Venom Bushings

Belegnole · Venom Bushings

Because they have now hit the open market, I thought I would start a topic of conversation about them. So which one of you tinkerers plans to try them? Or who already has and what do you think?

stocago

I have some on order and will report back when I've tested them. I expect them to be as good as the abec ones, but hope they're more durable.

Bullwings

I'd definitely like to hear what everyone has to say about them. They're quite the rave on the Fish right now. They're also quite affordable.

I'd like to try out some Stims, but i don't think i can justify $25 for some bushings that will likely get shredded.

James, or anyone else have word on these/ have some on the way?

stocago

Well, I got my Venom 78a standard bushing packs today and got to try them out in a limited way, but am pleased with their quality. They remind me of yellow Randals, but much softer. The barrel is slightly taller than a Khiro and the conical is about the same height as a bottom Randal. They don't seem to have the same rebound as the Abecs, but still are pretty good. The 78a seem considerably softer than orange Khiros, almost as soft as white Khiros. They're a bit too soft for me in tandem. I'll probably only use one on the top. I've got 81a and 85a on the way, so I'm sure I'll find a combo I'll be happy with.

stocago

I received both the 81a and 85a Venoms and have found that I like using either two 81a bushings or 85a bottom/78a top. They have nice rebound either way.

pavedwave

Thanks for posting some great info, especially your duro impressions compared to Khiro! --that's a baseline many here can relate to.

Brad Jackman (an extremely cool cat and part of our Cascade Slalom group here) has been raving about the Venoms. I'll share whatever comes of playing with these in our winter garage sessions-- which should be starting up in about a month or so. So far I've heard nothing but good things about these...

stocago

Well, I noticed that my Venoms were no longer as responsive and took off my Bennett hanger for inspection. The top edges of the bottom bushing got shaved off (cracked). This happened to my reflex bushings as well. The top Venom seems fine except for wear from the kingpin threads. It seems that Khiros last the longest on the Bennett.

pavedwave

Well as far as performance goes I can say nothing but good things so far. Put these in the Sk8kings LDP proto over the weekend and everyone who tried the deck was grinning.

My one mistake at first was using too small a flat washer, I think it came with a cup washer but I didn't like the looks of it, even though it might be what's "recommended" or tested... so I went with a flat, but the diameter was such that it bit into the top and chewed it a little. After I kicked my own ass, I rummaged through the bag and found a big Bennett washer, that has lips but it's big enough the bushing will never squish out that far.

Anyway the ride is awesome -- the true test of course will be how things go over the long haul, and it'll be a bit longer before knowing that.

I must say though, that I have not been running into the Bennett-eating-my-Khiro bushings issue nearly as much (hardly at all, actually) that has plagued many, and was the impetus for the Kingpin covering solution. One thing that could be really crucial to minimizing bushing destruction, is the height of whatever "filler" we're all using to put under the main bushing, the barrel, to match the height of the stock Bennett bushing. Right now with these, I'm just using two cup washers under the front bottom blue barrel Venom, to take up the gap. More to come later!

LDPanda

lets see that deck! Wink

rodgon

yeah lets see that deck homie!!!

angelo_pb

stocago

angelo_pb

well i am more focused on the new Pulse, anticipated on 16 January. I want to be able to get that springiness for my weight bracket of 185-190. Different shapes, duros, top and bottom. Its a little daunting.

the Strike has white bones (soft core?) top and bottom. I want to put a medium on that, yes. But what should i get for the Pulse? Are the 85a good for me or what combo do I need?

stocago

If you ordered only a super-carve set in 85a, maybe order a standard bushing pack in both 85a and 81a. That way you'll have a couple of barrels to play with. This is for a Bennett front truck right? I'd even get the 78a so you could try the cone on top. I've got all three duros if you want to try them out.

angelo_pb

Thanks. i will order a std. set of the Venoms. Yes, it is for the Bennett 6.0. I would like an 85a, 82a and 78a to play around with until I find it. I hope the stock kingpiin doesn't break. I ordred a set of Randal grade 8 KPs. They are 2.5" and have very little threading. So hopefully that will protect the venoms.

pavedwave

angelo_pb

I am 185-190. I don't know if it will break or not. But grade 8 seems to be the std. OEM KP on trucks, e.g. Randal. 2 KPs are like $5. So its worth the investment if I am not thinking about tasting pavement. I really like the springiness feel. Something b/t a seismic and a normal bushing fee is what I mean when I say "springiness. I like the return-to-center feeling but the right amount of cushion for the pushin'.

Greg (Stogato) nailed it on his but he is closer to 160-165lbs. The Randal KPs I saw in the pic had only a small amount of threading so I am hoping the the bushings will not have to deal the threading. Ergo, durability is prolonged.

pavedwave

Yeah I won't argue the $5 upgrade. That's really cheap insurance. I haven't busted kingpins for ages but for a while there on the Randals it was a couple a month, and when you're pumping hard, you rarely get any notice that you're getting sent directly to the ground -- no fun, and its a miracle I didn't bust more bones. With an x-ray I'm pretty sure they'd find all kinds of neat fissures in my wrists though...

Considering the age of my Bennetts I'll probably just fix them all up with grade 8 pins this year.

Parson Adams

Hey all,

It's Jim from Texas. I'm the one who broke two stock Bennett KPs. They seem to last about 1 month with me. I don't know if it's the combination of Texas heat (105 in San Antonio and hotter where I skate), my weight (190), and my leg strength (I squat over 400 lbs.), but I was sent down hard the first time...broke my helmet, blood spewed from my nose because of the impact, and it felt like my brain actually moved. The second time, I was on an incline and I was able to catch myself since I was climbing the incline. The first break was a loud POP; the second break felt like fatiguing metal before it gives in--akin to bending a paperclip. I might add that most of my loop in San Antonio (3.18 miles) is up a gradual incline. I don't know if this can also contribute to the situation. Since, however, I have upgraded to grade 8 bolts. Bolddepot have me a really good deal on bulk bolts and nuts.

edp_swakakin

pavedwave

LDPanda

I just tried venoms on my rear truck and had mixed results. I started with 90a barrel on bottom and 93a cone on top. Almost instantly the cone was destroyed, not shredded, more like deformed. I was using an inverted cup washer which has been fine in the past. I liked the 90a barrel on bottom though and tried that with a few other bushings on top, but nothing was quite right. I decided to give the venoms a second shot and cut about an eighth of an inch off of the other 93a cone (sk8kings gave me a mislabeld super carve set instead of standard, oh well, it worked out). I cut the 1/8 inch off the narrow end of the cone. i put back on the inverted cup washer and it seems to be pretty nice now, no visible wear. Im not sure if ill stick with them in the rear truck, but i love the super soft blues up front.

Edit: had a chance to do some more experimenting today and settled (for now) on my usual Bennett stock red urethane bushing on bottom and the Venom red (90a) barrel on top.

Second edit: Maria at sk8kings was kind enough to send me a replacement standard pack of 93a green venoms. I tried the green barrel on bottom with the venom red 90a barrel on top, it works great. I had to crank it down quite a bit to get the right feel, but they were very responsive and have a great bouncy feeling. I will probably stick with this combo for a while.

LDPanda

I have stuck with the green/red combo in the rear and now with my switch to an airflow i continue to use it. I did order 2 sets of the new 'eliminator' model venoms [stepped like stims] becuase i think their shape will be more beneficial with a precision truck. Ill be sure to let you all know how they perform. I love how venoms feel in the rear, im not entirely sold on them for the front but i do use a blue barrel on top in front (with khiros on bottom).

wavechser

Yes, please let me know how the stim shaped venoms go. I run 90a barrels in my back and was wondering if the eliminator is worth switching for. Looks promising.

LDPanda

My eliminators just came in, unfortunately im in the middle of freak march snowstorm and cant really test them out. As far as i can tell, and dont quote me on this, Daddies Board Shop is the only retail who has these currently in stock. I beleive mile high carried them too, but has sold out.

LDPanda

Wow. Just, wow. I dont want to sound like too much of a fanboy, but if youre using a precision hangar you owe it to yourself to drop the 10 bucks on a pack of venom eliminators. The upgrade from barrels to eliminators was more noticeable than the upgrade from the RTS to the Airflow, no joke. They fit the bushing seat on the airflow 'almost' perfectly (i would like it if the inside step was about half a mm wider, but the tiny bit of slop is not noticeable when its snugged down). They made my setup feel 100% more precise and reliable. I feel perfectly confident pushing my entire weight into the rear on a huge pump, no fear of slideout. Despite the fact that i was a little under the weather today, i made the best time i ever have on my usual route, it felt amazing having the precision and stability to pump harder and deeper than i normally do. Im not sure how they work in the lower duros or on standard trucks, but if youve got a precision truck go buy these now, you wont regret it.

pavedwave

Oh fanboy are you from silverfish? Laughing

Just kiddin man, I'm so glad to hear your +++ review, because I've been running the last of my green and yellow stims in my Splitfires, one's completely shredded, another's still got a lotta miles but one thing fo sho I've always liked the feel of them better than the fat Radikal bushings. Wasn't sure if it was just the urethane but no doubt the fact that they seat just perfectly into the Splitfire hangar must make some difference. Time to blow some coin I suppose!! What duros did you get?

LDPanda

I got 1 pair of 93a greens and 1 pair of 90a reds. I ended up using a green bottom and red top, snugged down a little less than i had cranked down on the barrels. Theres a good possibility i may switch to two reds, ill have to do a bit more testing.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the eliminator is shaped specifically to accomodate a spherical bearing in the hangar. It works just fine if you dont have one (i dont) but if you do, you wont have to do any reshaping, it already fits just fine.

LDPanda

So, i split a second blue venom barrel in less than a month. Ive been using these as a top bushing in front. I had one split and disappear completely a few weeks ago while i was on the trail. then yesterday i got to my turnaround point and noticed that my blue venom barrel was split about halfway thru the bushing and was going to be gone soon. I replaced it with an orange khiro and went about my ride but it got me thinking about the durability of venoms and i have to say, i wish it was better. Its an amazing urethane, huge rebound, but i dont think they have the longevity to stand up to LDP.

Click to see full size image

Correction: I think the eliminators in the harder duros are awesome, im concerned about the softer duros in a front truck.

stocago

I also love the Venom and Abec bushings, but they don't hold up to my abuse in the Bennett. So I've been sticking with Khiros mostly.

pavedwave

Yup yup, I'm seeing the same now with my orange cone in the Virage front truck. The odd thing is, this one is starting to split right in the middle of the cone, not from the lip where the Venoms usually bust. But I'll ride it until it turns to goo.

However the rear Venom eliminator and red barrel in the rear truck are holding up well.

I believe another significant factor, is that Bennett truks in particular twist and torque bushings more than the Radikals and GOGs that Venoms were mostly tested under, until lately.

Khiros still win on the long haul, esp for the front truck which dishes out a lot more abuse.

LDPanda

With the production virage ldp front bushing seats being sized to accommodate venom eliminators (or any stim shaped bushing) I would be really curious to see how they perform with blue eliminators. I suspect it would be a little firm for uphill pumping but might be great for flatland or downhill/gs but thats merely speculation.

pavedwave

Good point, I can't wait to see the productions-- and I hope you have stocked up on all the Venoms so that I can steal them from you to test Wink

LDPanda

Nope

in fact, with my splitfire coming in this week (finally) im gonna need some of the bushings ive loaned out back lol. prolly not from you tho, i think patrick has my green eliminator.

northcoast

little bump here...

am i the only one who's underwhelmed by venom bushings? i find them very hard to tune because they feel different in every set of trucks i've tried them on; and i haven't ever used them for pumping at all. at first i thought they'd be very binding and restrictive, because that's how they felt on my grizzlies; they did loosen up when i put a red khiro on top though...but, then i tried them on indys, and it felt like they just tipped over; very little rebound whatsoever. i don't even know how they'd feel in a bennett or RTX for pumping at all.

pavedwave

As a front bushing in a Bennett, Venoms just wear out too fast from my experiences so far. In the Virage front they hold up better, but I like Khiros responsiveness just the same on that truck.

Where they do shine for me is on a rear -- I prefer the stim + barrel Venom combos over Khiro barrels.

northcoast

pavedwave

when I wrote that I actually meant Venom eliminator stim. but funny you mention that, cause right now I'm running a Tracker stim! i hope it lasts forever and ever...

flannelman

not to thread jack, but who has tried a configuration with a soft Eliminator as the bottom bushing (on closer to the ground) i am just starting to build an LDP setup, and would like to know has anyone tried this. i found that on my double wedged M1s, with a 86 reflex top, and a 90 venom barrel bottom, it had a nice snap back because of the harder bushing. i found though that the 90 was too hard for any long excursions. would a soft elim have the same effective rebound, but be easier to pump?