ISSA - International Slalom Skateboarding Association

I got one of Gary Fluitts Asphalt Playground SplitFire 107mm's and it's great if you like TTC kinda trucks.It comes with nicely aligned 8mm axles, raised bearing seats 90 degrees to the axle, an improved interface of the hanger and bushings and improved fit of the pivot into the baseplate (when used with a Tracker RT-X). The traction and feel of it is good on hybrid and tight courses. The pivot is an allen head machine screw of hard steel already rounded for the pivot cup but it still has the hex hole. I filled mine with JB Weld metal epoxy, let it cure 24 hours, put it into my electric drill, clamped the drill onto my workbench, used a metal file to lathe it all to a matched round surface, and finished it with emery cloth. It works fine without the added touch to the pivot, I'm just that way. Great truck, I'll probably buy another. Adios-Paul

Just looked and I don't find a SpitFire truck on Gary's site. What is this truck? Like a TTC?

I saw it at Worlds. It's basically an improved Airflow. The pivot is more ball-like, the axles are a better metal and the hanger has some superfluous metal removed.

BTW, I'm sure you can get one, assuming there are more, by emailing Gary. As I recall, the pricing was a little cheaper than the Airflow. Shipping cost and time has to be a lot better.

Yes, email Gary at sales@asphaltplayground.com and yes it is a TTC/Airflow(more like an Airflow) and yes, I am buying a 2nd one because I reelly, really like mine a lot. Adios-Paul

Thanks Paul and Steve,
Gary emailed me back immediately and sent a picture. He said he was in the process of updating his site www.asphaltplayground.com that day. Also that he was gunna have a 90mm version in the future. Looks like a great truck.

Here is a picture he sent me of just the hanger:

Hey Guys-
The Split-Fire is up on <a href="http://asphaltplayground.com/trucks.htm ... nd.com.</a> You can order it as a Complete with RTX and Khiros for $99, or as a hanger only for $89.
Comes with additional spacers. <br><img src="http://asphaltplayground.com/images/tru ... "><br><img src="http://asphaltplayground.com/images/tru ... anger2.jpg">

i saw it on the site and it look beautifull i love it i am thinking of getting one
good job gary

I did a lot of testing this fall with bushings, and though I love the old Tracker Stimulators, you have to grind the hell out of them to make them fit on a standard kingpin, and to reduce their mass enough to be really quick. So I went searching for a suitable replacement for the Stims and I found them in the second generation Khiro's. The first gen Khiro were pretty dead compared to the new pour. The current Khiro bushings feel just like a stimulator, but the fit is much better and the aluminum insert on the top bushing keeps the bushing inline with the kingpin during an extreme turn. So now I use the Khiro for the complete Split-Fire, a white barrel on bottom, and a blue cone on top. Lighter weight riders may prefer white on white. The truck also comes with a couple of 5mm tapered spacers that you can run on the inside of the axle for an effective width of 112mm.
I'm finding the Split-Fire to be quite flexible. New developments in the Spring...

Hey Gary....i noticed the lightweight bushings when i got mine and swapped them out with harder ones. But now i'm curious....is there an advantage with running such soft bushings in your splitfire?...It kinda goes against the rationale of running softees up front to steer and harder ones out back to generate a stronger pump. Thoughts?

Also, i'm sure you've run this truck for a while now. What have you had the best performance with on it, GS or TS? (not sure which board i'll have it mounted on in 05)

Hey Chris,
The rationale behind the soft bushing is really a question of rebound. Harder bushings just feel a bit dead to me. My 175lb frame seems to work bettter with softer bushings, but that's just me. I tend to hunch a bit too much and get most of my pump from the mid-section. I'm also coming off a couple of years on green stimulators which are really high rebound and fairly soft so it may be my familiarity with the softees that make them feel better. For GS I would run a harder bushing. Like Blue on Blue, or Blue and Yellow (Khiro).
As for TS and GS, I use the Split-Fire 107 on all of that, and Hybrid. I seem to have more success in Hybrid and TS, but I think my lack of success in GS is not a truck issue. I think it's a line issue. Hoping to do better in the GS this year.

well, i dont think that "hunch" you say you have is hurting your times to much though aye?
Thanks for the feedback...i'll tinker a bit. I've found that stimulators "snap" right into that bushing seat you had machined in the hanger...nice touch....i'll try the harder Khiros and mix it up a little.

Happy New Year

Gary,

Any ETA on the 90mm version?

Also, do you have any plans on doing an Offset hanger w/ RTS geometry?

ETA is unsure, but I'm hoping for about 6 weeks. Will keep you posted on this site.

Front Split-Fire Dragonslayers in 105mm will be done in around 10 days, then a few weeks later the 90mm version will be ready in front and rear

Took my new Split-Fire for my first test runs today.
Feels great on the board, nice response.
Got any pics of a front truck prototype?

Tom,
I generally don't like to post pics until I can fulfill orders, but in this case since we are milling the trucks this week it's probably not premature. I see what we can get posted here in the next day or so.
I've got some video of you in the TS at Morro Bay at Worlds. Looking fast. THat was a hard course. Good job.

Gary

Gary,
I'd like to see the video of Morro Bay.
That T/S on Sunday kicked my *&%$
Shows me what I need to work on.
And to keep this on topic, maybe the Split-Fire will help with my time.
Last year all I had was stock Trackers.
Tom

to keep it split-fire related- you slid at least twice in that footage on the TS and Gilmore commented on it as he was filming. The split fire will keep that back end a lot more sticky than a stock tracker.
You need to bend you're knees a bit more in the tight. Get a little bit lower and you will get a rounder turn. This will slow you down a bit, but it will clean up your run and make you faster (cleaner) in the long run. That's what I could see from the video anyway. If you come to the Colorado Cup I will give some more details to work on.
Gary

Hey Gary...what's the scoop on the Splitfire fronts?.......coming soon?.......do you have pics and/or a description?

I dropped off a case box of PBR carrying a load of hangars at the Powder coater last night...they are coming soon guys. Gary will have a media blasted hangar in the next few days, so you all will finally get to see a picture of them. Thanks for all the interest in what we do, hopefully the will be ready mid-next week. Sweet dreams, and do yourself a favor and get some white Khiro barrel bushings, these hangars were built around those specs, and of all ive tried they definately work the best (and entirely stable, even at G/S speeds for my 240lb fatass)

Just ordered a splitfire. I CAN'T WAIT TO RIDE IT!!!!!!

this is my 69th post........yes.....

Finally set up the one I got from you at the worlds Gary...They rock! Its on my new cut-away Gareth made for me. Please hurry on the 90 mm version, I am feeling the need for more toys.

David- You need to come out to Colorado and race. It'll be like old times. June 11-12. It will be on the contest calendar soon.

Troy,
Your post made it through Asphaltplayground.com. I can send you trucks as soon as I have a few more details.
cheers,
Gary

Sounds like a plan Gary. Cept unlike old times I'm sure you'll smoke me! Ahhh...Colorado in June...

yes!!!!!!!!!!! It came! it looks soooooo sweet!
I can't wait to ride it!

ok
this is my first split axle ttc type truck. Is the axle supposed to behave like a floating axle? when I screw on the bolts, the axle moves. Is this supposed to happen?

I am 99.9% positive that is a bad, bad thing

haha a floating split fire! Why not? HighSpeedSlalom needs floating axles against speedwobbles


rmn

well, I figured out what it was. the axle is screwed in, and it is unscrewing. the only way to screw it in is to screw on the bolt, but the direction to screw the axle in is loosening the bolt, so the bolt comes off and I can't screw it any tighter. Should I use thread lock so it cant come out?

cam

in the direction that the axle tightens, the bolt loosens

cam

Cameron,
I exchanged some e-mails with your Mom about exchanging the truck. It is just missing lock tight in the hanger.
thanks,
gary

ok cool

Gary / Wax -
I put the Split-Fire 107 through some serious testing today. One word comes to mind - AWESOME. You guys have come up with some great trucks! Thank You.

SIMPLY the best!

Cheers!
Gareth

Just got my first Splitfire!. Gary @ AsphaltPlayground shipped my trucks right away. Great service! Can't wait to kick someones ass with my new rear truck.

Ohm- come to Athens, you can kick my ass. Spring snowboarding falls turn out to be pretty hard on fragile shoulders.

Is there such a thing a narrow rear splitfire or is it one size fits all?

Joe

I sort of like my rears wide, but that's a personal thing.
Joe, we are milling a narrow rear (90mm on a 35 degree base).
You can acheive the same thing by using your front on the back, with a 10 degree khiro wedge, set negative (fat end of wedge facing middle of board). This is how I'm running all my splits now.
G

Gary Fluitt wrote:I sort of like my rears wide, but that's a personal thing.
G

Confessed today, confirmed in a college bar, Athens, GA, two weeks ago.

"Hey, do you do old?"

"I remind you of your dad? Is that good or bad?"

Sorry Gary, it was too easy.

Rode with some of the new kids in CT last night. They were rocking the DS and splits, throwing dust in the turns but not losing traction. Thanks for making great, affordable gear.

Joe

what happens in athens is suppose to stay in athens......

Gary...which split should I use for hybrid and or gs. (on the front) I dont like the tight stuff at all. (well, slalom anyway)hehe...It needs to be able to go well w/my roe unlimited and a future 36" gs deck. Thanx.

SHANE,
Hybrid and GS benefit from the wider DS107. I have one in stock at the moment. Black crinkle coat finish like on the website <a href="http://www.asphaltplayground.com/trucks ... und.com</a>

Shane
I run a DS107 front and rear on both my Chicken Wing and my Roe Eldorado P/S and they work great for those boards.
On my Brown Bomber and the TS/Hybrid I run DS107 fronts and SpliFire rears

On my Unlimited its a DS107 front and Chindy Offset rear......

all perform well, after our next runs of hangars I will put a DS90 front/rear on the TS and move the 107 to the rear of the Bomber.....

They all work all the way around...I like the 107's a little more because I am 6'3 240 lbs and the 90 fells too small for me for big stuff, but It feels great and is nimble as an F1 car thru tight cones...

thanx guys...the 107 it is!! (counting nickles now but expect to hear from me pretty soon)