Power Kite Forum

Pain in the board

dylanj423 - 2-12-2008 at 09:44 AM

I am trying to change out the torsion cubes in my GI flight lite deck. Are the newer cubes compatible with the older ones. I have the older yellow cubes, trying to replace them with the newer purple cubes, but I cant get the old ones out. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

kiteon - 2-12-2008 at 10:04 AM

the color on the cube is not how new it is. are you sure you got the right ones.
take your trucks off

B-Roc - 2-12-2008 at 10:25 AM

new cubes are not compatible with the older trucks so if you have an old board and the newer style cubes, you can try all you want but it won't work.

What can't you get out? The kingpin? That can really be tricky especially if the board is older and been ridden (near water) and never taken apart before as the kingpin can get salt and sand in it and corrode a bit. Don't force it though and never hit it with a hammer. You need to wiggle and twist it or rock it a bit to get it out. FWIW I always keep my kingpins separate and make sure they go back into the same truck they came out of. You could try a light oil to help slide it out but clean it all off after so you don't leave a sticky, sand attacting residue behind.

awindofchange - 2-12-2008 at 01:01 PM

If you are trying to upgrade your older bionic trucks to the newer cubes, there is an upgrade kit that Ground Industries produces that comes with two new kingpins (new style), two new GRP hangars, new friction plates and all new hardware to install them. We have the upgrade kit in stock. The new hangar upgrade kit also shaves a bit of weight off of the board too.

Upgrade Kit

Hope this helps.

dylanj423 - 2-12-2008 at 01:34 PM

Looks like I need that hybrid kit to get this to work. I see that the kingpin I have isnt square, so wont ever work with the newer cubes. Dang... I guess I will just clean everything off, get the screws and washers cleaned up, and change out the bearings.

Thanks for the help guys. Small an expense as it is, I just cant do the hybrid kit right now... It will have to wait until at least next year.

Thanks again.

B-Roc - 2-12-2008 at 02:56 PM

or you could call GI or some of the places that carry their gear and ask if they have any of the older style dark navy blue (kind of look purple) cubes in stock and just get those.

How much do you weigh? I weigh 150# and rode the yellows for about a year and then dropped down to the dark navy blues which I like better as you can carve to toeside with those but also have the royal blues which are a step down from the navy blues and have considered putting those in to soften the ride up even more and shorten the turning radius. When I moved to the dark navy blues, Matt at GI recommended the royal blues or even the light blues based on my weight but I didn't want them too soft so I got the navy blue and royal blue and put the navy blue on and haven't swapped them out for two years now though I think of it every time I carve to toeside and run out of beach before I can carve back.

dylanj423 - 2-12-2008 at 03:18 PM

I weigh 190, and the yellow ones are pretty stiff. I would like a little more control, but I think I am stuck with the yellow cubes on this board, until I upgrade trucks completely... I cant get the yellow cubes out, and on one of the trucks, I cant get the kingpin out. Oh well... speed runs it is.. and thats ok in my book.

Any body with a GI board get the speed wobbles??? I read something about someone getting to 40 mph on a GI board before:eekdrull:... I need a GPS so I can start measuring these things.

B-Roc - 2-12-2008 at 03:29 PM

I've gotten speed wobble with both the yellows and the navy blues but never badly with either. Wobble can be avoided / prevented with proper technique and balance / weight management based on your positon on the board and how much the kite is supporting you. whenever I get a wobble I get the weight off the foot (usually the front) that is feeling the wobble and lean back pushing my lets out so the board isn't under me. Cures it all the time.

Yellows are great for speed runs. Have fun until you can upgrade.