Kore Prices??

[Yo Hoot]

Kore site is www.koreperformance.com



Right now the aircraft industry is buying up all aluminum available. There is a big order surge in aircraft... when this happens they hedge their purchases to control prices. This leaves scraps for the little guys.



For example... right now I'm trying to buy 7075-T7351 alum plate... . common aircraft aluminum.



I can't get it. Everyone has sold there current allotment from the mills. It's gonna take 2-3 months to get it.

 

[RustyJC]

I ain't got no dog in this fight, but I'd like to interject some Economics 101. Product pricing for a market leader can be based on PERCEIVED VALUE, NOT on cost. Where a company gets in trouble is when costs increase and perceived value does not - this puts a cap on the price the market will pay for the product and results in erosion of profits up to and including going into the red!



Rusty

 

[Tomeygun]

I ain't got no dog in this fight, but I'd like to interject some Economics 101. Product pricing for a market leader can be based on PERCEIVED VALUE, NOT on cost. Where a company gets in trouble is when costs increase and perceived value does not - this puts a cap on the price the market will pay for the product and results in erosion of profits up to and including going into the red!



Rusty

I might add: I have not seen one person that bought a KORE product come back on here and say "not worth the money" - So that must mean somehting!

1) that it is worth the money

2) no-one wants to admit they are unhappy with the purchase



Cause I know If i am unhappy with a mod I did, You KNOW I'm on my soapbox with some comments :-laf

 

[LightmanE300]

Thanks for the compliments guys.



Doubleclutch makes a good point, and it's no secret that on the first page of kore's site they say that their suspension is designed around off road enthusiasts, while still providing a great road ride. The ride with my chase system is definitely improved on the road - it makes the harsh areas much much more tolerable. I was happy with the system but not as happy as I was once I took it offroad. On the way to various ATV rallies, campsites, etc, I've finally now gotten a chance to see what it's all about. Previous stretchesof nasty dirt road/trail that I used to cringe over and sounded like they were going to literally shake my truck to pieces, are now totally comfortable. It just eats it up, especially at speed. People in the parking lot look at me like I'm smoking something good when I roll down the dirt trail to the lot at about 35mph with a quad in the back and massive dustcloud behind... but its actually smoother at higher speeds Plus I like to cause a ruckus :-laf

 

[Coolslice]

I might add: I have not seen one person that bought a KORE product come back on here and say "not worth the money" - So that must mean somehting!

1) that it is worth the money

2) no-one wants to admit they are unhappy with the purchase



Cause I know If i am unhappy with a mod I did, You KNOW I'm on my soapbox with some comments :-laf

I will say it, I don't think it's worth the money!! Are you happy now? :-laf

It may be worth every last cent to someone who actually uses their stuff for what it was designed for, but to the avg guy(myself) who just uses his truck for normal stuff or wants to improve the looks... . No, not worth it IMO. I think unless you actually race or something along those lines, you can easily get by with a lesser product and still see improvements in looks and performance just as many others do.



I can't speak for market conditions and that sort of thing, but I will say that if I made a product that was already making excellent money for my business and people are raving about it left and right, I would raise prices also. If people are willing to pay your price and be happy, why not? After my purchase, and talking with others who have made the same purchase, I have come to realize with some certainty that KORE/ DRC profits are "very good" on thier products. I won't go into detail as to why, but I'm just calling it like I see it. I bought their product because I believe it is the best on the market, not because I believe it's a bargin and that they are taking a financial hit in order to keep their prices down. . They are at the top right now, and along with that comes certain privilages, like setting your own price. Until someone comes along with a product that can match theirs for less money, then the prices are only going in one direction my friends. .

 

[AMink]

Not having used anything else besides stock suspension, I think the PACE system is worth what I paid... to me. I would have loved to have dropped a Chase or Race in, but that would not have been worth the cost (or my marriage :-{} ). The ride quality on the street is MUCH better. Haven't had it off road yet. If the cost of the upper level kits make it not worth it because you don't offroad a lot or race, maybe stick with the Pace kit. I honestly don't know a lot about "lift kits" like Procomp etc. I just wanted better springs and ride. I got it . I also got OUTSTANDING customer service from Greg at DRC and a great warrantee. Unlike some other things that I put on or in my truck that didn't work like I thought they should. I also keep in mind that all this stuff needs to be shipped to the manufacturer and they are covering costs of the higher cost of shipping. Have you seen the price of diesel lately? :-laf So, it does boil down to "Is this product cost worth it to ME?" If not, there are other things out there that will be worth it. JM2CW

 

[Coolslice]

One thing I noticed was that the ride (not the handling) did improve like you guys say. I'm sure a lot of that had to do with the improved springs and shocks. However, I'm convinced a lot of the improvement came from the tire switch as well. I was running 30 and 40 lbs. of air in the Toyo's ( as per directions) compared to 60 and 70 lbs in the stock tires. After I went back to stock, I let about 10 lbs of air out of the tires (still way above the Toyos) and the ride was MUCH better then it was at 60-70 lbs.

 

[Tim]

It's not that I'm not an off road enthusiast. My Chevy was in Fourwheeler Magazine this last winter and I was on Fourwheeler TV as well. I live to go off roading, just not in my Dodge, and definitely not at high speed.



That said, I think at $500 + the rear shocks, the chase kit was probably a great value. That's about $350 worth of shocks and $350 for those progressive rate coils. That's really not so bad, I guess. As to using the Pace or Race on a road driven vehicle... total overkill, and him even selling those kits to people that are driving on the road is just a ploy to make more money, and to pimp his bling (everyone looks when they see big shiny shocks under a truck).



I don't think it's crap, I am just disappointed to see that they are raising their prices from what I thought was a little high but not totally unreasonable into a zone that is just too much.

 

[RustyJC]

I don't think it's crap, I am just disappointed to see that they are raising their prices from what I thought was a little high but not totally unreasonable into a zone that is just too much.

..... which really gets to my point about PERCEIVED VALUE. The marketplace will ultimately decide whether the price is too high for the value received. If sales drop dramatically, the price increase will prove to be counterproductive.



Rusty

 

[LightmanE300]

I think you guys should really try to price the whole kit by buying the pieces separately, and then try to estimate the added cost from countless hours of labor and testing to get the absolute right combo. Some guys here seem to think the only cost is the cost of the parts... That's not how business works. Kent and Greg are not out to make millions of dollars... they are truck enthusiasts just like any of the rest of us who also need to eat and feed their families. . I think if any of you actually had a cost accounting background and researched the price of the parts, you'd see that they were more of a great deal before and a reasonable price now.



In addition, I think I look at the 'is it worth the money' thing differently. . How can anyone objectively say it is or isn't? To me they're not that expensive... . I could have gotten away with a pace but WANTED a chase. . Big deal, adding $2500 on a 45,000 truck... It's a drip in the bucket.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

Were not rich..... Were fillin' in the holes... ... ... .....

 

[Coolslice]

It's all relative. . $2500 is not that much in relation to a $45k truck. $2500 is alot in realtion to other similar systems. Greg and Kent are NOT rich in relation to Warren Buffet. :-laf

 

[BillGotthelf]

Best deal going is the DRC race setup. Of course you have to get Mr Greg Birdman to spell your name right.

 

[Desert Proven]

I've been off-line for a while and was just catching up on some TDR reading. Having been an "early adopter" of KORE (T-REX as it was known back then), I can't help but add some commentary.



(Before I go into too much detail, it helps to understand my perspective. My truck is my family camping rig. My family likes to go to Baja and we like to drive fast on rough roads. I've got two little kids (1 & 3), so reliability is paramount for me. We are often in remote areas and walking out isn't an option. )



I had just purchased my truck and was looking to upgrade the suspension. The stock stuff was killing me. I looked on line, but couldn't find much for Dodge trucks, other than basic "lift kits". I wasn't after a swamp buggy, I wanted an off road performer. Kore was just starting out and I contacted them. Originally, I was surprised at the price, so I thought I would engineer my own system. It couldn't be that hard, could it? I called a spring manufacturer to get a price on some new front coils ($500). I called King Shocks to find out how much shocks were ($500 each). I looked into new leaf springs ($700). I thought about how much it would cost to have some one fabricate some bracket to hold the shocks in place (It didn't have to be aluminum, but it had to be strong). So basically, I spent several hours of my own time, had no shock mounts and was already at $3200, AND I knew nothing about valving shocks for my vehicle. I called Kent again and I purchased a RACE kit. They sent it out the next day and 4 days later we were on our way to Baja.



I've since spent thousands of miles on off road and on dirt roads and have no regrets whatsoever about the system. Would I buy it again at current prices. Knowing what I know about it... ... ... ... absolutely!!!! This is bolt-on, race quality suspension. I thought for a while about building a pre-runner truck so I looked into suspension for it. Just the front suspension for a Toyota or Ford can easily run $5000 for something of similar quality. That is just for the front!!!



Did I buy it for the "bling factor", no way. Half the time, my truck is so dirty, you can't even see the shocks or towers.



Do I think it is expensive? It's all relative. There are guys here who spend $7000 on a transmission. I don't tow much and don't have 500 hp, so that seems expensive to me. Maybe the transmission guys are making too much money. Let's start a thread and rail on how much money they are making!!!!



Everyone has their own priorities about where to spend their money. Just because you don't want to buy a KORE system, doesn't mean that you should flame them. Go for a ride in one of the trucks, and then see if it is too expensive.



I just finished installing my KORE system. I made some changes to my truck, so I changed coil springs and also had them re-valve my shocks. Of course, I waited until the last minute to do it, but Kent re-built the shocks and had them back to me in less than a week. For those of you that haven't seen a system, there is a lot more to it than just shocks and coils. There is a ton of R&D that went into getting it just right. If you want quality and service, you have to pay. This isn't Walmart!



By the way, I don't work for KORE. I just buy their expensive stuff!

 

[Yo Hoot]

Read the Facts



"Some of our customers, the ones who work their trucks off-road, the ones who really use their trucks for adventure, have said that they would have paid double that price to have the performance we’ve given them. "





I have the leveling kit which comes with the front springs and two front Bilstien 5100's. I purchased the bigger front bump stops, the two rear shocks seperately. I have about $700 in the setup. I also have the stab bar drop blocks.



I don't see this kit offered anymore. I think it still should be if it's not.



Again... . it's the best money I have put in this truck bar none.

 

[JDerbedrossian]

I've been off-line for a while and was just catching up on some TDR reading. Having been an "early adopter" of KORE (T-REX as it was known back then), I can't help but add some commentary.



(Before I go into too much detail, it helps to understand my perspective. My truck is my family camping rig. My family likes to go to Baja and we like to drive fast on rough roads. I've got two little kids (1 & 3), so reliability is paramount for me. We are often in remote areas and walking out isn't an option. )



I had just purchased my truck and was looking to upgrade the suspension. The stock stuff was killing me. I looked on line, but couldn't find much for Dodge trucks, other than basic "lift kits". I wasn't after a swamp buggy, I wanted an off road performer. Kore was just starting out and I contacted them. Originally, I was surprised at the price, so I thought I would engineer my own system. It couldn't be that hard, could it? I called a spring manufacturer to get a price on some new front coils ($500). I called King Shocks to find out how much shocks were ($500 each). I looked into new leaf springs ($700). I thought about how much it would cost to have some one fabricate some bracket to hold the shocks in place (It didn't have to be aluminum, but it had to be strong). So basically, I spent several hours of my own time, had no shock mounts and was already at $3200, AND I knew nothing about valving shocks for my vehicle. I called Kent again and I purchased a RACE kit. They sent it out the next day and 4 days later we were on our way to Baja.



I've since spent thousands of miles on off road and on dirt roads and have no regrets whatsoever about the system. Would I buy it again at current prices. Knowing what I know about it... ... ... ... absolutely!!!! This is bolt-on, race quality suspension. I thought for a while about building a pre-runner truck so I looked into suspension for it. Just the front suspension for a Toyota or Ford can easily run $5000 for something of similar quality. That is just for the front!!!



Did I buy it for the "bling factor", no way. Half the time, my truck is so dirty, you can't even see the shocks or towers.



Do I think it is expensive? It's all relative. There are guys here who spend $7000 on a transmission. I don't tow much and don't have 500 hp, so that seems expensive to me. Maybe the transmission guys are making too much money. Let's start a thread and rail on how much money they are making!!!!



Everyone has their own priorities about where to spend their money. Just because you don't want to buy a KORE system, doesn't mean that you should flame them. Go for a ride in one of the trucks, and then see if it is too expensive.



I just finished installing my KORE system. I made some changes to my truck, so I changed coil springs and also had them re-valve my shocks. Of course, I waited until the last minute to do it, but Kent re-built the shocks and had them back to me in less than a week. For those of you that haven't seen a system, there is a lot more to it than just shocks and coils. There is a ton of R&D that went into getting it just right. If you want quality and service, you have to pay. This isn't Walmart!



By the way, I don't work for KORE. I just buy their expensive stuff!

Marek you coudnt have said it better, thank you. now everyone think about that{transmission}.

 

[sarj]

... . (Before I go into too much detail, it helps to understand my perspective. My truck is my family camping rig. My family likes to go to Baja and we like to drive fast on rough roads. ... so reliability is paramount for me. ... . We are often in remote areas and walking out isn't an option. )

Everything HE said... . saved me a bunch of typing.

 

[evldsl]

I installed the DRC race system a couple of weeks ago and so far I'm a happy camper. I have had no problems with the system and the rear has just smoothed out the ride over the bumps in the road compared to the stock ride, of course I have removed the overload springs and installed the KORE spring pack and I've got a leer camper shell on the back of my 3500 short bed. Now if I could just get a set of those new control arm's. :-laf

 

[Cigar John]

I installed the Pace system a couple weeks ago.

Haven't had a chance to off-road it yet but just returned from a 1000mi

trip through the Pacific Northwest (picked up front and rear Buckstops) Oo.

Best improvement in ride AND handling I've made so far.

 

[scotty1]

Marek, how are you? I remember when we went on that Baja run and when we went back to Tijuana... Robin and Kent were so convinced that you would like the tires and wheels, they put Robin's full set on your truck right there in the street for you to try out! I rode in a Calfornia powered stock 03 Ram with a full suspension and ran that route in Baja and the conversation always lead to how incredible the truck handled. Tony and I had a great time and we both had the suspension on our trucks. We saw the potential on that trip... REAL NICE.



Since then, Kent and I are pursuing a better towing suspension and the next phase of this starts today on my truck.



Its kind of strange how people have all this time to dissect, critique and be philosophical about something they have no intention of buying. If you aren't in the market for this specific product... well then why badger the product and the people that laid out the dough to design and test this for the people that see its true value and function? If you look at a price and say, 'thats too much for me. ' That should be the end of the story. Like Marek stated... a 7K transmission is too much for him. A 20K boat is too much for me but people buy these... lots of them.



When I took my first trip with my T Rex suspension I was more then impressed... what a difference in the handling and ride! KORE strives to improve upon their own designs and they also need to make sales to pay for the R&D.



Kent, you are like Madonna... LOL The folks citing all the flaws in your pricing and products have garnered a great amount of publicity for your product and they have also brought some more happy customers to this thread... its all good.



So if the price of steel has plummeted how come the new trucks are not cheaper? Why are trailer prices still high? Just because the raw materials are coming down does not mean the costs of product development and/or the costs of keeping the doors open has reflected this drop in the cost of steel.



Didn't that KORE truck whoop some REAL HIGH DOLLAR trucks in Baja? At about a 10th of the overall cost or even less. Seems like some good value to me.



Scotty