THUNDER VS INDEPENDENT VS ACE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR TRUCKS

Posted on 16 April 2025
By George Stix
Posted in ace, independent, thunder, trucks
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THE BIG THREE: WHO THEY ARE

Thunder Trucks

Founded: 1986
Parent Co.: Deluxe Distribution
Team Riders: Ishod Wair, Jamie Foy, Tyshawn Jones, Mark Gonzales
Vibe: Precision control, street tech, responsive turning
Seen at: Every ledge spot from L.A. to Long Beach

Independent Trucks

Founded: 1978
Parent Co.: NHS (Santa Cruz, Creature, Slime Balls)
Team Riders: Tony Hawk, Pedro Delfino, Jake Wooten, Milton Martinez
Vibe: Raw power, deep carve, heavy-duty and classic
Seen at: Pools, bowls, DIYs, and fast street setups

Ace Trucks

Founded: 2007
Founder: Joey Tershay (OG Indy designer)
Team Riders: Brian Delatorre, Dane Brady, Max Palmer, Raven Tershy
Vibe: Loose turning, surfy, flowy, creative street and transition skating
Seen at: Crusty hill bombs and alternative spots

TURNING AND FEEL

Let’s start with the most important feature — turn response. The way your truck carves is the backbone of your setup.

Thunder is quick and snappy. The turn is responsive and precise, with less lean and more flick — great for tight setups and technical skating. At Stix SGV, you’ll hear street tech heads say “Thunder gives you that quick snap out of manuals and front shuvs.”
Independent is stable and deep. These trucks lean more and have a slower return, giving a classic carve feel. Great for bowls, rails, gaps, and high-speed setups. If you're skating the Monrovia park's deep end, Indy gives you that locked-in power through transitions.
Ace is super surfy. It turns the loosest out of the three, giving riders a super flowy feel. If you’ve ever seen someone zigzagging through traffic on a sidewalk hillbomb, they’re probably on Ace. That deep carve makes them perfect for wallrides, bank setups, and creative lines. Expect to see Aces under the feet of skaters at South Pas park, where creativity thrives.

Winner (Turning Feel):

Thunder for quick response and technical street
Indy for deep carve and power
Ace for flow and creativity

GRIND FEEL AND DURABILITY

Now let’s talk grind — the backbone of any real session.

Thunder has a lower axle height (50mm) and a sharp grind edge. Grinds lock in quickly, and trucks wear down into a nice groove. They grind fast, but they do wear a little quicker depending on how rough your terrain is. Still, they’re the go-to at curb sessions outside Stix SGV South Pasadena, where locking into smiths and crooked grinds matters more than anything.
Independent is built like a tank. At 55mm tall, they give you wheel clearance and a solid lock-in for long smiths, feebles, and rails. They’re heavy, but that’s part of the appeal — they don’t get chewed up fast. At crusty parks like Garvanza or Belvedere, you’ll find more Indys than any other truck.
Ace trucks are middle height (around 52mm) and tend to grind smoother than Thunders, but not as long-lasting as Indys. They’ve got a good lock-in edge and really shine in slappies and rough concrete. Think of them as DIY gold — perfect for ledges and crust banks behind schools in the SGV.

Winner (Grind Feel and Durability):

Thunder for sharp lock-ins and fast wear-in
Independent for long-lasting raw grinds
Ace for flowy DIY-friendly grinds

WEIGHT AND POP CLEARANCE

For technical skaters, weight and height play a huge role in board feel.

Thunder Lights and Hollow Lights are some of the lightest trucks on the market. Low kingpins and less material = more flick and less fatigue. For skaters doing big spin flips or tre lips at Monrovia, Thunder’s a top pick.
Independent trucks are noticeably heavier, but they’ve been slimming down. Hollow Stage 11s reduce some of that classic weight, and Mid Indys offer a 52mm height for more flick. But they’ll always be the tank — heavy, dependable, and built for abuse.
Ace trucks, especially the AF1 series, have closed the gap. They’re lighter than Indys, stronger than Thunders, and built with precise engineering. For skaters who want tech tricks but still want to carve hard, AF1s hit the balance.

Winner (Weight/Tech Feel):

Thunder for tech and pop
Ace for midweight all-around versatility
Indy for old-school feel and power

KINGPIN AND BUSHING SENSITIVITY

Let’s get nerdy. This stuff matters more than people think.

Thunder trucks come stock with solid bushings that break in quickly, but the kingpin sits lower — which is perfect for avoiding kingpin hang-ups during smiths or 5-0s. Great for low setup tech.
Independent trucks have high clearance and come with Super Cush bushings, which take longer to break in but give that legendary Indy turn once they settle. Their inverted kingpin tech on some models also prevents hang-up issues.
Ace trucks? Their stock bushings are gold. Broken-in out the box, buttery turn from day one. Kingpin placement is slightly exposed, but with that soft surf turn, it rarely causes issues unless you’re constantly smashing coping.

Winner (Bushings/Kingpin Feel):

Ace for out-the-box turn
Thunder for low kingpin and fast response
Indy for longevity and customization

STYLE AND AESTHETICS

Yes — the way they look matters too. Not gonna lie.

Thunder trucks have a clean, technical look. Sleek hangers, crisp lines, and collaborations with everyone from Mark Gonzales to Shane O’Neill. Their black/polished combo is a Stix SGV shop favorite.
Indy is classic and iconic. That red cross logo hasn’t changed much since the '80s — because it doesn’t need to. Riders repping Indy wear it with pride. That polished raw metal look is timeless.
Ace has that underground appeal. Clean, minimalist branding, and a street-style team that oozes creativity. If your setup leans toward loose trucks and wallride dreams, Ace completes the look.

Winner (Style):

Indy for legacy
Ace for underground cool
Thunder for sharp, modern aesthetic

FINAL VERDICT: WHICH SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

It comes down to how you skate. But here’s the cheat sheet from the Stix SGV crew:

Choose Thunder if you skate street, tech, ledges, and want light, responsive control. Great for fast lines at South Pas or slappy sessions behind the shop.
Choose Independent if you want power, durability, and a deep turn. Built for bowls, gaps, rails, and raw street setups. Perfect for veterans and park regulars at Monrovia and Chino.
Choose Ace if you want flow, creativity, and DIY versatility. Loose trucks that carve, perfect for hill bombs, transition, and artsy lines. The shop has seen more and more younger rippers turning to Ace to stand out.

Closing Thoughts from the Stix SGV Bench

At the end of the day, your trucks are the soul of your setup. The wrong ones will make you hate skating. The right ones? They’ll make your board feel like home.

Swing by any Stix SGV location — Monrovia, Claremont, or South Pasadena — and the crew will get you dialed. Bring your current board, test setups, or just talk truck tech. Whether you’re a Thunder loyalist, an Indy lifer, or making the Ace switch, the right trucks will elevate every push, carve, and grind you throw down.

Because it’s not just about what’s under your deck — it’s about how it makes you skate.

Stix SGV has proudly served the San Gabriel Valley skateboarding community since the late ‘90s. With three locations across Los Angeles County, we’ve been deeply rooted in the local scene. Our Monrovia shop has been a staple since 1997, followed by our Claremont location in 2014, and our South Pasadena shop opening its doors in 2022. Our mission has always been simple: to uphold skateboarding culture and stay true to our community.