Truck set-ups

[Ok]

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Sooo... My only gripe w/ Thunders is the massive wheel bite I get when I ride them at my preferred level of adjust.
Currently running Thunder 90du bushings with only about a thread of kingpin showing (basically: factory stock)
Question: would I reasonably be able to expect a substantial/noticeable difference in how much wheel bite I'm experiencing if I ran a barrel bushing of appropriate size, or am I a fool for expecting no wheel bite while running 54-56mm wheels on Thunders w/ the Team (cast) base plates?
I've tried slightly harder Thunder bushings, but they fucked up the turn too much.
At one point I was trying to run Bones Medium (yellow) in them, but those fucks blow out. The best solution I've tried so far is just keeping them standard.
Love my Thunders, but I am super over the wheel bite factor.
Any body tried a barrel on the bottom with good results? If so, which sort?
Other info: I'm approx. 170 lbs.
Thanks in advance.
Shalom.

[close]

Caveat, I didn't stick with Thunders, had em for one set. The only thing that reduced (but still didn't eliminate) the wheelbite was using a standard Ace bushing on the bottom, and keeping the stock Thunder top. The dimensions were a little skewed, but nothing too insane. Still had the Thunder turn. Mind you I was on 52mm's getting wheelbite and was over it all pretty quick. 56's might be a hard ask.

Nobody:

Me:
I can’t handle thunders with wheels bigger than 53s. 147s is more like 51/52. It’s actually why I don’t skate thunders more often, I really like the kickflips with thunders, but the wheelbite is constant for me. I’m not good at skating.
I find myself looking for one truck, but wanting to be able to skate a lot of different stuff, big and then small wheels, and that’s what usually kicks me off of Thunders (I always come back for a little while tho).

[ballintoohard]

weird, i only get bad wheelbite from Indy really, then Ace, then Thunder, then Venture.

[palelight]

I can't remember who said it on here, but it was a good point. All trucks are going to wheelbite in one instance or another, but some are just better at telegraphing it. With Ace, obviously with that amount of turn it'll wheelbite, but I know when it's going to happen. With Thunders one jank push, it wheelbites out of nowhere, I roll my fucking front ankle. Maybe if I stuck with them longer or grew up riding them that issue would be a known quantity and I could work around it, as evidenced by a metric shit ton of Thunder riders.

[Lou Strux]

I'm in the rather aged category, and my switch game sucks. That (and exiting tricks fakie) is when the Thunders come looking for their blood tribute.
That qualm aside, I really do love that their quick turn means I can approach a curb at a perpendicular angle & still easily turn them hard enough to get into a proper slappy.
Meh.
I guess avoiding wheel bite is precisely why I keep these Ace & Indy sets hanging around.
Still, I've spent the better part of the 37 years on Thunders, so they feel like home. I may move away, but I reckon I'll keep coming back to visit now & again.
Fucking wheel bite, though.
Ugh!

[Vintagebody]

I skate with a hard bottom bushing and medium top. I dont ride loose trucks tho, but a happy medium. Dont get too bad of a wheelbite

[Mbrimson88]

I'm in the rather aged category, and my switch game sucks. That (and exiting tricks fakie) is when the Thunders come looking for their blood tribute.
That qualm aside, I really do love that their quick turn means I can approach a curb at a perpendicular angle & still easily turn them hard enough to get into a proper slappy.
Meh.
I guess avoiding wheel bite is precisely why I keep these Ace & Indy sets hanging around.
Still, I've spent the better part of the 37 years on Thunders, so they feel like home. I may move away, but I reckon I'll keep coming back to visit now & again.
Fucking wheel bite, though.
Ugh!

I know I already said it, but try some risers and see how it feels.  Or make some and put something between the trucks and the deck and see how much more you can turn before wheelbite stops you.

[TumKayo]

I can’t even ride my Ace 66s without major wheelbite. I have 1/4” risers, tightened down a bit with indy 94a bushings and indy washers. Whether it’s with 55mm Oj mini juice, or some basic 54mm 99a shop wheels, I still get ridiculous bite. Gonna try wheel wells and mini logo 100a bushings next, not giving up.

I honestly feel like I got a defective product. I can barely even ride them.

Never in many years had any bite whatsoever on my medium loose Thunders or Ventures with 53-54mm wheels. I have a few pairs of ventures and thunders now, no bite. Lately I have been riding Indys, and even with big ass wheels and ridden fairly loose, they don’t bite. Indys are becoming my new favorites.

[Level 60 Dwarf Rogue]

You guys worry about wheelbite way too much.

[sketchyrider]

You guys worry about wheelbite way too much.

it happens to me sometimes when i land tricks sketchy. that's one thing i liked about krux, i felt like i could land anywhere as long as my feet ended up on the board. wheelbite never seems to happen when im actually going fast or carving in transition.

i kinda feel like lighter versions of trucks are more twitchy and prone to wheelbite. doesn't explain homie's problems with aces though. i always felt wide setups were more wheelbitey and more prone to needing hard bushings or risers.

[TumKayo]

I had the oppertunity to return, but I didn’t because I want to figure them out. They are super high quality, seemingly much better finish quality on the metal bits than an Indy, Venture or Thunder. Even the speed rings they come with are just nice lol. The only piece of metal I didnt like was the stock washers, only cuz they were a little small for the bushings it seems. 

The turn radius feels super tight and they definitely have a place on trasition boards and cruisers. However, I also really like how they pop on steeper decks. They have some serious snap on big steep boards.

They feel like they have no rebound out of a turn, even when tightened down and with different bushings, like it’s engineered that way. On every other truck I own, I feel them rebound off a “bottom” of the turn or lean, whereas the Aces just keep leaning.

I really want to love them lol, but I can barely ride them. I bet on like a Polar 1991 shape with wheel wells, they’d be one of my favorite trucks.

[FatGuy92]

Was wondering if anyone makes a low truck with a good amount of kingpin clearance? I tried venture lo and thunder hollows and after they grind down a little, the kingpins stick out which make grinding anything except ledges at the skatepark hard as shit (I also suck so that might be an issue).

Or for anyone riding low trucks, how have you overcome this? I wish I could be happy on a high truck but I’m too old and fat now

[FrozenIndustries]

I can’t even ride my Ace 66s without major wheelbite. I have 1/4” risers, tightened down a bit with indy 94a bushings and indy washers. Whether it’s with 55mm Oj mini juice, or some basic 54mm 99a shop wheels, I still get ridiculous bite. Gonna try wheel wells and mini logo 100a bushings next, not giving up.

I honestly feel like I got a defective product. I can barely even ride them.

Never in many years had any bite whatsoever on my medium loose Thunders or Ventures with 53-54mm wheels. I have a few pairs of ventures and thunders now, no bite. Lately I have been riding Indys, and even with big ass wheels and ridden fairly loose, they don’t bite. Indys are becoming my new favorites.

What size were the Thunders and Ventures you were skating? To be fair, you can't really compare the wheelbite you'd get on a "standard" width truck with something 9" or over. The width to height ratio is just so skewed in those instances. Also, IIRC Indy bottoms are lower than Ace so if you have those in there it is going to put your axle closer to the board as well.

In general, a bigger board with wider trucks is going to bite faster and don't give your top bushing the chance to bottom out and rebound. I think it is just kind of something that comes with the terriroty.

[TumKayo]

Expand Quote

I can’t even ride my Ace 66s without major wheelbite. I have 1/4” risers, tightened down a bit with indy 94a bushings and indy washers. Whether it’s with 55mm Oj mini juice, or some basic 54mm 99a shop wheels, I still get ridiculous bite. Gonna try wheel wells and mini logo 100a bushings next, not giving up.

I honestly feel like I got a defective product. I can barely even ride them.

Never in many years had any bite whatsoever on my medium loose Thunders or Ventures with 53-54mm wheels. I have a few pairs of ventures and thunders now, no bite. Lately I have been riding Indys, and even with big ass wheels and ridden fairly loose, they don’t bite. Indys are becoming my new favorites.

[close]

What size were the Thunders and Ventures you were skating? To be fair, you can't really compare the wheelbite you'd get on a "standard" width truck with something 9" or over. The width to height ratio is just so skewed in those instances. Also, IIRC Indy bottoms are lower than Ace so if you have those in there it is going to put your axle closer to the board as well.

In general, a bigger board with wider trucks is going to bite faster and don't give your top bushing the chance to bottom out and rebound. I think it is just kind of something that comes with the terriroty.

My biggest Venture is 8.5, and biggest Thunder is 8.75. They don’t turn nearly as much as the Aces though, so I guess it just comes with the territory?

I have no wheelbite issues whatsoever on Indy 169s or 215s..with big wheels, .1” risers, and stock bushings. But they are 55mm, and they don’t turn quite as deep, so it makes sense.

[layzieyez]

[backinaction]

I had the oppertunity to return, but I didn’t because I want to figure them out. They are super high quality, seemingly much better finish quality on the metal bits than an Indy, Venture or Thunder. Even the speed rings they come with are just nice lol. The only piece of metal I didnt like was the stock washers, only cuz they were a little small for the bushings it seems. 

The turn radius feels super tight and they definitely have a place on trasition boards and cruisers. However, I also really like how they pop on steeper decks. They have some serious snap on big steep boards.

They feel like they have no rebound out of a turn, even when tightened down and with different bushings, like it’s engineered that way. On every other truck I own, I feel them rebound off a “bottom” of the turn or lean, whereas the Aces just keep leaning.

I really want to love them lol, but I can barely ride them. I bet on like a Polar 1991 shape with wheel wells, they’d be one of my favorite trucks.

I run Mini Logo medium bushings in my 66s, a 1/10 riser, and hard enough wheels - 56mm SPF - that they push through the wheel bite. I don’t notice when it happens. I’m starting to get pretty good grooves going. I have also heard of people waxing their deck where the bite occurs.

[TumKayo]

I’m hoping the Mini Logo 100a bushings make a big difference. I’m about 100kg

[backinaction]

I’m hoping the Mini Logo 100a bushings make a bit difference. I’m about 100kg

I'm only 80kg

[TumKayo]

I just put some 51mm 101a wheels on the 66, no risers but still indy 94a bushings and washers. Deep carve, with barely any bite. Finally! Nice and low feeling too.

I need some medium hardness 1/8” risers I think. With those and the 100a mini logo bushings, I’m hoping I can ride all my wheels.

[Mbrimson88]

You guys worry about wheelbite way too much.

I usually don't have any issues with wheelbite, but that is on Indy standards with what could probably be called medium trucks (92 low head bushings).

Others however often struggle and if they wheelbite to easily, it could be game over.

[Diocletian]

Wheelbite is fine, most people get it and roll with it because it isn’t pitching them off their board. I’d say it’s inevitable there’s only so far a truck can turn until it bottoms out. Thunders bottom out the second half of the turn and flop into a pretty bad wheelbite though, at least in my experience. Ace and Theeve have been the best in terms of maximum turn so you don’t need to lean extremely hard trying to get one, resulting in less wheel digging into the wood.

[rocklobster]

Dealing with some major truck madness in my life. Setup a Flip P2 8.18 with concave and kicks way mellower than my previous Santa Cruz P2, been experimenting with a few truck combinations with mixed results:

Venture 5.2 V-Hollow Lo - Excellent pinch but board was too low and I could not get the timing going. I've always been very heavy footed when I pop, the harder I tried with the board the less it wanted to get up there.
Venture 5.6 V-Hollow with Cast Baseplate - Heavy and ghost popping all day, I though the cast baseplate which extends WB less than forged would compensate for the height but it was just too chunky. Proportions of the 5.2 / 5.6 work as is, messing with baseplates gives mixed results.
Thunder 148 Titanium - Board is very light, flips too easily and my kickflips, FS / BS Flips get super high but are uncontrollable

Suggestions on how how to give added heft without messing too much of the setup? My last option would be 5.2 V-Hollow hanger with Cast baseplate: compensate for the height with cast plates while increasing the WB slightly versus the Thunder Titanium.

[Mbrimson88]

Dealing with some major truck madness in my life. Setup a Flip P2 8.18 with concave and kicks way mellower than my previous Santa Cruz P2, been experimenting with a few truck combinations with mixed results:

Venture 5.2 V-Hollow Lo - Excellent pinch but board was too low and I could not get the timing going. I've always been very heavy footed when I pop, the harder I tried with the board the less it wanted to get up there.
Venture 5.6 V-Hollow with Cast Baseplate - Heavy and ghost popping all day, I though the cast baseplate which extends WB less than forged would compensate for the height but it was just too chunky. Proportions of the 5.2 / 5.6 work as is, messing with baseplates gives mixed results.
Thunder 148 Titanium - Board is very light, flips too easily and my kickflips, FS / BS Flips get super high but are uncontrollable

Suggestions on how how to give added heft without messing too much of the setup? My last option would be 5.2 V-Hollow hanger with Cast baseplate: compensate for the height with cast plates while increasing the WB slightly versus the Thunder Titanium.

has anyone tried thunder hangers + venture baseplates?
if they fit, it may solve the nose/tailslide issue

Would this just be too much to try mixing brands as well?  I know you have both Thunder and Venture trucks there...

Probably shouldn't even think about it, but I do recall seeing others with mix and match and it worked moderately well at the time.

[rocklobster]

Expand Quote

Dealing with some major truck madness in my life. Setup a Flip P2 8.18 with concave and kicks way mellower than my previous Santa Cruz P2, been experimenting with a few truck combinations with mixed results:

Venture 5.2 V-Hollow Lo - Excellent pinch but board was too low and I could not get the timing going. I've always been very heavy footed when I pop, the harder I tried with the board the less it wanted to get up there.
Venture 5.6 V-Hollow with Cast Baseplate - Heavy and ghost popping all day, I though the cast baseplate which extends WB less than forged would compensate for the height but it was just too chunky. Proportions of the 5.2 / 5.6 work as is, messing with baseplates gives mixed results.
Thunder 148 Titanium - Board is very light, flips too easily and my kickflips, FS / BS Flips get super high but are uncontrollable

Suggestions on how how to give added heft without messing too much of the setup? My last option would be 5.2 V-Hollow hanger with Cast baseplate: compensate for the height with cast plates while increasing the WB slightly versus the Thunder Titanium.

[close]

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has anyone tried thunder hangers + venture baseplates?
if they fit, it may solve the nose/tailslide issue

[close]

Would this just be too much to try mixing brands as well?  I know you have both Thunder and Venture trucks there...

Probably shouldn't even think about it, but I do recall seeing others with mix and match and it worked moderately well at the time.

I draw the line at mixing brands of hangers and baseplates. I'll stick to the Thunders and ride them till oblivion, just learn to pop slightly softer and adjust my timing; ie stop being a little bitch.

[Mbrimson88]

I draw the line at mixing brands of hangers and baseplates. I'll stick to the Thunders and ride them till oblivion, just learn to pop slightly softer and adjust my timing; ie stop being a little bitch.

I would never mix and match different brand parts - it just seems wrong - but as you said, you can try the team baseplates / forged baseplates with different hangers and combinations to work out something.

With others asking if it could be done, it is all down to see what you have and do what you want with what you've got.

[Richard Skidder]

New shape on Thunder baseplates, to hold kingpin nut. I remember it being more squared off before. Obviously to add your own inverted kingpin you would still want some JB Weld unless you’re the set it and forget it type.

[Sk.A.T.A.N]

New shape on Thunder baseplates, to hold kingpin nut. I remember it being more squared off before. Obviously to add your own inverted kingpin you would still want some JB Weld unless you’re the set it and forget it type.

Why? That shape looks like it would hold the nut in place from spinning around.

[Richard Skidder]

Expand Quote

New shape on Thunder baseplates, to hold kingpin nut. I remember it being more squared off before. Obviously to add your own inverted kingpin you would still want some JB Weld unless you’re the set it and forget it type.

[close]

Why? That shape looks like it would hold the nut in place from spinning around.

For bushing swap without removing the baseplates from the deck.

[Lloyd Braun]

Anyone ever put Krux inverted king pins on ventures? I posted in the venture thread no reply. I already ordered them just curious if anyone has and whether or not you liked it.

[pointandclick]

Anyone ever put Krux inverted king pins on ventures? I posted in the venture thread no reply. I already ordered them just curious if anyone has and whether or not you liked it.

not trying to cuss on your idea, i dont know why you'd want to. ventures are the one truck you'd never need it.

[Lloyd Braun]

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Anyone ever put Krux inverted king pins on ventures? I posted in the venture thread no reply. I already ordered them just curious if anyone has and whether or not you liked it.

[close]

not trying to cuss on your idea, i dont know why you'd want to. ventures are the one truck you'd never need it.

I skate my trucks to the axels and once they get ground down a ways I grind the shit out of my kingpins on smiths/feebles and have noticed I have to put more effort into doing them. I’m hoping it will help with smiths on concrete ledges as well which I always struggle with.