I'm attempting to dial in my bushing set up again after I've started to prefer looser trucks. I'm running split duros and was curious what difference it makes to run the softer bushing board side vs roadside. Afaik, the harder bushing goes boardside. I'm just not sure I get the effect it would have since the hanger should compress both bushings equally regardless of position, right?
Also, if I like the feel of my bushings but get wheel bite, are fat cones in the same duro the answer? How much do they actually restrict the end of lean? can do risers I just prefer lower set ups.
Finally, what's the word these days on cupped vs flat washers? I used to be die hard flat but been running cupped on my bear 130mm and they're kinda nice ngl...
Thanks in advance!
@Wil White Just adressing the first part- softer bushings always go roadside, its more stable. More stable than no split actually.
I havn't seen anyone use anything but barrels or similar in 5-6 years personally.
@David Serate Did a nice writeup on washers that goes more in detail but pretty much if you are looking to restrict the lean cupped is a good way to go. His writeup is linked here.
Right on, thanks for the input. What about plug bushings? I'm guessing board side?
I'll give the cupped washers a try and see if that gives me what I'm after, same looseness but less lean.
@Wil White Plug bushings are boardside, insert bushings are better imo.
@Matt Needs Wheels
I havn't seen anyone use anything but barrels in 5-6 years personally.
When it comes to DH and freeride, I've always done barrels on both boardside and roadside - so that's been like 10+ years haha. I agree with you on the duros, too. I pretty much always run sym bushing duros, but when I change things up and split I always run harder on the boardside and softer on the roadside.
For LDP and cruisers, things are a little different when it comes to my bushing setups. Still doing the same thing when it comes to duros, but I play with bushing shapes a bit more. For LDP I almost always run a fatcone on the boardside for a ton of rebound (gotta use a flat washer for it though), at least on the front truck. Then the roadside is either a barrel or a regular cone, depending on what I'm aiming for. The barrel is better for pumping and faster speed pushing. The cone is fun to carve around with, and get a looser feeling ride.
Also, why do you recommend insert bushings over plug bushings, out of curiosity?
@Zach Maxon I feel that being able to divorce the slop/return to center that a insert/plug provides from the other bushings is important for dialing in the right duro.
Additionally as a added benefit, in my experiance with cutting the plug part off of the plug bushing, just to put the same pieces back in separately, I felt as if the ramp up of return to center was more linear because the boardside bushing was not pulled to the side as much by the plug.
@Matt Needs Wheels that makes a lot of sense! I'm gonna mess around with that on my Calibers and see what it feels like all three ways.
@Zach Maxon Lmk how it goes!
@Wil White in theory yes you would compress them equally, but over my experience riding I find that the boardside often takes the load. Choosing a good boardside helps you define your center and general stability in my opinion. and adjusting the roadside helps you define your rebound and speed of response to that boardside bushing if that makes sense.
also I think washer is a style/application preference.
I've found it to help decrease lean to a degree. And keeps things a bit more springy/rebound like.
i like no cups in twitchy trucks or my aeras, cupped in the rear on slalom style trucks always
@Matt Needs Wheels If you want to get extra spicy, get a sharp razor and cut the plug off the barrel and have a makeshift insert bushing. Alternatively, get the Pats Risers insert bushings for whatever truck you have.
@David Serate yupppp thats exactly what I did pre Pat's Risers
