Old School vs. New School bolt patterns | Sourdough Skateboarding

A brief history lesson on how and why bolt patterns changed on skateboard trucks. Also notes the bolt pattern shift that slightly alleviates longer wheelbase found on Thunder trucks.
Full site: www.joncrocker....

[@diplenski]

i have a bunch of 6-hole trucks from the '90s. i have some stage 5 (or 6?) indys that i drilled the new hole pattern in the baseplate. ventures were the first to change. indy standard 159 and bigger still have 6-hole plates. i don't really care for thunders, but i like how ventures increase the wheelbase. powell old school reissues only recently reverted to the old school hole pattern, maybe last 5 years or so. i just broke a mcgill skull/snake reissue from early '00s and it was the new school bolt pattern.

[@JonCrocker]

I think you're right about the Venture bushing changeover. I rode more Ventures than anything in the 90s...some green ones, then Venture highs when they came out (purple bushings!). I think that's the same time they switched to red bushings for the lows. I switched back to the red bushing lows eventually. They just felt right to me.

[@diplenski]

@@JonCrocker i like the highs. i like the lows too but they're prone to wheelbite especially since i like big, wide wheels 56mm. so i run 1/8" risers on the lows. i should prob get a new set of lows, i'd prob get the 8" instead of 7.65" since i ride bigger boards these days. my highs are the 5.6(8.25")

[@SuperBallin100]

Great history lesson of the old school vs new school decks

[@MrOffshore]

As Johnny Carson used to say, “I did not know that!” Now I do...thanks!!

[@rollypollyguy3976]

Hell yeah for black spitfires! Sweet info dude

[@pablo-aed]

Gracias por la explicación

[@SkateCrisis]

Interesting!

[@okspaceman8126]

You mentioned that the old style made it harder to nose slide but are there any other benefits or downside to it. Like does it make it harder to turn or anything

[@JonCrocker]

It didn't really make it harder to noseslide (maybe a tiny bit more drag?), it was more a matter of noseslides destroying the bolts. I remember this being an issue for me with only one set of trucks before I got new Venture featherlights. It doesn't affect anything else, really. If anything, it's slightly easier to access the bolts with the older bolt pattern (hanger is less in the way of your wrench).

[@diplenski]

@@JonCrocker i have some '90s venture featherlights on my primary setup, they came with green bushings. not sure when they switched to red, maybe '96/'97ish

[@aaronwanner2601]

interesting!

[@werticality4577]

So I have two old thunder trucks and they won't fit on my board. Then where can I buy a deck like that.

[@JonCrocker]

Thunders with the old school bolt pattern? That would be amazing. You would just need to drill new holes to fit them.

[@fisherohvf-men623]

Cool story bro. But what I really wanna know is, does that old Guild have a bone nut?

[@JonCrocker]

I don't know for sure...but it's darker than any plastic ones I've ever seen. The guitar (darker one...both are Guilds, though) is a 1984 D25. I don't know if there is a way to check.

[@fisherohvf-men623]

@@JonCrocker any experienced Luthier should be able to tell you. Sweets guitars, they aren't sitting outside in the heat I hope? ( cant tell from the video, looks like my grammies back porch haha)

[@JonCrocker]

@@fisherohvf-men623 No, this is in an insulated room--slightly cooler than the rest of the house if anything, but usually between 55-75 degrees.

[@andreabordoni2665]

Can you drill the indys baseplate??

[@JonCrocker]

I am sure you can--they are only aluminum. Just mark it precisely!

[@andreabordoni2665]

@@JonCrocker 🤙🏽🛹

[@Manok420]

Damn, I now need to be careful buying new decks/trucks,Thanks!

[@nonythetrashcan6822]

Independents i just bought don't come with old school holes and now i have to drill holes in my deck :( Is it safe to do that?

[@JonCrocker]

Totally--for a while decks came like that anyway (with holes right next to each other, depending on if your trucks had old bolt patterns). Or even before noses were long, some guys would drill their front mounting holes a little farther back so they'd have more nose (and shorter wheelbase). Just figure out if you want longer nose/tail (and shorter wheelbase) or shorter nose/tail (and longer wheelbase), or maybe one of each. Longer wheelbases are more stable and shorter ones are more maneuverable (not sure if you're up on the wheelbase thing, but it's become a big topic lately).

[@nonythetrashcan6822]

@@JonCrocker Thank you for the advice!

[@diplenski]

159 and bigger still come with 6-hole plates, only the standard cast plates not the forged. or you can get them separately

[@hishamjoharie1837]

i panic when i see my new deck has smaller truck

[@yotunality7081]

pretty sure we are related by marriage. Im Chris’s son haha

[@anoonknocking]

Decks "...and they're Spifires so.... whatever"

[@jcs0009]

IS your daughter Ok? This video made me call all the zumiez and ask if I can drill my board. They said lots of things including these 1987 Gullwings just wont work and I laughed.

[@JonCrocker]

You can totally redrill. So many decks used to have the holes there next to each other, or people did it on their own.