Sprung question

[Souldriver 64]

To be honest i know many people do whatever but i would stick to whatever setup the chassis or boot is made for, over wise you can feel very off balanced to begin with, or at least thats what my personal experience was with making an old straight chassis into a hi-lo or rockered, just didnt work.

[brokensword 1]

althoma1; thanks for further clarifying. I'll prob go the A6 and either all 76s or 72s, as I have a set of each from all my tinkering.

Souldriver:

this 'journey' started with my desire to get the same sort of feeling I have on ice blades to correspond with my new inline experience. I just didn't like the way I suddenly couldn't skate anymore, or at least do the moves I know I can do. I investigated a lot, did a lot of reading, esp here on the forum, and even when I bought my first pair of modern inline skates, leaned toward the hi-lo setup as opposed to the flat. It just seemed closer to the ice motion. I then had to figure out what the difference was (understanding that wheels and steel blades are different), and I noted that the footprint of my new inlines sent the wheels further out in front and back of my usual ice boot. That would account for much of the awkwardness I had doing inline. But with that, I needed a new chassis, a smaller one, and smaller wheels. I figured I'd need all 72mm wheels to approximate my ice blade length. I ended up getting two pair of used inlines, one for the smaller chassis (got a junior skate for this, chassis was at least an inch shorter) and a used set of Mission Hi-los as that was like my current 'modern' set I'd just bought.

Cobbling up the new setup taught me about mounting the chassis too far to any side and made my eye more critical to what was happening. Even doing this, I still couldn't 'move' like I was used to, so I started applying some of the other info about which I'd read, mainly rockering. This did the trick. I could now turn and move much more like normal. Doing so meant I had to mix and match wheels and ended up with 72s in the middle and 68s at either end. Took a bit as I could really turn better but did lose some stability. My ice skates are not rockered per se but in looking at the lie, they did definitely lift at either end, giving me a shallow rocker. The 68s on the ends was a good approximation though there is actually more ice blade on the ice than there is wheels on the inline floor. I then went to 72s everywhere but in front, which did pretty well too. But the used boot I was using the new/smaller chassis on didn't exactly mesh and I found I was pulling the outer sole off the smaller chassi, more or less ruining any future use. So I went back to the new modern hi-los and rockered that. Doing this, I figured I had to use larger wheels and went with 76s, using the 72s now on either end for the rocker. Gives me more 'wheels on the floor' than the first setup but the footprint is longer. With the rockering though, I don't notice it and am glad I switched to the bigger chassis/newer boot. (the used boot was a bit small and I could feel it, but persevered anyway).

And in doing the remake, I learned about shims and pitches, so though you have to pay attention, once you get the balance point properly identified (the chassis that came with the original boot is the key; just set a line from center to center, back to front and mount the new chassis in like fashion; unless instructions say to mount using an offset as I believe the Sprungs advise).

So, I'm just hoping that springing for the Sprungs (heh, see what I did there??) that my turning won't be affected. That's what althoma1 has let me understand, though I'll lose the front rocker. It's an experiment to be sure, but I still want a more 'ice like' experience and very few (from what I've read) deny that this is what you get with the Sprung chassis. If I could get the same from the aluminum hi-los, I'd not be stretching the envelope. I do find that those that learned hockey/skating on ice boots have more trouble adapting to the wheels but it's not the same in reverse. That said, I know most of those who grew up first on inlines have a hard time learning a hockey stop on ice boots. Almost comical but those of us that can, keep trying to teach them. That said, these same guys that grew up doing inline first, and the same ones that invited me to their team, laughed hysterically the first time I tried to play inline hockey at the park. I still maintaing they were trying to kill me on the concrete parking lot where we played....

And that's the saga of my journey so far. If I could try Sprung, I would, but I don't seem able to. And there's no return policy other than for breakage within the warranty. That said, when I did email, I was told no one has returned them for other than warranty reasons, so that's a good thing. From althoma1's response, I'm actually looking forward to trying the new setup, no matter that I have to build a new set of inline skates. All part of the 'hobby'/fun I guess.

oh, and btw, I DID rocker a hi-lo system and it worked fine, despite the intel I read online. I started with 76s in front, 80s in back but currently what I use is; 72 on the ends, 76 in the middle. I couldn't use two 80s in the middle and two 76s on the ends due to the hi-lo/boot clearance. Though, I prob could shim the whole chassis...

Michael

Edited February 5, 2014 by brokensword

[Sprungdownunder 18]

If your a ice player definitely go the sprungs you won't regret it even if you are inline only I would still recommend them.

Why is it that on this forum when ever a sprung thread opens up it gets locked, is someone getting kickbacks from the bigger manufactures

to do this?, please don't say sprung needs to pay for advertising on this forum so we can all talk about his product. & get advise from him.

[KILLERWHALE 6]

Yes, that sounds like Sport Court. I'd stick with hard indoor wheels like the 78a you've been using. If you want to use one harder wheel I'd put it at the back as that wheel always seems to wear fastest with Sprungs.

I have used a rocker setup in the past and compared to Sprungs it was slower and more awkward. The Sprungs allow you to turn just as fast, but are smoother faster and more stable than a rockered setup.

Interesting. I have Vapor 8 (aluminum rocker), Vapor 10 (carbon rocker), and APXR

I am curious about sprungs. Can you be more specific as to the differences/advantages. You say smoother. With same wheels you notice differences b/w rocker/sprung ? I love Rocker, so if a fellow rocker says sprungs are that much better I would consider.

The Hi-Lo Mag is super fast with Addiction combo. But hard to control using 3 wheels as opposed to 2 on rocker for turns (2nd wheel no contact on 76-72-76-76 combo). Also I find the 76-76-76-76 on rock once broken in (front n rear wheel burn a bit) to rocker nicely.

Do all pro inline players use Sprung? I'm an ice goalie, so I don't know too much about Sprung.

[althoma1 574]

Interesting. I have Vapor 8 (aluminum rocker), Vapor 10 (carbon rocker), and APXR

I am curious about sprungs. Can you be more specific as to the differences/advantages. You say smoother. With same wheels you notice differences b/w rocker/sprung ? I love Rocker, so if a fellow rocker says sprungs are that much better I would consider.

The Hi-Lo Mag is super fast with Addiction combo. But hard to control using 3 wheels as opposed to 2 on rocker for turns (2nd wheel no contact on 76-72-76-76 combo). Also I find the 76-76-76-76 on rock once broken in (front n rear wheel burn a bit) to rocker nicely.

Do all pro inline players use Sprung? I'm an ice goalie, so I don't know too much about Sprung.

There are already a couple topics that compare the Tuuk Rocker to the Sprungs:

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/28133-is-the-tuuk-rocker-chassis-similar-to-the-sprung/

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/37963-tuuk-rocker-vs-sprung-a6/

I believe this post by MDE3 does the best job at providing more details comparing the two chassis and how they work:

MDE3

Posted 23 January 2007 - 12:42 PM

the Tuuk Rocker has a fixed axle that the rocker arm slides back and forth on freely. The Sprungs have the urethane springs that act like suspension and provide resistance.

With the Tuuk chassis you would always be skating on either one, two or three wheels, where the design of the Sprung chassis lets you keep all four wheels or at a minimum two wheels in contact with the floor.

This difference is important from the point of view of maintaining grip for hard cornering, starting a stride, finishing a stride correctly, or stopping.

On take off and for a toe kick the "Sprung" chassis lets you use two wheels throughout most of the stride, where a straight chassis, or even the Tuuk chassis ends up with only the front wheel in contact at the end of the toe kick extension...thus generating more push grip for the Sprung" chassis than either the traditional straight or Tuuk chassis.

[KILLERWHALE 6]

There are already a couple topics that compare the Tuuk Rocker to the Sprungs:

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/28133-is-the-tuuk-rocker-chassis-similar-to-the-sprung/

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/37963-tuuk-rocker-vs-sprung-a6/

I believe this post by MDE3 does the best job at providing more details comparing the two chassis and how they work:

Thank you for your time.

I did go over many threads. In saying that, I take into account any person who has skated on both. So every opinion (that is backed by experience) is valued.

Also, some people have mentioned more speed, grip, etc with Sprungs, but did not mention wheel/bearing setup. E.g. Sprungs may have been setup with modern top of the line bearings/wheels vs Tuuk Rockers with inferior micro bearing/wheels, possibly exaggerating Sprung benefits.

From what I've read, Sprungs sound really beneficial, but I am trying to figure out how far the gap truly is. Someone said 3 seconds off lap time with Sprung vs Tuuk. That's HUGE!

An APX2 with Tuuk Carbon, Swiss Bones, Addictions surely would result in faster times, better grip, etc. possibly closing that gap.

Again, I appreciate all input from anyone, because we all know 'chasing' for the best setup is $$$ . Just doing my research Probably will try Sprung down the road, and now there is some new Marsblade chassis. This stuff gets more confusing everyday LOL

[althoma1 574]

I'll quote myself from 2008:

I play ice more than roller and used the Tuuk Chassis for about 6 years before switching to Sprungs last year. I timed myself in both doing laps and I was about 3 seconds faster with the Sprungs. In addition, I feel the Sprungs provide better grip. The Tuuk Rocker chassis is a good chassis that does a good job mimicing an ice like feel, but in my personal opinion the Sprung Chassis is a significant upgrade.

I remember doing several laps in both and always being faster in the Sprungs. The closest I was able to get in the Tuuk Rockers was approximately 2 seconds slower than the slowest Sprung lap and the largest gap was around 3 seconds. It wasn't entirely scientific as it was just me, a couple pairs of skates and a stop watch on an outdoor rink - the bearings and wheels were the same type (crappy outdoor wheels and bearings), but the boots were different (New Mission L7 boots with the Sprungs vs. used Nike V12 Flexlite boots with the Tuuk rocker) so perhaps the stiffer L7 boots also helped improve the times. The Sprungs should be faster though since you'd have more wheels in contact with the surface when pushing off and turning.

It's been 6 years since I started using Sprungs and stopped using the Tuuk Rocker, but I still feel that the Sprungs are a significant upgrade. You can get better starts, turn faster and the skating feels smoother and the stride is closer to that of an ice stride. After using the Sprungs for a couple games there was no way I was ever going back to the Tuuk Rocker.

The Tuuk Rocker is more durable and requires less maintenance so that may be better for outdoor use, but for competitive indoor roller hockey the Sprungs are the far better choice. The durability has been improved with the higher quality plastic and thicker rocker knuckles on the new A6 chassis, but you still have to clean and hydrate them (conditions the plastic - if you let the plastic dry out it can be more susceptible to breaking) about once a month if you want them to last as long as possible.

Edited February 14, 2014 by althoma1

[KILLERWHALE 6]

Just the info I needed! Thanks

[althoma1 574]

No problem. If you do get the Sprungs just make sure they're mounted properly. They should be centered left to right, but 1/4" back from center front to back. Here are the mounting instructions:

1) Find something that shows up on the sole and mark the center of the toe and heel on the sole. Check the boot and sole to best find the center spots.

2) Draw a line from the toe spot to the heel spot.

3) Find the center of the line on the sole between the end edges of the sole and mark it.

4) Measure 1/4" toward the heel from the center point and mark this point with a line across the sole at 90 degrees to the center line.

5) Align the frame with the center of the toe mount and heel mount on the center line, and the horizontal cross member in the center of the frame lined up with the horizontal line on the sole (# 4).

6 Drill the holes through the frame (you can drill inward a little to avoid hitting the frame with the drill, and they will mount easier because of the slight angle). Or mark the mount holes through the frame and drill with the frame removed.

7) ENJOY

Here's a good YouTube video if you want to try doing it yourself, but I just had mine done at a LHS and brought the instructions emphasizing they should be 1/4" back from centre front to back:

[KILLERWHALE 6]

No problem. If you do get the Sprungs just make sure they're mounted properly. They should be centered left to right, but 1/4" back from center front to back. Here are the mounting instructions:

1) Find something that shows up on the sole and mark the center of the toe and heel on the sole. Check the boot and sole to best find the center spots.

2) Draw a line from the toe spot to the heel spot.

3) Find the center of the line on the sole between the end edges of the sole and mark it.

4) Measure 1/4" toward the heel from the center point and mark this point with a line across the sole at 90 degrees to the center line.

5) Align the frame with the center of the toe mount and heel mount on the center line, and the horizontal cross member in the center of the frame lined up with the horizontal line on the sole (# 4).

6 Drill the holes through the frame (you can drill inward a little to avoid hitting the frame with the drill, and they will mount easier because of the slight angle). Or mark the mount holes through the frame and drill with the frame removed.

7) ENJOY

Here's a good YouTube video if you want to try doing it yourself, but I just had mine done at a LHS and brought the instructions emphasizing they should be 1/4" back from centre front to back:

Well explained! I understood after a few reads.

What boots have you used with Sprungs? Would you say stiffer would maximize its potential or maybe a slightly flexier top end boot (weight aside) like a supreme 7000. I was a big fan of the Nike v12 when working as a pro shop tech back in the day and selling skates. Did you upgrade boot (Mission)?

Edited February 15, 2014 by KILLERWHALE

[althoma1 574]

I can't take credit for the instructions - those were originally posted by the creator of Sprungs (on his old site) and are also included in the comments of the YouTube video.

That Mission boot wasn't the best fit for my foot so I only used that one for one season. I tried the Mission Boss boots as well, but again they weren't the best fit for my feet. My favourite combos have been the Sprungs with Torspo Surge 221 (same mold as KOR Shift 1's) and my main current pair is a pair of KOR Shift 2 boots with the latest model of the Sprung A6 chassis. The Torspo and KOR boots are stiff, responsive and fit me quite well after baking. The other nice thing about the Torspos and Shift 2's is they both have the carbon unibase which allows for a good solid mount (although the mounts were also solid on both Mission boots that had separate composite outsoles).

I also use KOR Shift 2's to play ice hockey and Shift 1's to ref. So the fact that I have the same fit for ice and roller, in addition to the Sprungs, probably also helps me switch back and forth without issue.

Edited February 15, 2014 by althoma1

[KILLERWHALE 6]

I can't take credit for the instructions - those were originally posted by the creator of Sprungs (on his old site) and are also included in the comments of the YouTube video.

That Mission boot wasn't the best fit for my foot so I only used that one for one season. I tried the Mission Boss boots as well, but again they weren't the best fit for my feet. My favourite combos have been the Sprungs with Torspo Surge 221 (same mold as KOR Shift 1's) and my main current pair is a pair of KOR Shift 2 boots with the latest model of the Sprung A6 chassis. The Torspo and KOR boots are stiff, responsive and fit me quite well after baking. The other nice thing about the Torspos and Shift 2's is they both have the carbon unibase which allows for a good solid mount (although the mounts were also solid on both Mission boots that had separate composite outsoles).

I also use KOR Shift 2's to play ice hockey and Shift 1's to ref. So the fact that I have the same fit for ice and roller, in addition to the Sprungs, probably also helps me switch back and forth without issue.

I read a bit about KOR, but never had the luxury of putting them on and baking/breaking in one, so its something I hope I get a chance to do one day. Same with Alkali/Tour boots.

When I was a pro shop tech, I got many chances to try on whatever was on sale at the store, building knowledge, but that was ages ago.

I am also trying to get a pair of inlines that match the feel of a custom +, so transitions are not as drastic. I play goal first, in Supreme 7000, then I might play out in Vapor 10 (Custom +) and public skate in Supreme 8000 (Lightspeed), then street in Vapor 8 & 10 (with Roackers)/ APXR (Hi-Lo.) In a way its not too bad, because I can adjust to experiment skates easily.

I read Sprung is not up and running? If they do get back/are back, I would certainly give it a go. Possibly Marsblade as well down the line. Never hurts to live and learn and share.

If Sprungs are adjustable, then I'm curious how close it can get to the Custom+ feel. Also, do you know if Sprungs adjustable to the point where it can mimic (without actually adding a lift) a 3mm raise in Custom + (3mm disc at heel)? Any input appreciated!

Edited February 16, 2014 by KILLERWHALE

[althoma1 574]

Other than adding lifts or changing the mounting position (not really recommended as they're designed to be used mounted as instructed) there's not a lot you can do to customize the feel of the Sprungs. If you're using an A6 chassis you can use all 72mm or all 76mm wheels or if you're using the A7/A8 you can use all 76mm or all 80mm. You should not mix wheel sizes. You can of course also use different durometers, but I'd recommend erring on the side of harder wheels. The Sprungs add more grip and if you use a wheel that's too soft it can feel like you're skating in mud - they feel better with harder wheels.

Cosmetically they can definitely be customized - mainly people have used plastic dye to dye them different colours as I'm sure you saw if you browsed through the Sprung thread.

Some people have had trouble reaching Sprung recently, but as far as I know they received a new shipment of frames and parts in the fall and are up and running. I received my latest frames this past November.

Edited February 16, 2014 by althoma1

[KILLERWHALE 6]

Appreciate all your valuable time kind sir.

Happy to speak the language of skates.

I'm happy to see the progress in technology to roll blissfully. So many unique custom breeds. Really amazing stuff to learn!

Edited February 17, 2014 by KILLERWHALE

[brokensword 1]

Just wanted to add a follow up note;

I received my Sprungs 5 days after I ordered them and have skated twice now; from the start, I noticed a big difference from the hilos I'd been using (rockered hilos, too). Turning was a bit better, grip and stability a lot better, very much similar now to my ice skates. I haven't been able to tell yet if there's any speed gain (hence my other thread re wheel size, etc) as I went from basically skating on two 76s to four 72s. That said, I'm using outdoor wheels for the inside pair and 78a wheels for the ends. Haven't had any slippage at all and the feel is really great. It's only been two games but I'm glad I 'sprung' for the Sprungs!

Thanks to all for the advice and help.

[althoma1 574]

Just wanted to add a follow up note;

I received my Sprungs 5 days after I ordered them and have skated twice now; from the start, I noticed a big difference from the hilos I'd been using (rockered hilos, too). Turning was a bit better, grip and stability a lot better, very much similar now to my ice skates. I haven't been able to tell yet if there's any speed gain (hence my other thread re wheel size, etc) as I went from basically skating on two 76s to four 72s. That said, I'm using outdoor wheels for the inside pair and 78a wheels for the ends. Haven't had any slippage at all and the feel is really great. It's only been two games but I'm glad I 'sprung' for the Sprungs!

Thanks to all for the advice and help.

If you're skating in a really small rink then the shorter wheel base and turning radius of the all 72mm wheels may be helpful, however; if you're skating in a full sized rink I'd go with all 76mm. You'll gain speed and won't loose much mobility at all. Since you're using either 72mm or 76mm I assume you went with the A6 chassis and that chassis has the shortest wheel base of all the Sprungs. That's the one I use and I'm happy with the all 76mm setup (I've used all 72mm with old flat chassis in the past). Going form 72mm to 76mm won't be a quantum leap in speed, but it'll help.

Oh, and I'd actually use the hardest wheel in the back position - that's the wheel that will wear fastest with Sprungs (by far). Personally, I currently use 78a 76mm wheels (Rink Rat Hot Shots) in the first three spots and an 84a outdoor wheel (Rink Rat World Cup) in the back spot on Sport court.

[louierev07 31]

Just got done with my second half hour screaming session from dealing with these fucking things. Dont get me wrong, when they are all set up and on they work great, but changing wheels and cleaning them is fucking ridiculous.

Heres what happened:

Yesterday I went to go switch a wheel, and noticed one of the axles was stripped. No big deal I figured today when I got some time I could deal with it. My first method to get it out was to use a slightly bigger torx bit to bang in, and hopefully it would catch enough to be able to turn. Nope, after getting it nice and snug, the metal around it bent like it was made of cheap aluminum. So the next method I tried was using a dremel to cut a channel through the axle, so I could just use a regular flat head screwdriver. I thought there was no way this wouldn't work, and has been my "last resort backup plan" should I ever encounter something like this. Well even after doing that, the metal still just bent around the screwdriver like butter. Fuck. I was amazed that the cheap plastic holding the nut on the other side was keeping the bolt from spinning, considering I had a problem 2 days prior with that exact thing happening. Eventually I twisted and yelled so hard that it eventually did start spinning on the other side... So as far as I can tell, outside of drilling the bolt out and possibly damaging the frame any further, im SOL.

Here are the design problems with this frame:

1. The axle on the side with the nut is held in place by nothing else but plastic. Should the nut start spinning, your pretty much screwed since you cannot use a wrench or anything to hold it tight unless you cut through the plastic of the frame. When this happened to me I was able to bang in a small flat head screwdriver against one of the sides, and luckily it was enough for me to get the axle out. I had to hammer it in though - which may or may not have damaged the plastic. This is also the same with the other pin on the skate - only held in place by plastic.

2. For some dumb fucking reason, they dont use the same size allen wrench as every other roller blade ever made EVER. Noticed this a few weeks after owning them. If you use a normal wrench, itll still work, but there is some play there that will eventually wear on the axles. It doesnt help that they axles are made out of cheap shit metal, but using a wrench that is slightly too small just makes it worse. (FYI I found a 4 or 5mm wrench to be the best fit)

3. The quality of the metal is crap. Maybe thats why the things keep getting stuck? I do not overtighten at all, and this shit still happens. I can only guess that the metal is bending while wearing, which is what makes it so hard to get off. Also fucking ridiculous that even after making a channel for a flathead screw driver, I STILL couldn't get it to turn, and the metal started bending so badly.

If I were in charge of fixing these, I would:

1. Use axles that stick out a bit on each side, so worst case scenario, you can just use a socket wrench to get it out.

2. Use a normal size allen key...

3. Use better quality metal for the metal parts.

And just to add to this - fuck this plastic bullshit. Make a high quality magnesium or at least aluminum frame. This thing costs 200 goddam dollars, and it looks like I bought it from toys r us.

I cannot express how much my heart, hand, and wallet hurt right now. The frame actually works awesome when your all set up. Once I got used to it, I dont think I could ever go back to a straight frame. I just bought a marsblade, but have yet to really test it out yet. The difference in quality and polish is very apparent though, and I have much more confidence in marsblade being around, and not breaking than I do with sprungs. CAN you even buy sprungs anymore? I went to their website, and the link to the store is gone. I also emailed keith a few months ago for spare parts and I never got a response.

Just pretty upset and disappointed. I just started a roller league too, and was finally adjusting to using the sprungs on that surface. Now I need to either fix these, or get indoor wheels for the marsblades asap.

Heres a pic of what it looks like now:

heres a few more:

http://i.imgur.com/KxvmbeZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/9vHAIEh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/3bQGd3b.jpg

Edited July 8, 2014 by louierev07

[althoma1 574]

Sorry to read about your trouble. I'm surprised it's happened more than once with the axels in such a short time frame. I've only had an axel get stuck once in the 6 or so years I've used Sprungs. I did have the pivot pins get stuck a couple times and now I always make sure to dremel out grooves in the flat end to prevent this and haven't had any issues since doing this.

Hopefully you can reach Keith as if all else fails a new rocker arm would make the skates useable (of course you'd also need one new wheel, two bearings and a spacer).

[louierev07 31]

Sorry to read about your trouble. I'm surprised it's happened more than once with the axels in such a short time frame. I've only had an axel get stuck once in the 6 or so years I've used Sprungs. I did have the pivot pins get stuck a couple times and now I always make sure to dremel out grooves in the flat end to prevent this and haven't had any issues since doing this.

Hopefully you can reach Keith as if all else fails a new rocker arm would make the skates useable (of course you'd also need one new wheel, two bearings and a spacer).

I was able to drill out the bolt using a 1/4" bit. The bit was just small enough to not damage the frame, so I think im OK for now.

http://imgur.com/a/RRMK2

I actually had one extra axle from when I originally ordered. I wanted to have a few extra parts on hard incase anything happened - good thing I did.

Even though im ok right now, I have zero faith in them holding up. If some crap like this happened before a game, I would be totally screwed, and I would have to play with outdoor wheels.

I dont understand why the metal is such shit quality. And even disregarding that, the plastic keeping the nut locked in is just a terrible idea. I actually went to home depot to check to see if they had anything that I could use in place of what I have now and there is pretty much nothing.

On the positive side, I just went out and skated on the marsblades for a while, and im happy to report that they are very comparable to sprungs. At the moment, I still feel better skating on sprungs, but I still need time to adjust to marsblade. I think for quick turning, sprungs will have the advantage because of only having 2 wheels on the ground at times, but everything else is even. Marsblade when tightened feels almost identical to sprungs. Plus, when you loosen it up it makes it harder to skate, but its very apparent that you have to use certain muscles more, and I think it will definitely benefit my ice skating.

My plan was to use marsblade for "off-ice training", and sprungs for pickup games and indoor roller hockey, but if they crap out on me again, I might have to abandon them and only use marsblade, or possibly go back to hilo for roller.

Gonna try emailing keith again to see if I can get a bunch of spare parts. If not I might be scrapping them :(

Edited July 9, 2014 by louierev07

[brokensword 1]

Sorry you had such a bad experience. Your post got me wondering though but when I went looking for the site/store, it's still there, as well as showing axle assemblies availability of 68. Had my size frames (A6) in excess of 90. So, I think you can still get your parts if you contact them. I've been skating now twice a week in my Sprungs and would never go back, so hope you can get some satisfaction and renewed confidence. From althoma1's posting, seems they will last and are dependable. Just had a friend with a 4 year skate (Reebok) suddenly break a chassis, so...

And strange that you say your typical skate wrench would not work as that's all I've ever used, so the size is the same (as my original mission chassis). Maybe you have an older model?

Anyway, here's the store link to the axles I mentioned.

http://sprunghockey.com/store/sprung-parts?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=11&category_id=2

Michael

[Puckface 0]

Howdy, all. My Tuuks gave up the ghost and I am intrigued by Sprung. Althoma1 refers to a newer, stronger version of Sprung... is that the Sprung13? Where is that model sold? At the Sprung website, I only see the A6, A7 and A8 listed.

On that site, I also don't see any sizing suggestions. I wear a size 9 Mission boot, am just under 6 feet and weigh about 160 pounds. Would this put me on an A7 (medium) Sprung chassis? Does the Sprung13 come in different sizes?

I play outdoors, on a concrete rink that's maybe two-thirds the size of a full rink. Would you figure 76-size wheels, with an 80 durometer?

Thanks to this forum, I also checked out the Marsblade site. Those folks use the term "training skate" about a millon times, making me wonder if that means the chassis is not engineered for the wear and tear of roller hockey games?

[louierev07 31]

Whoops nevermind, I see it now. I was googling sprungs store and sprungs hockey and it wasnt coming up before (or at least I couldn't find it during my rage).

Since they are still in business, and I can stock up on some extra parts, I probably will go ahead and get some (as long as I can get ahold of them). I just dont understand why the quality of the metal is so bad. I honestly think the stripped axle wasnt the problem, but that it was just metled into the nut (or close). I was twisting as hard as I could and the nut wasnt spinning and it would not budge. I did them extra loose the night before.

I am also considering shaving down the outside of the plastic on a few spots incase I ever need to hold the nut with a pair of pliers while trying to get the bolt out. I dont wanna have to destroy another axle to get it out. Dont know how I can avoid having what happened to me tonight happen again though.

And the typical skate wrench does work, but if you notice, it actually jiggles a little while in there. I guess its fine in a pinch, but over time thats gonna wear the axle out. If you have a 4mm wrench handy, try it out it works much better.

And btw speaking of things being slightly off, I tried finding a nut to use inplace of the ones that come with it, and nothing fits that bolt. Dont know if its metric or what, but home depot didnt have anything in store that would work. Not that its a perfect substituion either way, since the sprungs nut has the little part that ensures you dont overtighten, or damage the plastic.

One last question. On the Sprungs store, If I wanted to buy a rockerarm, do they sell them by two or one a piece? It says 1, but 2 are pictured. Same with the pivot pin assembly, and the wheel axis assembly.

Has anyone ever had any problems with the actual frame? The replacement parts are cheap enough that as long as the frame is OK, I wont worry as much about breaking the small peices.

[althoma1 574]

Howdy, all. My Tuuks gave up the ghost and I am intrigued by Sprung. Althoma1 refers to a newer, stronger version of Sprung... is that the Sprung13? Where is that model sold? At the Sprung website, I only see the A6, A7 and A8 listed.

On that site, I also don't see any sizing suggestions. I wear a size 9 Mission boot, am just under 6 feet and weigh about 160 pounds. Would this put me on an A7 (medium) Sprung chassis? Does the Sprung13 come in different sizes?

I play outdoors, on a concrete rink that's maybe two-thirds the size of a full rink. Would you figure 76-size wheels, with an 80 durometer?

Thanks to this forum, I also checked out the Marsblade site. Those folks use the term "training skate" about a millon times, making me wonder if that means the chassis is not engineered for the wear and tear of roller hockey games?

All the chassis on the site are newer. The older model was sold out a while ago and you'll only find those on the used market.

The difference between the new A6 and the old one is beefed up knuckles on the rocker arms and stronger plastic. The design of the A7 and A8 remains the same, but the strength of the plastic was also upgraded on those. I think Sprung13 was just in reference to the new "2013" models, but the naming of the actual chassis wasn't changed. Before they were released the redesigned A6 was being referred to as A6X, but it appears that naming convention didn't get implemented upon release.

As for sizing, the A7 would likely be best for a size 9, however; you could fit an A6 on there as well if you want to go with a smaller wheel base. I used to have an A6 on a pair of 8.5 Missions.

For durometer, keep in mind that Sprungs provide more grip than a standard chassis so you can go with a harder wheel. If you were using 80a with your old chassis you may want to go with 82a or 84a with Sprungs.

Edited July 9, 2014 by althoma1

[Marsblade 23]

Howdy, all. My Tuuks gave up the ghost and I am intrigued by Sprung. Althoma1 refers to a newer, stronger version of Sprung... is that the Sprung13? Where is that model sold? At the Sprung website, I only see the A6, A7 and A8 listed.

On that site, I also don't see any sizing suggestions. I wear a size 9 Mission boot, am just under 6 feet and weigh about 160 pounds. Would this put me on an A7 (medium) Sprung chassis? Does the Sprung13 come in different sizes?

I play outdoors, on a concrete rink that's maybe two-thirds the size of a full rink. Would you figure 76-size wheels, with an 80 durometer?

Thanks to this forum, I also checked out the Marsblade site. Those folks use the term "training skate" about a millon times, making me wonder if that means the chassis is not engineered for the wear and tear of roller hockey games?

The reason we use those terms is because it is originally designed to help improving your skating technique. However we have hundreds of players that use it for inline hockey games and there is no problem with durability. The design is very simple and few parts that can break. Let me know if you have any questions. //Per Mårs, Inventor of Marsblade

[Puckface 0]

Thanks for the quick responses.

Althoma1, are the beefed-up knuckles on the A6 significant enough to merit going with the smaller chassis? What tradeoffs would that bring to my skating?