The Thunder Thread

[Esmith5488]

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Curious about the T2.
Currently on af1’s but have a while before I can skate again. Looking for something slightly more stable and with a little better pinch. Think this will fit the bill or do I just give up and go back to venture lol.

[close]

I still consider myself to be in the breaking in period so take this with a grain of salt but, T2s = Better pinch, harder grind, lighter but less stable than Af1s. I personally still prefer Af1s but T2s are so good, I will definitely continue to use them. And like I've said before it's great to have another hollow hanger body option that turns this well. Most the other great turning trucks have the old school closed, round hangers.

please tag me if you make a follow up to this once you feel like they are broken in. would love to hear how they settle out. my main issue with at AF1 is how sometimes ill be skating a ledge and ill bend down to pop and get a little shimmy or get off center and it goofs my entire try up.  I understand this is mostly a skill issue but I have plenty of time to blame the gear right now lol. I've been going between ace and venture for years and at one point it messed me up so bad I rode royals to just reset my brain ( not talking shit, new royals are good). love Af1's for the most part

shit.. should I just go back to indy even though I haven't skated a set in a decade haha

[Rick Trapasso]

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Curious about the T2.
Currently on af1’s but have a while before I can skate again. Looking for something slightly more stable and with a little better pinch. Think this will fit the bill or do I just give up and go back to venture lol.

[close]

I still consider myself to be in the breaking in period so take this with a grain of salt but, T2s = Better pinch, harder grind, lighter but less stable than Af1s. I personally still prefer Af1s but T2s are so good, I will definitely continue to use them. And like I've said before it's great to have another hollow hanger body option that turns this well. Most the other great turning trucks have the old school closed, round hangers.

[close]

please tag me if you make a follow up to this once you feel like they are broken in. would love to hear how they settle out. my main issue with at AF1 is how sometimes ill be skating a ledge and ill bend down to pop and get a little shimmy or get off center and it goofs my entire try up.  I understand this is mostly a skill issue but I have plenty of time to blame the gear right now lol. I've been going between ace and venture for years and at one point it messed me up so bad I rode royals to just reset my brain ( not talking shit, new royals are good). love Af1's for the most part

shit.. should I just go back to indy even though I haven't skated a set in a decade haha

Probably.

[SwitchBenihana]

I've got both Indy and T2 and if I had to pick one it would be Indy, but they're not really the same truck even though they're similar. I'm riding T2 on a larger/longer board and they're not a truck I would pick for most of the street/park stuff I like, but they're really fun for transition and limited curb stuff. I don't love the way they feel at center so I'll never choose them for a time when I'm skating a lot of flat, euros, etc.

[FrAnKenFrEd]

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Curious about the T2.
Currently on af1’s but have a while before I can skate again. Looking for something slightly more stable and with a little better pinch. Think this will fit the bill or do I just give up and go back to venture lol.

[close]

I still consider myself to be in the breaking in period so take this with a grain of salt but, T2s = Better pinch, harder grind, lighter but less stable than Af1s. I personally still prefer Af1s but T2s are so good, I will definitely continue to use them. And like I've said before it's great to have another hollow hanger body option that turns this well. Most the other great turning trucks have the old school closed, round hangers.

[close]

please tag me if you make a follow up to this once you feel like they are broken in. would love to hear how they settle out. my main issue with at AF1 is how sometimes ill be skating a ledge and ill bend down to pop and get a little shimmy or get off center and it goofs my entire try up.  I understand this is mostly a skill issue but I have plenty of time to blame the gear right now lol. I've been going between ace and venture for years and at one point it messed me up so bad I rode royals to just reset my brain ( not talking shit, new royals are good). love Af1's for the most part

shit.. should I just go back to indy even though I haven't skated a set in a decade haha

Spent more time on the T2 today and noticed the pop timing/ feel is a compromise between AF1 and T1s, for what that's worth. It's what I hoped for as Thunders only work for me when I'm really strong in my pop but my old-man sloppy brand of skateboarding is probably better suited to Ace. again, the T2s are spicy enough to stay on my rig for now. Crazy turn compared to T1.

[in love w/ fs shuvs]

anyone have an issue with nuts just randomly falling off due to vibrations? Am I doing something wrong?

[Mbrimson88]

anyone have an issue with nuts just randomly falling off due to vibrations? Am I doing something wrong?

I think you might need to elaborate a bit, eg Kingpin nuts?  Axle nuts?

More than anything if I can finger tighten any nuts on anything on my board down past the nyloc, I swap them out, as I have had one wheel nut come off mid run in a bowl and never want to eat shit again because of something so simple as that.

I guess too, if they are not tightened down enough to start with, then change something - trim bushings down to fit kingpin nuts, or remove washers on the axles to fit axle nuts.

It can and does happen on any brand of anything - kingpin nuts, axle nuts, deck bolt nuts in this situation, when they have worn out nyloc or if they are not on there enough to start with.

Hope that helps.

[GashBandicoot]

anyone have an issue with nuts just randomly falling off due to vibrations? Am I doing something wrong?

Last time I retired a set of trucks was do to this reoccurring. Turns out I had just landed primo on them so many times learning all the basic flip tricks that the axles and stock nuts had grinded away on the ends making them much shorter. Even with new nuts there wasn't enough axle left for the nyloc to contact any thread even when fully tightened down.

[Mbrimson88]

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anyone have an issue with nuts just randomly falling off due to vibrations? Am I doing something wrong?

[close]

Last time I retired a set of trucks was do to this reoccurring. Turns out I had just landed primo on them so many times learning all the basic flip tricks that the axles and stock nuts had grinded away on the ends making them much shorter. Even with new nuts there wasn't enough axle left for the nyloc to contact any thread even when fully tightened down.

The roller skate crowd often will turn their axle nuts inwards, so the nyloc is on first, mainly because their use of skateboard wheel with a wider center doesn't fit the slim roller skate hangers.

This in itself seemed so weird to me and I had never tried it before, but it does actually work really well, maybe more so for some used axle nuts, because trying to get brand new axle nuts on the other way just doesn't seem to want to go on easily.

I have set up a few boards like this now, mainly more just to experiment, but when axles were so worn or for whatever other reasons, eg getting big wheels on and adding more washers to the inside to bring wheels out a lot more.  You can still get the axle nuts down about the same if needed, or just have them on half way and they will still hold, more for your situation.

Just an option anyway.

[in love w/ fs shuvs]

Expand Quote

anyone have an issue with nuts just randomly falling off due to vibrations? Am I doing something wrong?

[close]

Last time I retired a set of trucks was do to this reoccurring. Turns out I had just landed primo on them so many times learning all the basic flip tricks that the axles and stock nuts had grinded away on the ends making them much shorter. Even with new nuts there wasn't enough axle left for the nyloc to contact any thread even when fully tightened down.

yup its axles. never had a problem with this on indys but i am using bones bushings...

[FrAnKenFrEd]

Maybe it has already been talked about in this thread but the rumor is T2s (And/or maybe regular Thunders) with licensed ACE IKP system coming next year...

[pointandclick]

Maybe it has already been talked about in this thread but the rumor is T2s (And/or maybe regular Thunders) with licensed ACE IKP system coming next year...

ive heard this, they supposedly codeveloped it together. also my inverted thunder hollow kingpins broke today.

[Sandwich Marty]

Maybe it has already been talked about in this thread but the rumor is T2s (And/or maybe regular Thunders) with licensed ACE IKP system coming next year...

Won’t confirm or deny any rumors but T2 fans have some cool shit to look forward to.

[Mbrimson88]

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Maybe it has already been talked about in this thread but the rumor is T2s (And/or maybe regular Thunders) with licensed ACE IKP system coming next year...

[close]

ive heard this, they supposedly codeveloped it together. also my inverted thunder hollow kingpins broke today.

How long did you have them and is it getting colder there now?

The ones I had seen break here seemed to occur in the colder months when the people who had them kept having to loosen / tighten the kingpins with the temperatures affecting bushings, but I think that is not everything with them.  Seen a fair number of hollow kingpins break, but never seen a solid inverted kingpin break, which I guess is why they discontinued the hollow inverted kingpins and only have the solid ones now.

* At least DLX will replace them with solid kingpin versions or another set of trucks depending on where you are.

https://www.dlxsf.com/warranty/

[Spectra27]

Wondering if anyone here knows the bushing heights on the t2s, im really wanting to try the trucks for the geo having the ace classic feeling but with normal sizes, but from seeing people talk about the bushing being very soft Id like to buy a medium/hard bushings as backup just incase the t2s ones are just too soft for me.  if theirs anything close id be stoked to know thank you!

[FrAnKenFrEd]

Wondering if anyone here knows the bushing heights on the t2s, im really wanting to try the trucks for the geo having the ace classic feeling but with normal sizes, but from seeing people talk about the bushing being very soft Id like to buy a medium/hard bushings as backup just incase the t2s ones are just too soft for me.  if theirs anything close id be stoked to know thank you!

The regular aftermarket Thunders work... I think same size but different shape. Try the stock T2s though, they do firm up nicely after break in.

[Spectra27]

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Wondering if anyone here knows the bushing heights on the t2s, im really wanting to try the trucks for the geo having the ace classic feeling but with normal sizes, but from seeing people talk about the bushing being very soft Id like to buy a medium/hard bushings as backup just incase the t2s ones are just too soft for me.  if theirs anything close id be stoked to know thank you!

[close]

The regular aftermarket Thunders work... I think same size but different shape. Try the stock T2s though, they do firm up nicely after break in.

amazing to know ill be grabbing some aftermarkets with my order then cheers!

[Texas_Tone]

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Wondering if anyone here knows the bushing heights on the t2s, im really wanting to try the trucks for the geo having the ace classic feeling but with normal sizes, but from seeing people talk about the bushing being very soft Id like to buy a medium/hard bushings as backup just incase the t2s ones are just too soft for me.  if theirs anything close id be stoked to know thank you!

[close]

The regular aftermarket Thunders work... I think same size but different shape. Try the stock T2s though, they do firm up nicely after break in.

[close]

amazing to know ill be grabbing some aftermarkets with my order then cheers!

I used an ace classic barrel on my set and left the top the stock bushing, it’s been working well for me

[Murge]

Expand Quote

Maybe it has already been talked about in this thread but the rumor is T2s (And/or maybe regular Thunders) with licensed ACE IKP system coming next year...

[close]

Won’t confirm or deny any rumors but T2 fans have some cool shit to look forward to.

I can’t wait to see what’s coming up for the T2s. I’m waiting to see the other versions come out before pulling the trigger. Like a cast baseplate and hollow hanger or something.

[Shuh]

Yeah had my T2s for a while, I definitely like them more then Indy Standards. Broken in it's like Medium tightness but with more turn then T1

[Mbrimson88]

.

Set up my new T-II 151s today and damn I forgot how loose they feel from new - almost unrideable at first, but I tightened them down a bit more than I usually would and after about an hour, it was a really good session and I think I am half way there to breaking them in really nicely, just from a mellow session on my ramp.

*** Repeating this info for anyone else - YES the T-II bushings are stupidly soft feeling at first, but they do break in and firm up a lot, to come out as really good stable 90 duro bushings, but still maybe a little softer feeling than the regular Thunder bushings I have on other boards.


I did also do a lot of comparisons with the other Thunder bushings, info as follows:


Regular Thunder bushings

9.5 mm top
14 mm bottom
23.5 mm total

T-II bushings

9.5 mm top
13.5 mm bottom
23 mm total


Overall pretty much any Thunder bushings will fit in either trucks and still work fine, from the tests I have done in the last month, with all duro options of the regular bushings in the T-II trucks.  I hadn't tried most of the other bushings on the market in the T-IIs mainly because I got the couple of sets working just right, one with stock bushings from new, the other swapped out and the aftermarket 90 duro bushings working great, so just left that board as is.

Anyway, here is one of the pics for show and tell.

[Osage]

   Anyone know how the T-II bushings do in the cold? I want to try a pair but it's 23f degrees here right now I find the regular Thunder bushings to be almost unskateable below 40f.

[Mbrimson88]

   Anyone know how the T-II bushings do in the cold? I want to try a pair but it's 23f degrees here right now I find the regular Thunder bushings to be almost unskateable below 40f.

The dead cold might actually do them a service, as they really are so very, very soft here in the middle of summer right now.

Sorry I can't help with any actual info, but really I think if anyone is going to try them out, in the middle of winter might be a good time to do it, compared to in the warmer months, or at the very least have a few bushing options on hand to try.

They feel like really good trucks to me, for what they are and how much they turn and work, but I know others have not been able to make them work or haven't gotten on with them at all.

[Fitspire]

I've put my T2 Bushings into a T1 Team Hollow 149 since i don't like the height of the T2.
They are much better then the regular Bushings of the T1 in the cold.
But that was around 4-10 Degree Celsius.
Haven't tried them below that.

[moonordie]

I've put my T2 Bushings into a T1 Team Hollow 149 since i don't like the height of the T2.
They are much better then the regular Bushings of the T1 in the cold.
But that was around 4-10 Degree Celsius.
Haven't tried them below that.

That's valuable info, thx.

[Osage]

I've put my T2 Bushings into a T1 Team Hollow 149 since i don't like the height of the T2.
They are much better then the regular Bushings of the T1 in the cold.
But that was around 4-10 Degree Celsius.
Haven't tried them below that.

  Thanks!!

[Murge]

Does the T2s do anything better than ace? I’m on ace now content but not happy. I enjoyed Indy’s but no. Old thunders I liked but so twitchy but I felt flip tricks was nice and pinched better. I enjoyed venture but it’s an hassle finding the right board. I’m  really debating on T2s. But am I just buying what I have now  which is AF1 inverted

[SwitchBenihana]

They're more stable and pinch better than Ace. Definitely wheelbite less. Also lighter.

[rawbertson.]

If you like Ace but you find them too heavy or too low to the ground, I would try T2. The Ace turn feels very unique because of the 2 different duros they use for their bushings, so I don't think you will find any improvement there. If you thought maybe Ace were too squirrely then maybe T2 would feel bit more stable too (they both feel fine to me at stock).

I like T2 a bit better but I would be totally fine if Ace was the only truck I could ever use again. it feels like it makes more sense to use the higher truck with big wheels, but you can ride 60mm on Ace too, its not a huge difference in height.

[Chalupa]

Does the T2s do anything better than ace? I’m on ace now content but not happy. I enjoyed Indy’s but no. Old thunders I liked but so twitchy but I felt flip tricks was nice and pinched better. I enjoyed venture but it’s an hassle finding the right board. I’m  really debating on T2s. But am I just buying what I have now  which is AF1 inverted

I agree with SwitchBenihana, minus them feeling lighter. Also, if the pivot cup clicking annoys you, and you can’t fix it with some graphite or other method, that would be a good reason to switch to T-II.


Yeah, it’s not in the catalogs, but neither were the Ishod TT DBX “Catscratch” decks for the last drop. DLX has some intriguing products for 2026.

[Sandwich Marty]

Does the T2s do anything better than ace? I’m on ace now content but not happy. I enjoyed Indy’s but no. Old thunders I liked but so twitchy but I felt flip tricks was nice and pinched better. I enjoyed venture but it’s an hassle finding the right board. I’m  really debating on T2s. But am I just buying what I have now  which is AF1 inverted

T2’s turn can dip about as far as aces but it isn’t as gradual, they still have a vaguely reminiscent Thunder turn where you have to lean into it a bit, but unlike T1’s that dip happens faster and goes further. Aces feel more fluid whereas T2’s sorta let you know you’re leaving the stable zone and going into surf mode, but they also rebound faster giving them a slight edge on stability for more technical shit.

I’d choose them over aces if you value stability over agility, but the margins of comparison here are paper thin. They’re significantly lighter than stock AF1’s if that matters to you, I believe they’re actually around the same weight as a forged Indy hollow.