The Thunder Thread

[rawbertson.]

Lol my friend told me that in his area of Texas, people say using Thunders is "Cheating" because it makes tricks too easy 

[IpathCats]

Lol my friend told me that in his area of Texas, people say using Thunders is "Cheating" because it makes tricks too easy 

thats hilarious

[FGO925]

Got to the axel on my team hollows, towards the end I started getting some axel slip and also blew through bushings and pivot cups like crazy.
Time to go back to just the Thunder standards and see if they will give me less issues. What crazy is I’m not a big slappy guy. Also don’t weigh a ton at 165lbs and down ride loose trucks but I was still breaking bushings and pivot cups every 2 weeks or so.

Anyone ride the riptide bushings? Might give them a shot in hopes they don’t disintegrate like the thunder or bones do. I’ve briefly tried a harder duro bushing on the board side but didn’t feel a noticeable enough difference to keep it like that, but I’m curious if anyone mixes and matches bushings with different duro’s and if they actually can feel it.

[IpathCats]

Got to the axel on my team hollows, towards the end I started getting some axel slip and also blew through bushings and pivot cups like crazy.
Time to go back to just the Thunder standards and see if they will give me less issues. What crazy is I’m not a big slappy guy. Also don’t weigh a ton at 165lbs and down ride loose trucks but I was still breaking bushings and pivot cups every 2 weeks or so.

Anyone ride the riptide bushings? Might give them a shot in hopes they don’t disintegrate like the thunder or bones do. I’ve briefly tried a harder duro bushing on the board side but didn’t feel a noticeable enough difference to keep it like that, but I’m curious if anyone mixes and matches bushings with different duro’s and if they actually can feel it.

The durometer scale isnt the most accurate thing from brand to brand.

I got some riptide bushings and they were much harder than indys of a similar duro.

Cant remember exactly which ones though.

I'd try ace hard bushings or indy hards and just cut/sand them to fit.

[rawbertson.]

I did a comparison between Thunder, Indy, and Ace on like the dryest possible curb in front of my house.

The Thunder will not budge at all.
The indy grinded, but it was sticky.
 The Ace went through basically no problem.

So Ace trucks definintely have a faster grind than anything else. If I put the tiniest bit of wax on it though, the Thunder grinds no problem. I would say when I do lock in on thunders, even on a 5050, it feels a lot more stable than those 2. I locked in a 5050 on a very square curb where both toeside wheels hugged the inside of the curb and it felt like I was just standing on flat. I just sat in that grind all the way until the curb ended like it was nothing.

Its possible the Thunders need to be worked in a bit more but I feel like that type of metal just doesnt grind as fast, and that's ok! you just need to wax it a bit more and it actually feels really awesome and solid.

The noseslide dragging thing kinda bugged me at first but I think it actually makes for a more solid, predictable noseslide!

[TwisT]

I did a comparison between Thunder, Indy, and Ace on like the dryest possible curb in front of my house.

The Thunder will not budge at all.
The indy grinded, but it was sticky.
 The Ace went through basically no problem.

So Ace trucks definintely have a faster grind than anything else. If I put the tiniest bit of wax on it though, the Thunder grinds no problem. I would say when I do lock in on thunders, even on a 5050, it feels a lot more stable than those 2. I locked in a 5050 on a very square curb where both toeside wheels hugged the inside of the curb and it felt like I was just standing on flat. I just sat in that grind all the way until the curb ended like it was nothing.

Its possible the Thunders need to be worked in a bit more but I feel like that type of metal just doesnt grind as fast, and that's ok! you just need to wax it a bit more and it actually feels really awesome and solid.

The noseslide dragging thing kinda bugged me at first but I think it actually makes for a more solid, predictable noseslide!

Doesn’t ace notoriously have softer aluminum and are more likely to bend.

[IpathCats]

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I did a comparison between Thunder, Indy, and Ace on like the dryest possible curb in front of my house.

The Thunder will not budge at all.
The indy grinded, but it was sticky.
 The Ace went through basically no problem.

So Ace trucks definintely have a faster grind than anything else. If I put the tiniest bit of wax on it though, the Thunder grinds no problem. I would say when I do lock in on thunders, even on a 5050, it feels a lot more stable than those 2. I locked in a 5050 on a very square curb where both toeside wheels hugged the inside of the curb and it felt like I was just standing on flat. I just sat in that grind all the way until the curb ended like it was nothing.

Its possible the Thunders need to be worked in a bit more but I feel like that type of metal just doesnt grind as fast, and that's ok! you just need to wax it a bit more and it actually feels really awesome and solid.

The noseslide dragging thing kinda bugged me at first but I think it actually makes for a more solid, predictable noseslide!

[close]

Doesn’t ace notoriously have softer aluminum and are more likely to bend.

The classics do.

And judging by @rawbertson 's experiences i would guess thats what he was using.

An ace classic would probably grind more on a rougher/rawer curb than other trucks.

But the grind would be slower overall on anything broken in well.

AF1's are similar in hardness to indys/thunders. More comes down to the shape of the hanger at that point.

[Allen.]

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I feel like a fucking idiot but…

I have stripped 3 fucking Thunder kingpins back to back and I genuinely don’t think they should have stripped out. Is this all caused because I use the included washer from my bones bushings or what is going on? As Mugatu once said, I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.

[close]

Hollow kingpins?

Seen a lot more hollow kingpins have issues, but I know any kingpin can strip for various reasons.

One of the guys I skate with went through a tighter truck phase and he would try to tighten the bones bushings down that would then rebound in such a way that would push the kingpin nut off the kingpin from the forces of doing tricks.


And no it shouldn't be happening, but some things like that example above do have adverse affects on product, that would not usually happen in other situations.

[close]

Hollow kingpins yes. I skate the hard bushings but I had them basically flush. Took em apart to throw a bones medium and a bones hard together and then it wouldn’t go back on

[close]

Maybe you cross threaded on accident last time you put your kp nut on?

could easily see that happening if your kp had been ground down a bit already, damaging the top threads.

[close]

Bones hard bushings are good at putting so much pressure on the kingpin nut, whatever the quality of metal it may or may not be, so that it would push it off even half a thread, which then left metal on the kingpin itself and blunted the future efforts to remove and replace the nuts.

This seems to make the most sense to me at this moment, considering I fucked up one singular Krux Downlow kingpin since posting because the kingpin and the nut were just barely not making contact.

The thing about bones hards sucks because while I’m not like legendary Canadian big guy Rod Ferens big, I am 6’2 and 225, so bones hards set to loose keeps my kingpin from being cranked down, but if I were to use any other bushings, because of my height/weight, my trucks would feel like Matt Rodriguez’s… to me and me alone.

[LebowskisRug]

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Got to the axel on my team hollows, towards the end I started getting some axel slip and also blew through bushings and pivot cups like crazy.
Time to go back to just the Thunder standards and see if they will give me less issues. What crazy is I’m not a big slappy guy. Also don’t weigh a ton at 165lbs and down ride loose trucks but I was still breaking bushings and pivot cups every 2 weeks or so.

Anyone ride the riptide bushings? Might give them a shot in hopes they don’t disintegrate like the thunder or bones do. I’ve briefly tried a harder duro bushing on the board side but didn’t feel a noticeable enough difference to keep it like that, but I’m curious if anyone mixes and matches bushings with different duro’s and if they actually can feel it.

[close]

The durometer scale isnt the most accurate thing from brand to brand.

I got some riptide bushings and they were much harder than indys of a similar duro.

Cant remember exactly which ones though.

I'd try ace hard bushings or indy hards and just cut/sand them to fit.

Adding to this a durometer is just a small needle that measures hardness, but it cannot quantify rebound or how much urethane changes over time. With bike tires you will see tires of very similar hardness behave and roll completely different.

[IpathCats]

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Got to the axel on my team hollows, towards the end I started getting some axel slip and also blew through bushings and pivot cups like crazy.
Time to go back to just the Thunder standards and see if they will give me less issues. What crazy is I’m not a big slappy guy. Also don’t weigh a ton at 165lbs and down ride loose trucks but I was still breaking bushings and pivot cups every 2 weeks or so.

Anyone ride the riptide bushings? Might give them a shot in hopes they don’t disintegrate like the thunder or bones do. I’ve briefly tried a harder duro bushing on the board side but didn’t feel a noticeable enough difference to keep it like that, but I’m curious if anyone mixes and matches bushings with different duro’s and if they actually can feel it.

[close]

The durometer scale isnt the most accurate thing from brand to brand.

I got some riptide bushings and they were much harder than indys of a similar duro.

Cant remember exactly which ones though.

I'd try ace hard bushings or indy hards and just cut/sand them to fit.

[close]

Adding to this a durometer is just a small needle that measures hardness, but it cannot quantify rebound or how much urethane changes over time. With bike tires you will see tires of very similar hardness behave and roll completely different.

interesting, good point

[Frank and Fred]

This has likely already been answered but are Thunder baseplates  the same between sizes and interchangeable?

 Its just the hangers that alter the height, correct?

[DRUNK_ASS_WIZARD]

This has likely already been answered but are Thunder baseplates  the same between sizes and interchangeable?

 Its just the hangers that alter the height, correct?

Correct.  Only difference should be the 1mm height between cast and forged bases.

[Pasta Monster]

These should be out in shops soon:

[YeoWhattup]

I put some 148 hollow axles on some team base plates with the solid kingpins and I’m really liking them. I wish they made this style of truck. I usually don’t ride hollow trucks cause I like some weight to my board but this combo feels good and I got them for free from my friend

[FatGuy92]

I put some 148 hollow axles on some team base plates with the solid kingpins and I’m really liking them. I wish they made this style of truck. I usually don’t ride hollow trucks cause I like some weight to my board but this combo feels good and I got them for free from my friend

I have something similar setup. 149 titanium hangers on standard baseplates. I like em a lot too. Doesn't sound as tinny when riding and the extra heft is kinda nice. Also not sure if there's anything to support this, but I notice I lock in a lot better on noseslides on standard plates. I actually see wear on my baseplates now.

[LebowskisRug]

Anyone with inside knowledge know when T2 are dropping? Been patiently waiting for over a year since o saw fairly finished prototypes and really curious to see if the supposed changes solve my few gripes about them.

The baseplate was more like the old style Thunder and looked slightly thicker, not sure if they altered the geo at all.

[YeoWhattup]

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I put some 148 hollow axles on some team base plates with the solid kingpins and I’m really liking them. I wish they made this style of truck. I usually don’t ride hollow trucks cause I like some weight to my board but this combo feels good and I got them for free from my friend

[close]

I have something similar setup. 149 titanium hangers on standard baseplates. I like em a lot too. Doesn't sound as tinny when riding and the extra heft is kinda nice. Also not sure if there's anything to support this, but I notice I lock in a lot better on noseslides on standard plates. I actually see wear on my baseplates now.

That combo sounds nice, I definitely think the standard plates slide/lock in better too

[Lepanto]

Bought a set of Thunder Titanium Lights(149) at 40% off price.

Gonna sit them till finish my current hollows

[Frank and Fred]

Anyone with inside knowledge know when T2 are dropping? Been patiently waiting for over a year since o saw fairly finished prototypes and really curious to see if the supposed changes solve my few gripes about them.

The baseplate was more like the old style Thunder and looked slightly thicker, not sure if they altered the geo at all.

not to say things can't change but i've seen Thunder catalogs up to Fall drop 2 and there is no mention of this.

[tom]

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Anyone with inside knowledge know when T2 are dropping? Been patiently waiting for over a year since o saw fairly finished prototypes and really curious to see if the supposed changes solve my few gripes about them.

The baseplate was more like the old style Thunder and looked slightly thicker, not sure if they altered the geo at all.

[close]

not to say things can't change but i've seen Thunder catalogs up to Fall drop 2 and there is no mention of this.

I saw (and skated for a morning) some prototypes a year and a half ago and was told they would be out in "6 months". That was a year after I first heard about them. The baseplate thing some people take an issue with was fixed, but the turn didn't really feel the same. They used the same hanger and it felt like a slower arc. Maybe that's why they were prototypes. At this point I'm not going to hold my breath on them coming out anytime soon

[ambiguousclarity]

Got to the axel on my team hollows, towards the end I started getting some axel slip and also blew through bushings and pivot cups like crazy.
Time to go back to just the Thunder standards and see if they will give me less issues. What crazy is I’m not a big slappy guy. Also don’t weigh a ton at 165lbs and down ride loose trucks but I was still breaking bushings and pivot cups every 2 weeks or so.

Anyone ride the riptide bushings? Might give them a shot in hopes they don’t disintegrate like the thunder or bones do. I’ve briefly tried a harder duro bushing on the board side but didn’t feel a noticeable enough difference to keep it like that, but I’m curious if anyone mixes and matches bushings with different duro’s and if they actually can feel it.

I mix duro bushings and find it works for me. I use standard/rebuild kit thunder bushings. 90a for the bottom and 100a top. Tend to ride standards, but set up a pair of hollow lights this past week and they feel different. I've switched to a standard baseplate, which has helped somewhat. Not sure why they feel so different.

[Richard Skidder]

These should be out in shops soon:

Usually not a fan of painted trucks but these really speak to me. Something about the texture of the baseplate with the clear bushings that’s doing it for me. Anyone know if that graphic is printed on the hanger or etched similar to the way Mason Silva’s Indy was?

[goodatmeth]

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Anyone with inside knowledge know when T2 are dropping? Been patiently waiting for over a year since o saw fairly finished prototypes and really curious to see if the supposed changes solve my few gripes about them.

The baseplate was more like the old style Thunder and looked slightly thicker, not sure if they altered the geo at all.

[close]

not to say things can't change but i've seen Thunder catalogs up to Fall drop 2 and there is no mention of this.

[close]

I saw (and skated for a morning) some prototypes a year and a half ago and was told they would be out in "6 months". That was a year after I first heard about them. The baseplate thing some people take an issue with was fixed, but the turn didn't really feel the same. They used the same hanger and it felt like a slower arc. Maybe that's why they were prototypes. At this point I'm not going to hold my breath on them coming out anytime soon

Did you keep this secret for 1.5 years or did you share it back then? Slap must have gone crazy if you did.

[tom]

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Anyone with inside knowledge know when T2 are dropping? Been patiently waiting for over a year since o saw fairly finished prototypes and really curious to see if the supposed changes solve my few gripes about them.

The baseplate was more like the old style Thunder and looked slightly thicker, not sure if they altered the geo at all.

[close]

not to say things can't change but i've seen Thunder catalogs up to Fall drop 2 and there is no mention of this.

[close]

I saw (and skated for a morning) some prototypes a year and a half ago and was told they would be out in "6 months". That was a year after I first heard about them. The baseplate thing some people take an issue with was fixed, but the turn didn't really feel the same. They used the same hanger and it felt like a slower arc. Maybe that's why they were prototypes. At this point I'm not going to hold my breath on them coming out anytime soon

[close]

Did you keep this secret for 1.5 years or did you share it back then? Slap must have gone crazy if you did.

I kept it a secret. Figured enough time has past that no one could get singled out for letting me try them out. Who knows if they’ll ever actually get released. I think that Thunders are already the perfect perfect truck(for me) the way they are. I’d be down to try out the samples again if I could though

[LebowskisRug]

Plenty of pros and people were testing 2 variants last year even Ben D had them obviously facing the camera in a video. Kinda weird that since then they disappeared.

[Xen]

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These should be out in shops soon:

[close]

Usually not a fan of painted trucks but these really speak to me. Something about the texture of the baseplate with the clear bushings that’s doing it for me. Anyone know if that graphic is printed on the hanger or etched similar to the way Mason Silva’s Indy was?

Those are fire (and I usually prefer raw/or blk plates w/raw hangers); nice to see SBN get some lovin'

[Wizard0f0dds]

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Anyone with inside knowledge know when T2 are dropping? Been patiently waiting for over a year since o saw fairly finished prototypes and really curious to see if the supposed changes solve my few gripes about them.

The baseplate was more like the old style Thunder and looked slightly thicker, not sure if they altered the geo at all.

[close]

not to say things can't change but i've seen Thunder catalogs up to Fall drop 2 and there is no mention of this.

[close]

I saw (and skated for a morning) some prototypes a year and a half ago and was told they would be out in "6 months". That was a year after I first heard about them. The baseplate thing some people take an issue with was fixed, but the turn didn't really feel the same. They used the same hanger and it felt like a slower arc. Maybe that's why they were prototypes. At this point I'm not going to hold my breath on them coming out anytime soon

I wish they would make Thunders exactly the same, but with extended baseplates. I'm back on Indy right now and that's the only gripe I had with Thunders. This is definitely a skill issue, but I tend to dip my tailslides most of the time, and I can get away with it on Indys because of the baseplate while I stick like crazy on Thunders. Other than that, Thunders are the perfect trucks.

[Xen]

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Anyone with inside knowledge know when T2 are dropping? Been patiently waiting for over a year since o saw fairly finished prototypes and really curious to see if the supposed changes solve my few gripes about them.

The baseplate was more like the old style Thunder and looked slightly thicker, not sure if they altered the geo at all.

[close]

not to say things can't change but i've seen Thunder catalogs up to Fall drop 2 and there is no mention of this.

[close]

I saw (and skated for a morning) some prototypes a year and a half ago and was told they would be out in "6 months". That was a year after I first heard about them. The baseplate thing some people take an issue with was fixed, but the turn didn't really feel the same. They used the same hanger and it felt like a slower arc. Maybe that's why they were prototypes. At this point I'm not going to hold my breath on them coming out anytime soon

[close]

I wish they would make Thunders exactly the same, but with extended baseplates. I'm back on Indy right now and that's the only gripe I had with Thunders. This is definitely a skill issue, but I tend to dip my tailslides most of the time, and I can get away with it on Indys because of the baseplate while I stick like crazy on Thunders. Other than that, Thunders are the perfect trucks.

More technique than skill? I have no idea why but I don't slide on my plates regardless of truck brand, it's not by choice, it's just how it happens and it's been like that for as long as I can remember. I guess I don't dip, but instead sit 'up' flat on the kick? Maybe it's all those yeas of riding thunders and just adapting over time.

[YeoWhattup]

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Anyone with inside knowledge know when T2 are dropping? Been patiently waiting for over a year since o saw fairly finished prototypes and really curious to see if the supposed changes solve my few gripes about them.

The baseplate was more like the old style Thunder and looked slightly thicker, not sure if they altered the geo at all.

[close]

not to say things can't change but i've seen Thunder catalogs up to Fall drop 2 and there is no mention of this.

[close]

I saw (and skated for a morning) some prototypes a year and a half ago and was told they would be out in "6 months". That was a year after I first heard about them. The baseplate thing some people take an issue with was fixed, but the turn didn't really feel the same. They used the same hanger and it felt like a slower arc. Maybe that's why they were prototypes. At this point I'm not going to hold my breath on them coming out anytime soon

[close]

I wish they would make Thunders exactly the same, but with extended baseplates. I'm back on Indy right now and that's the only gripe I had with Thunders. This is definitely a skill issue, but I tend to dip my tailslides most of the time, and I can get away with it on Indys because of the baseplate while I stick like crazy on Thunders. Other than that, Thunders are the perfect trucks.

[close]

More technique than skill? I have no idea why but I don't slide on my plates regardless of truck brand, it's not by choice, it's just how it happens and it's been like that for as long as I can remember. I guess I don't dip, but instead sit 'up' flat on the kick? Maybe it's all those yeas of riding thunders and just adapting over time.

It’s gotta be technique cause my baseplates get scrapes from slides. My friend who also skates standard thunders gets a lot of wear and tear on his baseplates as well

[LebowskisRug]

I scrape my plates on Thunders and sit on the kicks a lot while sliding. If I don't remember that it can be stick city sometimes, but as long as the ledge has wax on the side it's usually not a big deal. Super angled park coping drags the most.

As for the bushing issues I never had any until my current set and they have sucked. The white bushings cracked super fast and washers bent like crazy. DLX said they used a different hardware supplier for a bit and sent washers and bushies. Washers were fine. In a year I've cracked 4 bottoms and 5 tops. Usually it's not a huge deal but if I do a lot of slappies my top bushing on my front truck will just split in 2. A few friends on Thunders have had just as bad of luck with bushings crumbling and that was one of Ben D's complaints in his review.

I got the 94D and hated them. Never got any looser and board did not feel fun to skate or even carve on. At this point if I fuck up another set in probably done with em for a while.