New Bushings For The Carver CX and C5 Trucks
After half a year into surf skating I became more and more interested in bushings and their effect on the ride. Being a heavier skater with around 89kg (196lbs) the stock bushings on the Carver CX and C5 might not be the best choice for me. So I did a little bit of digging into this topic.
It quickly turned out that there are just a very few infos on this specific topic. Just a few more or less interesting youtube videos and reddit threads. But it seems that quite a few people are looking for more information on this topic, so I started my own quest for answers.
Stock Bushings
The stock bushings have the following specifications listed on the Carver website:
- CX Front Truck Bushings 89A – Conical Top, 0.58
- CX Front Truck Bushings 89A – Conical Bottom, 0.65
If you are a regular reader, you will notice that I already tested the duro of the stock bushings here.
For the geometry of the axis it’s important to use bushings with the same or a very similar height. Using other sized longboard bushings will displace the hanger and might cause permanent damage to the board.
I identified two working solutions for Carver Cx and C5 setups, Orangatang Knuckles and Riptide Carver CX Surfskate Bushings.
Orangatang Knuckles
Another interesting discovery was the Carver X Loaded Bolsa Surfskate, which comes with Orangatang Knuckles in place of the stock bushings. Loaded uses soft (orange) in the front and medium (purple) on the rear truck. A very good hint that these bushings seem to fit well for Carver CX trucks.
I also checked if Orangatang Nipples work as a bunch of people on reddit seem to use them, but found the barrel/barrel setup to limiting for surfskating.
Riptide Carver CX Surfskate Bushings
Riptides are available in a large amount of variations. I bought a full set twice to have everything for my experiments. Compared to the Knuckles the Riptides come as cone/cone while the Knuckles are Cone Barrel.
Comparsion
With the barrel board side the Knuckles offer more stability compared to the Riptides. The Riptides are also available in a wider range. Which one you want to use greatly depends on your riding style.
For my Carver Proteus I prefer the Knuckles while I love the Riptides on my Loaded Carver C5 setup. It’s hard to make a recommendation here other than try them out. They are both really good bushings.
In the end the choice is really dependent to the use case. If you use the surfskate for training on flat, in a bowl, at a pumptrack or even for surf training. All these parameters are important to choose the correct duro and brand. Don’t listen too much on patent receipts in forums or facebook. Even your size and wight will make a difference.
Hints For Correct Assembly
If you are running C5 trucks make sure to replace the top washer in front with a flat one, no matter which vendor you choose. Otherwise it will scratch your trucks and limit motion. For CX this hack is not needed.
A second hint is, match the bushing to your weight! Starting from 89A (standard duro) try to use softer or harder bushings and check how comfortable it feels. If the standard duro is too hard for you, try softer one and vice versa. But don’t go into extremes. Just 2A can make a big difference. Bushings are quite inexpensive parts compared to wheels or trucks. Maybe buy different duros and try them out. There is no point of getting 89A cone/cones again as you already have the stock ones, remember that.
If you are mounting the new bushings make sure you put them on correctly, especially the cone/cone ones. Mind the sizes (larger and smaller cone).
One last thing which is highly recommended, use a split setup. Rear should be at least one grade harder than front. Just use the next harder bushings at the back truck.
Takeaway
I hope you enjoyed this article and the contained hints in regards to surfskate bushings. It’s a difficult choice and very individually because it is very specific to the use case. But I hope I could at least point you in the right direction here. Feel free to leave me a comment what you have chosen and why. I am always interested in feedback from international riders their opinions.
Update August, 2023
I think I fried the first set of bushings this year. This is how they ended up after 2 months of heavy usage. The front bushing issue was fixable by using a little big bigger cup washer. But the back truck bushings were just torn apart. Still I sticking with the product as they are the best experience I had so far. Let’s see how the second set will perform.
The riptides on my C5 deck are still ok, I just decided to test out some softer ones in the front. But the blue 92.5 were a way too soft for me. At the moment I am trying out a split of a 87.5 board side and a 92.5 road side. The Carver trucks apply uneven compression, going too soft on the board side will get funky at a certain weight.
Alex is a passionated engineer and skater who discovered surf skating as a hobby to fill the days between his windsurf sessions. Skating now takes so much time that it became his primary hobby. Alex runs this website as a platform for his hobby and discoveries.