I just got a new set of Kryptonic "cruise" 70mm wheels and I noticed that the spacers for the old wheels didn't fit. Is it possible that I don't need spacers with the new wheels?

Hi sorry I have been off this for awhile. Have had a lot going on. The Krypto wheels need 8mm spacers.
They are pretty hard to find but the OJ store has them.

www.outdoorjapan.com/marketplace

Thanks for that. Guess I better get on that because I need some of the tape there, too.
Sure doesn't look like much space between those bearings, but I'll take your word for it.

How about some tips on getting the old tape off of my deck?

Oh yeah, do you know the law on skateboarding here? Everyone thinks it's illegal. Is that right?

Hey Suneku,

On the grip if you can get just a little to lift off you should be able to pull up the whole thing in a sheet. Once the glue starts to let go it is usually not too hard. I have a scraper thing that I have used to get a corner going.

The law in Japan reads something along the lines, that rollerskates etc are not permitted on roads with traffic. Ah the sweet smell of gray area. The police are instructed to reprimand anyone who is skating in the street. They often do not.

Even if they stop you, they will not take your board. Just apologize every way you know how in Japanese. Pick up your board and walk around the nearest corner and discover some more gray area.

I've even been yelled at by the same police officer on consquetive days and it didn't escalate one bit. He did his job - yell at me. I did mine - apologize something close to sincerely and continue to skate down another road.

As an add on, they don't seem particularly well versed in the letter of the skate law. Early on I was yelled at on a road that was not what I considered "trafficked". I got in a pretty heated argument that just cost me skate time. Since then I just talk the talk not meaning one word of it.

Ride on Sk8 E,

Pretty much as I suspected. Fair enough.
Thank you for taking your time to reply to my querry regarding the legality of skating.
I have never actually been stopped but I have had a patrol car tell me to stop skating (on the side-walk). But the other day I mistakenly pulled into the street in front of an old geeza of an officer who tooted his horn at me on his motorbike, but more as a way of telling me to watch where I was going and he had no intention of stoping to give me a bollicking.
Thanks again.

Kick asphalt,
Suneku

Wow, like night and day! The difference since scoring those 8mm bearing spacers at the OJ shop. I knew when I was tightening down the axle nut and the wheel kept right on spiining, with no play. That was a trip because since I was a kid I always reckoned that you were supposed to have a little play in there.

I couldn't wait to have a go outside. I went out and dropped the board to my foot and I could tell instantly what a smooth ride it was going to be. And it is, nice and quiet.

Seems as though I have lost a little speed by using the spacers. Is that possible?

Anyway, let me ask you this: if you had a set of new BONES REDS, how long would you wait until you gave them their first cleaning? I want to take advantage of the factory coating as long as possible.

Thanks for turning me on to those spacers, you certainly know what you are talking about. which reminds me that I was remembering your post where you said, "You will feel the difference." I kept repeating that in my mind and was wondering how much of a difference I was going to feel. And like I said, night and day.

Thanks man!


Enjoy,
suneku

suneku, are you sure that your not actually me? because just today I bought a set of bones reds and ordered spacers for 70 mm kryptonite wheels o.O Im pretty sure I ordered the wrong size though :/ I cant speak specifically about reds but when I was riding every day in filthy Montreal roads, I got by with cleaning my bearings once a month or so... course those were the bearings that siezed solid after the board got cracked and subsequently lost my love and attention.

Seneku, my guess is that you have just over tightened the nuts a little. Try backing them off 1/8th turn and see what happens. Not enough to get a rattle but just enough to take the pressure off.

The bearing cleaning question is harder to answer because it depends on how much and where you ride like in the dirt sometimes or never etc. I usually find just taking a sample wheel apart every now and again and giving the bearings of that wheel a spin between my fingers helped me gauge when they all needed to be cleaned. I have to confess, though, that I got away from that and started just putting new but inexpensive bearings like bones reds in there. As long as you don't ride in the rain you can usually get 6mos out of a set and then move on. Environmental terrorism I know...

my nuts are also over tightened

Ah, ur situation is diff. you need to go to this club I heard about in Gotanda. You can get your nuts off there but then your bearings will absolutely need to be cleaned.

yeah but mine are over-loose! Theres waaaaay to much play between my nuts. what should I do?