Powerdyne arius plates - wheels not fitting - sketchy fixes
Hey there! Im in need of some help with my arius plates. So far, ive seen only like 2 or 3 other threads about this online. Some wheels, (many of mine), dont fit tight enough on the arius due to the way it's trucks are shaped. I use my skates for rhythm, mostly on outdoor surfaces and my skateboard wheels that arent fitting are my go-to's for that! Ever since getting this plate ive been racking my brain about how to get them to fit.. like, maybe grind down the bearing seat in the wheel with a drill press? Tried it, and the cutting disc i used was just too big at 22mm, and its hard to find ones that are 21mm.
Anyway! TLDR ive found something that might be a fix, but its still really sketchy. Im using nylon (regular/non-locking) hex nuts, 5/16 by 18 thread (rather than what im supposed to use; by 24 thread) i read somewhere that since they are nylon you can tighten the 18thread nuts without ruining the trucks axle threads.
And it SEEMS like a good fix (i should mention that i am using needed washers between the wheel & truck as well). The nuts fit tightly and i have to use my wrench to tighten them firmly just as i would with a regular lock nut setup. But, im still quite worried that these could break off eventually and send me hurdling. Since i may have "squished" the nylon threads to fit, perhaps the nut is damaged and weak now? Just seems sketchy.. i really want this to work, but im starting to think i just need to go with a different plate for now. I haven't tried loctite yet.. but ive read about how this could also help. Ive skated on them for about an hour and they dont seem to have gotten loose yet.
*another note; as you can see in the photos, the nut is only hanging on by like 4 threads, and it sticks out*
Would really appreciate advice, opinions, and insight please! <3
Also-yes i am aware that these plates are made for derby! Would just like some insight whether i should settle for a different plate and give up or not.
Thank you!
Comments
Got a competent sk8 mech handy?? If so have him press out the stock axles and replace them with Sure Grip A1 8mm axles. They are longer and should help. I have done the gen 2 trucks on my Arius plates. NOTE: The A1 is not just some generic 8mm axle. I am not sure of the availability in the general market as I get mine direct from Sure Grip. (I have a wholesale account there, among other places.)
Second thing, skateboard wheels are not necessarily compatible with quad sk8s. Back in the day, more so but not so much now. Do you know what the nearing spacing is?? I am thinking they may be 0.4" like quad wheels were back in the day. The Radar wheels (and most other modern quad wheels) intended for those plates have bearing spacing in the 0.3" range. Try different set of wheels and see if that works.
Hey there thank you so much. Im not sure if i could find someone to switch the axles for me, but it seems like the best fix! Would one have to break the trucks open just to get the axle untightened and out..? Also, what do you mean by "gen 2 trucks" on the arius plates? Is that a custom mod you did to them?
-is this the correct axle you mentioned?: https://www.suregrip.com/product-p/ax516.htm
The easiest way to swap axles is pull the truck press out the old axle and press in the new one. Then reinstall the truck. The axle on the SG web site is the standard 8mm axle, not the A1. The A1 is a really old part that needs to be dug out of the back of warehouse. No real demand so it's not on the website.
The gen 2 truck comes on the gold plates. Uses a different 2 piece cushion than the gen 1 truck which came on the original red plates and the black NTS plates. The gen 1 uses a single piece cushion.
Nice! You rock! Hopefully i can get some a1's from em. I found a video on youtube of how to press out axles too. I may give it a whirl, and if worst comes to worse, i can purchase replacement trucks. Im going to email powerdyne beforehand to see also if i could special order some with a longer axle. Do you think they would do that? I absolutely love these plates and im excited that i may finally be able to get them to work. Ill post updates for anyone else wondering how it goes.
If ya can't get them from SG you certainly could get them from me. For that matter, I can rebuild your set so there is no "worst comes to worse".
I seriously doubt PowerDyne will even consider longer axles much less do a one off, but feel free to give it a try.
Glad you love the plates. Me, not so much. The roller universe has been trying to make that action work properly since the 1880s and they still have not gotten it right. But, that's my opinion. YMMV.
Got this email back when asking about myself pressing the trucks and if they could make me custom ones 😝 it was worth a try! If you, Doc, or anyone else could help me out with making these work/extra advice id appreciate it! I have some falcon plates i may try out if i can't do anything for now. Ill update again if anything works out, for others wondering
Have you considered shaping the backside of the wheels? To fit some longboard wheels on one of my setups, I simply grinded the backside of the wheel. Of course, this will make the wheels narrower. You also need a bench grinder.
How:
Slide the wheel over a spare truck, with the backside facing out. Place the surface of the wheel lightly against the fence and slowly push the wheel onto the side of the grinder wheel at a 90 degree angle. Without resistance, the wheel will just spin, so it’s a balance of downward pressure on the fence combined with pressure against the grinder wheel. It’s a little tricky, so you may want to experiment with an old wheel or two.
"I just love to skate. I found that the more time I put into it, the more enjoyment I got out of it." --Slomo
You will not know how well your trucks fit unless you install some wheels on them. Grab your rollers and T-tool and begin installing them on each axle. Adjust them and make sure they’re not too loose nor too tight. Also, don’t forget to use wheels that match your riding style.