People keep trying to innovate trucks these days, but you rarely see anything that makes the accompanying wackiness worthwhile. These Alpha Skateboard Tucks are pretty standard fare for the most part. The big marketing point is the screws on the side that you can use to set a maximum tilt point in order to prevent wheelbite. That’s all well and good, maybe it works, but honestly, wheelbite isn’t a big deal, is it? They do love to go on and on about geometry and stability. They have an interesting theory about riding a low truck with extra risers being a better option for those that prefer high truck. The one thing they have innovated that stands out is the placement of the mounting holes. It’s such a simple idea I can’t believe nobody has done it. Instead of leaving the new school mounting pattern offset towards kingpins, they center them in the standard footprint of the baseplate. Of course, this makes the wheelbase of any given board shorter than the same board with standard trucks. The upside is a potentially stronger baseplate and lighter too, if you cut off the corners. So… it’s interesting at least. They’ve also got a skate tool that’s not the same T-shaped plastic and metal piece that everyone sells.
– Thanks to OCD Kyle for the tip.
28 comments
starground
Necroposting a bit:
Got alpha 9.125’s with Rainskates Yellow Jackets 62 mm on Deckcrafters Fire Stick without risers. Very stable and quick turning combo. And no wheelbite (that’s without using the hex screws) I can’t ride though…Mainly concrete pool riding. No kickflips etc
Fitz
I’d ride Ace in a second if they weren’t made in China.
Fitz
Made the switch to Ace last Spring. Unreal how good they are.
Chris Strople
the ACE trucks carve and track like no other.
Jerkins
Yeah, I don’t think anyone should innovate ANYTHING, EVER!
Unless I think it’s a good idea of course.
kilwag
WINNER: Jerkins!
carl
Yes my Thunder trucks have centered holes.
mb
Destructo trucks ( and maybe Thunder ? ) have been running centered mounting holes for years, nothing to do with changing the wheelbase, simply done to prevent any of the nuts and threads being damaged during tricks, a development of the “new school” hole pattern. As for wheelbite, the right combination of risers has always worked for me.
seedy
My solution to wheelbite is to make sure it doesn’t happen. On the rare occasion it does happen, I usually get nice and hurt. Ace 44’s for life Mezmer!
justabill
Hey, wheel bite happens. Your board wouldn’t look the same without those cool burn marks on the wheel wells.Or are the marks on your elbows?
The Shralper
yeah, i don’t really use trucks anymore. I just put a fin on the bottom, feels more surfy, know what I’m sayin.
mezmer
Somethings are just hard to improve upon. Skateboard trucks are one of them. However, I was a diehard Independent guy for many, many years until I got a pair of ACE 44s last spring. They hangers are similar to the Indy Stage 3 from back in the day. ACE trucks are light, strong & most important…responsive. Plus, the grind really smooth & sound super gnarly on pool coping! I will never ride anything else.
Rich
For those that rode Indy’s in the early years and liked their responsive geometry, ACE has that same feel. It’s ironic but when I ride a set of the newer Indy’s, they feel like old Tracker trucks when compared to ACE, that’s just my opinion and I like a more responsive truck. Indy’s are a great trucks but ACE is my new favorite ride. Indy/ACE for Life
egbert
I just set mine back up to mix it up a bit. Super loose, not floppy, but man they turn so good. I don’t think they sound as good as Indy’s when they grind though.
talentlessquitter
That was you who said this earlier,right?
Aw,I still have to order my ACEs!
masterochicken
They don’t sell them in any shops it seems like though.
Chris Strople
want inovation in a truck check out the new surf-rodz indeez
Doug Owens
Yeah Chris, been riding my SZ INDeeSZ for the past 3 months. You can definitely feel the difference. No slop.
masterochicken
But how do they grind?
masterochicken
I saw them. Sexy little things they are. A bit expensive to grind though. Plus, I always wonder if grinding machined aluminum wouldn’t be as good as cast.
talentlessquitter
Amen,mezmer. Tighten your trucks is the solution to the whole thing but it’s the one message Alpha is franticly trying to avoid.
I lost faith altogether at: “trucks haven’t really improved much in the past 50 years. “.Uh….OK.
The whole website is aimed at 10 year-olds anyway.It’s a complete ready-to-copy in-class presentation (or whatever you call it).
On one side it makes sense to put the holes evenly placed in the baseplate,and it looks nice.But you actually shift the holes on the bushing side backwards,That makes it even harder to get a tool/bit over the nut.
Alpha;stop the nonsense.
Tener
It is clear that no one commenting has checked out these trucks. Wheelbite at speed is dangerous. Yeah we’re all tough and can take a crash. These trucks work! I can shred, swerve, carve aggressively without wheelbite rolling 70mm wheels on standard street decks. Tightening your trucks makes for a stiff, nonresponsive ride. I agree their website is lame but the tucks are nice. The 9″ trucks are lighter than Indy 8.25″.
talentlessquitter
Alright I hear ya.
mezmer
I doubt this company will survive any real length of time. The economy is tough & they have too many competitors that are tried and true. If you are having such serious cases of wheel bite…get smaller wheels or tighten you trucks.
masterochicken
My favorite part is that the only sizes they make are 7.5 and 9.125 axles. That’s a huge fucking gap!
Heath
Would those screws make kingpins snap easier?
masterochicken
No. I don’t think they they would. They are very tiny and one thing they did right was make the kingpins from grade 8 steel. I doubt the set screws are as strong as the king pin. If anything, the kingpin might break them. I could always be wrong though.
ssk
The wheel base thing is not a problem that needed to be solved. It’s not like boards couldn’t have smaller wheel bases if we wanted them that way.
Just shortening the wheelbase leaves the nose and tail longer. That changes the angle of the board when you snap off of the nose or tail.
I really cant imagine that increasing the lean angle or lowering the pivot point a tiny bit would have any practical effect on “stability” either. Maybe for downhill race guys.
Wheel bite isn’t a big deal. Their solution for it doesn’t take different wheel sizes into account either.
A base plate that uses less material makes sense. Thats about it.
If I ever come up with some hair brained innovation I hope I get more feedback before investing, making it, and saying dumb things like “Some truck manufacturers would try to keep this information secret…”