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Thunder Stage Identification Guide (Edited)

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mkelty
Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 7:56 pm Reply with quote
ORDER OF THE SKULL ORDER OF THE SKULL
Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 3644 Location: Springfield, OR
*Edits ongoing as information comes in...
** Edited to get off of my Photobucket, moved my images to Imgur

After sifting through many, many, MANYMANYMANYMANY threads, I realized that there was no definitive Thunder ID Thread or guide, barring 86waterpumper's offer to post pics, which nobody took him up on, until now...


Here's what we've been able to gather, from his notes, my notes, Slob's occasional grunts of approval, and finally Shrewgy's comments, from the Forge as it were. Please help us fill in the blanks, as the middle stages are a little sketchy:


Eric Swensen designed the first Thunders ~1982, based on a Stage II Indy geometry.

Quoth the MoFo: "I watched him carve those bitches by hand—wood and bondo and sandpaper. I have the very 1st pair around somewhere—unheat treated."

Rick Blackhart was one of the first Test-pilots, and according to him, he was unimpressed.



Stage I, Version 1 (Initial Mail-Order Model):














Key Defining Attributes:
Single reinforcing bar underneath the hanger (like the Stage III and IV Indy). Has distinctive Thunder fluted Kingping Tower and TT embossed between Pivot Bushing and Kingpin Tower, no daggers, skulls, etc/ cast on base.

Pivot Side of Hanger has distinctive Pivot "post", edges are not polished or smoothed into Hanger


Models:
'Blaster', 9 1/4" axle length
'Charger', 8 1/2" axle length





Stage I, Version 2 (Primary Production Model):




Key Defining Attributes:
Same as first version, however has Skulls, Daggers, etc. on Baseplate, and Pivot "post" has been smoothed out on the Hanger

Also, at least on mine, the Kingpin is VERY tightly angled into the hanger, some skatekeys cant even reach the nut.

Models:
'Blaster', 9 1/4" axle length
'Charger', 8 1/2" axle length


Stage II:




Key Defining Attributes: Designed by Andrew Borgy, two reinforcing wings under the hanger (like a Stage V+ Indy), distinctive Teardrop shape at the ends of the hangers. Also called the X-Wing by the Team.

Baseplates now have a fingernail-shaped dimple in the bottom of the baseplate for weight reduction.
Also, the hangers are "thicker", in that the material is formed into a wider shape. When viewing a mounted Stage II Thunder from the back, it appears "wavy" compared to Indy's, Ventures, or other similar era and style trucks:




Model name change:
'Terminator': 8 1/2" axle length
'Dominator': 9 1/4" axle length


No geometry change was made between I and II.
Available in raw, black, blue, red and white.
First ad in Thrasher, June 1987


One-Eleven (Stage II, Freestyle):




Key Defining Attributes: Designed by Per Welinder, based on the Stage II, but in a "freestyle" width, with a flat pedestal across the bushing boss on the hangers.

First ad spotted: Thrasher, July 1988





Stage III, Version 1:




Key Defining Attributes: Designed by Steve "Shrewgie" Ruge, with a minimalist approach. The Teardrop has vanished from the hanger, replaced by a "T", the various Skulls, Daggers, Scimitars, etc. are gone from the baseplate, a simple Thunder U.S.A. is stamped onto the Baseplate. Also, the distinctive dimple in the Bushing Tower is gone, it is now a narrow bar. Bottom of the Baseplate is blank.

Made in '87 or so, the first Geometry change has happened. The relationship of Pivot to Kingpin is the same, but the hanger is now tipped back a hair, bringing the Kingpin more vertical, and tipping the Pivot further away from vertical. This slows the turniness down a hair, but is still just as stable a turn. Made in 8 1/2" and 9 1/8" sizes.

No longer Painted, Anodized Trucks are available in Blue, Black, and what the Team calls "Root Beer"


Stage III, Version 2:




Key Defining Attributes: The Hanger is the same as the version 1, however the base plate now has the "Fat" Thunder/Lightning Bolt logo (see III.3 below). The bottom of the baseplate has two trapezoids with U.S.A. stamped in.

We think these are from 1989. 8 1/2", and possibly an 8", but no 9" on these either.


Stage III, Version 3:





Key Defining Attribute: Same as the III.2, only the "T" has vanished from the Hanger ends.

1990?



Stage IV, AKA the T-4:




Key Defining Attributes: Hanger wings are rounded at the ends, 6 hole baseplate. Hollow area in the baseplate.

1991?



So, thoughts, anything in your posession that isn't already shown?


Last edited by mkelty on Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:13 pm; edited 18 times in total

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willymaze20five
Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:41 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 6938 Location: San Diego
heres my blue thunders

dims

axle tip to axle tip a little over 9"

6 1/5 " hanger
baseplate has 2 T's stamped between teh pivot n the kingpins
hanger has tear drops with no little t stamp

the king pins are angled so i cant use a sk8 tool to tighten them to much


now check this out ive had soem silver thunders that had a sword on them....

So what's the roll call for the different types of stamp molds on the baseplates?










Last edited by willymaze20five on Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:53 pm; edited 1 time in total
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pyrate
Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:47 pm Reply with quote
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Joined: 08 Jan 2006 Posts: 3219 Location: brooklyn, nyc
based on your pics i have a set of 8 1/2" stage 3s in plain metal.
hmm. i thought they were wider but the tape measure doesnt lie.


Last edited by pyrate on Thu Jul 02, 2009 12:32 am; edited 1 time in total

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gogomouse1
Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 12:08 am Reply with quote
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Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 5842 Location: vegas
Shrewgy designed the Teardrop (also called the "Batwing" or "X" hanger).

Those were the best Thunders.

Especially with the Skull & Crossbones baseplates, of course.
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warehouse
Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 12:50 am Reply with quote
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Joined: 23 Jan 2004 Posts: 2014 Location: British Columbia
pyrate wrote:
based on your pics i have a set of 8 1/2" stage 3s in plain metal.
hmm. i thought they were wider but the tape measure doesnt lie.


My thunders( I call them 159's) are 8.75"
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mkelty
Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 1:02 am Reply with quote
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Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 3644 Location: Springfield, OR
A little bird on my shoulder is telling me that he thinks what I've listed as the I is really the III, and what I've listed as the II is really the I.


The reason I pegged the one I listed first as I is:

1) It's the anomaly of the bunch, with a Single Support.

2) Do you think they'd progress from Wing to Single, to Wing?

3) The Single Support predates the Winged Support with Indy, and both of these are in the same eras of development.

4) The simpler baseplate design (make it flat, give it a Hex hole).

5) Only two patterns have been spotted so far, Skull and Crossbones, and Skull with Tophat.


Hey, I'm no expert, so I open the floor to more input...


Last edited by mkelty on Thu Jul 01, 2010 11:29 pm; edited 2 times in total

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motorpsycho67
Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:45 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Posts: 18129
I'm pretty sure the one with the "wavy" hanger is a Stage I. I had a set in early '86 like that.
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Sticks
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 10:47 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 10327 Location: Raytown Travel Agency
Just got these from Ed Isaacs...Stage "0"????:

Umm, could use a little smoothing near the pivot! Is this what the black ones look like?









No skulls, no nuthin.









TT











Plain:


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mkelty
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 10:53 pm Reply with quote
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Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 3644 Location: Springfield, OR
Definitely look prototypish. Yes, it looks like what I think is the I, with the single reinforcing bar, sans a smoothing out of the pivot, and prior to Terry nails pressing his Jewelry into the sand...

Anyone know how to reach Natas?

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slob-air
Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 12:35 am Reply with quote
Site Admin Joined: 27 Oct 2001 Posts: 63453 Location: S&B HQ
gogomouse1 wrote:
Shrewgy designed the Teardrop (also called the "Batwing" or "X" hanger).


I don't think so, but I'll check with him. He actually designed 3 stages of Thunders—but not the first as I understand it.

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