I thought there was already some downhill company making a titanium axle truck, but then again I’m not keeping track. These guys (What guys? Theeve Trucks) claim to have the first titanium axle trucks:
Theeve has created the world’s first 6/4 Titanium axle truck. TiAX Titanium axles are 40% lighter and 2 times stronger than standard steel axles. This gives you a weight saving and less chance of bending axles. Titanium / alloy blend with non-slip 6/4 Aerospace grade Titanium axles, Grade 8 king pins and Bones® Hardcore Bushings™ standard.
I don’t know how big a part of the overall weight the axle is, so I’m not sure that it would make much of a difference to all but the techy-est of riders. However, extra strength and Bones Bushings are something I can get behind. Theeve says it’s their take on a classic truck, which is kind of funny because I thought these were ACE’s take on a classic truck when I first saw the profile. Speaking of ACE, does anyone know what’s going on with them? I’m trying to set up an account over there and I haven’t heard back in months. Getting back to Theeve, their web site says they also have axleless hangers coming in 2010. So I guess that means split axle trucks, along the lines of Gull Wing, but probably without the coping slot, since the recent incarnation Gull Wing has dropped it themselves.
29 comments
egbert
Yes, they’re very good. If I were young and jumped off things, or just a lot better at skating…i wonder how they’d hold up.
talentlessquitter
I skated my new ACE 44’s for the first time yesterday! Very good and lightweight.
Prickly Pete
A friend of mine has some axelless titaniums and they just slid across tedder stone like it was nothing. Can’t imagine what it’s like on metal coping. I like a little resistance in my grind. I thought they made the set up really really lightweight.
Jamie
I just started skating on some 5.85 TIH trucks and love the way they turn and how light they are however they do not grind very well as in they are slower than any other trucks I’ve skated…… anyone else experiencing this too?
conahan
Andy Mac was riding a set of the axleless model at Pier, totally freaky hollow on the underside hangers, The board didn’t seem insanely light though.
jb
titanium bikes are said to have a nice flex vs. stiffness for road vibrations
indys have forged baseplates, said to be lighter and stronger than nonforged.
would a light base with heavier hanger help flip trix land wheels down?
light trux make ollies so u dont have to kick as far forward to lever up the tail…cuz that little extra weight is on a long lever.
mezmer
I was a longtime Indy guy. I switched to Ace 44s. I will never ride anything else. They turn quicker & they are loads lighter. Sorry Indy, Ace are simply better crafted.
talentlessquitter
Interesting you say that,thank you.I’m thinking of switching as well.
I ride 10-year-old Indy’s and one is slightly out of alignement and it bugs me out!Looking for Ace’s right now.
Erick
yeah i really want to know the height of these trucks because i hate low trucks
jez
does anyone know what the height of these trucks is? do they do highs and lows? no one seems to know!
Blob
Hmm, and it turns out Theeve has had direct comparisons done, that back up their claims. Still, it seems like a little tweaking is in order. Like make some wide ones for oldsters; they’re fewer but richer, and this could be an “overcompensating” product. Get titanium kingpins (they’re already available) in ’em. Make the baseplates titanium and the hangers magnesium. Lightest possible strong enough setup.
skateboardingpanama
sorry to say, but i have riding indys like forever. the best outther, turning, durability and looks….
BowlDozer
Nothin will ever compete with Indy Stage 9s!
Prickly Pete
How would titanium trucks treat the pool coping compared to bike pegs? Harder or not as hard on it? Do they make copers? Just kidding.
kevin
Wouldn
kc
I don’t know about the trucks, but the titanium key card, “Skate Tool” is pretty rad, considering that I’ve been using the same elephant wrench since the 70’s. The key card came inside the new skateboardmag that those cool guy’s at Cal Skate gave me. It’s a flat piece of titanium with die cuts for all your hardware, and it fits in your wallet like a credit card. I haven’t tried to use the card tool yet. If it isn’t as good as my trusty dinosaur wrench it will make a good bottle opener or ninja weapon.
houseofneil
That is an Ace hanger– I think the black logo is photoshopped on. Look at it. The black doesn’t follow the contours of the hanger at all. It’s flat on a curved surface.
And oh yeah, Ace’s freaking rule.
Blob
Oh wait, I’m full of it on the strength to diameter comparison. That’s only versus hardened, not common, steel. And titanium’s more likely to return to shape. But my comparison (and Theeve’s) is pretty useless; you’d have to compare specific alloy to specific alloy (of a given truck) to know anything. Still say titanium hangers would be a bad idea grind-wise, though. Cuz, although most titanium alloys are somewhat softer than proper steel, they are a lot harder than aluminum, and if you happen to like Independents better than Krux (which are just a harder aluminum alloy), then you’d hate a much harder titanium alloy hanger. Though I suppose unalloyed titanium might be soft enough that it would grind instead of purely slide. But what would be the advantage?
Herr Meier
Arent trucks just bending if something like a bus hits your board?Then isnt titanium known for breaking fast?(I know this happens a lot to bike frames)The weight thing is interesting,butt whatever.Like the G&S trucks back then didnt live that long unless you was a 40 kilo kid…
Peace from Germannia btw!
Livmo
Saw a Theeve thread a while back on the Bones and Skulls collector site. The impression I got was that they offer an alloy hanger with Ti axles, yet are coming out with an all Ti hanger/axle combo. From Derek’s description, all I can picture are the old Bahne trucks from the 70’s. Their hanger design does look a lot like Ace, is that why they’re called Thieve?
As for Ti axles, wasn’t Rocket Ron doing this a few years ago?
skaterhusseindave
Derek, I’m having trouble picturing the concept
Blob
It seems extremely unlikely that the axles are “2 times stronger than standard steel axles”… or even as strong. Common titanium alloys might have twice the strength to weight ratio of some common iron alloys (steel), but in the same thickness, the titanium alloys tend to be significantly weaker and softer (not necessarily the best bearing holder). Might wanna machine down and then sleeve the smooth exposed part of the axle with some sort of true 8mm steel piping. Titanium would still be a useful material for making supersonic Blackbird spy planes, if they still made ’em, but it is being wasted for all sorts of marketing purposes, which is driving the price higher. And in its unnalloyed form, it cannot begin to compare to pure iron (which must be refined to purity) in strength… and pure iron is even corrosion resistant (and very expensive) like titanium. In fact, more or less pure iron, which was being developed in Japan, is probably a lot more expensive than titanium, and thus unpractical. It should be understood that the hangers are not titanium on these trucks, though (and that they’d probably grind lousy if they were).
Larry
i like my aces, but i think ill get indys next time!
BrockEs
$49.95 for 2 trucks with the Titanium axle. What ever happened to TI-Lites? And yes, agreed these look almost identical to ACEs… and what’s up with a name like Theeve? Is it because the whole truck looks like it’s a rip off of other trucks?
Chris Strople
Kilwag,
I got to skate on the full titanium trucks a few months back and these boys are on to something. It is not split axle but one machined piece of titanium. These would be tha last pair of trucks that you would have to buy. No wear.Trick as hell. They turn in between an Ace and Indy. The ones with the titanium axles are cool but heavier. Take care, CS
Tom/Bjjpdx
Not sure whats going on with Ace. I know that they are semi hard to get ahold of and run out of product alot. They are awsome trucks but you need to keep a spare set around or you may not find them when you need them. I talked to Paul at Cal skate a while back and he sounded like they want to carry them but have a real hard time getting any from them. Gravity in Seattle buys a lot at a time so they usually have some 44’s in stock, thats the only place that I have been able to find them with any regularity.
Those Theeves look alot like the Ace except I beleive the Theeve is running somewhere near $100.00 a set, I wonder if they would outlast 2 pairs of indy’s
ssk
Wouldn’t it make sense to have a Titanium kingpin too? That is where you need more strength.
skateboardingpanama
yes, they do look just like ace trucks…
derek krasauskas`
not split akle… one piece of titanium machined down to create and axleless truck. I spoke with Trever and Brian howard in detail at the Rumble in Ramona a few months back about the process… cary on