Iron Cobra UPGRADES AGAIN - ACD Unlimited - Trick - Bones

In this video, I upgrade the bearings, footboards, and center connecting shaft on my Tama Iron Cobra.
THE DIRECT DRIVE CONVERSIONS ARE: SOLD!
Click here for my Maintenance video:
• Tama Iron Cobra Mainte...

[@ACDUnlimited]

Awesome video, Pete! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! The white grease I use on the hinges has its origin in the RC-helicopter scene. Unfortunately, the company who made it (Robbe), went out of business a while ago. It's pretty awesome and stays on bearings and moving parts for a very long time along with providing some super smoothness. Luckily, I still have a few of these little tubes here but parallel I also started to use "Dry Fluid (Heli)", a special graphite based grease which is pretty thin and crawls in anywhere, doesn't collect any dust and offers some next level performance. It's very easy to use and works literally everywhere. I don't know if it's available in the US, but ordering a small amount from Germany might worth considering. There's nothing wrong with the Trick shaft, the main difference is a different layout of the ball bearings (without prestressing for removing backlash in the long term) and the general weight, which is a little bit heavier. Due to vat and customs, there's a decent price difference in the US, compared to Europe, where both products are almost at the same price. I'd love to, but unfortunately, it's not possible for me to sell the Ultimate DriveShaft on a lower price, since making these CNC-machined parts is already quite expensive, besides labor and other stuff like ball bearings. The joints on my DriveShaft are a little bit larger as you already mentioned (about 2x2") but by looking at your setup it looks like there wouldn't have been any problem. I'm sorry to hear about the issue with the DD-Kits. If you don't get them sold, feel free to send them back for a refund. I'm currently working on a DD-Kit for the Eliminators and DW9000 based on a different construction which is more compact (it's not necessary to rotate the cam to the front anymore and also doesn't stick out that much). If it works the way it should be supposed to be, I'm thinking about doing the same construction for the IC and SC DD-Kits. Another idea for your problem specifically would be to use the inner of the two setup holes at the top part of the DD-Kit and just cut off the rest. Anyway, thanks for the video, I wish you lots of fun with the upgrades and if there's anything I can do for you, please let me know! Cheers, Dennis

[@ACDUnlimited]

Oh, I forgot.. The main bearings on all Tama pedals are still the same, just the way they mounted is a little different and more easy to access. ;-)

[@petegreendrummer]

Thanks Dennis! You're the man!

[@577buttfan]

Pete the drummer!!!! Love your videos,very thorough,so easy to follow and I love your personality!! Rock on Pete and have a great Spring!!!!

[@petegreendrummer]

Thanks so much, man! You have a great spring also!

[@emilienfalcimaigne8065]

Very well explained, I was having trouble with the fluidity of my pedals lately and I just remembered I have a lot of skateboard bearings hanging in my house. Gonna replace the ones on my pedals with them this weekend!

[@larrytate1657]

You oiled your old ones first right? It makes a big difference. I oiled my pedal bearings a few days ago and it feels like new again.

[@MrE1981]

I had too many problems with the ACD stuff too, so you're not alone actually. Had to go all Trick.

[@vernon7896]

Iron cobras with longboards seem like the perfect pedal add the spring geometry thingy and good to go.

[@trevorbelmont4633]

They also have the straps.. if you want to try that

[@TJCombo67]

Great vid! Thank you.

[@petegreendrummer]

Thanks!

[@mikeycurtis7861]

Also, instead of long boards (which I do want to make), I removed the toe stop, and moved the pedal board back to those other 2 screw holes that are on the base, closer to the back of ur heel... The make-shift direct drives stick out just enough to not interfere with my toes. And.. not meaning to come off rude on this part, but, with how straight u keep ur pedals, u honestly don't need a fancy universal joint setup. U might actually benefit from a straight shaft

[@jonnychrist69]

This comment is a couple years later after this video was published but ACD has updated its direct drive conversions and they are more low profile so they don't hit the drum heads anymore. But the 1st thing I thought of when you said you weren't going to use them was why don't you just change your hihat stand!! Modern players use double pedal high hat stands that only have 2 legs that go towards the front it would free up space for pretty much anything you need! I cringe when I see drummers using 3 legged hihat stands with double pedals, there's just no need in this day and age. Threading your pedals through legs of hardware is ridiculous! Haha even back in the day before the 2 legged hihat stand was more prevalent I still used a 3 legged stand I just cut one of the legs off. It wasn't as sturdy as today's 2 legged stands that are designed to be more stable but it still worked. I'm sure you have your reasons, I'm just joking with you but I love the idea of the direct drive conversions so much I wouldn't let my hihat stand stand in the way lol

[@substrate001]

Yes, yes, and YES! My 1st thought, also.

[@joeym.9868]

I was thinking that as well. Or just move your hi hat back like an inch bro, lol. And also install the bass drum adapter that's provided, wtf!? That's why he included it with the parts...

[@DidYouReadEULA]

I love tinkering with stuff and seeing how it works, build my own PC's too.

[@mikeycurtis7861]

I used 4 bike seat height tensioner swivel cam thingies that are on every bike.. drilled a hole on the ends of the handle cam part, cut the threaded stock to about a quarter inch, and used a half inch long nut to connect the 2 (2 for each side).. those half inch nuts are actually from 2 of my old tom lug brackets.. just happens to be the same thread pitch! I literally unscrewed the chains and screwed the make-shift direct drive in the same spot. Little squeaky, so I lubed em up, sounds silent, ULTRA SMOOTH, SUUUPER quick response, and it was 11 bucks for 10 of em lol. They stay just as far from the head as the chain did. Cost me about 45min of thinking it through, 11 bucks, 20min of drilling and cutting the parts (NOTHING ON THE PEDAL! DONT CUT OR DRILL AN IRON COBRA! THEYRE TOO AWESOME FOR THAT!), and 5min to swap the chains for them n adjust em to my liking... SOOOOO WORTH IT!!! Forget spending money on a premade direct drive! These are so cheap, u can live n learn! Plus u get 6 extras (if ur using a double kick like I am.. if ur using single, u get freakin 8 extras)! Seriously, i just drilled holes about 3/8" from the edge of the handle parts, cut the screw parts to have about 1/4" of threads left, used the female threaded drum key bolt's nut from 2 spare tom lugs.. BOOM! Now that I don't have to think it through.. if I wanted to do it again, it would definitely take me about 30min start to finish, making my own direct drives.

[@IRLguy777]

2:02 the new Iron Cobras have the Cobra Coil, the swivel spring, new beaters, etc.

[@MrKunharcos]

Cheers Pete, There's one momentum that both of your (maintenance, upgrade) videos is missing from. Namely, how to get to the bearing on the right side of the main pedal. Could you share this info somehow? Thanks

[@cheezruff]

Would you consider ACD Strap drive? Might be closer to a direct drive feel than the chain is.

[@milotron]

Never seen anyone put the slave on the outside of the hi-hat pedal. Seems like it would add unnecessary torque to the driveshaft. I have the Trick shaft with the newer ACD dd upgrades on a speedcobra 910 and it's amazing.

[@adrumwhisperer]

I just watched your original maintenance video and commented that I wanted the trick and ACD upgrades. Then I find this video! I will likely do the exact same. I have a Trick Pro 1-V low mass double pedal on order, so it will be interesting to compare with a longboard Iron Cobra with the Trick shaft.

[@adrumwhisperer]

BTW, I'm also interested in a cable hi hat... Since both ACD and Tama use a cable from a mountain bike company, I'm curious how they compare. Have you looked into a remote hi hat setup to ease your issues with hi hat legs getting in the way?

[@petegreendrummer]

The Trick drive shaft is easily the best mod I've done. I've never played a Pro 1-V, but it sure looks like a great pedal!

[@petegreendrummer]

I tried a tama remote hat years ago, but I didn't like it. It was a bit too time consuming to set up, even more time consuming to tear down and pack correctly (so that the cable doesn't get damaged), and, to me, it just felt weird. I'm sure they've gotten better in the years since, though!

[@adrumwhisperer]

@@petegreendrummer yeah, the Iron Cobra driveshaft has too much play.. I can see the Trick shaft making a big difference. Was the remote hat this one, in specific the cable? www.tama.com/usa/products/detail/hh905rh.html I've never played a remote hi hat before... It seems like friction in the cable is the most important component and why they can get a laggy response. I'm hoping this is solved with the JAGWIRE cable, but I need to do more research. It's for a home studio so I'll mostly set it and forget it. I'm eager for the Bigfoots to arrive (although the Darwin FTW is tempting!), but your video has me wanting to break down my Iron Cobras, replace bearings, driveshaft and put on some ACD longboards. How are they holding up after a few years?

[@petegreendrummer]

@@adrumwhisperer that's not exactly the remote hat I had tried. The one I had was a different design. I played about 80 3-hour gigs with my pedal before covid cancelled all of my bands gigs, but, it's still holding up good!

[@TylerHoltJams]

What type of direct drive chains did you use? I was thinking about getting the offset pedal ones but I’m afraid they won’t fit

[@rattlesnake3571]

I ordered a Trick drive shaft couple of days ago, this thing is a game changer. The problem with the slave pedal, in general, is that it never responds as well as the main pedal, even if you have purchased a completely new pedal, no matter if it's TAMA, Pearl, or Yamaha, DW etc. All driveshafts are produced as stock driveshafts, so even if its new you won't get an exact response from the slave pedal. However, it's not the same with Trick or ACD - those driveshafts are precision cut CNC production with better materials, plus much better design as an icing on the cake. Trick driveshafts sell like hotcakes, look at reviews on eBay. Why is that? I think because it is made by drummers who understand the problems drummers are facing in their daily routine - be it hinges, driveshaft, general wearing, ergonomics, the list is long. Big companies don't work like that - even in high-end pedals like Tama Dynasync driveshaft is pants, DW has his own issues and hinges are crap on IC's as an example. It doesn't mean that the pedal is bad, it means that it's a well-known problem for a drummer, but not for the company

[@vincentkelly5143]

I have an Iron Cobra Power Glide double kick, it looks like what you're using in this video. Will the ACD longboard conversion work for my pedals?

[@petegreendrummer]

Yes they will!

[@rb397]

Thanks for this video. Can i ask what tool you use to loosen out bolt that secures drive shaft ? I thought it was an allan wrench that i needed but these seem to be round fitting not square. Thanks.

[@petegreendrummer]

Hi Rob, all of the screws are indeed allen screws, so, if any of yours look rounded, it sounds to me like they may be stripped.

[@rb397]

@@petegreendrummer Thanks for replying but they have never been touched so i doubt there is any stripping. I will check again thanks. Also, is there a generic spring you can recomend for this pedal ?

[@petegreendrummer]

@@rb397 Yes sir! Gibraltar sells pedal springs. Also, check your local music store. Their drum department will probabably have springs in stock. www.gibraltarhardware.com/product/sc-15c/

[@DidYouReadEULA]

Hello and thank you for the videos. Just got a used Pearl double Redline Eliminator and goingto replace bearings as slave side is noticeably slower and stiffer, and oiling helped some, but not enough. Also have a new Trick drive rod on the way. Would you have any guidance on bearing size for them please? Are most pedals bearings a standard, universal size?

[@petegreendrummer]

Hey thanks for the comment! I really wish I could help you out, but I have no experience with the Pearl Eliminators. But my suggestion is, if you're going to take the slave apart anyway, take out the bearings and measure them, then compare them to the Bones skate bearings. As long as you take your time, and don't damage anything while you take the pedal apart, you should have no problems after you put it back together! Good luck!

[@DidYouReadEULA]

@@petegreendrummer Thank you very much for the very fast reply! After 40-odd years playing single pedal I'm going to give it a go on double pedal...looking forward to the adventure. Again, thank you for all the videos and going to check out your music later tonight. Took the bearing out of the slave pedal and no size markings, so will check with Pearl as I came up with 22mm x 8mm x 7mm and don't know a thing about skateboards either.

[@petegreendrummer]

@@DidYouReadEULA I did a quick search and found that Bones Reds bearings are size 608, which equal 22x8x7mm! So they will work in your Eliminator!

[@DidYouReadEULA]

@@petegreendrummer Thank you so much!! Going to get me some of those poste haste. Getting used to smooth cams on the Eliminators because I'm a DW 5000AD4 Accelerator man for past 20 years (upgrading with every new redesign), but trying to get used to different pedals in case I ever play out again and forced to use house equipment. Also got a PDP Concept direct drive and it feels almost like my DW, but these Pearl's gave my right foot quite the workout tonight!! Getting used to a single Pearl pedal again first before I try combining two. Gonna nail it though, can't give up!! 🙂 BTW, started out on an old Pearl strap drive, strange how comfortable it started feeling toward the end of my hour of practice. Ain't drums fun?!!

[@joakimkarlsson9893]

Hey Pete! Did you drill new holes for the newer fotplate or does it fit exactley with the screws from tama ? I have the same version and i just order new fotboords for my iron cobra. // Joakim

[@petegreendrummer]

I did not have to drill new holes to fit the ACD footboards!

[@joakimkarlsson9893]

@@petegreendrummer Would you recomend the ACD footboards for the iron cobra ?

[@petegreendrummer]

@@joakimkarlsson9893 I absolutely would! In fact, since I uploaded this video a few years ago, Dennis (the owner of ACD) has improved the design of the hinge-bearings, so they're bigger and stronger than before. I've been using the newer design for a few months now, and they're awesome!

[@seryog-sothoth8616]

How has those Bones Reds worked out over time? Have they built up dirt inside? Looks like I have about as old set of cobras myself, for which I have never swapped bearings (nothing really wrong with the stock ones even yet).

[@petegreendrummer]

Well, actually, I haven't taken the pedal apart since I made this video. But I've used it on dozens of gigs since, and I haven't had any problems!

[@seryog-sothoth8616]

@@petegreendrummer good to hear! With the little cost I might just aswell give them a try

[@danielsuling5222]

Hi, thank you for the Video. Can you give me a tip how to remove the bearings inside the part for the left beater holder. I can't get the second one out of it. It' so tight, i cant remove it . I destroyed the first one to get it out. Hope you know what i mean and you can help me. All the best from Germany and a Happy new Year!✌️

[@petegreendrummer]

I think I know what you mean, and for those bearings, I used a small, thin allan tool because of it's right angle shape. But you might have luck with a small flat head screwdriver, or a pick that has an angled tip. Good luck!

[@danielsuling5222]

Thank you for the answer. I think i have to destroy the bearing to get it out. Hope I'll do not destroy the holder.

[@tomsmith29]

dude you need a new double pedal i would like to recommend a mapex falcon or a pearl power shifter and avoid that long board shit though it works for some people (speed metal drummers) great channel i enjoyed the pvc snare build

[@thunderfan77]

I don't recommend the Mapex Falcon double bass pedal. I bought mine new about 2-3 years ago and the hoop clamp mechanism recently failed. The screws at the bottom through the stabilizer plate stripped out of the hoop clamp mechanism, which I later found out is mostly made of plastic and loose ball bearings. Longer screws solved the problem, but Mapex has no spare parts anywhere. They're all backordered several weeks and months. I'm considering switching to the Speed Cobra double pedal.

[@JesusLordOfLords455]

Lol mapex falcon.....speed cobras with a trick drive shaft with "on triggers" works like a dream on an ekit

[@AheadTAMADrummer]

Do you by chance still have the footboards? If so, would you sell? I can't find them anywhere.

[@petegreendrummer]

Hi, I'm assuming you mean the Tama OEM footboards, right? I'm not going to sell them, however, here's the link to Tama's Parts Catalog, where you will find the part number for the footboard, which is HP90N8: www.tama.com/world/support/parts/hardware/twin_pedal/ And here's a link to Drums Etc, which is selling them for $63 each: www.drumsetc.com/content/tama-iron-cobra-footboard-assembly-hp90n8

[@puchdrunk1]

Thats like a $350 Iron Cobra upgrade. Why not just get a 2 leg hi-hat stand?

[@petegreendrummer]

I used to own a two leg Tama hi hat stand, but I found it to be a bit too unstable. Even with the "hidden" third leg fully extended.

[@sick-impatient]

did you ever end up buying the ultimate drive shaft? I am tossing up between trick or acd for my dw9000's

[@petegreendrummer]

No, I'm still using the Trick driveshaft shown in this video. Still works great!

[@sick-impatient]

@@petegreendrummer awesome! I am just about to order the longboard conversion and drive shaft for dw9000′s! Having trouble getting the trick in Australia

[@thunderbomb501]

Have the direct drive conversions sold yet?

[@petegreendrummer]

Nope! They're still available!

[@petegreendrummer]

FYI, I now have a sale pending.

[@xworks7]

Well... The Pearl Demon Drive Direct Drive system will work on Tama pedals, well build, less expensive... Probably.

[@dougomez6865]

Hi, I have these Pearl Direct Drive system and it doesn't work on Tama pedals, and I've Trying on a Pearl P-932 and neither... And It's complicaded to sell these accessories for the same reason... are expensive... But... Maybe works on the latest Tama Speed Cobra HP900LWN version (I saw this in a KZbin video).

[@xworks7]

@@dougomez6865 kzbin.info/www/bejne/enrGhpaQo9R6haM That one is the old version of Speed Cobra!

[@glytch5]

WOW! that new shaft and foot boards wore out in 2 years? That sucks! at that point i would have just bought new pedals. So this makes me wonder... if can't get the the balls in the original bearings.. what is the point of greasing them?

[@petegreendrummer]

Well, I played over 200, 3-4 hour gigs in those two years... Regarding the original bearings, I'm not sure they would ever "need" to be greased, but, it's metal spinning against metal, so, the less friction, the better!

[@glytch5]

@@petegreendrummer I would agree. Is there metal on metal aside from the balls though? If you can't get grease in the balls... then does greasing really help? Or do those rings slide on each other?

[@DarkEvilDrummer]

I want the direct drives how can i reach u

[@petegreendrummer]

Cool! Send me an email - [e-mail]

[@Adam_Baum]

You should switch to a two leg hi hat to get more room for your footboard

[@petegreendrummer]

I've tried, but I find them to be too unstable.

[@Adam_Baum]

Pete Green Productions Got ya 👍 Mines clamped to the side arm of my rack, no legs. When I ran a standard 3 legged stand I cut the rivets so I could sound the legs, but I play with my hh pedal to the left. When using both hh and left dbl pedal I go heel on kick, toe on hh. (45 deg angle) I might try your set up just to see how it works out. Great video tho, cheers 👍

[@petegreendrummer]

@@Adam_Baum Thanks man!

[@justthink2827]

Hell of a job sir. Unfortunately didn't work for you

[@devs9929]

Jon snow

[@RichLclopps]

Your beaters aren’t level with eachother how do you play em like that it would piss me off