Asymmetrical Set Ups
Symmetrical vs Asymmetrical Setups
A symmetrical set up utilizes the same washers, bushings and baseplate angles in the front and back trucks. It is ideal for non-directional disciplines (those where you might flip your board around, or you might move backwards) including switch, park, vert ramps, traction, free ride, free style, and dance. We also recommend symmetrical setups for Roller Skate.
However, you might not need or want the same set up in the front as in the back, AKA an asymmetrical set up (or a split set up). Asymmetrical set ups are ideal for directional disciplines, including downhill, LDP (long distance push), slalom, most cruisers and carvers, transition, pump tracks, and E-Skate.
A general guideline if you’re diving into asymmetrical setups is less resistance in the front trucks, more resistance in the back trucks. This allows you to have a lot of control in the front, but the stability in the rear trucks allows you to go fast.
You can make your setup asymmetrical in many different ways, and we recommend you try them in the order listed below:
1 - You can use flat washers in the front and cup washers in the back. Even a flat Barrel/ flat Barrel in the front truck and cup Barrel/ cup Barrel in the back truck can make a difference in the feel of your ride.
2 - You can use smaller shapes in the front trucks and larger shapes in the rear- say a Cone/Barrel combo up front and Barrel/Chubby combo in back.
3 - You can also use softer durometers in the front and harder in the back. If going this route we recommend you stay within 5-10 points difference in duro.
4 - Wedging: You can also use different angles in the front and back trucks. This can be done either by buying different angled trucks, or using wedges/angle risers. You’ll want a higher angle/bigger wedge in the front, and lower angle/smaller or no wedge in the back. The higher the angle/wedge, the more horizontal your kingpin will be and the less leverage you’ll have over your trucks. Wedging the front truck will give you less leverage over the bushings, meaning you’ll need smaller shapes or softer duros. Dewedging the back means you’ll need bigger shapes or harder duros. Wedging is more complicated than changing your bushings, which is why we recommend you try it after trying the methods listed above.
When changing your set up, especially when you’re changing several different factors, always check for wheelbite!!