Sprung Hockey

[phantomowner27 20]

what rate of wear do you think you could get with the nylon alloy against moving alu or mag alloy parts?

Finally mounted my a-7's on the new 9k boot. It feels amazing! When I tried using the hummer chassis (80's) and even the old flat sure grip (72's ?) I never felt comfortable. The difference I've noticed between the a-6 and a-7 is more speed. I don't feel any loss of maneuverability, which was my main concern going to all 80's.

I definitely recommend the new 9k boot. It has better ankle support than the old 9k and I love the old skool white felt tongue. Didn't get them baked and they're completely comfortable from the first skate on. Messed around in the skates twice during the week for about 30 minutes and they were good to go in this past weekends games.

new 9k with a-7 frame

Those look great. I was thinking of getting sprungs on the regular 9ks as i've never been a fan of the white, but they look amazing!

What skate size and frame size did you use?

any more pics would be great!

The boots are 8.5E and the frame is an A-7 (medium sized sprung frame). I'll get some more pics and try to post them this weekend.

[Sprungster 5]

What's supossed to be the pro's of replacing the nylon arms for metal arms? How much weight are you going to save? How much more stress can those alloys support compared to the nylon?

Is this just a marketing move, because most people think metal is more reliable than nylon?

Half of the weight in a roller hockey skate is in the wheels and bearings, so why make such a big move for just a few grams...

The metal rocker arms will be lighter and stronger, and they will not break at the pivot knuckles. They won't torque, and they will make the suspension more efficient and predictable. The metal does not touch the nylon frame. There will be Thin lube discs separating the arms from the inside of the frame at the pivots, and the stops will be replaceable. The frames will be designed to take the increased force from the non-bending rocker arms. A lot more like ice holders.

[sdcopp 1]

hope you can get that together soon then Keith, sounds like you're hitting every small point I was wanting to see improved. I'd try that for sure since the current model was a huge step over the first ones but weren't quite there yet for me after trying both.

[fatwabbit 93]

Having nylong frames, and mg arms might be the way to go... the frames dont really take a beating, its more the arms that get hammered during blocked shots and such...

just wanted to ask... what is the difference in the pitch between a hilo and the sprungs? As much as i love my sprungs, I still feel too 'heelish'. Maybe adding a slight 3-5mm heel lift would help?

[Sprungster 5]

Having nylong frames, and mg arms might be the way to go... the frames dont really take a beating, its more the arms that get hammered during blocked shots and such...

just wanted to ask... what is the difference in the pitch between a hilo and the sprungs? As much as i love my sprungs, I still feel too 'heelish'. Maybe adding a slight 3-5mm heel lift would help?

The metal rocker arms can put enough strength in the small spaces I need to place the wheel sets right next to each other, so the small 80 frame would be 3/8" less than the A7.

The pitch of all the frames is taken from the original Mission made Hi-Lo, with wheels in place. I felt heelish on the A6s, but I could get over it. The over skate on the toes was my problem. Heel lifts are OK but you don't want to torque the frame or the boot. Three mm is about max, usually. The original A6 has indents where the factory wheel lift was going to fit into. Ended up, nobody wanted it.

This drawing has a metal frame. The shape of the frame would look the same but be formed for max nylon strength for the metal parts. Like, there wouldn't be a space between the rear mounts like with metal. An extrusion patent drives the way the frames are made, by everybody avoiding it.

[shank 0]

Sprungster- I've been playing roller hockey for 18 years. I have been using the same Microns w/ Labaeda chassis the entire time. I need to upgrade! The reason I have been using the same skates for all these years is simple. I played with in a tournament in California when I purchased my Labaeda chassis. When they mounted the chassis, they "power" mounted them. I guess that means the toes are mounted in and the heal is mounted out (not straight like a skate). This gives you more push off at the end of your stride. It feels exactly like ice skates. Therefore, you can play roller hockey one night and ice the next and you don't even know the difference. How do you think this would work with these chassis?

[Sprungster 5]

Sprungster- I've been playing roller hockey for 18 years. I have been using the same Microns w/ Labaeda chassis the entire time. I need to upgrade! The reason I have been using the same skates for all these years is simple. I played with in a tournament in California when I purchased my Labaeda chassis. When they mounted the chassis, they "power" mounted them. I guess that means the toes are mounted in and the heal is mounted out (not straight like a skate). This gives you more push off at the end of your stride. It feels exactly like ice skates. Therefore, you can play roller hockey one night and ice the next and you don't even know the difference. How do you think this would work with these chassis?

Although I've mounted my own boots with the frames toe in, and a lot of other players have done the same over the years, the balance and acceleration are better with them centered. It's still a matter of personal taste, and if you are comfortable with toe in, the Sprungs will feel right, too. This is not the part that makes them skate more like ice. Sprungs make it much easier to cross back and forth daily between ice and roller, but good skaters have been doing it all along with reg frames. It doesn't mean their skates are like ice, it just means they're good enough at both that it doesn't bother them... or they are adequate in both and complacent. The number crunching in most of the roller industry is based on adequate and complacent.

[Aussie Joe 0]

Anything that involves strengthening the frame and making it lighter, I’m a fan. I did notice the weight incerease since I started the A6’s 2 years ago. Obviously, I’ve gotten past it but will be looking to buy a new set of frames and skates within 6-12 mths. My current set clearly has a limited life span atm.

I’m not fussed by colours, a nice black frame with metallic coloured arms would be fine.

[vinceyuen 0]

Has anyone tryed mounting these frames on a size 5 boot?

I have been emailing back and forth with sprung, they said it would fit.

My concern is that, would the frame look too big on the boot?

Anyone got pictures that they could post here?

Thanks!

[Sprungster 5]

We're waiting on a fresh supply of both sizes of rocker arms, but I unearthed a small bin of black large rocker arms, so I did a short run of A7 frames and now have ten pair of Really Black A7s that only Modsquaders know about. ;)

[Rick 0]

Hope someone can help me out with a Sprung/wheels question. Up until now I have been skating on blacktop and smooth cement and have been using some older Kuzak 82A wheels and a combo of Hyper outdoor wheels. Now I have a chance to play on a plastic court surface. At 225lbs what is the best wheel/Durameter for that surface?

Rick

[nickyb13 9]

Im 200 ish and I used some 76a revision bronze wheels. They worked pretty well.

[fatwabbit 93]

Rick, go with some 76a wheels or possibly 78a. I'm 215lbs

I skate indoors on sportcourt, and found that the 76a wheels are the ones that are the borderline... anything above that for me and I wipeout in the corners.

Currently, I'm using some 74a in the front two, and 76a in the rear. A7 are arriving this week, so I'm going to be using all 76a and see how that goes.

[Rick 0]

Thanks for the advice guys. I have four wheels that are 76A Durameter so I need to order four more in 76 or 78A for this sunday. Its funny I can get stuff from Hockey World the next day (Michigan to Indiana) but I can't get anything locally.

Thanks Again

Rick

I just checked the Hockey World web page and it looks like I can go with four Labeda Grippers or four Mr. Sticky's to go with the four Rink Rats I have. Which would you choose? They have Rink Rats but they are a little more than I really want to pay right now.

Rick

[Brokensticks 0]

I'm currently at 185 but was playing at 210 with the white Labeda Grippers on sport court on my Code Carbons. Didn't like the grip (or lack thereof). I was going to try the clear Grippers (they're 74A) because the local LHS had them for cheap. Just haven't made it back there lately. My brother uses the white Grippers and liked them but they wore down more quickly for him. He plays around 235 or 240 though.

[TLR156 0]

How important is it to use bearing spacers with sprungs (8mm axles)? I finally got the mounting process finished last night, & then dyed my frames & rockers. My wheels & bearings showed up at work today, so all I have to do is assemble the lot , but realized that I have no spacers, & I'm not sure if any of the LHS carry the 8mm "floating" ones. I skate tonight & would love to try out my new shoes, but don't want to risk damaging the new Bones Reds bearings on their maiden voyage...

[Aussie Joe 0]

My bearings stuck to the sides without spacers and slowed down abit. Spoke with Keith who recommended the spacers to keep everything lined up and tight. Now my wheels are locked in and spin like your favourite CD.

[rebel96 0]

If you don't want to risk damaging the bearings don't skate without spacers, but I did this when I intially had my sprungs mounted and it was ok. The sprung axels are the same diameter as the hole through the bearing, however the damage would be caused when you tighten up the axels. The bearings are effectively squeezed together by the rocker arms. Tighten too tight and you could completely mis-shape the bearing.

[TLR156 0]

Well, I lucked out & found some spacers at the LHS for $1.50 each, unfortunately they fit like crap though, & most of the wheels rattle a bit. I suppose the problem could be with the cores of the Labeda Grippers I'm running, but I'm banking on the spacers. The machining looked shoddy at best/ & even had to deburr one side of all but one of them. I guess at least I get to skate on them tonight.

I'll post up some pics when I get to work & load them on the server tomorrow.

[Ray 0]

Well, I lucked out & found some spacers at the LHS for $1.50 each, unfortunately they fit like crap though, & most of the wheels rattle a bit. I suppose the problem could be with the cores of the Labeda Grippers I'm running, but I'm banking on the spacers. The machining looked shoddy at best/ & even had to deburr one side of all but one of them. I guess at least I get to skate on them tonight.

I'll post up some pics when I get to work & load them on the server tomorrow.

If the bearings don't fit the cores of the wheels well, then the wheels will rattle when you skate/walk. Just shim the bearing with a piece of paper and you should be fine.

[TLR156 0]

So, I finally finished my skates, & got to try them out last night...

1st impressions:

Self Mounting - Easier than I though, though a bit time consuming, as this was my first conversion. Probably took as long or longer to take the ice tuuks's off the skates, as I was trying to do it without ruining them (I dyed them black too while I had the RIT going for the sprungs). I used 8-32 t-nuts & stainless hex-drive button head bolts in 3/8" (front) & 1/2" (rear) lengths, with washers, all sourced from the local Lowes store. Drilling holes in the soles of a $250 pair of skate boots is fairly nerve-racking if you've never done it before. I kept imagining the sprung chassis, bolts & all, tearing right through the soles of the boots the first time I skated on them. Patience is an invaluable tool during this process, sometimes things don't seem to line up, even when they do.

Extra length - (1/2" more skate wheel out front & rear compared with my old Hilo setup) Not as noticeable as I had feared. Mostly evident when crossing over backwards, though it was practically a non-issue by the end of the session.

Holy turning radius batman! - Carving turns in these things is a ridiculous improvement in maneuverability, despite the 1" increase in wheelbase.

I can actually stop on these - I was never very good at it on my Hilo setup (I'm using the same Labeda Medium Grippers, just different sizes), but in just one session was stopping pretty well. The only problem here for me was that if I didn't transfer my weight quickly enough, the skates wanted to turn rather than stop. I assume that this is due to my poor technique.

Skating in quicksand - I can kind of see what people were talking about as far as the "squish" effect when pushing off. This is an extremely foreign feeling, though at the end of the day, I don't feel like it resulted in me being slower overall. I suspect that once you get used to it, it'll be a non-issue.

Cool factor, etc. - "Dude, what the f**k are those things?", or "Hey, are those those chassis you were telling me about?". Nobody knew what to think about them. I'm a little disappointed that nobody can try my skates 'cause of my small feet.

Looks - Well, you decide...

[fatwabbit 93]

Sweet setup... what laces are you using?

The hex drive bolts... are they cheaper than normal phillips head bolts? Look like you were using 6 for the front mount plate, and 5 for the rear?

[nickyb13 9]

wow man those look great

[steelperformer 0]

The ice-season here in our hometown here in germany is going down in a few days. To the start of inlinehockey i made my second conversion to SPRUNGS. Last year i have converted the 9K's (for outdoor) and now the vapors for indoor - one of my teammates also changed now to SPRUNGS.

SPRUNGS is growing up here in germany . :D

[TLR156 0]

Sweet setup... what laces are you using?

The hex drive bolts... are they cheaper than normal phillips head bolts? Look like you were using 6 for the front mount plate, and 5 for the rear?

The laces are actually the one part I plan on changing. They are alleged to be waxed laces, which I ordered from Inline Warehouse, though they are nothing like the ones I am accustomed to. They are made by A & R. They are a bit on the slim side, don't seem to be very waxy, & don't hold the eyelets very well. I guess if you like your laces a bit on the "loose" side, then these would be ideal.

I doubt if the stainless hex head bolts were cheaper, I just liked the "clean" look of them. I think they ran about $1.80 per bag of 4.