a fabulous lower bushing these are high quality, high performance trucks. The Brits get them for a great price and we think they’re worth the premium necessary to get them in North America. Those lucky enough to get their hands on a pair are lucky, indeed.
CRAIL SPEEDTRUCKS: The Brazilian's gift to speedboarders.
Crail is not a new company to American skaters: they’ve got a good reputation among pool, park and kickflipper skaters. When the design and implementation of Crail’s SpeedTruck came to North America, many were excited to see whether the Brazilians’ mix of strength and lightweight truck designs would apply well to longboards. They had been seen on underneath several South American riders, but it was when the crew at Motion Longboards picked the Crail SpeedTruck as their primary OEM truck that excitement really picked up.
Construction. The Crails have gravity-cast, 180mm wide, symmetrical hangers that are provided either “raw” or with either translucent powdercoat or crinkle finishes. They are clean and straight, with reasonably flat ends on the hanger. The baseplates are injection-molded, super-light, oversized units with both New-and Old-school drilling patterns we found to be accurate. The Crails use a standard, 0.370” diameter kingpin, set at 45-degrees. Theirs is button-topped and just long enough for the stock, 88a Moog bushings. We found it was simple to swap in any Grade 8 bolt. The lower Moog bushing is a barrel-shape with a radiused edge on one side to match the bushing seat on the hanger and that rests in a thickly cupped base washer. The upper bushing is a typical, 0.50” conical, with a cupped washer to retain it. The pivot and cup are straight & tight and the baseplate holes are spot-on. The baseplates are almost ¼” longer than a typical truck, and will overhang standard riser pads. We had no QC issues at all.
Appearance: The Crails are particularly distinctive when supplied in the translucent powercoated versions, which gleam and reflect like a candy coating. The baseplates are smooth and swoopy, although one Consortium skater complained that the extended length didn’t look good with the way it leaves the edge of the baseplate hanging over the Khiro riser we use on our setups. The hangers look beefy and strong. The visible logo on the baseplate stands out and the luster of the deep blue trucks look unlike anything else we’ve seen on a longboard.
The Ride. Recognizing that the design and intent for these trucks is racing and not carving, we nevertheless found our team of Consortium rides split in their reviews of the Crails. Our cruisers, campus commuters and lighter riders found them to be stiff and hard to maneuver, just as one might expect from a 45-degree truck with firm bushings, Our garage-bombing and speedboarding crew came back with some grins. Aggressive riders in the now-fabled Banana Bay facility managed to find the rail and put lots of energy into the truck to achieve turns. One rider commented “the trucks held firm at speed and went into corners solid. No fear, just a tight line on exiting. Slashing out lines of carve felt smooth and solid.” Lighter riders required tuning, and we tried a couple of things. First, we removed the base washer under the lower bushing. This provided most riders with enough compliance to navigate the parking garages at speed, and gave our speedboarders a little more carveability. Second, we went into the Forums on Silverfish and found several different recommended setups by Crail enthusiasts. These are very tuneable trucks.
As a speed truck, we found the Crails to be excellent. Although bearing more aggressive geometry than the Randal DH, the increased precision in the pivot cup and the firm, barrel bushings provide a comparably stable feel at speed, but with greater maneuverability on the streets. Our favorite setup for most riders required us to substitute a 3” G8 kingpin, in order to run green Stimulator lower bushings with Bones Hardcore “medium” tall top bushings. This is quite stable at speed, but enables a firmly leveraged board to turn very effectively.
We mounted the Crails on pintails, a speedboard and the exciting Slow Motion “Mullet” deck. We found them to be versatile and in some surprising ways: the aggressively-cambered Mullet’s short wheelbase might not seem to match the intent of the Brazilian truck designers but, with a compliant setup on the Crails, the board became a stable bomber and a very respectable carving board.
Wrapping up the Crail SpeedTrucks. The Brazilians have developed a reputation for great daring and speed in DH racing, and those roots are evident in this truck. Out of the box, it’s ready to race without modification to the kingpin or bushings,a and yet, it only gets better when either is tinkered with. These present an excellent choice for anyone interested in a very capable speed truck. The Crails have developed a very devout following and understandably so.
FORCE INDUSTRIES C7 & R7: the Aussies do it right.
Force Industries is an Australian extreme sports dynasty. Run by DH skateboard racers, motocross jocks and surfers, they produce surf-, snow-and skate-boards that cover the high-end spectrum in the island continent. They’ve produced two trucks for longboarders, both of which are very closely based on Randals. The R7 uses an honestly-indicated 7” hanger and 50-degree kingpin angle from the baseplate. Using the same hanger, the C7 uses a 35-degree baseplate. We’ve got them both.
Construction: the Force hangers are essentially an RII-180 on steroids. They’ve been beefed up, using Finite Element Analysis and a commitment to curvy lines, to match the asymmetrical dimensions of the Randal but with deeper cups around the bushing seat and much larger buttressing of the axle. This is not a lightweight hanger, and the gravity cast aluminum has a smooth, hefty feel to it. The baseplates are another matter: they’re curvy, elegant and light, with holes we found to be perfectly aligned for mounting on decks with either the New-or Old-school hole patterns. The blackened kingpins are 2.75” long, 0.370” units with a domed top. Interestingly, we received our R7’s with the dome facing out, and the C7’s with the nut facing out, as we generally prefer. Swapping for a Grade 8 bolt was quick and easy, with no hang-ups whatsoever. Force produces their own bushings, in 84a Durometer and uses a standard barrel-profile bushing for the lower side, supported with a beefy cupped washer to bring the bushing to the same effective dimension as a stock Randal would have. The upper, conical, 0.50” bushing is contained with a cupped washer. The hanger ends are finished accurately and the pivot interface is great.
Appearance: these are strong-looking trucks! The deep, curved buttresses stand out and give the trucks a muscular appearance as they peek out from under the end of a board. The Force logo is deeply embossed on the hangers and the C7’s we’ve got have a sturdy-looking black enamel coating that sets off against the striking red bushings. Our R7’s are raw, but display no pits or excessive mold lines.
The Ride. Both of these trucks ride exactly like well-tuned Randals do. With properly aligned kingpin and pivot points, accurately-drilled baseplates and very-nicely made bushings and pivot cups, the Force trucks offered us no surprised and no reason for complaint. They do exactly what they’re supposed to do!
We mounted the C7 trucks with their 35-degree baseplates on a “mild speedboard” for a series of attacks on the hills of Rancho Bernardo, in San Diego. Like the fabled La Costa of the 1970’s this inland community had miles of perfect pavement, long hills and little traffic (it does have homes, however). At lower speeds, the excellent Force bushings did allow for some carving but it was not until speeds picked up well over 30mph that the Force trucks bared their teeth and really inspired our Consortium riders. The trucks at speed were wobble-free, without use of hard bushings. In the dark night bombing runs, the precise interface between the hanger and pivot area provided an exacting ride, allowing the tester to tuck in and blast lines with full confidence.
We put the R7’s on a Big Red X! This deck usually sports RII 180’s with the rear hanger flipped, and that’s how we setup the rig with the Force trucks. “A/B testing”, as it were. Well, we gave the board to Consortium members without revealing it didn’t bear Randals, and we bombed Banana Bay, carved the campus in La Jolla and raced the hills of Rancho Bernardo. Similarly to their sisters, the R7’s perform like a flawless Randal should. They’re carvy and turny, but stable at speed.
We tried a few different setup with the Force trucks, basically doing everything we’d do to a Randal, at least in terms of flipping kingpins & hangers, or various bushing combinations. If it works for you on a Randal, it will work on a Force, but a little better. There’s a tangible improvement when holes line up right!
Wrapping up the Force C7 and R7. Everything about the Force trucks surpasses their inspiration, with ease. Quality stock parts, a clean finish, a strong kingpin and well-faced hanger ends make these quality pieces of equipment. The Australians need no longer pay a premium for an imported truck –this domestic suits the bill! North Americans with the ingenuity to find the right way to acquire these (or with deep pockets) will find them a refreshingly familiar item; a fulfillment of the design.
YOU HAVE CHOICES: exercise them. Rumors of Randal's demise may be premature, but there's no disputing that the Holey, Crail and Force
