The Thunder Thread

[Rick Trapasso]

I get unreasonably excited over pics of new, unreleased trucks.

[Frank and Fred]

I get unreasonably excited over pics of new, unreleased trucks.

Me too and I'm always tempted by anything new Thunder does but these don't look appealing aesthetically. Hopefully, its just the photo but I really hope the base plate design is actually smoother and more rounded than what we think we are seeing.

[Ok]

Bought some regular cast 148s the other day. (Raws, do not say team on baseplate, clear orange bushings)

Was feeling too sluggish on the 144 Indy hand-me-downs I’ve been riding.

Holy shit these were squirrelly out of the box! I had to crank down the nut until two threads were showing to get where my Indys and Ventures are with a flush nut.

Stoked on the low effort tail snap, feels like I may even get flip tricks back although I wasn’t getting much pop. Probably a bad pairing with the Real Full deck I’m riding…

thunders are not sluggish, for certain.
just me being a dickface, but consider un-cranking that kingpin nut, and not shredding your bushings. maybe it’s just bro-science, but my experience has been to leave trucks alone for at least a few sessions. if you can’t skate em, just eat the shit and/or try less tricks. the bushings usually firm up and then slow adjustments tighter and you’re good to go.
i wasn’t able to skate ace lows with the stock bushings, and the venture loose truck kit is also way too loose for my fat ass.

once you get used to getting thrown into the ground via wheelbite, thunder 148s are a great truck. totally agree the pop is real nice, lower effort, and consistent.

did you put new trucks on an old deck? i’m way off because i don’t want to start new trucks out on an old deck, but i swap so much stuff around i don’t break anything or even really wear it out. i want to try some slightly different trucks on a board im skating now, but had resigned myself to ‘have to’ buy another board. dunno, my mind is disturbing

[diplodocus]

Thunder just posted more info on the inverted kingpin trucks

https://www.instagram.com/thundertrucks/p/C8U0Re2pQGr/?hl=en&img_index=1

Looks like there is an updated baseplate design on the IKP Thunders. Fuckin hyped.

[Willie]

Expand Quote

Bought some regular cast 148s the other day. (Raws, do not say team on baseplate, clear orange bushings)

Was feeling too sluggish on the 144 Indy hand-me-downs I’ve been riding.

Holy shit these were squirrelly out of the box! I had to crank down the nut until two threads were showing to get where my Indys and Ventures are with a flush nut.

Stoked on the low effort tail snap, feels like I may even get flip tricks back although I wasn’t getting much pop. Probably a bad pairing with the Real Full deck I’m riding…

[close]

thunders are not sluggish, for certain.
just me being a dickface, but consider un-cranking that kingpin nut, and not shredding your bushings. maybe it’s just bro-science, but my experience has been to leave trucks alone for at least a few sessions. if you can’t skate em, just eat the shit and/or try less tricks. the bushings usually firm up and then slow adjustments tighter and you’re good to go.
i wasn’t able to skate ace lows with the stock bushings, and the venture loose truck kit is also way too loose for my fat ass.

once you get used to getting thrown into the ground via wheelbite, thunder 148s are a great truck. totally agree the pop is real nice, lower effort, and consistent.

did you put new trucks on an old deck? i’m way off because i don’t want to start new trucks out on an old deck, but i swap so much stuff around i don’t break anything or even really wear it out. i want to try some slightly different trucks on a board im skating now, but had resigned myself to ‘have to’ buy another board. dunno, my mind is disturbing

Definitely worried about shredding the bushings but it was teeter totter to wheelbite with anything less. The yellow/green bushings on my 149s weren’t this soft.

I did put them on an old deck but I haven’t put much wear on it and was just kind of hating the Indys.

[Xen]

Thunder just posted more info on the inverted kingpin trucks

https://www.instagram.com/thundertrucks/p/C8U0Re2pQGr/?hl=en&img_index=1

Looks like there is an updated baseplate design on the IKP Thunders. Fuckin hyped.

Same info as last week it seems - after that grewer image, I have even less interest in these IKP versions.

[Ok]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Bought some regular cast 148s the other day. (Raws, do not say team on baseplate, clear orange bushings)

Was feeling too sluggish on the 144 Indy hand-me-downs I’ve been riding.

Holy shit these were squirrelly out of the box! I had to crank down the nut until two threads were showing to get where my Indys and Ventures are with a flush nut.

Stoked on the low effort tail snap, feels like I may even get flip tricks back although I wasn’t getting much pop. Probably a bad pairing with the Real Full deck I’m riding…

[close]

thunders are not sluggish, for certain.
just me being a dickface, but consider un-cranking that kingpin nut, and not shredding your bushings. maybe it’s just bro-science, but my experience has been to leave trucks alone for at least a few sessions. if you can’t skate em, just eat the shit and/or try less tricks. the bushings usually firm up and then slow adjustments tighter and you’re good to go.
i wasn’t able to skate ace lows with the stock bushings, and the venture loose truck kit is also way too loose for my fat ass.

once you get used to getting thrown into the ground via wheelbite, thunder 148s are a great truck. totally agree the pop is real nice, lower effort, and consistent.

did you put new trucks on an old deck? i’m way off because i don’t want to start new trucks out on an old deck, but i swap so much stuff around i don’t break anything or even really wear it out. i want to try some slightly different trucks on a board im skating now, but had resigned myself to ‘have to’ buy another board. dunno, my mind is disturbing

[close]

Definitely worried about shredding the bushings but it was teeter totter to wheelbite with anything less. The yellow/green bushings on my 149s weren’t this soft.

I did put them on an old deck but I haven’t put much wear on it and was just kind of hating the Indys.

i skate better with tighter trucks. with thunders i feel like i should use their harder bushings, like the 100s or something. if i remember right, they turned fine with hard bushings.

good call, don’t get caught up in the weird bs of new trucks new board, lakai sticker vans shoes, etc etc

i was probably skating my best, at times, on 139s. my skating is really limited, and instead of just going with what sorta worked, i’ve always wanted to be what i ain’t (i want to be able to land a bunch of flip tricks, and those days have left). i couldn’t hack it with indy 149s, went away from indy’s, now i can’t skate indy’s.
now i’ll skate anything, but indy’s. which doesn’t make sense. i’ll give aces a chance, and i skate like dogshit on aces.

anyfreakingways, 148s are sick. mine seem really quality. maybe because they ‘just worked’ i had to shelve them, almost like they were too responsible.

[goodatmeth]

If that new baseplate is just 2mm longer than before I'll be so damn happy.
All they say is that it's rounded off

[rawbertson.]

Imo a nylon insert lock nut is still better than this because the vibration will eventually cause this to come loose. There is nothing keeping that thread from spinning on its own. Probably beating a dead horse but I believe this is why this idea has never taken off in the past… maybe there is a patch applied inside the nut?

[diplodocus]

Expand Quote

Thunder just posted more info on the inverted kingpin trucks

https://www.instagram.com/thundertrucks/p/C8U0Re2pQGr/?hl=en&img_index=1

Looks like there is an updated baseplate design on the IKP Thunders. Fuckin hyped.

[close]

Same info as last week it seems - after that grewer image, I have even less interest in these.

Oops I must have missed that. Those frank ones did look sick.

[CarcassToss]

The IKP Thunders just have rounding on the baseplate edges/pivot area edges. The plate isn't longer and the holes are in the same place. That's fundamentally why the wheels drag not necessarily the thickness of the area by the pivot. Just look at a Thunder on a board- the baseplate holes shift the entire truck forward and the kingpin angle/hanger design push the wheels back towards the tips

[moonordie]

[144p]

Just ordered for the shop, all 3 sizes.

[Xen]

Imo a nylon insert lock nut is still better than this because the vibration will eventually cause this to come loose. There is nothing keeping that thread from spinning on its own. Probably beating a dead horse but I believe this is why this idea has never taken off in the past… maybe there is a patch applied inside the nut?

Every IKP truck on the market has a 'nylon insert lock nut' in the plate. Every.single.one. It's just attached to the 'shaft nut' thing and you can't replace them. Unless you are set it and forget it kind of person, no IKP truck is for you.

Honestly people panty-bunched about their IKP loosening are overreacting with the hyperbole. Do they loosen? sure, for some.

Chances of your truck falling off provided you check your shit? Nil. "oh but I shouldn't have to check my trucks everytime" Nope, you shouldn't but you should anyway when you know it might happen. That's the trade off for better grind clearance. Hopefully thunder got it right, I mean they chose this point cap style for fewer hang ups and surely they've been tested. Right?

I don't think anyone should get their hopes up tho.

[Skatebrain]

I’m no engineer, but I thought the stickiness of baseplate was due to wheels hitting, not shape of baseplate.   I’ll echo what others have said and think they should have done a redesign.   These seem a bit blah like the Indy mids, where there seems to be issues that could have been corrected.   

[144p]

Expand Quote

Imo a nylon insert lock nut is still better than this because the vibration will eventually cause this to come loose. There is nothing keeping that thread from spinning on its own. Probably beating a dead horse but I believe this is why this idea has never taken off in the past… maybe there is a patch applied inside the nut?

[close]

Every IKP truck on the market has a 'nylon insert lock nut' in the plate. Every.single.one. It's just attached to the 'shaft nut' thing and you can't replace them. Unless you are set it and forget it kind of person, no IKP truck is for you.

Honestly people panty-bunched about their IKP loosening are overreacting with the hyperbole. Do they loosen? sure, for some.

Chances of your truck falling off provided you check your shit? Nil. "oh but I shouldn't have to check my trucks everytime" Nope, you shouldn't but you should anyway when you know it might happen. That's the trade off for better grind clearance. Hopefully thunder got it right, I mean they chose this point cap style for fewer hang ups and surely they've been tested. Right?

I don't think anyone should get their hopes up tho.

Deluxe has been testing versions of this since 2019.
I am hoping for the best.

[Xen]

I’m no engineer, but I thought the stickiness of baseplate was due to wheels hitting, not shape of baseplate.   I’ll echo what others have said and think they should have done a redesign.   These seem a bit blah like the Indy mids, where there seems to be issues that could have been corrected.   

Yeah, I'm not buying the 'rounded' edge baseplate for better slides when we all know the issues at hand..it's conditioning for the new rounded look of the next thunder

SW has'em

https://www.skatewarehouse.com/Thunder_Polished_Inverted_Trucks/descpage-TUPITR.html

[CarcassToss]

I've ridden Thunders a lot over the years and my local gave me a sneak peak last week provided I didn't post pics if I bought em. Currently have Ventures and honestly I passed. IKP is cool if you do tons of feebles and smiths maybe, but I don't. After you slide a bit on your current Thunders the plates end up rounded.

As for loosening all you set and forget folks could always just apply some blue loctite when you tighten your trucks.

[Xen]

I've ridden Thunders a lot over the years and my local gave me a sneak peak last week provided I didn't post pics if I bought em. Currently have Ventures and honestly I passed. IKP is cool if you do tons of feebles and smiths maybe, but I don't. After you slide a bit on your current Thunders the plates end up rounded.

As for loosening all you set and forget folks could always just apply some blue loctite when you tighten your trucks.

Problem with that is you need to take the truck off, and loosen it to get the locktite in there.

You're right tho, smiths and feebs, it for sure helps, especially if you do it on the regular...but if you don't...

[CarcassToss]

Doesn't it have like a 10min curing time or so? IIRC the that's the color that can be loosened and still holds for a bit. But that would require them to ride the trucks, take them off, mark the KP, etc. and those types are usually the ones too fried to find matching hardware.

[Xen]

Dad Board




Daaaaamn, shots fired ;P

[fakiefs180]

Did you guys notice s difference in forged and cast plates on Thunders? Maybe it is just in my head but I always thought Indy cast plates slide a bit better as Indy forged plates so I am curious about Thunder plates. I am on 148 Hollow Lights and might wanna try a Thunder cast plate if I find a good deal somewhere.

[CarcassToss]

So wait if I'm on Venture will these make me like Thunder more? Can I still wear my Awake gear?

[JugeL]

So wait if I'm on Venture will these make me like Thunder more? Can I still wear my Awake gear?

No, you must Know control in order to ride these

[Sedition]

So, I've always wanted to be a Thunder guy*, but I can't get past the baseplate/wheel drag thing, so I ride Indy. Hopefully the V2 will redeem. In any event, I maybe ordered a set of the IKP Thunders because, well, just because.

*Because DLX rules.

[goodatmeth]

Just rounding off the baseplate is so damn stupid. Huge bummer

[CarcassToss]

I wouldn't say its "stupid", but its not exactly a value prop for buying a new set of "updated" trucks

[Mbrimson88]

.

Looks like it is just a normal nut, not a bigger one like in the Indy trucks, but until someone takes them apart and posts pics like that, who knows.

AS per the baseplate change from a while back, at least having that hex head means you can just remove a normal kingpin and put in an inverted one, in the cast plates, so I am thinking this was a better option, but will have to wait to see it, or if someone else gets them and takes them apart to check, please let us all know or take some pics, etc.

From the Dad board video, which was good to see - also he said he had 151, but the info only has 147, 148 and 149 being released now.  Doesn't mean you can't just swap in other wider hangers of course, but I am guessing they will have all options soon enougn anyway, with this being the initial release.

[Xen]

^^ Yeah, the royals (and the new forged slappies) looked normal too, until you take them apart - we will have to wait and see.

[someguy185]

It’s probably been said before, but if you like the height of the Thunder 148 but you want an 8 inch truck, you don’t have an option to downsize the width and keep the same height. I thought this was slightly odd. They don’t do this with venture though.