The Thunder Thread

[IpathCats]

i am somewhat hot rod curious... maybe afraid to admit it though

i dont even notice any axel poking out with 149s on 8.3/8.38

and only a negligible amount is noticeable on 8.25

[rawbertson.]

yeah 1/8" on each side really isnt shit
and i say the same thing to ppl who are like oh i cant believe u magic carpet 8.5 down to 8.25" lol but it acutally lines up pretty damn close.

its a matter of how much i like the turning is what it comes down to. i have never rode a 149 truck so the turning radius will feel in between my 144 and 159 sizes i am used to

[IpathCats]

yeah 1/8" on each side really isnt shit
and i say the same thing to ppl who are like oh i cant believe u magic carpet 8.5 down to 8.25" lol but it acutally lines up pretty damn close.

its a matter of how much i like the turning is what it comes down to. i have never rode a 149 truck so the turning radius will feel in between my 144 and 159 sizes i am used to

Id say try the 149.

I've ridden all of the above and i feel like 149 just works the best in most situations.

[LewFarrell]

Just picked up some 149 Titanium Lights, the Tactics weights are pretty spot on. 312g on both.

[goodatmeth]

Just picked up some 149 Titanium Lights, the Tactics weights are pretty spot on. 312g on both.

Best trucks ever made in my opinion. Been (mostly) riding the 148s for 3 years now. Mostly skating metal coping and ledges but I believe this year I'm gonna hit axle. Hope you love them as much as I do

[LebowskisRug]

Expand Quote

yeah 1/8" on each side really isnt shit
and i say the same thing to ppl who are like oh i cant believe u magic carpet 8.5 down to 8.25" lol but it acutally lines up pretty damn close.

its a matter of how much i like the turning is what it comes down to. i have never rode a 149 truck so the turning radius will feel in between my 144 and 159 sizes i am used to

[close]

Id say try the 149.

I've ridden all of the above and i feel like 149 just works the best in most situations.

I'm the opposite, I've always defaulted to 148/144 and my experience on 149s wasn't very revolutionary or fruitful.

[Xen]

Expand Quote

i am somewhat hot rod curious... maybe afraid to admit it though

[close]

i dont even notice any axel poking out with 149s on 8.3/8.38

and only a negligible amount is noticeable on 8.25

It’s really imperceptible unless you’re leaning over your board, looking at your axel nuts when you’re riding which is fucking ridiculous.

It really depends on what terrain you’re skating and the tricks that you do, but 149/148 will work just fine in the 8.25~8.5” deck range…imo, if you pop your tricks, truck size will not interfere with your flip trick leverage…

[LebowskisRug]

You can pad stuff with washers too if you want. From the pro setup videos and Ben D's constant truck madness it seems most people that skate street prefer the narrower option now that it exists and think that there is a scooping and possibly lock in difference but it could just be wanting to see a difference even if it doesn't exist. Even Foy had some rationale in switching down from 151 to 149 on an 8.5. I can pop my 360 flips and most people that I know do and notice a difference between widths on the same size, but its small and you compensate quickly so it's not like you can do a trick on one and not the other or something mind blowing.

I don't see myself wanting to skate a true 8.5 ever so the decision is pretty easy. When I tried 149s I didn't feel more stable, didn't notice much on locking in, and in my mind got more wheelbite somehow. There is a local AM ripper that is sponsored by Thunder, skates transition/bowls on 8.75 and 149s with risers and a friend of mine is old man flow and skates 149 cuz he refuses to switch from the size he has ridden 10 years.

Just go with what roughly matches your desired deck range and don't worry about it you'll figure it out.

[j....soy.....]

Boards are commonly 1/8 of an inch wider than the respective truck, so you can size down your board accordingly.  I’m a nut job and even I do it and quite like a 8.125 on 148’s, an 8 would more or less functionally be fine but I’d see the nut and lose my mind…..

Generally speaking magic carpet is easier to roll your board over, hot rod is easier to snag those trucks on grinds….

It’s nuanced shit that there may be smaller mental and functional differences which can vary from person to person…

[LebowskisRug]

If Bobby Worrest went from hot rodding 149s on an 8.125/8.18 to magic carpeting 5.2s on an 8.38, I think we will all be chill.

I never understood the wheels sticking out thing. I only see them when I turn deep, which is logical since the deck arcs upwards. It's not like I'd notice any more or less and I'm never looking down at my board in a way that I'd see axle nuts.

When my friend was riding 8.38-8.5s on 169s it was very obvious. I've seen Alexis skate in real life and he has the same thing and it is visibly much wider looking and they poke out a tad bit.

[Xen]

Boards are commonly 1/8 of an inch wider than the respective truck, so you can size down your board accordingly.  I’m a nut job and even I do it and quite like a 8.125 on 148’s, an 8 would more or less functionally be fine but I’d see the nut and lose my mind…..

Generally speaking magic carpet is easier to roll your board over, hot rod is easier to snag those trucks on grinds….

It’s nuanced shit that there may be smaller mental and functional differences which can vary from person to person…

It's weird, I prefer trucks under board width, EXCEPT on 8.125s where I feel 148s are a better fit but I chalk that up to feeling squirrely on 8" trucks.

Where I really notice a difference is on lower trucks that are narrow vs wider (I prefer wider trucks if they are lower than 53/52mm)...there's something really weird/comfortable about low and wide...8.375 on 149 forged thunders/8.3 ML/149 forged mindys).

[Fifty8mm]

I'm using 151s on a 8.5. Also have 58s and it slows down my flip tricks. Helps me not over rotate my kickflips.
They look cool and feel alright to me.
No risers either. Stock bushings at stock tightness.

[Ok]

I’m general, I’m all for magic carpet. It’s been tough, with the wider trucks looking cooler…an example would be Worrest for sure, with the 149s on the 8.12
I’ve tried almost all of the 8.5 trucks over the last 10 years, and for me, I haven’t found a consistent advantage. Other than looks.
I skate slow as hell, and try and do some pretty basic flip tricks, so take that in.
Really, if the ratio is within a half inch, it’ll workout.

[FrenchSkater]

First session yesterday with my Thunder raws 148! The first time for me that I use wide trucks, I always rode with 139.. Very very strange the first minutes. The first second of the session I said to myself that it's not for me and that I wouldn't be able to skate well with these trucks, but in the end it was positive ! (I tell myself that a lot of short skaters like me, 5.7 or less, ride big sizes and manage to throw their tricks without difficulty)

The tricks are not more difficult, there is just a habit to take.. I m was expecting light trucks, but not really ! On the other hand nothing to say, Thunder always has its unique pop, very "fast", for the 360 ​​flip, it's great  ! However, knowing that I ride them on 8.125 and that the size of the trucks in relation to the board is really at the limit that the axles protrude, I think it's easier with an 8.25, where the board will be slightly (very slightly) larger than the trucks ..

To those who have tested both sizes with the 148, what do you think ?

[rawbertson.]

My friend got a new 8.5" setup with thunder 149 i am going to try and see if i like it. andrew allen hockey - 14.25" wb.

I have a feeling that I personally will end up on the 8.25" truck size though which is what im currently on with 8.5"board. I find 8" trucks super tic-tacky, no matter how loose i put them. 8.75" trucks feel really nice and turny, but it is a bit much sometimes. have to massively cross lock on a rail. when i got on 8.25" it felt really nice and precise but still turny enough.

I have noticed a lot of 8.38" boards have shorter wb than 8.5" boards, and i am finding that i dont really like 14.5" wb. i can skate it though, its the longest i want to go. i have 14.75" and def dont like it. there are 8.5" with 14wb but its way harder to find and i dont wanna be spending mad $ on boards. so anyway thats why i like 8.38" i cant really even tell difference width wise to a 8.5" but they are often much more tucked in.

i like the idea of magic carpeting a lot more than hot rodding - i think the magic carpet looks way better. leo romero and franky some of my favorite skaters.

[LebowskisRug]

I rode 148 on both a BBS 8.125 and 8.25 and couldn't actually tell the difference and the measurement on both are almost identical except the 8.25 has a 1/16" longer nose and might be narrower but I couldn't tell.

[Fifty8mm]

My friend got a new 8.5" setup with thunder 149 i am going to try and see if i like it. andrew allen hockey - 14.25" wb.

I have a feeling that I personally will end up on the 8.25" truck size though which is what im currently on with 8.5"board. I find 8" trucks super tic-tacky, no matter how loose i put them. 8.75" trucks feel really nice and turny, but it is a bit much sometimes. have to massively cross lock on a rail. when i got on 8.25" it felt really nice and precise but still turny enough.

I have noticed a lot of 8.38" boards have shorter wb than 8.5" boards, and i am finding that i dont really like 14.5" wb. i can skate it though, its the longest i want to go. i have 14.75" and def dont like it. there are 8.5" with 14wb but its way harder to find and i dont wanna be spending mad $ on boards. so anyway thats why i like 8.38" i cant really even tell difference width wise to a 8.5" but they are often much more tucked in.

i like the idea of magic carpeting a lot more than hot rodding - i think the magic carpet looks way better. leo romero and franky some of my favorite skaters.

I could ride either,
I was riding venture low 5.0 on a 7.75 looked a bit weird but skated alright as well.
I could 5050 on narrow trucks better but flip better on monster truck. I do have a hate for 8.25 trucks though. Whether its venture 5.6, indy 144, thunder 148.

I think because those sizes are fairly new it feels weird seeing a 8.25 board not magic carpeting or monster trucking.

[notinternetfamous]

To those who have tested both sizes with the 148, what do you think ?

I've ridden 148's on sizes 8.0, 8.125, 8.18, 8.25 with no issues at all. you can make micro adjustments by making the wheels tuck in more if you remove inner washers, etc. if it's really bugging you.

I really like the 147's personally if I were still running Thunders

[Sila]

It's all about 147 with extra washers for me

[notinternetfamous]

It's all about 147 with extra washers for me

agreed and if you want more height, deluxe has those wooden risers

[LebowskisRug]

A 147 with risers and tons to washers is just a 148

[Ok]

A 147 with risers and tons to washers is just a 148

I mean sure. But a 148 cannot be a 147.
I really notice the height difference, and significantly prefer my skating on 147s
148s can easily run a taller wheel, quite a bit more in my experience. I think I had some 56s, in a hot rod situation, on 148s and didn’t get smoked. Which compared to 147s…53 is just me falling down all day

[Crabby_Bastard]

A 147 with risers and tons to washers is just a 148

Not at all. 147 and 148 trucks feel/turn differently. I was all about the 147s with extra washers and risers until they made the 148s.

[j....soy.....]

How differently do they turn?  Which had more wheelbite…..let’s say while skating an 8.125?  Looser trucks?

[Ok]

How differently do they turn?  Which had more wheelbite…..let’s say while skating an 8.125?  Looser trucks?

147s wheelbite more, they are noticeably lower. I like them more, or I like the pop more, but 148s have better kingpin clearance, and less wheelbite prone.
147s are similar to venture lows.
Both good.

[LebowskisRug]

How would they turn differently? The pivot and kingpin angle are the same. I didn't notice a turn difference when moving up just the WB/height difference really.

I mostly meant the effective dimensions although I'm now second guessing the WB extension.

[rawbertson.]

because when you go wider you have a wider turning radius
i see what you mean though whne you push out the wheels with washers it is effectively doing the same thing. you also have less meat on the trucks though so grinds would feel a little more tight . and thunders scale the height as well with the width as you know

[j....soy.....]

Yah I didn’t know so I thought I’d ask….I figured maybe tighter turning radius, more twitchy?  Liked the comparison to venture lo’s, hadn’t thought of it.

I guess people skate the 147’s with washers as it’s that much lower….

[brownjenkin]

Yah I didn’t know so I thought I’d ask….I figured maybe tighter turning radius, more twitchy?  Liked the comparison to venture lo’s, hadn’t thought of it.

I guess people skate the 147’s with washers as it’s that much lower….

Ben Degros has a nice breakdown of the Thunder 147 vs. Venture Lo 5.2 on his channel that is worth a watch.

[j....soy.....]

of course he does!