I hate NHS. I expressly state my bias up front. I would love to be rid of everything associated with that company, including Independent trucks. Despite that, I have ridden Indys for a very, very long time. Why? Because I have always found them to be a superior product (and I say that as someone who
WANTS to be riding a different truck). So, that should say something about Indys. I mean they are
the industry standard
for a reason. I also believe that one should challenge their assumptions from time to time, if only to prove those assumptions still hold true.
So, with this background, and with hopes of riding myself of all NHS products, I decided to give Thunders another chance. This is my review of them. Since Indys are the “gold standard” (and what I normally ride), I will be making many comparisons to (my) Indys during this review. For reference, I ride Indy 144 titaniums on an 8.25” deck with a 14.38” wheelbase. And yes, I have tried Aces (an extensive review of them can be found
here).
So, for this review I will be covering two different Thunder trucks at once.
-148 Polished Team Hollows (8.25”) (“TH”)
-148 Polished Hollow Lights (8.25”) (“HL”)
There is not much difference between these two trucks: minor differences in height and weight. Part II of this review (which coves actual performance), will suss out if the difference between them is substantive...or just good old-fashioned marketing.
I have not ridden Thunders in a few years. I tried the Team versions when they first came out, and I was not a fan. However, it appears as if Thunder has made a few tweaks since then. Or have they? It’s actually kind of hard to know. Both trucks I am testing are purported to now be a bit taller than earlier generations…or maybe that is just due to Thunder’s weird truck designs and inconsistent messaging? Again, it’s still hard to actually know. Why? Well, are you ready to go down a maddening array of Thunder’s claimed truck specs that are all-over-the-map? Buckle up. We are about to descend in insanity.
Let’s start here. This old ad stated that regular Thunders were 48.58mm tall, and that the Teams “were slightly 1mm taller,” coming in at 49.78mm (note the blue circle at the bottom of the image).
Today, things are bit different. The current Thunder web site states that Thunder 148 (8.25”) Lights trucks are 51mm, and the Teams are 52mm (see below).

Things then get even more confusing, because the height of Thunder trucks changes with their width. For instance, the 147 (8.0”) Lights are listed at 49mm Tall. The same trucks, only wider (e.g. the 161s), are listed at 52mm. But, it’s about to get even worse. If you watch the little promo videos on Thunder’s web site for each respective truck style, they only list ONE height for each model. Nowhere on the current web site do the numbers “48.58” and “49.78” appear (as they did in that old Team ad above). Maybe I missed it, but I never recall seeing anything from Thunder that they had made their trucks taller. Maybe Thunders have always had a varied height-to-length-ratio, which was just poorly advertised/document by Thunder in the past. Whatever the case, it would be nice if Thunder put out some clear, and consistent information about their truck specs. And good luck looking for height guidance/specs at any on-line skate shop, because you will also find truck heights listed that I didn’t even mention above. It’s just total bedlam.
What about Indys?
Independent trucks have no such confusion. Their standards are 55mm tall. Everyone agrees on that. Their forged trucks are 53.5mm tall. Everyone also agrees on that, too. Indy height does not change with width. Their new mids are 52mm tall (but those also appear to have a
horrible design, and should be avoided at all costs. Nice job, Indy. You managed to make a heavier truck, with less kingpin clearance, a stickier kingpin for smith/feeble grinds, and with more initial slip-out. Sounds like the worst Indy ever made. I'm not going near them.).
So, before I even get to Thunder’s performance aspects, I am going to cover a lot of nuanced, nerdy, spec-tech stuff. You've been warned. I am sure some people think this level of scrutiny is absolutely inane and absurd. Others thrive on it. If you want to just skip straight to the performance aspects, head over to Part II (which can be found
here). All of the measurements below are my own. If there is a reason to cite a manufacture claimed measurement, I will expressly state that. Just for comparison, I threw in specs on my Indys (144 titaniums), and Ace 44s, too.
Weight (individual truck):HL: 322g (11.36oz)
TH: 335g (11.81oz)
Indy: 335g (11.81oz)*
Ace: 395g (13.86oz)
*Manufacture claim. Mine are too ground down accurately weigh them against the others, which were all brand new when weighed.
Height (measured to center of axle):
HL: 51mm
TH: 52mm
Indy: 53.5mm
Ace: 52mm
Wheelbase:
Measured center-of-axle to center-of-axle. This is will never an EXACT measurement because bushings, pivot cup, etc. will never allow the axles to sit perfectly flat/balanced.
HL: 17.62”
TH: 17.62”
+3.25*
*My deck wheelbase is 14.38”. So 17.62” minus 14.39” equals 3.24” (rounded to 3.25”). Thus, Thunders will lengthen any deck’s wheelbase by +3.25”. Knowing this number helps with compare wheelbases among truck brands.
Indy:
17.5” (axle to axle on a 14.38” deck)
+3.1
Ace:
17.25” (axle to axle on a 14.38” deck)
+2.8
Kingpin Clearance:
for this I just eyeballed it from top of kingpin to top of the hanger.
HL: 10mm
TH: 10mm
Indy: 9mm
Ace: 8mm
Axle Length (total):
HL, TH, and Indy: 8.25”
Ace: 8.38”
Axle Length (individual):
For this, I measured the length of the axle that sticks out from the hanger.
HL: 32mm
TH: 32mm
Indy: 32mm
Ace: 35mm
Hanger Length:
HL: 5.62”
TH: 5.62”
Indy: 5.62”
Ace: 5.56”
Bushings:
Comment on Durometer: While the Thunder web site does not state what durometer the polished Thunders come stock with, everywhere else that stock bushing durometer is listed, it is listed as 90a. So, I will assume my Thunders also came stock with 90s bushings. If you want to use aftermarket Thunder bushings, they come in 90a, 94a, 97a, and 100a. All of these come only in a conical shape. By comparison, Independent aftermarket bushings are available in 78a, 88a, 90a, 92a, 94a, and 96a. These are all available in both conical and standard cylinder shapes. The height of bushing is important for compatibility with non-manufacture after-market bushings
Bushing Height, Hardness, & Shape:
HL & TH:
Top: 10mm
Bottom: 14mm
Stacked with washers: 27mm
Hardness: 90a
Shape: Conical/tapered
Indy:
Top: 10mm
Bottom: 13mm
Stacked with washers: 27mm
Hardness: 90a
Shape: Cylindrical/straight
Ace:
Top: 12mm (91a)
Bottom: 14mm (86a)
Stacked with washers: 27mm
Shape: Cylindrical/straight
Baseplate Design: Thunders are notorious for
this “problem.” No other truck has this issue, only Thunder does. I’ll cover this more in Part II on truck performance.
Appearance: Everything above is factual information. Weight. Height. Lengths. Etc. Now we move to something more subjecting, appearance. I have mixed feelings about the way Thunders look. I don’t hate them (I despise how Aces look). I don’t love them (I love the way Indys look). They definitely look more svelte than Indy. Thunders almost, almost, start to look like “Wal-Mart” trucks, but don’t totally cross over into Toy Store Land appearance (many have made that claim about Thunders). I love the way Thunders with a black baseplate and silver/gunmetal hangers look. Thunder is constantly putting out different truck color combinations. Some of them look really cheesy, IMHO.
Mall Grab: I saved the most important for last. I know everyone is dying to know…but how are Thunders for Mall Grabs? I’m sorry, kids. Simply put, Thunders are just a lesser Mall Grab. Due to Thunder’s stripped down, svelte design, they just don’t give your hand that much to hold on to. Grabbing your Thunders as you waltz into the Food Court, or Zummies…it just feels as if you are daintily holding a fragile bouquet of small, weak, undernourished aluminum flowers. If the jocks by the Burger King kiosk start frontin’ on you, it just doesn’t seem like you have any real heft to fight them off with. Without question, Indys are the best truck for a good, satisfying Mall Grab. “Grab the Best, Fuck the Rest”…or something macho tough-guy like that.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. A pretty lengthy review of Thunder trucks, before I have even put them on my board and skated them! On paper, four things stand out to me. First, is the longer wheelbase. Second, is the lowered height (esp. with the Hollow Lights). Third, is the notorious baseplate issue with nose/tail slides. Last, the Team Hollows weigh the same as my Indys (surprising), and the Hollow Lights are a tad lighter. I am eager to see how all this actually plays out when I start skating them. How much of these differences is marketing, and how much will I actually notice? Time will tell. Part II of this review will adress actual performance vs. marketing gimmick. Note however, that Part II has not been posted yet. I will link it here as soon as it is goes live. Until then, happy skating.