Sprung Hockey

[The Webster 0]

I got to use my A7 Sprungs last night. coming from Ice to roller Ive always had problems staying up with the inline guys but the sprungs have helped close down that gap. just thought I'd share some comment of what I think of the Sprungs.

• Easy to get up and maintain speed
  
• I like the " pop " feeling you get when you push off
  
• cross overs are a dream so nice, you can really lean into them
  
• stopping feels easier and more like Ice
  

Some things I dont like.

• the metal on the screw/axel seems to be very soft I acutally stripped the head of one when I was tightening it up.
  
• backwards cross overs are horrible it feels like your on you two front wheels (maybe this is down to my skating :P )
  

All in all I would recommend the Sprungs they are good chassis and will proberly order some extra parts

I will add some pictures later on tonight

[nickyb13 9]

You will get used to the backwards cross overs

[jpeaslee 30]

I'll second that. A little different at first, but you'll get used to it. Also at first i occaisionally bumped my back wheel from one skate and front wheel from the other, but that never happens anymore either.

[vogueboy 0]

I'll 3rd that... As for the screws stripping, I had that happen to me unfortunately. I had a couple of screws that I had to make sure that the screw head was seated into the recess by forcing it in with a blunt end of a socket-screwdriver, the rest of screws just seated in there nice and snug.

Both the head of the screw and the seat on the rocker arm were stripped so badly, that I had to hack-saw the arm off :( Well, that was about a year ago... Live and learn as they say.

[in da crease 0]

I actually adjusted to backward crossovers easier than forward. But then again, I've played defense my whole life on ice (30+ years) and I'm more comfortable skating backward than forward on ice.

To me, backward crossovers on sprungs are very close to ice. Forward crossovers are still a little different but much better than a traditional chassis. I also agree stopping, for me, seems easier on sprungs.

I still feel like a cluts on inline skates (when compared to ice) but I'm getting more used to it every week.

[Ray 0]

Beats me. Maybe your springs are cooked. Are they in upside down? Don't laugh, everybody that puts them together does it... and does it. Makes them very hard to assemble, but it can be done. They don't skate well. You should email me so we can figure it out.

The space between the center wheels is designed so 80.5mm wheels don't touch when the action is pressed up to the stops. Revisions are closest to 80mm, followed by Rink Rat then Labedas. Joe and I are on Labedas and even they aren't touching. It's easy to check the movement. Without springs, the second wheel should push up until the top of it is well above the plane of the front mount. Number three still moves up the same. Front and rear unchanged. I can get Grippers to touch in the middle without springs in, but they still turn.

Another skater opinion. Mine are fantastic. When I stand on them, I can still go from four to three to too wheels in either direction, just by shifting my massive 155 pounds. To me, they are the best version of my idea that I've ever skated on. They are more agile, quicker, more effortless and more comfortable to skate in than my A8's and A6s. But it took me some time to get used to not having the security of the long wheel base and soft action transfer that I get on the A8s.

I will totally agree with you on one point. I can't feel it working any more, which has been the aim all along. It's supposed to be invisible. The biggest one time change happened (way back) when we jumped the spring durometer up. The big smooth action I loved went away, with its security. When I went to turn I suddenly turned. And I didn't feel it move... until the new hard spring broke all the plastic parts trying to contain it.

As to "oversized hummr", you seriously need to get a pair that fit you so you can skate on them, then your A7s again. I'm not going to tell anybody what they should or should not feel when on these things. Joe was skating on A8s with 76mm wheels because he didn't like the 80mm height on them. He had to get over the all 80s thing, then it was the different wheel base. He skates way too much each week and the transition took him a couple of days. He's about 225. He and I think they are the best yet, and the best for our size feet. And we both like it better when we can't feel it working. You have to average out mine and Joe's opinion, because he is an excellent skater and player and I'm a piece of shit on wheels. With the number of pairs out there, suddenly, there's bound to be some more opinions soon.:)

Upon a closer inspection, it seems that there is less travel on all of the rockers rocker when in the A7 than in the A8 when comparing the same positions. I did this very crudely with feeler gauges and trying not to compress the wheels. Wheels 2 and 3 definitely move less than the 1 and 4 wheels like you said. I tried an experiment with paper towel springs on the A7, but they were obviously way to soft and I got some wheels to bottom out. They were too soft to rebound so that idea was a flop. I have a better idea of the difference in rocker travel now, and understand that there is less leverage (force) to move the 2nd and 3rd rocker, so I'm still hoping that the spring material on mine hardened after being heat cycled. Is the spring material different than the rocker/frame material? In any case, I can't feel these things rocker when I skate. I can't turn as well as I could with the A8's.

[fatwabbit 93]

the parts on the A8 and A7 are interchangeable, so you shouldnt have any 'harder' or 'softer' springs. Maybe buy a few more to test out? they are a buck apiece i think.

[Ray 0]

the parts on the A8 and A7 are interchangeable, so you shouldnt have any 'harder' or 'softer' springs. Maybe buy a few more to test out? they are a buck apiece i think.

yeah I dyed my springs in boiling hot water and I'm wondering if that had an effect on the material. The movement on the A7 is so hard to feel vs the A8 and I'm hoping maybe it has to do with the dye creating less tolerance between the spring and the rockers and/or the spring hardening after being heat cycled. All I know is I am feeling less performance from the A7's than the A8's and that doesn't seem to be the opinion of everyone else. I'll try some new springs and if they don't make me like the chassis, I guess I'll just unload them.

[fatwabbit 93]

Ray, if you were so comfortable on the A8, then why dont you stick with them?

[Ray 0]

Ray, if you were so comfortable on the A8, then why dont you stick with them?

I like how the A8 skated/turned at more than half speed. I really liked how they turned. What I didn't like was having such a big foot print. I have size 9 Tour Code 1's and my sprungs are on size 10 graf 709's. What I really don't like about having a large foot print is skating a lower speeds like when playing offense or defense in the slot area where I'm not moving fast, but I'm trying to transition quickly. I felt like having this large foot print was a killer in those situations. I also play most of my roller hockey right now on a rather small rink. I feel much more nimble with my Tours. I think part of it is the smaller foot print and part of it is probably due to the weight of the skate. In any case, with the setup I put together, I felt I like the performance of the A8 better than the A7 when it comes to skating and turning at more than half speed. This seems to disagree with just about everyone else so I'm hoping that I am missing something. Maybe I should have gone with the A6's.

[Sprungster 5]

Ray, post a picture of them. I didn't know there was a whole size difference between Tours and Grafs. Were the A8s on the same Grafs?

[Ray 0]

Keith I can send you the pics I have. I don't have a place to host them or else I'd post them. Thanks

[TLR156 0]

I'm considering a sprung setup for an ice to inline conversion & have a few questions:

Firstly, I'm a 31 year old fatty (5' 11", 260lbs) who's only been skating (inline) & playing pickup roller hockey for a year. I recently purchased a pair of vapor XXV ice skates & have found that even though I skate pretty well on my inlines, I ice skate like $h!t.

I wear an 8 in Bauer boots, would the all 80mm A7's fit? (how long is the frame plate? I can always measure my Vapor XXV's & see how they compare to the TUUK holders / outsole)

My current inline skates are Bauer Vapor XXR's with the TUUK "One Up" chassis with a 72, 72, 80, 80 (HiLo) setup which I like pretty well. If I can go with the A7 setup, should I run the same size wheels, or would I be better served to go with an all 80 setup? Advantages or disadvantages of either?

Thanks,

Scott

[fatwabbit 93]

TLR156, if you are intending to use the sprungs, it will have to be a flat setup (all 76mm or 80mm).

As for using the A6 or A7, it would be personal preference. Some like the shorter wheelbase of the A6, while some would prefer the larger contact area for speed and grip of the A7. I think your size 8 skates would be the lowest recommended size skate for the A7. The benefits of having the A7 is that you dont have to buy a full set of new wheels for your skates since you arleady have 4 80mm wheels from your hilo setup, and that the A7 uses the same beefed up rocker that the A8 uses... bigger, stronger and able to take heavier loads...

[TLR156 0]

TLR156, if you are intending to use the sprungs, it will have to be a flat setup (all 76mm or 80mm).

As for using the A6 or A7, it would be personal preference. Some like the shorter wheelbase of the A6, while some would prefer the larger contact area for speed and grip of the A7. I think your size 8 skates would be the lowest recommended size skate for the A7. The benefits of having the A7 is that you dont have to buy a full set of new wheels for your skates since you arleady have 4 80mm wheels from your hilo setup, and that the A7 uses the same beefed up rocker that the A8 uses... bigger, stronger and able to take heavier loads...

fatwabbit, thanks for the info, but the problem is that I have no experience with the sprungs, so having a personal preference isn't possible.

Does anyone know the overall length of a all 76mm A6 setup, or all 80mm A7?

My current HiLo setup is about 12 1/4" from bow to stern, including the wheels.

No worries about reusing my current wheels, I'll be getting new ones anyway... I guess given the heavy duty aspect of the A7's, I'm automatically more inclined towards them, assuming that they will fit my boots...

[fatwabbit 93]

Searched the Sprung thread for "wheelbase"... I've been a hilo user most of my hockey life, but made the switch to sprungs about 18months ago full time. No problem with using a larger sprung chassis either, there are a few guys here who are about a size 9 and use the A8. I've tried that setup before myself, and although I like the increase in the speed, my backward skating was affected somewhat... I'm not a good skater anyway, so maybe you should discount my opinion.

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index...te=%2Bwheelbase

Wheelbase (I believe from rear to front axle)... I dont think you can a direct comparison, as you will have larger wheels in front for the A7 and A8 compared to the hilos.

A6 9 5/8"

A7 10"

A8 10 17/32".

[TLR156 0]

Searched the Sprung thread for "wheelbase"... I've been a hilo user most of my hockey life, but made the switch to sprungs about 18months ago full time. No problem with using a larger sprung chassis either, there are a few guys here who are about a size 9 and use the A8. I've tried that setup before myself, and although I like the increase in the speed, my backward skating was affected somewhat... I'm not a good skater anyway, so maybe you should discount my opinion.

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index...te=%2Bwheelbase

Wheelbase (I believe from rear to front axle)... I dont think you can a direct comparison, as you will have larger wheels in front for the A7 and A8 compared to the hilos.

A6 9 5/8"

A7 10"

A8 10 17/32".

duh, now why didn't I think to search the sprung thread for that info... I can always just add 80mm to those distances & convert them to figure it out. will do that when I get home later (@ STL Blues vs. Phoenix Coyotes game on my phone now). tbanks again, FW.

[fatwabbit 93]

jsut did it for you...

10" = 254mm

254mm + 80mm = 334mm which is equal to 13.15"

Thats about an inch more than your current setup, but also translates to half an inch front and rear... not much difference IMHO.

Try out the sprungs, there are a lot of guys here that use them exclusively (me included).

[TLR156 0]

Yeah, I was messing with the math between periods at the game tonight & figured that even the A6's with 76mm wheels would be about 3/8" longer than my current setup. I think if I go this route I'll try the A7's (what's 1 more inch, right?), as my big @$$ can use all the support I can get, and being a mostly defensive type player, I tend to take allot of shots off my skates.

[jpeaslee 30]

I actually like the added wheelbase on my sprungs. I feel like it adds stability, but i still feel more maneuverable. I've got the A8's on my bosses, but they are my clodhopping 12EE's. Went back and tried skating on vanguards and i just felt very unstable and like i was about to fall on my face. I'm another sprung convert for life.

[fatwabbit 93]

just to add, you wont have any issues with shots as the arms are designed for really heavy players in mind... in the freak event that it does happen, you should be able to swap out the arms for new ones within minutes.

I've had alu chassis dent on me before, and it wasnt pretty. So far I've taken numerous shots off my A6 without any problems, even scoring with them off a deflected shot off my chassis in my first game with them.

[Downz 0]

Been on the sprungs for a year, and don't think I could ever go back. My only problem however, is the pivot pin, or whatever it's called that goes through the arms strips too easily with the plastic. I have two pairs so I've been careful about not over tightening them, but I've only taken them off to dye, and now I can't get one of the pins out. I have extras, but does anyone have any recommendations. When I do get it out, won't the next one be stripped in there also? I've had to use the paper shims to tighten the springs, and I really need to do it to that last one.

[-venom- 0]

Been on the sprungs for a year, and don't think I could ever go back. My only problem however, is the pivot pin, or whatever it's called that goes through the arms strips too easily with the plastic. I have two pairs so I've been careful about not over tightening them, but I've only taken them off to dye, and now I can't get one of the pins out. I have extras, but does anyone have any recommendations. When I do get it out, won't the next one be stripped in there also? I've had to use the paper shims to tighten the springs, and I really need to do it to that last one.

Take it easy on 'em, you brute!

Let me take a look at 'em this weekend, I may be able to help you out.

[Sprungster 5]

Been on the sprungs for a year, and don't think I could ever go back. My only problem however, is the pivot pin, or whatever it's called that goes through the arms strips too easily with the plastic. I have two pairs so I've been careful about not over tightening them, but I've only taken them off to dye, and now I can't get one of the pins out. I have extras, but does anyone have any recommendations. When I do get it out, won't the next one be stripped in there also? I've had to use the paper shims to tighten the springs, and I really need to do it to that last one.

You're talking about the axle nut spinning in in its socket instead of unscrewing, right? Sometimes you can fill the gap around the nut with super glue, then when it dries try to unscrew the axle. The glue will pop out afterwards. If you totally can't get it to not spin, you need to use a 1/4" drill and drill straight into the center of the nut until you are through the end of the axle. That way you don't ruin the arm. When you put the new axle in, put the nut on the other side that is not stripped. I always softly tighten them to the max without torquing them, then back them off a hair so they don't flare each other or oxidize together. These are a bit delicate like all aluminum hardware, but at least you can replace the nuts. When you strip or mis-thread a mag or aluminum chassis with screw in axles, you loose a wheel.

Once again, the best way not to strip them is to make sure the nut is set in the socket squarely so it doesn't cross-thread, then turn the axle backward until you hear it click past the beginning of the threading, then start tightening slowly. If you over tighten them, the aluminum flares on the nut and axle, and they will stick together stronger than the chassis material. Same thing with most axles. If you over tighten them you will end up with stripped hex insets. When tightened this way, they are exactly as tight as they should be, and any movement is only the wheel on the bearing race, which is the way it should be.

[Downz 0]

Sprungster it's not the wheel axle. It's the pin that goes through the arms. I mean basically after it's stripped and I find a way to take it off, I'm kinda F'ed because I'll have to do it that way everytime I need to change an arm or something. I broke an arm where the pin goes through, and was skating on it without knowing, just felt some clicking, I now feel that on one of the arms I can't get off. Would really like to take a look and replace it, since I have some extra parts, I just can't get the thing off. Thanks for the help and responses, and Bob if I can't get it off by this weekend, I hope you can work some magic. :o