Sprung Hockey

[Grinder 2]

They're 6/32 stainless steel machine screws threaded into T-nuts (aka blind nuts) inside the boot.

[SouthPaw 0]

Has anyone compared the sprung chassis with the newron chassis? Any difference between the two?

[Bender 0]

Has anyone compared the sprung chassis with the newron chassis? Any difference between the two?

Take a look at this thread on the newron frame

also to take a qoute from it to answer your question as well

Sprungs have two pair of biased rocker arms that move independently and in conjunction as pairs. When you apply downward pressure they spread and allow the boot to sink into the suspension. You can have anywhere from one to four wheels on the ground and the suspension is still working. They are articulated with suspension.

Newrons have two solid one piece yokes rigidly attached to the frame that pivot but do not expand or contract. You have one, two or four wheels on the ground. Any bumps are passed directly to your foot. They are articulated without suspension.

[deniro 0]

Has anyone compared the sprung chassis with the newron chassis? Any difference between the two?

Take a look at this thread on the newron frame

also to take a qoute from it to answer your question as well

Sprungs have two pair of biased rocker arms that move independently and in conjunction as pairs. When you apply downward pressure they spread and allow the boot to sink into the suspension. You can have anywhere from one to four wheels on the ground and the suspension is still working. They are articulated with suspension.

Newrons have two solid one piece yokes rigidly attached to the frame that pivot but do not expand or contract. You have one, two or four wheels on the ground. Any bumps are passed directly to your foot. They are articulated without suspension.

I am curious myself, as outside of MSH I haven't seen much of anything about sprungs although it looks to be better than Newron. Over on IHC a guy from Newron is posting about them and having people in the AIHL/PIHA use them to spread the word. Not that there has been much in the way of a review on them or why they might be any good, more a novelty at this point.

It might be good for some of the people that have sprungs to go over there and post about them and why they are good (not so much get into a newron vs. sprung debate). I'd like to get some, but I can't be buying something new right now, and Idon't know that I'll be playing against any of the AIHL players that are wearing the Newron skates. Anyone from VA wearing sprungs or playing in the AIHL?

Stephen

[phantomowner27 20]

I've talked to a few sponsored players who are close friends of mine in NJ and I seriously doubt you'll see anyone in the AIHL wearing newron skates in an actual game. I would be shocked in fact. See the video they posted on youtube and watch when the guy tries to do fast crossovers... with the wheel base being so wide it can't be done.

[Rick 0]

Got my CCM Vector 8.0's in the mail today and the fit seems good. Now I just have to get an A8 chassis from Keith and I will be in business. I'm going to give them a spin tonight with the Tr-Di but I can't wait to convert these babies.

Rick

[Grinder 2]

Okay, I'm having some difficulty tweaking my A6's picThe wheels wiggle ever so slightly, and as such they rattle when I skate. I went through this thread, and found a few posts on the same problem. I bought and installed floating spacers, but still have the rattle. Yes, the axles are tightened up properly.

What should I try next? Some thin teflon or plastic washers? Any suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

[Sprungster 5]

Okay, I'm having some difficulty tweaking my A6's picThe wheels wiggle ever so slightly, and as such they rattle when I skate. I went through this thread, and found a few posts on the same problem. I bought and installed floating spacers, but still have the rattle. Yes, the axles are tightened up properly.

What should I try next? Some thin teflon or plastic washers? Any suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

First thing to do is take them all off and shake each one to see if it rattles. If it does, then it's either the floating spacer being too short (less than .40"), or sloppy bearings in the race. If the spacers are too long (more than .40"), the bearings can't seat properly, and the wheel will snap from one bearing seat to the other as you skate and make a lot of noise, and stretch the bearing seats so the wheel will wobble, too. If the spacers are too long or short for particular wheels, it may have nothing to do with the width of the spacers, but the wheel width and the bearing seat, and the different plastics, etc, etc, etc. The bearing size came first, and everybody, including us, tries to match up.

The specs are: .27 (bearing width) X 2 + .40 (spacer) = .94". The space between the bearing faces on all rocker arms is .94" with the axle locked tight, so if everything is the right size, you can't over tighten a wheel, only lock up and ruin the axle or nut. Anything with different measurements is going to show up after a while if not immediately. I hear jangly wheels and bearings on skates at every rink I ever go to. Sometimes new out of the box.

[-venom- 0]

I've talked to a few sponsored players who are close friends of mine in NJ and I seriously doubt you'll see anyone in the AIHL wearing newron skates in an actual game. I would be shocked in fact. See the video they posted on youtube and watch when the guy tries to do fast crossovers... with the wheel base being so wide it can't be done.

Pretty sure a couple guys will be wearing them... TJ Plaugher I know it talking them up pretty big. *shrug*

Gonna try to get my hands on a pair of A8s before the AIHL season picks up....

[phantomowner27 20]

I've talked to a few sponsored players who are close friends of mine in NJ and I seriously doubt you'll see anyone in the AIHL wearing newron skates in an actual game. I would be shocked in fact. See the video they posted on youtube and watch when the guy tries to do fast crossovers... with the wheel base being so wide it can't be done.

Pretty sure a couple guys will be wearing them... TJ Plaugher I know it talking them up pretty big. *shrug*

Gonna try to get my hands on a pair of A8s before the AIHL season picks up....

Pretty sure I read on IHC that Plaugher has been talking them up as a training skate. Again, If Plaugher, Street or anyone else is really using them in AIHL games, I'll be incredibly surprised.

[iceburg19 1]

hey keith,thanks for those rockers and springs,there was some flex in the 705 graf boot and the frames so i added a spacer (filler)inbetween the bottom boot and frame,much,much better. the wheels arent rubbing any more .thanks again.

[Hoffer 0]

I've talked to a few sponsored players who are close friends of mine in NJ and I seriously doubt you'll see anyone in the AIHL wearing newron skates in an actual game. I would be shocked in fact. See the video they posted on youtube and watch when the guy tries to do fast crossovers... with the wheel base being so wide it can't be done.

Pretty sure a couple guys will be wearing them... TJ Plaugher I know it talking them up pretty big. *shrug*

Gonna try to get my hands on a pair of A8s before the AIHL season picks up....

Pretty sure I read on IHC that Plaugher has been talking them up as a training skate. Again, If Plaugher, Street or anyone else is really using them in AIHL games, I'll be incredibly surprised.

I saw with the hype put in to those posts is sounds like a script. I agree I don’t think you will see anyone in AIHL or PIHA games wearing them.

[Sprungster 5]

I don't know how many of you out there are skating outdoors, mostly, but if you skate outside you need to clean the dust out of the inside of the suspension fairly frequently. Dust is sandpaper without the paper, and Sprungs are plastic and the parts rub together a lot and they push against each other very hard in a very small contact area, so the pounds per square inch is massive. Dust and grit caught between the frame stops and the rocker arm stops will grind the plastic away if not removed often. 1/32" ground away at the stops lets the wheel move another 1/8", which is more than they are designed to move to begin with. The wheels will hit the inside of the frame and not roll well at all.

If you don't clean them out, they will get very loose in front fairly quickly. If you don't clean them out at all they will wear out way before their time. This holds true for indoor, too, but not as bad, by far. The rubber dust buildup inside should be removed from time to time even if you never skate outside. Some players never clean them at all and never have any problems, but unless your local dust is more like slime, it will take it's toll.

And... the axle nuts go in with the sleeve side inside the rocker arm, so that the axles are correctly aligned within the rocker arms. They also fit in backward with the sleeves sticking out way beyond the rocker arm, so that the sleeves grind off on the floor when you turn, but they don't hold the axles in place as well that way.

Real questions, here. If you play outdoors all the time, do you expect your equipment to last as long as it would if used indoors all the time? Does your equipment require more upkeep? Do you keep your outdoor equipment up and healthy or just use it till it drops? What are your expectations?

[WhiskeyTango19 0]

Hey Keith, (and everyone else reading this) I'm going to be getting a pair of sprungs for Christmas. I would just like to know which model you would recommend. I am 5'9, about 175 lbs. I try (emphasis on try) to be a speedy, shifty forward. I will be mounting them on a size 7R Easton S15 boot. Would you recommend I go with the A6, A7, or A8.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Aussie Joe 0]

Had a great triple header of games over the weekend with my newly converted Vapor XX to Sprung setup. Allot lighter then the XR's and I feel like I can use the benefits of the chassis allot more with the higher end boot. The Sprung pros are definately lost with lower model boots.

Had a bickering match with our goalie who described them as gimmicky. I told him about the goalie version out soon. Funny thing is he was thinking of getting a set just to try them out. He comes from a full inline background too!

[Rick 0]

Good tip Keith,

I have started pulling the pin/bolt out after about every other skating session, removing the rockers and cleaning everything with spray glass cleaner. Thats also when I rotate the wheels. It doesn't take long and you wouldn't believe the grit I clean out from playing on blacktop.

Also to answer your question about playing outside it really tears up my gear. A real bummer but I have accepted it because I have no other choice in the summer. In the winter I play with a league that plays inside but we still play on cement, not as hard on the gear as the blacktop but it still takes a toll. I for the most part use lower level gloves and shin pads because they just get ate up anyway and I don't want to ruin really nice leather gloves and other high end gear. My Sprungs and some of my skate boots are the best equipment I own, everything else is lower level stuff. I even play with an Easton alluminum shaft and man have I burned through the blades over the years. I have been super impressed with the way my Sprungs have held up playing on rough blacktop. Over the years I have scraped up and ground the sides of several chassis but my Sprungs are holding up well and I weigh in at 225. I did dye my white rockers black because they just got so filthy playing on blacktop but that was more of a cosmetic thing than anything else.

Rick Henry

[JoeyJ0506 191]

Anybody in Western PA know a place that can do the mounting job well and inexpensively? I just hopped on the Sprungs wagon and got myself a set of Lg A8s. So, if someone could give me a heads-up where to get these guys mounted on my 8ks I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

[Rick 0]

I'm a big advocate for mounting them the way Keith showed us near the beginning of the thread with T-nuts and bolts. I know it sounds intimidating but it really isn't that hard to do and it makes it real easy to change to a new boot if you want. I have saved a bunch of money and a long drive just mounting them myself.

Rick Henry

[JoeyJ0506 191]

I appreciate the advice, but i know i do not have the technical know-how to do the job properly. but, if no one has any info i'll just get out the yellowpages and see what i can find. thanks

[phantomowner27 20]

Anybody in Western PA know a place that can do the mounting job well and inexpensively? I just hopped on the Sprungs wagon and got myself a set of Lg A8s. So, if someone could give me a heads-up where to get these guys mounted on my 8ks I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

Bladerunners in Harmarville or Cranberry. Just make sure you have Josh Huber do them.

[nickyb13 9]

I had mine done at the RMU Island Sports Center proshop. They were pretty cheap and done in a reasonable amount of time.

[JoeyJ0506 191]

No go on the cranberry bladerunners, just called and the guy told me they cannot do inline skate chassis mounting. sucks. Guess i can try neville island, its where my games are, but those are late at night, and not a short drive.

[fatwabbit 93]

Joey, why do you try to mount them yourself? I just tried to do that over the weekend on a very old pair of skates, and found it to be pretty ok. The first hole took some time to do, as I wanted to be a little more cautious... but the other holes were done pretty quick.

Use the method that Keith described earlier by using Tnuts and screws...

[JoeyJ0506 191]

Believe me, i would try it, i would love to save the money. But, the skates are also a very nice pair that i don't want to take the chance on absolutely destroying by trying to do the job myself. I can do very basic handiwork, but mounting this chassis on a pair of $300+ skates is not something i am confident in doing myself. I'd rather spend the extra $25 to have the job done professionally and properly than try it myself and wreck the chassis, skates, or both. I simply do not have the cash to take that kind of risk with the skates. I appreciate the encouragement, but i'm just not that comfortable doing it myself. I'm going to try running to neville island tomorrow morning Nickyb13, how much did it cost you/ how long did it take. I have from about 10 until 3ish free tomorrow.

[fatwabbit 93]

No prob... I understand where you are coming from as well.

I guess I'm pretty lucky (in a way)... the rink owner here does some of the mounting for free. He uses countersunk screws and nuts... problem is he'll grind off your chassis, so potentially you could have a chassis with grind marks all over the joint. I decided to do my own as the last mount job he did wasnt exactly the best. One of the mounts was slightly further forward, but they were a backup pair so I wasnt fussed.

The other alternative here is to have a 'pro' shop do it... the last I asked, they told me 'yea, we should be able to do it for you'... SHOULD??? and the cost was about $100 for both skates.