ASRA - Australian Skateboard Racing Association

Kookies v Smokeys

Hi I'm considering getting some serious downhill trucks and I'm wondering what your opinions are on what to get? I really like the bear smokeys and Kookies. Which is better? Is there much of a difference?
So that's what I want to know.
Thanks
Jackson

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Permalink Reply by Michael English on October 6, 2009 at 19:24
hey im in the same boat... but i have never heared bad things about kookys and some people say that smokeys are twitchy and the 10mm bearings are expensive... so i think im going to get kookys. How do they roll on a nemmy?
Permalink Reply by SteveC on October 6, 2009 at 19:36
Kooky all the way. Sphericals blow IMO.
Both are going to be very low on a nemmy, it will lead to a rather drifty ride.
That said it's nothing a riser can't fix if you want the grip, it even gives you room to wedge/de-wedge them if you want - or you can just indulge it's desire to drift heaps. Like I do :)
Permalink Reply by Michael English on October 6, 2009 at 19:44
it will still grip hard with 70mm green zigzags tho?

SteveC said:
Kooky all the way. Sphericals blow IMO.
Both are going to be very low on a nemmy, it will lead to a rather drifty ride.
That said it's nothing a riser can't fix if you want the grip, it even gives you room to wedge/de-wedge them if you want - or you can just indulge it's desire to drift heaps. Like I do :)
Permalink Reply by leighgriffiths on October 6, 2009 at 20:26
Michael English said:
it will still grip hard with 70mm green zigzags tho?

of course you'll be able to make it grip. you'll just have to adapt to the riding style of a different rig, just as you would with any change to your set-up.
however 70's on kooky's isn't going to give you much clearance at all when dealing with obstacles like catseye's.

Premium MemberPermalink Reply by Jacko on October 6, 2009 at 20:48
70mm wheels are fine with kookys, the kingpin doesnt hit bumps and what not, u just gotta turn it around so it faces inwards (as in the nut of the kingpin is closest to the board not the ground). They have a deep bushing seat so the kingpin will sit nicely in the hanger and wont stick out too much. The smokeys have a spherical bearing in the hanger which creates a larger gap between both bushings, thus making the kingpin closer to the ground.

and also, adding risers will not give you more traction, just more leverage for turning...
having low trucks does not give you a drifty ride, they have split axles and actually are designed to give you more traction as the power through turning is delivered straight to your wheels. Look at slalom trucks for instance, the best slalom trucks are split axles and they provide superior traction and power compared to regular trucks. It comes down to what sort of board your riding and the wheel base that determines what sort of traction you are going to get.

For the smokeys, you dont really have to run them with the spherical bearing in the hanger, you can take it out, flip the hanger and put a bushing straight into the slot where the spherical was (only a barrel shape bushing will fit). Now this creates a nice deep bushing seat and thins out the distance between each bushing, creating a nice and smooth ride. Both bushings arent 1cm away from each other and are now working in nice harmony and give you that nice return to centre you never felt with smokeys. The spherical in the hanger was good for going fast and straight as it allowed those slight twitches (aka speed wobs) to just fade out and the truck would just kinda float, however in corners those twitches were a lot more noticable. Another thing with removing the spherical bearing is it solves the kingpin issue, as the kingpin sits much lower and more recessed into the hanger you dont have to worry about cats-eyes and cracks and what not when running smaller wheels.


now the only problem your facing here is that Kookys are unavailable for a while and your gonna have a hard time getting them, not to mention they are very expensive...
So... get Kahalanis, they are the next best thing (and cheaper) and you can get them from www.earlyskateboards.com for $400 or from Cre8iveSk8 (not sure how much he charges for them).

Hope that helps
Permalink Reply by Hamish on October 6, 2009 at 20:52
I went strait over a cats eye with smokies and 75mm bigzigs a couple of weeks ago at about 45kph bit of a bump and a little wob but over all I'd say the smokies handled it well.
Never ridden kookys so carnt coment.

leighgriffiths said:
Michael English said:
it will still grip hard with 70mm green zigzags tho?

of course you'll be able to make it grip. you'll just have to adapt to the riding style of a different rig, just as you would with any change to your set-up.
however 70's on kooky's isn't going to give you much clearance at all when dealing with obstacles like catseye's.
Permalink Reply by Hamish on October 6, 2009 at 21:05
Wow Jacko that is a great explanation I'm going to give that a try.
So the seat for the bearing will be facing the ground yes?
Permalink Reply by Michael English on October 6, 2009 at 21:06
do kahas have the same split axle goodness as kookys? because either way im going to have to wait for a few months to get them.

Jacko said:
70mm wheels are fine with kookys, the kingpin doesnt hit bumps and what not, u just gotta turn it around so it faces inwards (as in the nut of the kingpin is closest to the board not the ground). They have a deep bushing seat so the kingpin will sit nicely in the hanger and wont stick out too much. The smokeys have a spherical bearing in the hanger which creates a larger gap between both bushings, thus making the kingpin closer to the ground.

and also, adding risers will not give you more traction, just more leverage for turning...
having low trucks does not give you a drifty ride, they have split axles and actually are designed to give you more traction as the power through turning is delivered straight to your wheels. Look at slalom trucks for instance, the best slalom trucks are split axles and they provide superior traction and power compared to regular trucks. It comes down to what sort of board your riding and the wheel base that determines what sort of traction you are going to get.

For the smokeys, you dont really have to run them with the spherical bearing in the hanger, you can take it out, flip the hanger and put a bushing straight into the slot where the spherical was (only a barrel shape bushing will fit). Now this creates a nice deep bushing seat and thins out the distance between each bushing, creating a nice and smooth ride. Both bushings arent 1cm away from each other and are now working in nice harmony and give you that nice return to centre you never felt with smokeys. The spherical in the hanger was good for going fast and straight as it allowed those slight twitches (aka speed wobs) to just fade out and the truck would just kinda float, however in corners those twitches were a lot more noticable. Another thing with removing the spherical bearing is it solves the kingpin issue, as the kingpin sits much lower and more recessed into the hanger you dont have to worry about cats-eyes and cracks and what not when running smaller wheels.


now the only problem your facing here is that Kookys are unavailable for a while and your gonna have a hard time getting them, not to mention they are very expensive...
So... get Kahalanis, they are the next best thing (and cheaper) and you can get them from www.earlyskateboards.com for $400 or from Cre8iveSk8 (not sure how much he charges for them).

Hope that helps
Permalink Reply by tom Crane on October 6, 2009 at 21:57
ha no, but they end up being super low anyways
p.s. what deck are these going on.....
Permalink Reply by Michael English on October 6, 2009 at 22:03
nemmy :D with either 70 or 75mm lime zigs. sound good?

tom Crane said:
ha no, but they end up being super low anyways
p.s. what deck are these going on.....
Permalink Reply by Ash on October 6, 2009 at 22:10
if you need to ask that question, i really dont think you need either!

Michael English said:
do kahas have the same split axle goodness as kookys? because either way im going to have to wait for a few months to get them.

Jacko said:
70mm wheels are fine with kookys, the kingpin doesnt hit bumps and what not, u just gotta turn it around so it faces inwards (as in the nut of the kingpin is closest to the board not the ground). They have a deep bushing seat so the kingpin will sit nicely in the hanger and wont stick out too much. The smokeys have a spherical bearing in the hanger which creates a larger gap between both bushings, thus making the kingpin closer to the ground.

and also, adding risers will not give you more traction, just more leverage for turning...
having low trucks does not give you a drifty ride, they have split axles and actually are designed to give you more traction as the power through turning is delivered straight to your wheels. Look at slalom trucks for instance, the best slalom trucks are split axles and they provide superior traction and power compared to regular trucks. It comes down to what sort of board your riding and the wheel base that determines what sort of traction you are going to get.

For the smokeys, you dont really have to run them with the spherical bearing in the hanger, you can take it out, flip the hanger and put a bushing straight into the slot where the spherical was (only a barrel shape bushing will fit). Now this creates a nice deep bushing seat and thins out the distance between each bushing, creating a nice and smooth ride. Both bushings arent 1cm away from each other and are now working in nice harmony and give you that nice return to centre you never felt with smokeys. The spherical in the hanger was good for going fast and straight as it allowed those slight twitches (aka speed wobs) to just fade out and the truck would just kinda float, however in corners those twitches were a lot more noticable. Another thing with removing the spherical bearing is it solves the kingpin issue, as the kingpin sits much lower and more recessed into the hanger you dont have to worry about cats-eyes and cracks and what not when running smaller wheels.


now the only problem your facing here is that Kookys are unavailable for a while and your gonna have a hard time getting them, not to mention they are very expensive...
So... get Kahalanis, they are the next best thing (and cheaper) and you can get them from www.earlyskateboards.com for $400 or from Cre8iveSk8 (not sure how much he charges for them).

Hope that helps

Premium MemberPermalink Reply by Jacko on October 6, 2009 at 22:46
ash got it in one... do your research before dishing out the large amounts of money on expensive equipment u might not like... chances are you probs dont even need it. try before you buy is the best way.

remember kids, expensive gear does NOT make you go faster nor will it make you a better skater, that all comes with experience... back in the day there wasnt any of this expensive fancy flashy techno space-age contraption stuff to put on your skateboard (im not that old but still) and dudes were getting by and absolutely mach-10ing down hills gnarlier than you could ever imagine and riding way better than you could. So think about it, do you really need to spend mummy's hard earned dollars on something you might not even need? dudes today still rip it to shreds on basic cast trucks, it all comes down to your skill... sure CNC trucks feel nice and have their own characteristics but face it, your not racing world cup here and all your going to be doing is going out and thrashing about on your skateboard, so wouldnt you want something that wont hurt your soul when it breaks? cheap trucks ARE better for free-riding, they are lighter and will always feel more nimble than any CNC trucks, and they cost a fraction of the price.
so are you racing yet? do you need all this flashy gear? save your parents some money or spend it on something else, like traveling to a race and getting experience...

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