Are Old School Trackers Really Just Baby Toys?

Wesley Tucker · Post by **Wesley Tucker** » Sat May 17, 2003 6:34 pm

Well, since my name was mentioned inTway boy's original post, I'll chime in with "what I think." One thing that hasn't been mentioned in this thread is that old Trackers (the same with old Indy's, Bennetts, etc.) is the "hard parts" do start to wear. The pivot will especially show signs of wear. Although you might maintain perfectly good nylon pivot bushings, dirt and grime in the cup will chew up and distort the pin, whether it's the small or beefy variety. This of course affects turning precision. As the pin gets smaller, the bushing gets thicker, or if you use factory spec replacement nylon, you'll have a certain amount of "slop" as the pin-bushing mating is no longer tight. This is one good reason to learn how to make your own pivot cups: you can compensate for the deteriorating pivot as it recedes in size and diameter.

So, although I agree with Tway that Mids and Hafs have their place in slalom, the trouble is finding NOS equipment that is up to spec and little or no wear and tear. An older truck, no matter how well maintained, will eventually lose its crisp, sharp dynamics and start to "sag" as you try and push it down the course.

P.S. Although I do have Trackers of all varities, (fulls, mids and hafs,) I don't have the heart to tell Twayzer I finally got to upgrade some of my old stuff. I rode RT-X/S combinations on my Turner and Ick at Morro Bay. As TK is want to point out, I am slowly emerging as a 21st Centuary slalom skater!

William Tway · Post by **William Tway** » Sat May 17, 2003 4:45 am

Right on Chris. We have to hook up and set a killer rhythmic TS course. The surface is still pretty good. I am heading south Wednesday for 3 weeks (where I have no choice but to practice flatland slalom) but when I get back we will hit the local lot. Who;s gonna build some start ramps? We need them for DA Farm.

_________________

[ This Message was edited by: William Tway on 2003-05-16 22:47 ]

William Tway · Post by **William Tway** » Sat May 17, 2003 4:42 am

Yea it's all good...I'm sure the day will come when I own a set of Radikals and PVD's.

I love you man.

I'm Tri btw...I'll tri anything.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat May 17, 2003 4:35 am

tway I'm all for some flatland fun....wann try later next week?

Terry Kirby · Post by **Terry Kirby** » Sat May 17, 2003 4:34 am

Tway ,its all good. I love you even if you are gay or bi or whatever. Who am I to judge right. Hell I used to run a seismic IN THE BACK! HAve fun with the halfies.

William Tway · Post by **William Tway** » Sat May 17, 2003 4:28 am

<img src=http://www.users.cloud9.net/~wbtway/halfs.jpg>

Terry, I would have agreed with you judging by the width of the halftrack but after setting a tech ts (flatland) course… I was truly amazed how well they preformed. If you get a little lazy and start thinking about Vlad’s wife, you will miss a cone and DQ but if you give them hell they will turn on a dime and are amazingly NOT tippy. Nost notably, they break really well. Had the old 05’s in front (put me down for a set btw) and a little harder duro in the rear. After some minor adjusting, I was having a blast. Got to get 13 to come up for an evening of STS flatland. All we need are ramps. Time for a green beer.

Special thanks to Paul Williams who sent me a set of Halfers from the UK just because he was never going to use them. Also thanks to Geezer-X for setting me up with a set of mint half-track hangers. I’m stoked though Kirby thinks I’m gay.

It’s all about having fun.

Time for another green b..

Late

[ This Message was edited by: william tway on 2003-05-17 12:17 ]

Terry Kirby · Post by **Terry Kirby** » Sat May 17, 2003 12:17 am

Bill, fast riders can go fast on anything . 1/2 tracks are roller skate width. Even the legendary Euros Gilmour speaks of used mids and not halfs. I think there is a point where narrow is too narrow. I think the price is high because the Dog Town pics often show Full Tracs on the old pool boards so the collectors want them. If any fools want real TK 05 NOS I have a shitload of them. 20.00 a set. 20 sets and I can get a new set of PVD's.

Claude Regnier · Post by **Claude Regnier** » Fri May 16, 2003 8:30 pm

They are still present on several of my Slalom set-ups.

Loaners and all.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri May 16, 2003 7:19 pm

I'm 100% PVDs now-a-days...I sold all my other trucks...but I did keep a set of midtracks (tricked out by geezer-x, SWEEET!) and a set of fulltracks (the set dates from 1982), both gnarly pivot. Now the modernist in me as asserted it's self of late by trying to break away from the past. So i don't see myself actually racing these trucks ever again.

But...mids/fulls are still a better truck (once setup properly and tweaked) than the new RT-X/S series (which just work out of the box).

But mids/fulls, nylon or carbon fiber baseplates, silver pivot cups, tk-051 bushings, rad pads...it doesn't get much better than that.....until PVDs which make them look and feel like crap.

Vlad - you know Peter can make down to a 3.5" R3......which would be a flashback truck (I too have figured out the cambria thing). 4" PVDs just hand it all though, you really don't need more or less.

[ This Message was edited by: Chris Stepanek on 2003-05-16 13:21 ]

Vlad Popov · Post by **Vlad Popov** » Fri May 16, 2003 6:47 pm

I look at it this way. “Mids” axle length is 85 mm. PVD axles are 100 mm. Cambrias have 5 mm inner lips, Kriptos don’t.

Old Set-up: “Mids” with Kriptos 85mm + 90 mm = 175 mm.

New Set-up: PVDs with Cambrias 100mm + 90 mm - 10 mm = 180 mm.

5 mm is 1/5 inch. Less then 1/4 inch! On modern courses it’s nothing. The “Mids” are useless. Of course if you put Cambrias on "mids", you would almost get “Halfs”!

Vlad.

Bruce Brewington · Post by **Bruce Brewington** » Fri May 16, 2003 6:18 pm

Have no fear Tway, I'm still riding old school, small pivot trackers (but polished) on both my race turners, and a set of half tracks on my '77 vintage needle nose, which will be my da' farm set up. I'll bring the half racks to the Paris race, just in case.
Indys, PVD, Radikals, Seismics..forget it. I'm all about Trackers (especially w/ soft squishy TK-05 rubbers)

Wall Street Racing

John Gilmour · Post by **John Gilmour** » Fri May 16, 2003 11:55 am

I would still race Mids (I want Magnesium Mids more than any other truck right now- partially because they are collectible and party because they work so well on an s-camber deck) on some courses If I had any- same thing goes for half tracks. I might consider a full track for a course where I have to do lots of braking- but pretty much because I'm so used to it.

Having no good grommets for the Trackers makes my ride my Trackers less- because when I'm out....I'm out. I'm down to two sets of TK-05's and then that era is over- sniff.

I think lack of good rubber grommets has been one thing that has made people ride the classic trackers less. I do prefer recreational pumping on trackers more than with newer generation racing trucks like PVD's, Seismics, Radikals etc. I get more "flow" out of a conventional truck. I get more traction out of a precision truck.

Then one exception were the Seismics with silver springs on the Original Blackbirds- with the spine by made Bob Turner. That board cruised the best and raced the best. And it is so hard to both Cruise well and race well.

Wes Eastridge · Post by **Wes Eastridge** » Fri May 16, 2003 3:05 am

Cause they want them but don’t have any. I use a set of fulls and mids on some of my race boards, but they are the re-issues so I guess I’m not included. I think BoBo tries to get his hands on all of these, and I know he is an egay type o guy.
"Not that there's anything wrong with that"

[ This Message was edited by: WesE on 2003-05-15 21:17 ]

William Tway · Post by **William Tway** » Fri May 16, 2003 2:47 am

<img src=http://www.users.cloud9.net/~wbtway/connortracker.jpg>

Is anyone still racing old Fuls, Mids or Halfs besides Tucker,Dunn & I? Are we the last of a dying breed?

Why are they still selling for top $ on egay? Just last week a set of Halfs sold for well over $100. Who the hell is riding them? Are they just for 8 wheeler wallhangers? I just got a set of halfs and look forward to racing the hell out of them.

What gives?

[ This Message was edited by: William Tway on 2003-05-15 20:52 ]

Join the ISSA 25-cone series. 5 international sessions per year.
Create your own local race. Discover slalom skateboarding now!

| World Ranking | 25-cone Series | Calendar