#astro nuts

fucking aSTRO NUTS

first of all

what kind of club name is that

second

why

I have another chance to be in close proximity with her

but there’s no way I’m going to fucking attend fucking Astro nuts

she could’ve run any club

why

Astro Nuts are a replacement axle nut (the lock nut that holds your wheels on). Typically, axle nuts are made out of steel (sometimes aluminum) with a little nylon insert inside them that helps hold them in place on your axle. When you change your wheels a lot, it is easy for that insert to wear out, or for you to strip or cross-thread your axle nuts. That's why it is super important to regularly change out your axle nuts. How often you should change them depends on how frequently you change your wheels and how careful you are when you change them.

Astro Nuts are not metal, but are in fact a completely nylon axle nut. This makes them significantly lighter than typical axle nuts. They also come in a lot of fun colors to match your skates/wheels/team colors. They are made by GRN MNSTR, the maker of Gumball toe stops, Antik Skate, and Heartless and Reckless wheels.

I got the black ones last October. I also got a set of purples for my boyfriend, who was a ref. I knew they would be lighter, but I was shocked at just how much lighter. They feel like they weigh nothing in your hand. They also seem to really hold on to the threads on the axle better than metal nuts. I was definitely happy with the purchase.

When I bought them, I was told that nylon nuts would only last a very short time and I'd need to replace them in a couple months. That was not the case at all. I change my wheels between once and 4 or 5 times a week, and just now are they starting to show signs of wear. My boyfriend's, however, started to wear a little earlier. Around December, one of them became completely cross-threaded (we just replaced it with a metal one), and now virtually all of them are cross threaded and don't stay in place. They still had a pretty good life, though, and the cross threading was something we noticed while changing out wheels (it's pretty easy to tell when they are about to bite the dust) so there were no lost wheels or anything scary and dangerous.

My favorite thing about these nuts is actually the shape. They have a flat part on the back of the nut that keeps your skate tool from digging into your bearings, making them easier to put on and much safer for your bearings. 

I do highly recommend these, but there are a few things to keep in mind:

You have to be extra careful with them. Because nylon is softer than metal, they are easier to cross thread or completely strip. Don't force it on, and make sure you are putting the Astro Nut on straight. 

While they are a TON lighter, I don't really think it's a huge concern for most derby setups. A lot of derby skaters skate on ridiculously heavy setups, so I don't think a few grams lost on your axle nuts will make you fly. However, if you do have a lighter setup and are concerned about weight, these are great.

Also, Sure-Grip has just released a product to compete with Astro Nuts called Zero Nuts. They are very similar in design, but the flat part on the Astro Nuts has been extended and is a full on bearing shield that covers most of your bearing, keeping it safe from dirt and gunk as well as from your skate tool.

Astro Nuts are nylon axle nuts. They are a replacement for the aluminum or steel axle lock nuts that come with your trucks (the nut that holds the wheel on). 

You should replace your axle nuts fairly regularly, especially if you change your wheels a lot. They do wear out over time, and a wheel falling off in the middle of a game is NOT something you want to happen.

Astro Nuts are just one kind of replacement axle nut, but their advantage is that they are much lighter than metal ones, and protect your bearings a little better because they have a flat part that keeps your skate tool from beating up the bearing. Recently, Sure-Grip came out with a sort of imitation product that looks pretty great as well called Zero Nuts. They are also nylon, and the flat part is even bigger, making it a complete bearing shield that not only protects your bearings from a skate tool but from dust and grime as well.