The Thunder Thread

[El Freegano]

Which is better for a short person, 8 size foot, with 8.125 deck, 147 or 148 ?
 
I skate a LOT of flatground, that's what I prefer ! 

I had already tried the 147 a long time ago, I found them quite rigid, too .. "tight", but maybe I had to get used to it because I skated venture for a long time, the feeling is different !

I also wonder if the thunders are better for flat skating or if the venture highs are better..

FUCKING MADNESS ! 

keep it with the 147. They are lower, lighter and better for flip tricks. If you are more into grinds you might consider the 148, but putting 2-3 speedrings from the inside on the axel of 147 will make the same grinding surface of the hanger. As for the tight feeling, i have it only in winter when the bushings harden, but i put softer ones for that period.

[radcunt]

I got some 149 hi for my 8.5 hockey and I’m Really enjoying the stability and they turn really nice and controlled. Not the cool surfy turn of the aces or Indy’s but way more functional for a non cruiser. Can’t get my head around the pop yet but theres a few factors contributing to that

[backfliptofiftyfifty]

made a huge mistake buying thunder trucks.

been riding indy hollows for a while now, switched to thunders and the kingpin ends up falling right off after every two sessions. i ride my trucks super loose so thats probably why but its super fucking annoying having your truck just fall off your board. maybe i should just ride aces

[Xen]

wut now?

[radcunt]

made a huge mistake buying thunder trucks.

been riding indy hollows for a while now, switched to thunders and the kingpin ends up falling right off after every two sessions. i ride my trucks super loose so thats probably why but its super fucking annoying having your truck just fall off your board. maybe i should just ride aces

Ride aces or buy loctite.

[richard00800]

made a huge mistake buying thunder trucks.

been riding indy hollows for a while now, switched to thunders and the kingpin ends up falling right off after every two sessions. i ride my trucks super loose so thats probably why but its super fucking annoying having your truck just fall off your board. maybe i should just ride aces

get white 90a bushing kit, they are way looser than the stock ones.

[Richard Skidder]

made a huge mistake buying thunder trucks.

been riding indy hollows for a while now, switched to thunders and the kingpin ends up falling right off after every two sessions. i ride my trucks super loose so thats probably why but its super fucking annoying having your truck just fall off your board. maybe i should just ride aces

Ditch the bottom washer and wax your pivot cups. Should help quite a bit.

[Ok]

made a huge mistake buying thunder trucks.

been riding indy hollows for a while now, switched to thunders and the kingpin ends up falling right off after every two sessions. i ride my trucks super loose so thats probably why but its super fucking annoying having your truck just fall off your board. maybe i should just ride aces

Operator error.
Some fine solutions have been posted by more positive folks than I.

[logjammin]

My local got some 148 titanium lights and i'm tempted to try them just because they're local and i wouldn't have to order them. They seem stupid light but being addicted to Ace's turn would probably make them a waste of time? Talk me off the ledge.

[IpathCats]

made a huge mistake buying thunder trucks.

been riding indy hollows for a while now, switched to thunders and the kingpin ends up falling right off after every two sessions. i ride my trucks super loose so thats probably why but its super fucking annoying having your truck just fall off your board. maybe i should just ride aces

this is a joke right?

theres no way your kingpin is falling off.

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

My local got some 148 titanium lights and i'm tempted to try them just because they're local and i wouldn't have to order them. They seem stupid light but being addicted to Ace's turn would probably make them a waste of time? Talk me off the ledge.

To me they are almost polar opposite trucks….doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy them though….

Ace: heavy, deep turning radius, cannot get wheelbite, shrink wheelbase, neutral pop
Thunder: light, shallow turning radius, wheelbite, widen wheelbase, light pop

The turn on a thunder is actually kinda fun because it gives you some turn up front then mellows out.  I don’t think they are great for loose truck guys…..aces are that truck.  Ace is the funnest truck though…hands down. 

[Pasta Monster]

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made a huge mistake buying thunder trucks.

been riding indy hollows for a while now, switched to thunders and the kingpin ends up falling right off after every two sessions. i ride my trucks super loose so thats probably why but its super fucking annoying having your truck just fall off your board. maybe i should just ride aces

[close]

this is a joke right?

theres no way your kingpin is falling off.

It’s pretty much impossible unless one sands off material at the base of the kingpin. The kingpin nut probably fell off which happened to me frequently when I switched from Indy to Thunder ten years ago. I switched bushings to a softer duro and put some Lockite on the threaded area before tightening it. If people like their Thunders loose to the point where the nut can be tightened by fingers, Lockite is the only solution. I’ve even had that problem on Indy Stage 10s when I used to ride them obnoxiously loose. It’s probably more of an issue with the user than the gear itself.

[logjammin]

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My local got some 148 titanium lights and i'm tempted to try them just because they're local and i wouldn't have to order them. They seem stupid light but being addicted to Ace's turn would probably make them a waste of time? Talk me off the ledge.

[close]

To me they are almost polar opposite trucks….doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy them though….

Ace: heavy, deep turning radius, cannot get wheelbite, shrink wheelbase, neutral pop
Thunder: light, shallow turning radius, wheelbite, widen wheelbase, light pop

The turn on a thunder is actually kinda fun because it gives you some turn up front then mellows out.  I don’t think they are great for loose truck guys…..aces are that truck.  Ace is the funnest truck though…hands down.

Perfect response I needed, cheers bruv.

[Mbrimson88]

made a huge mistake buying thunder trucks.

been riding indy hollows for a while now, switched to thunders and the kingpin ends up falling right off after every two sessions. i ride my trucks super loose so thats probably why but its super fucking annoying having your truck just fall off your board. maybe i should just ride aces

Kingpin nuts fall off if you don't have them down far enough to engage thread.

Bushings can be purchased in softer durometers or even just leave off the bottom washer, or top washer too, if you insist on riding trucks that are almost non resistant in the bushing department.


Maybe even have a look at the Venture loose truck coversion kit, which has stock bushings but a lower head which really just means you can still have the nut nicely on but you get a lot more turn out of them.


I would say cutting down the top Thunder bushing as the cheapest option (free really) which would solve your nut issue, but I guess it is up to you to think and fix your problem, or just try something else like Ace which still could have the same issue if you can't get them loose enough on stock bushings so you leave the kingpin nut almost off there too.


What did you ride for bushings on Indy trucks?

[ish_wav]

These replies are ironic because I finally bit the bullet and grabbed some 148 titanium and the kingpin nut will not come off whatsoever. I broke a skate tool on it and stripped it with a regular wrench. Kind of bummed lol.

[IpathCats]

These replies are ironic because I finally bit the bullet and grabbed some 148 titanium and the kingpin nut will not come off whatsoever. I broke a skate tool on it and stripped it with a regular wrench. Kind of bummed lol.

Find someone with a grinder and be careful not to fuck up the kingpin

[rosemaryBB]

To me they are almost polar opposite trucks….doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy them though….

Ace: heavy, deep turning radius, cannot get wheelbite, shrink wheelbase, neutral pop
Thunder: light, shallow turning radius, wheelbite, widen wheelbase, light pop

The turn on a thunder is actually kinda fun because it gives you some turn up front then mellows out.  I don’t think they are great for loose truck guys…..aces are that truck.  Ace is the funnest truck though…hands down.

You seriously don't get wheelbite on your aces? How???

[LebowskisRug]

I really don't get how you all are having such big issues with a 9/16" locknut. I've never heard of either of these issues on any kind of locknut ever let alone something pretty low torque like a kingpin nut.

[ish_wav]

I really don't get how you all are having such big issues with a 9/16" locknut. I've never heard of either of these issues on any kind of locknut ever let alone something pretty low torque like a kingpin nut.

Trust me, I’m as shocked as you are. In my 18 years of skateboarding, I’ve never had this happen before.

[LebowskisRug]

Hit up DLX warranty. I had a weird issue with some Spitfires and they sent me 3 new sets.

[ish_wav]

Hit up DLX warranty. I had a weird issue with some Spitfires and they sent me 3 new sets.

Thanks for the heads up! I sent them an email last night but I’m afraid I voided any warranty with my DIY (not so) ingenuity. My bad Jim Thiebaud!

[swellbowed]

These replies are ironic because I finally bit the bullet and grabbed some 148 titanium and the kingpin nut will not come off whatsoever. I broke a skate tool on it and stripped it with a regular wrench. Kind of bummed lol.

DLX should be able to help you out. Here's the warranty guy's direct email if you or anyone else needs it ~ [email protected] ~ Let us know how it goes

[fulfillthedream]

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These replies are ironic because I finally bit the bullet and grabbed some 148 titanium and the kingpin nut will not come off whatsoever. I broke a skate tool on it and stripped it with a regular wrench. Kind of bummed lol.

[close]

DLX should be able to help you out. Here's the warranty guy's direct email if you or anyone else needs it ~ [email protected] ~ Let us know how it goes

lol fo real? maybe someone pranked you but pouring in some locktite

[radcunt]

Expand Quote

To me they are almost polar opposite trucks….doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy them though….

Ace: heavy, deep turning radius, cannot get wheelbite, shrink wheelbase, neutral pop
Thunder: light, shallow turning radius, wheelbite, widen wheelbase, light pop

The turn on a thunder is actually kinda fun because it gives you some turn up front then mellows out.  I don’t think they are great for loose truck guys…..aces are that truck.  Ace is the funnest truck though…hands down.

[close]

You seriously don't get wheelbite on your aces? How???

yeah, my aces are wheel bite city, thunders have been great for wheelbite thus far. 

[logjammin]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

To me they are almost polar opposite trucks….doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy them though….

Ace: heavy, deep turning radius, cannot get wheelbite, shrink wheelbase, neutral pop
Thunder: light, shallow turning radius, wheelbite, widen wheelbase, light pop

The turn on a thunder is actually kinda fun because it gives you some turn up front then mellows out.  I don’t think they are great for loose truck guys…..aces are that truck.  Ace is the funnest truck though…hands down.

[close]

You seriously don't get wheelbite on your aces? How???

[close]

yeah, my aces are wheel bite city, thunders have been great for wheelbite thus far.

Any truck will wheelbite especially brand new ones and if you're a bit heftier than the average slim built skater. But idk about this claim, haha. Thunders are well known to wheelbite way worse than Ace's especially without risers.

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

By the time you wheelbite on Aces you are almost going backwards…..thunders it’s like 30 degrees and you get ejected…..

[switchfrontshuv]

By the time you wheelbite on Aces you are almost going backwards…..thunders it’s like 30 degrees and you get ejected…..

i actually have a clip where i wheelbite thunders by just pushing (pushing on left side of the board so i can turn a bit) lol

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

If you look at the contact point on each truck it’s interesting, also he positioning of the truck when it hits….

So yes….Aces you will get marks…but I consider wheelbite when you actually get pitched off your board.  On Ventures I’ve fully landed standing on my front toe side wheel and I just skidded my way to a gentle full stop at a 45 degree angle….

Lots of people can successfully ride thunders though, I think they tighten them up which is a decent way to ride them because you still get some top end turn….risers…or heaven forbid having skill may be helpful too…

[Xen]

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By the time you wheelbite on Aces you are almost going backwards…..thunders it’s like 30 degrees and you get ejected…..

[close]

i actually have a clip where i wheelbite thunders by just pushing (pushing on left side of the board so i can turn a bit) lol

Been there more times than I care to recall.

Front foot steering is the best on ACE IMO.

[switchfrontshuv]

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By the time you wheelbite on Aces you are almost going backwards…..thunders it’s like 30 degrees and you get ejected…..

[close]

i actually have a clip where i wheelbite thunders by just pushing (pushing on left side of the board so i can turn a bit) lol

[close]

Been there more times than I care to recall.

Front foot steering is the best on ACE IMO.

Idk i found venture (ridden loose) front foot steering to be great too because you really dont need too much of the deep turny carve when pushing and they lean so well into a front foot steer