The Thunder Thread

[Xen]

Frank is fucking gold.

I'm in for those yellow spits!

[braksabbath]

Anyone want to trade their Thunder 149 for these? Hollow preferred but standard works too.
Ace 33 classic, only used on a rain board with giant wheels, no grinds. Has Bones bushings, don’t have the stock.
Indy 159 standard, lightly skated, no grooves
Indy 169 standard, lightly skated, no grooves

[Ok]

Are baseplates interchangeable? I have 147s, 148s, 149s. 2 are hollow/forged, 1 cast. The front does change thru the size range…

[Richard Skidder]

Are baseplates interchangeable? I have 147s, 148s, 149s. 2 are hollow/forged, 1 cast. The front does change thru the size range…

Baseplate should be interchangeable. I’ve never noticed a difference with the front of the baseplates between sizes but I will check it out when I’m in the shop tomorrow.

[lazer69]

I need some replacement bushings for my thunders, but it seems their 94 duro rebuild kit is out of stock everywhere

[Richard Skidder]

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Are baseplates interchangeable? I have 147s, 148s, 149s. 2 are hollow/forged, 1 cast. The front does change thru the size range…

[close]

Baseplate should be interchangeable. I’ve never noticed a difference with the front of the baseplates between sizes but I will check it out when I’m in the shop tomorrow.

At work right now. Just matched up baseplates across different sizes and everything is the exact same ( with the exception of forged vs cast). Mix and match as you like as long as both baseplates are either cast or forged.

[Ok]

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Are baseplates interchangeable? I have 147s, 148s, 149s. 2 are hollow/forged, 1 cast. The front does change thru the size range…

[close]

Baseplate should be interchangeable. I’ve never noticed a difference with the front of the baseplates between sizes but I will check it out when I’m in the shop tomorrow.

[close]

At work right now. Just matched up baseplates across different sizes and everything is the exact same ( with the exception of forged vs cast). Mix and match as you like as long as both baseplates are either cast or forged.

Thanks! So I guess that means the geometry differences are all in the hangers

[GBLange]

thunder 181 in this Stock Report

i want those 181. i wonder when will they be available?

[Mick]

[disappointed]

Any update on the ikp for Thunder?
I saw some time back in this thread that Suciu and Ishod (maybe others too) were skating ikp, so expected it to come out...did I miss it?

[Mbrimson88]

Any update on the ikp for Thunder?
I saw some time back in this thread that Suciu and Ishod (maybe others too) were skating ikp, so expected it to come out...did I miss it?

I haven't seen anything about it from any of them, but the most recent set of Thunder team editions I saw have the hex head hole in the baseplate, which should make it a whole lot easier to fit them, for those who are so inclined.


Note:  Others had posted pics of this earlier in this thread too - just a bit too tired and late now to dig up the link - but there aren't that many pages to go back through.

[disappointed]

Expand Quote

Any update on the ikp for Thunder?
I saw some time back in this thread that Suciu and Ishod (maybe others too) were skating ikp, so expected it to come out...did I miss it?

[close]

I haven't seen anything about it from any of them, but the most recent set of Thunder team editions I saw have the hex head hole in the baseplate, which should make it a whole lot easier to fit them, for those who are so inclined.


Note:  Others had posted pics of this earlier in this thread too - just a bit too tired and late now to dig up the link - but there aren't that many pages to go back through.

Yeah, I remember those pics that the OG plate had slightly changed to fit a hexnut. But goddam are those Thunder kingpins hard to getout! I just figured that if two Thunder SOTYs are skating ikp that Thunder was going to release them as a ready product. Maybe it’s still in development, guess we’ll see.

[Mbrimson88]

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Any update on the ikp for Thunder?
I saw some time back in this thread that Suciu and Ishod (maybe others too) were skating ikp, so expected it to come out...did I miss it?

[close]

I haven't seen anything about it from any of them, but the most recent set of Thunder team editions I saw have the hex head hole in the baseplate, which should make it a whole lot easier to fit them, for those who are so inclined.


Note:  Others had posted pics of this earlier in this thread too - just a bit too tired and late now to dig up the link - but there aren't that many pages to go back through.

[close]

Yeah, I remember those pics that the OG plate had slightly changed to fit a hexnut. But goddam are those Thunder kingpins hard to getout! I just figured that if two Thunder SOTYs are skating ikp that Thunder was going to release them as a ready product. Maybe it’s still in development, guess we’ll see.

I would say there are definitely things going on behind the scenes, but until they actually come up with something that works and holds well, they don't want the Indy mid issue coming back to bite them in the ass too.


Some people seem to have much better luck getting kingpins out of trucks than others, but having a jig set up to hold the baseplates seems to be the best option, without having to hammer the life out of the baseplate and possibly break or bend it in the process.  Some guys have made one completely from scratch, while others use an old board mounting holes with a cut out in the area of the deck where the kingpin can fall out, all of that securely fixed to a bench or something.

Not sure how true this is but leaving them out in the sun for most of a day also makes it easier to get the kingpins out - heat causes the metal to expand, etc.  Warmer is easier to work than colder at any rate when it comes to any metal.

If you are on Instagram, there is a whole lot of info under #fuckwithyourtrucks and this guy does a lot of stuff:

Edit:


Never seen this one but it is a solid way as well, with a little more cost and planning.

[Damoforce]

If someone made a tool to remove kingpins, I'd buy one! I reckon they would make a killing. Like adding a axle re thredder to the skate tool. Just handy things to have

[Lo-fi Explosion]

I might have found a solution to the more meat on the baseplate problem, just buy some cheap element trucks

[Richard Skidder]

I might have found a solution to the more meat on the baseplate problem, just buy some cheap element trucks

55mm Conical Wide wheels on Thunder light 148 and my baseplate still drags on nose and tail slides. I don’t see the Thunder Baseplate as an issue. The lack of grind clearance on those Element trucks is disturbing.

[beandemon]

If someone made a tool to remove kingpins, I'd buy one! I reckon they would make a killing. Like adding a axle re thredder to the skate tool. Just handy things to have

That pitman arm puller is about as good as you’re going to do.  You don’t need an impact either. A way to hold the baseplate or body of the puller and a wrench for the forcing screw.

[Xen]

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If someone made a tool to remove kingpins, I'd buy one! I reckon they would make a killing. Like adding a axle re thredder to the skate tool. Just handy things to have

[close]

That pitman arm puller is about as good as you’re going to do.  You don’t need an impact either. A way to hold the baseplate or body of the puller and a wrench for the forcing screw.

That thing looks killer...but, I gotta say, a parking block with a rebar hole and a hammer are going to do you right for cast plates....forged are just a nightmare.

[Lo-fi Explosion]

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I might have found a solution to the more meat on the baseplate problem, just buy some cheap element trucks

[close]

55mm Conical Wide wheels on Thunder light 148 and my baseplate still drags on nose and tail slides. I don’t see the Thunder Baseplate as an issue. The lack of grind clearance on those Element trucks is disturbing.

I may have been a bit too vague with my post, i'm talking about "frankentrucking" and using the element baseplate with a thunder hanger...

[Richard Skidder]

Expand Quote

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I might have found a solution to the more meat on the baseplate problem, just buy some cheap element trucks

[close]

55mm Conical Wide wheels on Thunder light 148 and my baseplate still drags on nose and tail slides. I don’t see the Thunder Baseplate as an issue. The lack of grind clearance on those Element trucks is disturbing.

[close]

I may have been a bit too vague with my post, i'm talking about "frankentrucking" and using the element baseplate with a thunder hanger...

We know what you meant.
I really don’t see an issue with the Thunder baseplate though. A proper technique means no sticking.

[LebowskisRug]

I might be the only person on earth that slides better on Thunder

[Murge]

I might be the only person on earth that slides better on Thunder

Front noses are my go too trick when skating a ledge and I don’t have issues with thunders. Well I don’t have any more issues than I do with other trucks as far as sticking on slides.

[Xen]

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I might have found a solution to the more meat on the baseplate problem, just buy some cheap element trucks

[close]

55mm Conical Wide wheels on Thunder light 148 and my baseplate still drags on nose and tail slides. I don’t see the Thunder Baseplate as an issue. The lack of grind clearance on those Element trucks is disturbing.

[close]

I may have been a bit too vague with my post, i'm talking about "frankentrucking" and using the element baseplate with a thunder hanger...

[close]

We know what you meant.
I really don’t see an issue with the Thunder baseplate though. A proper technique means no sticking.

Proper technique for sure, but it depends on your style, I find that the longer the slide the more I tend to lock in with the baseplates when skating anything other than thunders (especially ledges but not for curbs)...but I've ridden thunders for so long off and on that my [sloppy] technique is to not lock in but just balance flat on the tail as much as I can. This results in shorter slide however.

[DarkPools]

Slightly off topic and maybe more appropriate for the Scrape Report thread, but I have a weird thing about scrapes being too far away from the nose or tail. Something just looks..... wrong when there's a lot of untouched deck between the baseplate and the scrape marks.

I'm in the camp that all nose/tail slides should be done as close to the baseplate as possible. Now, this isn't including the one-offs you get away with that you're not locked in, but in general.

Thunders don't have the best baseplate to slide ratio, but I know many people still manage to make their technique work on em. I'm considering trying a pair of Thunders again on alt setup (Chocolate Couch shape) and some STFs. That tiny WB is no good with my Indys that I usually run.

I have the 9.25" Couch, would 151s be just fine?

[Frank and Fred]

Yep. I run the Couch with 151s. It is a heavenly combo. In fact this is the only shape I use Thunders on these days.

[Xen]

Slightly off topic and maybe more appropriate for the Scrape Report thread, but I have a weird thing about scrapes being too far away from the nose or tail. Something just looks..... wrong when there's a lot of untouched deck between the baseplate and the scrape marks.

Like this!? @DarkPools  ;P


I can't help it, it's just how it goes these days (again this is from skating thunders more than any other truck).

[Mbrimson88]

Slightly off topic and maybe more appropriate for the Scrape Report thread, but I have a weird thing about scrapes being too far away from the nose or tail. Something just looks..... wrong when there's a lot of untouched deck between the baseplate and the scrape marks.

I'm in the camp that all nose/tail slides should be done as close to the baseplate as possible. Now, this isn't including the one-offs you get away with that you're not locked in, but in general.

Thunders don't have the best baseplate to slide ratio, but I know many people still manage to make their technique work on em. I'm considering trying a pair of Thunders again on alt setup (Chocolate Couch shape) and some STFs. That tiny WB is no good with my Indys that I usually run.

I have the 9.25" Couch, would 151s be just fine?

I think one of the main things to note is the concave of the deck and fingers of flat, as different woodshops and concave will have a huge impact on how a board will slide on the nose or tail.

BBS wood with the spoon kicks will get a lot closer slide mark than others like Creature as XEN posted.


Just one of those interesting things to note, but the bottom line is the thing you are sliding on.  Any really sharp angle edge will always give a much closer slide mark than something like a rounder curb edge.

[Vintagebody]

The baseplate on my thunders have worn down significantly from tails/noseslides, and I get scrapes right down to the baseplate. Ben Degros says it well. Sliding on thunders is like doing a powerslide. I'm on my first pair of indys, ever, at the moment. Effortless is all I can say. Its nice to have a truck that doesnt make u think about ur trucks

[greenreese]

Can anybody tell me if there is any rhyme or reason to the Thunder baseplates having "Team" or the lightning bolt on them?

At first I thought Teams had "Team" stamped on them and forged baseplates had the lightning bolt stamped on them.  Then I was looking at this catalog https://www.thundertrucks.com/summer-2021/ and noticed that in the pic, the OG Grenade trucks have "Team" on one baseplate and the lightning bolt on the other.  I have these trucks, so I just went and looked at them and they both have the lightning bolt on them.  But even weirder, they have the lightning bolt on opposite sides...One truck the bolt is on the left, one truck the bolt is on the right, so when setup on a board the bolts are on the same side.

[beandemon]

Can anybody tell me if there is any rhyme or reason to the Thunder baseplates having "Team" or the lightning bolt on them?

At first I thought Teams had "Team" stamped on them and forged baseplates had the lightning bolt stamped on them.  Then I was looking at this catalog https://www.thundertrucks.com/summer-2021/ and noticed that in the pic, the OG Grenade trucks have "Team" on one baseplate and the lightning bolt on the other.  I have these trucks, so I just went and looked at them and they both have the lightning bolt on them.  But even weirder, they have the lightning bolt on opposite sides...One truck the bolt is on the left, one truck the bolt is on the right, so when setup on a board the bolts are on the same side.

Thunder’s always had more flair on the baseplates than anyone. Back in the day they had skulls and lizards and stuff. I’ve never been able to crack the code.