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Post by Graeme on Jun 11, 2005 8:03:36 GMT
Can you run Z Rollers without the roller? It doesn't seem to do much (apart from add weight and roll 'round) - I guess on skateboards you can grind on it, but not on a luge.
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Post by BOS on Jun 11, 2005 10:34:00 GMT
Neil Terhern used to run with no rollers! Dont know how much difference it made!
BOS
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Post by Waterman . on Jun 11, 2005 13:16:01 GMT
Won't running without the roller expose the axle to serious damage when (and not if )you happen to have a mishap--------Ian
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Post by Joel on Jun 11, 2005 14:27:35 GMT
Z-Rollers were originally invented as an aid to grinding, but proved to be too heavy and bulky. The longboard version was picked up by lugers due to the (suposedly) reduced resistance of the floating axle and width. With regards to the roller it wont stop them working by removing it, but I wouldn't recommend it. As well as reducing resistance when grinding it also provides two other crucial roles. Firstly it will protect the axle from damage caused by flying stones and debris on the track or when offroading. Secondly, it provides support for the axle. A lot of force goes through the axles, especially on bumpy roads and during crashes and offroad excursions. Unless supported these forces can cause the axel to bend, preventing you wheels from turning properly and causing all sorts of other problems. On the Z-Rollers the roller helps prevent bending, on Randals this is done through the use of extra bearings in the truck. Again, my advice, leave it in, extra weight never caused a luger any problems Joel
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Post by Fast Eddie on Aug 24, 2005 15:58:46 GMT
i run my z'x without the rollers and they work fine. i did it cuz i heard it made them faster but i havent noticed any difference and i havent bothered to put the rollers back in. ive heard alot that the axls in any "floating axl" type truck bend in turns, and that the decreased roll resistance only comes into play in the straights. im not going to use z's any more cuz they are too "twitchy" for my taste. im gonna put them on a pool deck and use them for what they were designed and built for. fast eddie outty
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Post by Tom W on Aug 25, 2005 8:42:00 GMT
Z-Roller trucks are a very old design from way way back in the 70s. Anyway, they were originally intended as longboard trucks, but they never really took off - because quite frankly..... they sucked!
However, they did work quite well as a luge truck, and were adopted as such. This was all before Randal came on the scene, with his dedicated luge truck.
There are a lot of myths surrounding the reason for the roller, but seeing as they were designed as a longboard truck, it is most probably for protecting the truck when grinding objects such as kerbs. (The roller will "roll" instead of grinding away the hanger).
Some people (Ding) recon that the roller is there in case your wheel falls off! However, speaking as a rider who has lost a wheel on a Z-roller before, I can confirm that this is also a myth, as the end of the axle will hit the ground first before the roller gets anywhere near to the road!
One other interesting fact is that the "roller" was actually taken from a typewriter when they made the first batch of Z-Rollers.
There are a lot of Z-Rollers in the UK because most UK riders got into the sport through Ding at Gurston. Back in 1995 Ding fell out with Mr Randal in a big way, and he has stuck to Z-Rollers ever since. His preference apparently being driven more by personal differences rather than truck design. (That and the fact that Z-Rollers are a bit cheaper than Randals).
Riding with or without the roller makes little difference, but granted that it may help to shield the axle in the event of sme off-road action. However, speaking again from personal experience, you are far more likely to shatter the "monkey metal" baseplates than damage the relatively sturdy axle if you do have an off....
There was a company selling stub-axle kits for Z-Rollers, that made life soooo much easier when changing wheels & bearings, as you could do away with the roller and axle all together and forget about fiddling about with spacer washers forever! Can anybody remember which company?
At the end of the day, I still think buying Z-Rollers is a bit of a false economy, as if you really want to be competitive, you will end up buying Randals anyway, as they run rings around the Z-Rollers on any hill.
Ride hard, stay safe.
Tom W.
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Post by Longy on Aug 25, 2005 15:05:12 GMT
Yeah they can be a little squirrely under speed but something about luges just makes them work quite well. I remember a company offering bigger axles and uprated bearings for z rollers, casting the long mind back a little more i think Latter day skates had the extra gear. A version of the z roller was the street roller same truck angles but smaller steel roller theres a video somewhere of a dude licking endless grinds in a pool.
Tom did Luke drop that epoxy off??
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