The Thunder Thread

[DERBY]

Got a bit of bushing madness:

Thunder 90a - Too soft
Thunder 92a - Still too soft
Thunder 94a - too hard
Bones Hards - responsive, but too hard still

I've given up on conical style bushings for now, and want to try Independent barrel bushings. I'm pretty sure I read on here that they fit Thunders. Any recommendation on either the 90 or 92? I think the 94s are out of the question. Just want more stability.

if you have all those bushings around try a 94 bottom and 92 or 90 top.

[CarcassToss]

One weird thing I got off here that made 94 feel chiller was lubing my pivot cups and bushings. Lube or thin grease on em. They felt horrible when I got them but by the end felt pretty similar to 90's

[Xen]

Expand Quote

Got a bit of bushing madness:

Thunder 90a - Too soft
Thunder 92a - Still too soft
Thunder 94a - too hard
Bones Hards - responsive, but too hard still

I've given up on conical style bushings for now, and want to try Independent barrel bushings. I'm pretty sure I read on here that they fit Thunders. Any recommendation on either the 90 or 92? I think the 94s are out of the question. Just want more stability.

[close]

if you have all those bushings around try a 94 bottom and 92 or 90 top.

Hard bottom restricts turn, soft top = sloppy/slow return to center (why ACE does the opposite). Just use a lower top..it's what grewer does and why they made the Venture low top bushing kit.

[Vintagebody]

[Rick Trapasso]

Oh wow!

I can't imagine they'll have different weight/height options off the bat so I'm curious what the first iteration will be?

Looks like cast plates and would assume solid axles

Purple bushings look nice.

[Xen]

I'd guess cast plates seeing as they already support hex....Team Editions mostly likely?

Interested to see if they stick with just a nut down there or the whole sleeve/nut thing that everyone else has done (literally, Krux, indy, Slappy, Royal all have it).

[CarcassToss]

The top washer looks more cupped and wider than what was on my last Thunders (and ate up top bushings).

[lukepat]

Curious if they will offer Inverted Kingpin hardware for sale for the current Thunder truck riders....

[VCR]

Another allen wrench to lose

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

I'd guess cast plates seeing as they already support hex....Team Editions mostly likely?

Interested to see if they stick with just a nut down there or the whole sleeve/nut thing that everyone else has done (literally, Krux, indy, Slappy, Royal all have it).

I hope it’s just the nut. Just seems more simple. 

[Xen]

Another allen wrench to lose

Are you prone to losing shit? I still have my first Krux allen from a set of downlows from like 10+yrs ago and would regularly take it out with me for those...and the mindys....and the royals....and the slappys....

[Xen]

Expand Quote

I'd guess cast plates seeing as they already support hex....Team Editions mostly likely?

Interested to see if they stick with just a nut down there or the whole sleeve/nut thing that everyone else has done (literally, Krux, indy, Slappy, Royal all have it).

[close]

I hope it’s just the nut. Just seems more simple. 

I'm 50/50..I'd prefer something not embedded, that can be replaced. I get that the shaft nuts are long and threaded throught the plate to create a strong/secure method (more threads up the pin, the more 'time' you have before it loosens up and falls out); I'd rather have the old grind king solution..which begs the question if they have somehow found a way to keep them from loosening over time? I hope so, otherwise what took them so long (comparatively speaking)?

Hollow IKP? OG Krux, Slappy did it, Indy followed.

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

I'm just basing my opinion on all the indy complaints, but I don't know how things fared for Royal, Slappy and now that I think of it Krux..... It just seems simpler and understood it's your problem to keep them tight.  My impression was they didn't have it figured out, but hopefully I'm wrong.  It's a big knock on Thunders IMO, because they aren't as beefy as Indys, the clearance is at best OK......One of the reasons I got off thunders...it felt like you didn't get long enough with unobstructed grinding....

[fakiefs180]

These new inverted trucks will have a updated baseplate. Will it be a bit longer as the standard baseplates? I am on Hollow Lights and sometimes get stuck on nose/tailslides. But it is my low skill because I also got stuck with Indy plates on icey ledges sometimes. Going faster and wax is your friend for smooth slides.

How would it be to get these trucks, hammer the kingpin out of these baseplates and and replace it with a regular kingpin? Not that anyone would ever do such mad things. ^^

[Rick Trapasso]

Hollow KP and solid axle, so between a team and team hollows.

I'm probably gonna give these a shot after the initial testers can tell me if they loosen on their own or not lol.

[Idk]

Hollow KP and solid axle, so between a team and team hollows.

I'm probably gonna give these a shot after the initial testers can tell me if they loosen on their own or not lol.

If they loosen up on their own then that’ll save me having to try them out.

[tuesday]

I'd probably down to revamp my old Thunders if they'd sell also only the ikp baseplate.

[DinnerDog425]

The step down on the Spitfire skate tool wrench/screw driver makes sense now. I was looking at it when I picked one up and it looked like it was designed for a hollow IKP.

[Rick Trapasso]

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Hollow KP and solid axle, so between a team and team hollows.

I'm probably gonna give these a shot after the initial testers can tell me if they loosen on their own or not lol.

[close]

If they loosen up on their own then that’ll save me having to try them out.

Exactly, lol

[CarcassToss]

I don't think DLX will fuck up the IKP especially since it's been in testing since 2020.

I asked my shop owner about these yesterday as he's tested the T2. The baseplate is not thicker or more angled to where it has more material to be closer to the ledge for slides. It's simply a bit more rounded. He's seen a set but didn't sit with calipers and measure.

Keeping an Allen wrench spare isn't hard. I could have missed it but if the KP head was hollow it sounds like most skate tools that have a hex shaped Phillips/allen key like the Ace tool would be the right size.

[logjammin]

Why do all these truck companies with inverted options keep using these inferior kingpins that barely offer more grind clearance than a regular one? OG Krux or Kreper, it's not like the designs are patented. Steal it, use it. 2Hex did it they just painted it black.

[Frank and Fred]

I don't think DLX will fuck up the IKP especially since it's been in testing since 2020.

I asked my shop owner about these yesterday as he's tested the T2. The baseplate is not thicker or more angled to where it has more material to be closer to the ledge for slides. It's simply a bit more rounded. He's seen a set but didn't sit with calipers and measure.

Keeping an Allen wrench spare isn't hard. I could have missed it but if the KP head was hollow it sounds like most skate tools that have a hex shaped Phillips/allen key like the Ace tool would be the right size.

So are these the so-called T2 or not?

[TwisT]

IKP riders, as a curmudgeon who hates change. Are inverted kingpins that much of a game changer? Have I been getting hung up on my kingpin bolt this whole time and thats why my smiths suck? Can i keep my trucks squirrely with an IKP? Is it a cultural shift I can continue to ignore?

[Rick Trapasso]

Expand Quote

I don't think DLX will fuck up the IKP especially since it's been in testing since 2020.

I asked my shop owner about these yesterday as he's tested the T2. The baseplate is not thicker or more angled to where it has more material to be closer to the ledge for slides. It's simply a bit more rounded. He's seen a set but didn't sit with calipers and measure.

Keeping an Allen wrench spare isn't hard. I could have missed it but if the KP head was hollow it sounds like most skate tools that have a hex shaped Phillips/allen key like the Ace tool would be the right size.

[close]

So are these the so-called T2 or not?

These are not. T2s are a whole new thunder yet to be released.

[Frank and Fred]

Thanks. I’m holding off.

[logjammin]

IKP riders, as a curmudgeon who hates change. Are inverted kingpins that much of a game changer? Have I been getting hung up on my kingpin bolt this whole time and thats why my smiths suck? Can i keep my trucks squirrely with an IKP? Is it a cultural shift I can continue to ignore?

Been on IKP's for years. Frankentrucking, Indy IKP baseplates, etc. So far on some 215's grinded down plenty at this point including my disintegrating KP nut and kingpin itself, I'm actually finding it's kinda fine. Almost like the kingpin hanging actually provides a little stability on a long grind. Dare I say. If you're fine with grinding on normal kingpins then just stick with it.

[Frank and Fred]

I've tried inverse kingpins the past and did not find them to be that drastically better for my skateboarding. i actually quite enjoy grinding down the kingpin and kingpin nut until the whole thing blends into a blob of shredded aluminum and bushing spillage.

[Ok]

I've tried inverse kingpins the past and did not find them to be that drastically better for my skateboarding. i actually quite enjoy grinding down the kingpin and kingpin nut until the whole thing blends into a blob of shredded aluminum and bushing spillage.

i found this strangely sexual

[Xen]

IKP riders, as a curmudgeon who hates change. Are inverted kingpins that much of a game changer? Have I been getting hung up on my kingpin bolt this whole time and thats why my smiths suck? Can i keep my trucks squirrely with an IKP? Is it a cultural shift I can continue to ignore?

Not really. You get a bit more honeymoon before you start hitting the kingpin; on trucks like slappys and royals, the latter having thunder-like GC, it makes a pretty big difference.

This seems like a weird stop-gap for them. Rounded edge baseplates? Ok. Were people breaking plates for them to be re-inforcing them?

[theloniousmonk]

I’m surprised that deluxe is putting the marketing push behind these internal kingpin thunders, and not releasing the totally remade thunders. It has been at least 10 or 15 years since they did away with the highs and lows, and it seems like if they are going to bring out a completely new, redesign truck, it will be on the riding the coattails of this release. Redesigning eight truck, from one of the biggest Chuck manufactures is a huge deal, and this doesn’t seem like enough of a redesign to warrant it’s on marketing push. And like a lot of people on here are saying, the higher thunders already have a ton of ground clearance, and you can easily put inverted kingpins into 147s using their hex cast base plate.



It seems like most people are way more interested in the totally redesigned thunders than these. Some call them the t2, but my first complete had t-four’s, so I don’t like the nickname t2.

There was a screenshot of Ben degros holding the new thunders with the total redesign in 2022, and it was the best look at them I’ve seen. They had the seaglass blue bushings, and had new lines and I’m guessing geometry.