How to Replace Your Waterborne Surf Adapter Bushing

[@mykola2173]

many thanks, droped the washers and bearings on the floor and was looking how to put it back together correctly lol

[@tom999]

just removed the bushing from my waterborne and it was hard as hell! I had to use hammer just to make the bushing move. Maybe with brand new one it is easier to just pull with that tool. I had to apply some lithium grease on the whole kingpin to get rid of squeaking that I got after several months of use. My original bushing is very hard, almost like a plastic one but I am happy with the performance. Just ordered riptide version but I went with 97A.

[@SurfskateLove]

Yeah, I should have said that some are easier than others. I've done it on three and one was really hard like that.

[@williammadray7818]

After a good 45-minute test run, the difference is night and day between the stock and riptide bushing. Of course I did install the 97a but it transformed the surfskate. With the extra pop and rebound, now it's more like riding a surfboard on a much bigger stronger powerful wave. With the stock it felt like I was pumping down a standard to 2 to 3 foot wave, with the upgrade it felt like I was pumping down a 4 to 6' Wave.

[@williammadray7818]

I got to get the 97a for my shortboard they should cause it to pop back with a really good reflex.

[@withoutcaution]

I'm planning on upgrading all THREE of my Surfskate bushings today, but that first one was a PAIN! I wiggled it around with pliers for a while before I said screw it and hammered out the kingpin. Getting the kingpin BACK in was even more difficult. I hammered it back in, but it's still not all the way in there. Any ideas on how to do this easier next time? This was in no way as easy as you made it look!

[@williammadray7818]

Surfskate love, check this out, it took me 25 minutes tops overall, to completely disassemble, thoroughly clean with acetone, lubricate and reassemble after installing the 97a bushing. Using your method. If this old man did it that easy, I don't know how on Earth anyone could find it hard.

[@SurfskateLove]

Nice!

[@footkinetics]

Well maybe some are harder to remove than others moron… because there are different versions. My version is different to the one shown in video (i.e. doesn’t have three top washers above bearing surrounding bushing & the bushing is a different color). My bushing was a lot harder to remove than one shown in video… as a previous poster highlighted above (whom I assume you’re alluding to in your post)… of which the person in video responded that he also noted that some are harder to remove than others.

[@footkinetics]

Be aware there are obvious different versions of these Waterborne Adapters… meaning, different internal setups. The version I have don’t have the three top washers (as described in video) surrounding the bushing (it has one bottom washer, middle bearing, then a top washer). It was very hard removing that bushing (which was a different color to that shown)… but more importantly, the Adapter version I have can not have the king pin hammered out/through… I did try with a rubber mallet but no movement. Once I removed the bushing with vice grips, I noticed that the king pin has a lip at the base, preventing it be bashed through… hence don’t keep hammering the king pin as you’ll get nowhere & possibly damage it.

[@SurfskateLove]

Good to know, thanks for sharing.

[@eBoard3R]

🤙🏼⚡⚡🤙🏼

[@salariasking3980]

Do the mechanism’s stop of the gears hit hard with hard carves? Does this area stresses and widens with Long term use?

[@SurfskateLove]

Good question. No, that stopper doesn't hit hard because the bushing slows the movement. And the Waterborne is tested for more than 1,500 pounds, so it can take a beating for a long time without any stress.

[@williammadray7818]

Actually no. I own three different waterborne and in all three surf emulations, and I couldn't seem to destroy the bushing. Not even with my 44-inch pintail. It's quite surprising that small little bushing can take that kind of stress, and surprisingly I can't even seem to destroy with a shortboard either. Although with my original adapter kit, it has shown signs of wear, and that's after a good 8 to 10 months of hard surfskating, and definitely needs rebuilding. I'm going to get the 97a, I think it'll work best for a high-performance shortboard. I hope he comes out with a kit to rebuild the rail to rail adapters as well and in different durometer and and I hope variety of colors. Some glow-in-the-dark ones would really be cool.

[@begoing1052]

Could you also replace the stock bushing (I have the old white stock bushing) with the 97a one in order to get more efficient speed and pumping on a longboard setup?

[@williammadray7818]

I personally think the 97a is going to make the waterborne operate far better on a high performance level it's going to cause it to pop back and have good reflex

[@begoing1052]

@@williammadray7818 oh thanks, I asked waterborne first, but they havent replied yet so thank you

[@SurfskateLove]

Absolutely. Add that to the new FIN system and put it on the mega pump mode and you'll fly.

[@SurfskateLove]

@@williammadray7818 That's 100% correct.