Whats better for an offroad MTB, PKP trucks like Apex Air or Channel trucks with springs or bushings?
- PKP Trucks
- Channel Trucks
0 voters
3 Likes
Do you like guys or gals or someone in between?
Rider preference entirely my friend.
5 Likes
I’ve ridden neither before, just probing the waters and checking if there is a preference people have. I see a lot more channel trucks that PKPs, but thats probably due PKPs being newer and have just gained recently in popularity, with the whole Trampa outrage and everything.
Honestly i don’t get it fully, I mean if you want to design a truck like PKP they’re all going to look similar, like how all RKP trucks look kinda similar, and nobody is (was?) raging over that.
PKP is deffo better for a mountainboard in my opinion.
4 Likes
Do you have a specific reason or just general feeling?
Um yes… I will take all three please.
4 Likes
Still haven’t been able to try the pkp. But a lot of work and time and money went into designing, testing and producing them. Same as the channels. At the end of the day it depends on just how groovy you are feeling for your build.
Loads of reasons
They are more cussioned and absorb the vibrations better.
They are infinitely tunable
They allow the hanger to better conform to the terrain so provide more grip
They are stronger than most of the channels out there.
There are some cons as well, not as maneuverable as a fixed pivot truck, more expensive as they are precision made from premium materials etc.
4 Likes
lee you also got the fact that on an emtb, pkp trucks don’t eat through kingpin bushings causing slop
5 Likes
That’s an inherant flaw with the design of Trampa trucks. I could design a truck in a few hours that would solve all the issues with that design.
Maybe I should do that
7 Likes
if you used scrub trucks triple adjustment holes you could get around the issue of barrels/ springs being too carvy/stiff without the need for washers
1 Like
Why are channel trucks so popular then? is it just the price?
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Tried true and cheap
4 Likes
It was the best and most available technology until the PKP was manufactured and made available by Apex Customs.
1 Like
I’m currently favoring Apex Airs, mostly because of the nice design and less moving parts. Thanks for the input here guys. If someone still wants to make a case for channel trucks, you’re very welcome to do so.
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Speed wobbles. I don’t know how the pkp deal with them but with channel trucks it’s a none issue.
2 Likes
If you are in the market for a deck too we are about to relaunch our Predator gravity/rolling chassis.
I haven’t had speed wobbles on PKP but then again I didn’t have them for a long time when I was riding channels. I think the mechanical properties of our PKP Apex Airs inherintly dampen small movements/over corrections that get you into trouble
2 Likes
How so? I mean in essence they are just a parallel RKP mounted at an angle with an additional bushing, no?
It looks like a black Haero Bro, are those the same?
Dangerous to say speed wobbles are a non issue on channels. Riding beyond your limits any equipment and you can end up in a lot of trouble.
As for going fast on PKP on a road environment, ask @poastoast how how finds them at speed. He’s pushing some serious speed for sure.
9 Likes