MBS Matrix II Truck Mod

aside: this sound fun! :slight_smile:

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I wouldn’t call it an issue, but for some of us it’s just not enough preload on the shock blocks.
On the other hand I know people complaining about yellow shock blocks being to stiff and even lost shock blocks while riding because they tried to losen the trucks as much as possible.
There is always something some people will want to have a bit different and I think the idea represented here is pretty nice for those of us who do like to have a bit more preload.

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Hi, thanks for your feedback and welcome

These plates won’t do anything if you don’t have an issue with you trucks.

Using the stock plate was the first thing I tried, but I used the metal inserts from Trampa Spring retainers rather than a round nut, as I think that is a more elegant solution. The plate completely buckled under the pressure because it is too thin. I have been told by some riders that their plate bends even it a completely stock set up.

I completely disagree that it stating it “fixes a flaw” is over stepping. Please take into consideration that I have almost two decades experience of riding MBS channel trucks through their various incarnations. As a former MBS team rider and someone who has won UK and World titles in Boarder X racing and who continues to ride at the highest level, I feel well placed to assess if a component has a flaw. There are many other gravity riders in agreement with me.

Apart from hanging out with the Trampa Team and playing on their boards, I have no other experience of E Boarding so the whole point of my post was to ask the question E Boarders have the same issue?

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That’s really interesting, I suspect that the way energy is transmitted to the board has a big effect on how tight or loose you would like the steering to be.

On an uneven surface at speed, I know the vast majority of gravity boarders prefer a stiffer set up. I’ve hit mole hills at speed which has resulted in the front truck turning so much it’s basically acted as a brake and I’ve been thrown over the front of the board. However this happened whilst I was pumping the down slope of a roller to generate maximum speed, so my most of my weight and energy was pushing down through the front of the board.

When I’ve ridden electric boards (as a complete novice) I notice that my weight is much more biased to the rear of the board and I’m not actively trying to transmit energy to the wheels by pumping. Maybe in that scenario I could comfortably ride with a looser set up.

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It’s also a big difference if you ride with bindings or not.
Matrix2 trucks are often used for carver decks without bindings here. Add up on top a skinny 60kg guy and here you go having issues to turn properly.

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I can get this being a way to adjust things more than stock, I cant understand the following.

“These plates won’t do anything if you don’t have an issue with you trucks.”
If I don’t have issues how can it have a flaw? The logic does not add up, for me.

This flaw is then backed by two decades of riding etc. An I myself have well over 20 years in skateboarding street, etc. Does this mean Im right. Nope not saying that at all. Just figured
we are throwing in how long we have been riding, guess I should also.

So a truck with no issues, does not have issues, but if it has issues then this fixes the flaw?
See how this is confusing or is this just me…?

I can see this being useful for some, I cant see it fixing a flaw.
I can see it adding more options of adjustment to the current trucks limits.
I don’t consider angled risers or baseplates fixing a flaw either, maybe thats just me.
It’s just a way to add or refine and adjustment that is preferred imo.
Im not against this plate.

If its truly a flaw though, why are we not talking directly too MBS to correct this for the benefit of all riders? Maybe this has already been discussed?..
I would think rider safety is a top thing for most companies. If it was truly proven to be a flaw
or fail point then lawsuits could appear I assume. So my thoughts are why not take this flaw to MBS?

Im ok with being wrong and have MBS make a new safer version of the Matrix trucks.
I don’t like knowing this could be a flaw and only people on the forum will know of it.
I think this is something MBS should be helping us too correct if a flaw exist.

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I see it as this as well.
Might be language thing on my side, but I considered this always as an add on for those who might have a use for it and not as a flaw that need to be fixed.

Maybe MBS already has information about that and working on an option? We don’t know. The metal base plate isn’t out for that long.

@MBS whats your thoughts on that shock block tensioner as addition to the current mbs Matrix2 design?

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TBH I never even thought of how responsive you would want the steering to be if you were riding without bindings, if the that’s what the Matrix II’s are used for in the electric world, then I would say no, you definitely do not need this mod. :slight_smile:

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I think we are talking across each other here and it might be a language barrier issue, as a native English speaker I can only speak English. This is often a weakness when trying to communicate succinctly with people for whom English is not their primary language. It’s sometimes even an issue when talking to native English speakers from outside the British Isles.

With that in mind I mean no disrespect when I say I genuinely do not understand your interpretation of my statements.

With one important clarification I’m willing to let everything I’ve said be interpreted by anyone else reading and have nothing else to offer in reply to you.

That clarification is, I have never said that this is a matter of safety with an MBS product, out of all the trucks available on the market today, I choose to ride the MBS Matrix II because IMO I think they are the best for Gravity Boards. However as standard they do not offer the range of adjustment that I and many other gravity boarders require.

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We seem to understand each other just fine :slight_smile: but just clarify, a flaw in a design does not mean that the design does not work at all, or that it’s dangerous. In this case I use the word flaw to describe a design that’s not meeting it’s true potential.

Just to add, it’s true that the metal base plate (hanger) hasn’t been out that long, however I have been running a metal hanger with the Matrix II’s since about 6 months after their release in the UK.
I kept on breaking the 1st gen Matrix II plastic hanger so I replaced them with alloy hangers from the Matrix I and a custom insert to accommodate the shock blocks.

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Hey @Andy87, my thoughts are that I like to see people making mods and generally contributing to product advancement. That’s the nature of R&D. I love it.

I’m not precious about my designs. Over the past 25 years my skin has toughened with respect appreciating product criticism, especially from bad ass riders like @RhythmX. Without it our products wouldn’t be where they are today.

I’d probably prefer to see this marketed as an improvement rather than fixing a flaw. For me the flaw relates more to a problem that would affect everyone, like a safety issue. I would never release something that wasn’t safe. That part of the discussion is one of semantics. It doesn’t really matter to me. Of course I know our products are not 100% perfect for 100% of riders in 100% of situations. That’s always the goal, but rarely the reality.

My takeaway is that people want more adjustment from the matrix II on both ends of the spectrum (softer AND stiffer). I’m really excited about the designs I have cooked up for the Matrix III which I feel address this request along several other improvements, but those are still a little ways off. In the meantime, and for the thousands of Matrix II trucks that will remain in the market for years to come I think mods like this are really cool for people with a similar experience to @RhythmX.

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Woah matrix 3’s! How far down the horizon are those bad boys!

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How did I know that question would be asked? Not this year…

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tenor-12

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Can you tell us any changes we might see?

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Ooops, did I say that? Haha. You guys should know something is always cooking at MBS.

Too many details would ruin the suspense! Still more testing to do, but in general: More adjustability on both ends of the spectrum (as mentioned). Higher precision. Nothing ever rattling or coming loose. And hopefully more axle / hanger options at some point (widths / diameters). And a mystery option that I’m excited about but am going to withhold for now. :man_supervillain:
If I should add anything else to the list message me. I don’t want to hijack a good thread.

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Matrix III should have a actually CADable hangar profile so we can make mounts!!

And maybe get some Riptide formula shock blocks? Lacroix are already giving you a run for the coolest channel truck bushings

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I’m pretty sure there’s the cad files for matrix 2’s kicking around on the forum somewhere direct from mbs.

But it’s still a wonky shape something a little more standard might be nice!

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Our boy Joel released the profile to us a little while ago, which makes things so much easier but not having to deal with the weird geometry would be a lot nicer. 3DS FatBoy and TB CNC has the nice square pattern which I think makes everything so much better

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Yeah but that’s boring af. I agree with you but dont want to see another of the same truck. Squares are for squares.

@MBS I already bought a set of matrix IIIs. Just mentally note that please.

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