The Thunder Thread

[juniormint]

I fucking hate wheelbite but thunder 149 standard on 1/8 risers and 55+ wheels is such an amazing combo for any type of deck.

The height comes out close to an indy or maybe taller but it doesnt matter since the trucks are so light the pop feel isnt really affected, and the control is so nice on switch tricks compared to any other cast truck (except maybe ventures but I fucking hate their feel now)

So true, thunders and risers work so well together. Getting the itch to set my 151s back up on 1/8 risers after running ventures for the past year or so.

[goodatmeth]

Yo I just want to break the news that titaniums have hit europe again after 2 years of waiting.
Just saw them on freedomskateshop.at

They're even on sale

[LebowskisRug]

When Slap is constantly bragging about loose trucks I just think back to the Busenitz Bunt episode when they ask him what the worst trend is and he reponds: "people who ride their trucks too loose" and rails on weak of a flex that is.

[Ok]

When Slap is constantly bragging about loose trucks I just think back to the Busenitz Bunt episode when they ask him what the worst trend is and he reponds: "people who ride their trucks too loose" and rails on weak of a flex that is.

Totally agree. It’s for uninteresting skaters. He’s also claimed Daewon as his favorite skater. I dramatically prefer Daewon pre ridiculous trucks.
Anyways. Overly loose trucks are wack.

[Lee Ralphs Dear Old Mum]

Matt Rodriguez "unitnteresting?"

[tom]

Matt Rodriguez "unitnteresting?"

Matt Rodriguez can actually skate well. Trucks that are too loose can be just as bad as trucks that are too tight in the wrong hands. It can hinder your abilities. I personally like to skate my trucks loose. It helps me with pinching grinds and setting up for flip tricks

Thunders used to come looser. I know they say that they still use 90a stock bushings, but something isn’t the same. It’s when they made the switch from the green to the blue bushings. There was a slight tweak in the design around 2014ish if memory serves me right and that might’ve been what changed things. They’re still the best truck imo

[Lee Ralphs Dear Old Mum]

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Matt Rodriguez "unitnteresting?"

[close]

Matt Rodriguez can actually skate well. Trucks that are too loose can be just as bad as trucks that are too tight in the wrong hands. It can hinder your abilities. I personally like to skate my trucks loose. It helps me with pinching grinds and setting up for flip tricks

Exactly. Have your trucks set to a way that's conducive to your style and approach.

[LebowskisRug]

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Matt Rodriguez "unitnteresting?"

[close]

Matt Rodriguez can actually skate well. Trucks that are too loose can be just as bad as trucks that are too tight in the wrong hands. It can hinder your abilities. I personally like to skate my trucks loose. It helps me with pinching grinds and setting up for flip tricks

Thunders used to come looser. I know they say that they still use 90a stock bushings, but something isn’t the same. It’s when they made the switch from the green to the blue bushings. There was a slight tweak in the design around 2014ish if memory serves me right and that might’ve been what changed things. They’re still the best truck imo

Damn, I swear they got looser over recent years. I used to rock mine always with nylock equal to top of kingpin, which was basically stock. Now I rock it prob 1/2 to full turn more, which is not a thread showing. Feel pretty much the same.

Man coming from 50-60 degree weather to Florida for vacation and I'm reminded of the ever changing durometer of Thunder bushings. Was comical to step on my board fresh off the plane.

[IpathCats]

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Matt Rodriguez "unitnteresting?"

[close]

Matt Rodriguez can actually skate well. Trucks that are too loose can be just as bad as trucks that are too tight in the wrong hands. It can hinder your abilities. I personally like to skate my trucks loose. It helps me with pinching grinds and setting up for flip tricks

Thunders used to come looser. I know they say that they still use 90a stock bushings, but something isn’t the same. It’s when they made the switch from the green to the blue bushings. There was a slight tweak in the design around 2014ish if memory serves me right and that might’ve been what changed things. They’re still the best truck imo

[close]

Damn, I swear they got looser over recent years. I used to rock mine always with nylock equal to top of kingpin, which was basically stock. Now I rock it prob 1/2 to full turn more, which is not a thread showing. Feel pretty much the same.

Man coming from 50-60 degree weather to Florida for vacation and I'm reminded of the ever changing durometer of Thunder bushings. Was comical to step on my board fresh off the plane.

Someone other than bones needs to make regular bushings that are more temperature resistant. Without that dumb built in washer

[Ok]

Matt Rodriguez "unitnteresting?"

Oh fuck me….look I do like the Matt Rodriguez, and I do like Daewon. I think their shit looks ridiculous. ‘I get high off of it (rattles trucks)’…it is as gimmicky/attention seeking, as it gets. Great skaters both.

[Lee Ralphs Dear Old Mum]

So M Rod rides his trucks that way to 'seek attention?'

[Ride it to dust]

It’s mad how some pro’s have thier trucks that loose. I always assumed it must be challenging as fuck to be able to skate competently on essentially a wobble board

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

I don’t think they are ever really flexing…that’s just how they ride their trucks….same way Jah stepping on his trucks like he’s trying to end their life…I don’t think he’s saying….tight trucks are TIGHT….he’s just doing him. 

But yes…we tend to really celebrate loose trucks….

[Ok]

So M Rod rides his trucks that way to 'seek attention?'

You’ve seen the same video I have. I think someone can like something, and also like the attention. Dude has a lot of flair.
Daewon is a legend, and he absolutely flexes this. Mrod less of a ‘legend’ (still amazing), and if it wasn’t important to Ras Matt, I wouldn’t know about said loose trucks.

[Lee Ralphs Dear Old Mum]

It was a Sac tradition. I don't think impressing you and I has much to do with it.

[LebowskisRug]

Anyone have axle bend issues on Thunders? I noticed when I set my board down only 2-3 out of the 4 wheels touched the ground at once. 149 Team hangers. Not a bushing issue either as my 148 hangers with same plates and bushings don't do this. Took them off and my axles are definitely bent on the front. Only other set of axles I have ever bent were Ti Thunders.

[Slugboi22]

Finally made the switch back from ace AF1 55s to Thunder teams. Gonna slap some 1/8th risers underneath them and give ‘em a go tomorrow AM. Hoping the grind is as good as i remember :-)

[FrenchSkater]

On Taylor Kirby's story.. One more person leaving indy for thunder ?

I wonder why many are leaving Independent when they have always skated for them.. Maybe Independent has warned its skaters that the construction is in China now ?

[IpathCats]

On Taylor Kirby's story.. One more person leaving indy for thunder ?

I wonder why many are leaving Independent when they have always skated for them.. Maybe Independent has warned its skaters that the construction is in China now ?

I'd say it probably comes down to their deals with NHS and DLX.

Money is the biggest reason pros change their setups after many years of being on the same thing.

[tom]

Anyone have axle bend issues on Thunders? I noticed when I set my board down only 2-3 out of the 4 wheels touched the ground at once. 149 Team hangers. Not a bushing issue either as my 148 hangers with same plates and bushings don't do this. Took them off and my axles are definitely bent on the front. Only other set of axles I have ever bent were Ti Thunders.

Have never bent a hanger in the 17 years I’ve been skating Thunders. It’s definitely possible though just like any other truck. You can try using a pipe as a cheater bar and bending it back in place if you don’t want to give up on that pair

One of the big reasons I switched to Thunders was because I kept having bent and slipped axles on Indys. 1 single truck of the 40+ pairs that I’ve skated has broken prematurely. That was back in 2009

[LebowskisRug]

I asked two pros why they switched and they said "The trucks just showed up in my Spitfire box and I tried them and they're great". Also, Kirby skates with Julian Davidson, who skates for Thunder so it coulda been Julian's board.

Prob not worth reading into much. Now, if someone like Reynolds were to switch....

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

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On Taylor Kirby's story.. One more person leaving indy for thunder ?

I wonder why many are leaving Independent when they have always skated for them.. Maybe Independent has warned its skaters that the construction is in China now ?

[close]

I'd say it probably comes down to their deals with NHS and DLX.

Money is the biggest reason pros change their setups after many years of being on the same thing.

Unless you have a pro truck no one gets paid for skating indys.  I suspect like you said, it's a package deal, they get spits and should they ever loose a board sponsor, automatically get antihero boards. 

[Mean salto]

I asked two pros why they switched and they said "The trucks just showed up in my Spitfire box and I tried them and they're great". Also, Kirby skates with Julian Davidson, who skates for Thunder so it coulda been Julian's board.

Prob not worth reading into much. Now, if someone like Reynolds were to switch....

On shinpei uenos insta a while back I think he got surprised to find out he was included in the team lineup when he didn't even know he rode for them

[sk8_cat]

The elephant in the room here is the thunder bushings. Oh man it's been such a shitshow for me - I am a bigger dude that lives in a hot climate so right off the bat the stock bushings are too loose and they would crack within 3 sessions anyway. The onlything I could do was get the aftermarket rebuild kits for 95 and 100 duro, these are kind of shit on the first sessions until they break in as is perfectly normal, then they keep getting looser and looser at a pretty noticable rate let alone the temperature sensitivity and the blowouts. At some point the 100du ones felt like they were loose but just with a pretty slow rebound. Idk at the end of the day the fact that they quickly change their response is the worst bit for me it makes it hard to get used to. Otherwise great trucks.

[FrenchSkater]

I asked two pros why they switched and they said "The trucks just showed up in my Spitfire box and I tried them and they're great". Also, Kirby skates with Julian Davidson, who skates for Thunder so it coulda been Julian's board.

Prob not worth reading into much. Now, if someone like Reynolds were to switch....

Imagine Reynolds skating for Venture..  He already said that he likes these trucks, and we see him being a fan of GX1000, where many ride Venture.. He also skates with Kader, it can influence him haha

A change to venture would be more likely as it's closer to indy in feel and height! The feel on Thunder is totally different.. 

[IpathCats]

Expand Quote

I asked two pros why they switched and they said "The trucks just showed up in my Spitfire box and I tried them and they're great". Also, Kirby skates with Julian Davidson, who skates for Thunder so it coulda been Julian's board.

Prob not worth reading into much. Now, if someone like Reynolds were to switch....

[close]

Imagine Reynolds skating for Venture..  He already said that he likes these trucks, and we see him being a fan of GX1000, where many ride Venture.. He also skates with Kader, it can influence him haha

A change to venture would be more likely as it's closer to indy in feel and height! The feel on Thunder is totally different.. 

Reynolds skates his trucks pretty tight so ventures might be doable. And he's more flip/manny/slide focused so the worse grind might not be as big of a deal to him.

His older legs might not do so well with that hefty pop though. OR, it might be exactly what he needs for a second wind!

He def has a bit of madness though, i would be surprised if he swapped

[FrenchSkater]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

I asked two pros why they switched and they said "The trucks just showed up in my Spitfire box and I tried them and they're great". Also, Kirby skates with Julian Davidson, who skates for Thunder so it coulda been Julian's board.

Prob not worth reading into much. Now, if someone like Reynolds were to switch....

[close]

Imagine Reynolds skating for Venture..  He already said that he likes these trucks, and we see him being a fan of GX1000, where many ride Venture.. He also skates with Kader, it can influence him haha

A change to venture would be more likely as it's closer to indy in feel and height! The feel on Thunder is totally different.. 

[close]

Reynolds skates his trucks pretty tight so ventures might be doable. And he's more flip/manny/slide focused so the worse grind might not be as big of a deal to him.

His older legs might not do so well with that hefty pop though. OR, it might be exactly what he needs for a second wind!

He def has a bit of madness though, i would be surprised if he swapped

Maybe one day ..

[fulfillthedream]

When Slap is constantly bragging about loose trucks I just think back to the Busenitz Bunt episode when they ask him what the worst trend is and he reponds: "people who ride their trucks too loose" and rails on weak of a flex that is.

lol man everyone clowns me for my truck tightness but i feel they work PERFECT for me as im only 126lbs and most people weigh more than me

[pops]

I fucking hate wheelbite but thunder 149 standard on 1/8 risers and 55+ wheels is such an amazing combo for any type of deck.

The height comes out close to an indy or maybe taller but it doesnt matter since the trucks are so light the pop feel isnt really affected, and the control is so nice on switch tricks compared to any other cast truck (except maybe ventures but I fucking hate their feel now)

This makes me curious to hop back on some Thunders. I've been on Aces for couple years and even though I definitely love the classics, I would definitely want to try some 151s with 1/8 risers.

[Richard Skidder]

Thunder hanger/ Venture baseplate mix here plus some “science “:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmBTDIDOjij/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=