Attention: TDR Forum Junkies Gents,
A T. Rex Baja Trip is officially in the works! More details to follow.
Sorry, 2wd guys, nothing for you, yet. There's just not enough space to get massive, race-sized dampeners on the truck. By the way, 2wd works really well in certain off-road situations - sometimes much better than 4wd. But, unlike you guys, most 2wd guys are pavement oriented. We've had a lot of requests, but, after much reflection, not enough to make it worth engineering a complete system. Perhaps in the future.
CFast, I've been through the San Joaquin Valley many times - the 99 is notorious for bad expansion joints - especially in the slow lanes because that's where the big rigs have to stay. I've been going to Yosemite about six times a year for 20 years, so I've driven that road from Bakersfield to Fresno many, many times. It's very bad.
Suspension is a tough subject because everyone has different expectations. T. Rex suspension is custom stuff, so sometimes it takes us a couple of tries to get it just right for a customer. My personal taste is a truck that feels just like a sports car on the pavement - meaning no body roll and tight, responsive steering that gives a lot of feedback from the road. In a word I would call this a "taut" valve profile. This tight setting, translates into minor expansion joint sensation that is largely due to a combination of hydraulic resistance from the shock and the normal harmonic that develops from big springs, 8000 lbs. of rolling mass and lots of unsprung weight (a load bearing vehicle). It feels much better than stock, but the bumps are not totally eliminated. In addition, this setting moves the expansion joint "sweet spot" (the speed at which the sensation totally disappears) to about 80mph - depending on the freeway. A little fast for most people.
Some of our customers prefer a looser, more cushy ride - more like a luxury car. If I had a word to describe it, I would call this a "plush" setting. This is what I would recommend for you. Your truck will ride like a big Mercedes. Smooth and controlled. Some of our customers have said that their expansion joint woes are completely eliminated with this setting, others have said that they can still feel certain sections, but the sensation is deadened. I find that this setting, when running empty gets rid of about 80% of general freeway expansion joint bumps, leaving about 20% you can still feel, but those you feel are much softer. The "sweet spot" for this setting is about 65mph, depending on where you're driving.
We've found that there are certain stretches of freeway that are just murder, no matter what vehicle you're in. Even if you're in a car, they're terrible. The 10 freeway, near Banning, CA (going to Palm Springs) is heinous and the 5 freeway (especially heading North) near Tustin, CA come to mind. California is a nice place, but, man, we've got some bad freeways here! These spots are especially bad because the joints don't have sharp edges between them, so they hardly move the suspension! It's the angle that changes slightly between each joint, rapidly loading and unloading the truck with slight positive and negative G that a truck's chassis just doesn't like because it's so heavy and unyielding. At certain speeds it feels like a big, fat Swedish Masseuse is continuously Karate chopping your kidneys! I don't care if you're driving a Lexus! Our suspension makes her a lot more gentle that your stock truck, but on certain small sections of freeway she'll still be there, giving you the business.
Anyway, both of these settings have advantages and disadvantages off-road. I like the "taut" setting for winding mountain roads and high-speed sand - like San Felipe. The truck feels really stable and takes the big hits like nothing. Wheel hop and axle wrap go away, which enhances acceleration through the corners. It's also really fun to air out the truck without damaging it. Either intentionally or inadvertently...
The off-road advantage of the "plush" setting is on the high speed washboard. It just rolls over this stuff like you're on a smooth highway - sometimes even better than a highway - because this is still hard-core off-road suspension and this is where it's at home - made for fade-free performance for thousands of continuous miles. The preponderance of the systems we sell come with the "plush" setting - or special valving, that after much discussion with our clients, we've determined will work best for them in their particular environment.
This was mostly a discussion of T. Rex Engineering's suspension relative to T. Rex Engineering suspension. Relative to OE or any other aftermarket product, even the "plush" setting will give you better cornering, reduced wheel hop, and a more stable feel in addition to the kinder ride over expansion joints.
Now, your real question is, "should I sell my 69' Charger to pay for some T. Rex Engineering suspension. " My answer to you is this, "not if you're just going to drive the freeway. " This is ultra high performance OFF-ROAD suspension. This is where T. Rex works best.
Interpretation of suspension performance is subjective at best, but for the sake of discussion, we'll say that our suspension, no matter what valving you have, increases the speed you can _comfortably_ drive over a certain section of rough terrain from 15mph to 50mph. That's a big improvement - and not unrealistic at all. And, depending on how often you're in rough terrain, it may be well worth it to spend not a small chunk of change to get that kind of performance. Most of our clients use their trucks regularly off-road, so they're tickled to have T. Rex Rams. But the freeway is a different story - take that section on the 99 that's kicking your butt. Do you want to spend 3. 5 Large on performance suspension just so you can drive the freeway at legal speeds? It would be like flying an F-18 straight and level at 120 knots, when the thing is just begging to do 7 G pulls and hit 1. 8 Mach! Why spend money on an F-18 when a Piper Cub will work just fine for slow, straight and level flight?
I think what I'm trying to say is that while we would love to sell you an incredible suspension system, I can't tell you with absolute certainty that the pavement benefits alone will make it worth every cent you pay. For some of our customers it is worth it - especially because there seems to be no other way to get these trucks to feel decent on the road. Is it right for you? Will your wife call and thank us after you get it on your truck? Some of our customer's wives have! But I can't tell you that the expansion joints on the section of the 99 that you're driving with _your_ truck with _your_ tires and _your_ pressures at _your_ speeds will magically disappear. I haven't driven with you under _your_ parameters so, unfortunately, I can't promise you anything. The bumps may go completely away - or they may not. They will be absorbed _better_ with our product. But we will feel terrible if you buy the most advanced off-road suspension available and the pavement ride isn't better _enough_ to warrant its cost.
I'm the V. P. and in charge of Marketing and Customer Relations, but, as you can see I'm no "Salesman!" We shoot straight around here. We've got a very unique product and for some people it's literally priceless to have it on their trucks. But I don't think it's for everyone.
Please don't hesitate to call us for more info. We can also put you in touch with people who are using our suspension. We think their opinions are often worth more than ours.
Best Regards,
Kent
A T. Rex Baja Trip is officially in the works! More details to follow.
Sorry, 2wd guys, nothing for you, yet. There's just not enough space to get massive, race-sized dampeners on the truck. By the way, 2wd works really well in certain off-road situations - sometimes much better than 4wd. But, unlike you guys, most 2wd guys are pavement oriented. We've had a lot of requests, but, after much reflection, not enough to make it worth engineering a complete system. Perhaps in the future.
CFast, I've been through the San Joaquin Valley many times - the 99 is notorious for bad expansion joints - especially in the slow lanes because that's where the big rigs have to stay. I've been going to Yosemite about six times a year for 20 years, so I've driven that road from Bakersfield to Fresno many, many times. It's very bad.
Suspension is a tough subject because everyone has different expectations. T. Rex suspension is custom stuff, so sometimes it takes us a couple of tries to get it just right for a customer. My personal taste is a truck that feels just like a sports car on the pavement - meaning no body roll and tight, responsive steering that gives a lot of feedback from the road. In a word I would call this a "taut" valve profile. This tight setting, translates into minor expansion joint sensation that is largely due to a combination of hydraulic resistance from the shock and the normal harmonic that develops from big springs, 8000 lbs. of rolling mass and lots of unsprung weight (a load bearing vehicle). It feels much better than stock, but the bumps are not totally eliminated. In addition, this setting moves the expansion joint "sweet spot" (the speed at which the sensation totally disappears) to about 80mph - depending on the freeway. A little fast for most people.
Some of our customers prefer a looser, more cushy ride - more like a luxury car. If I had a word to describe it, I would call this a "plush" setting. This is what I would recommend for you. Your truck will ride like a big Mercedes. Smooth and controlled. Some of our customers have said that their expansion joint woes are completely eliminated with this setting, others have said that they can still feel certain sections, but the sensation is deadened. I find that this setting, when running empty gets rid of about 80% of general freeway expansion joint bumps, leaving about 20% you can still feel, but those you feel are much softer. The "sweet spot" for this setting is about 65mph, depending on where you're driving.
We've found that there are certain stretches of freeway that are just murder, no matter what vehicle you're in. Even if you're in a car, they're terrible. The 10 freeway, near Banning, CA (going to Palm Springs) is heinous and the 5 freeway (especially heading North) near Tustin, CA come to mind. California is a nice place, but, man, we've got some bad freeways here! These spots are especially bad because the joints don't have sharp edges between them, so they hardly move the suspension! It's the angle that changes slightly between each joint, rapidly loading and unloading the truck with slight positive and negative G that a truck's chassis just doesn't like because it's so heavy and unyielding. At certain speeds it feels like a big, fat Swedish Masseuse is continuously Karate chopping your kidneys! I don't care if you're driving a Lexus! Our suspension makes her a lot more gentle that your stock truck, but on certain small sections of freeway she'll still be there, giving you the business.
Anyway, both of these settings have advantages and disadvantages off-road. I like the "taut" setting for winding mountain roads and high-speed sand - like San Felipe. The truck feels really stable and takes the big hits like nothing. Wheel hop and axle wrap go away, which enhances acceleration through the corners. It's also really fun to air out the truck without damaging it. Either intentionally or inadvertently...
The off-road advantage of the "plush" setting is on the high speed washboard. It just rolls over this stuff like you're on a smooth highway - sometimes even better than a highway - because this is still hard-core off-road suspension and this is where it's at home - made for fade-free performance for thousands of continuous miles. The preponderance of the systems we sell come with the "plush" setting - or special valving, that after much discussion with our clients, we've determined will work best for them in their particular environment.
This was mostly a discussion of T. Rex Engineering's suspension relative to T. Rex Engineering suspension. Relative to OE or any other aftermarket product, even the "plush" setting will give you better cornering, reduced wheel hop, and a more stable feel in addition to the kinder ride over expansion joints.
Now, your real question is, "should I sell my 69' Charger to pay for some T. Rex Engineering suspension. " My answer to you is this, "not if you're just going to drive the freeway. " This is ultra high performance OFF-ROAD suspension. This is where T. Rex works best.
Interpretation of suspension performance is subjective at best, but for the sake of discussion, we'll say that our suspension, no matter what valving you have, increases the speed you can _comfortably_ drive over a certain section of rough terrain from 15mph to 50mph. That's a big improvement - and not unrealistic at all. And, depending on how often you're in rough terrain, it may be well worth it to spend not a small chunk of change to get that kind of performance. Most of our clients use their trucks regularly off-road, so they're tickled to have T. Rex Rams. But the freeway is a different story - take that section on the 99 that's kicking your butt. Do you want to spend 3. 5 Large on performance suspension just so you can drive the freeway at legal speeds? It would be like flying an F-18 straight and level at 120 knots, when the thing is just begging to do 7 G pulls and hit 1. 8 Mach! Why spend money on an F-18 when a Piper Cub will work just fine for slow, straight and level flight?
I think what I'm trying to say is that while we would love to sell you an incredible suspension system, I can't tell you with absolute certainty that the pavement benefits alone will make it worth every cent you pay. For some of our customers it is worth it - especially because there seems to be no other way to get these trucks to feel decent on the road. Is it right for you? Will your wife call and thank us after you get it on your truck? Some of our customer's wives have! But I can't tell you that the expansion joints on the section of the 99 that you're driving with _your_ truck with _your_ tires and _your_ pressures at _your_ speeds will magically disappear. I haven't driven with you under _your_ parameters so, unfortunately, I can't promise you anything. The bumps may go completely away - or they may not. They will be absorbed _better_ with our product. But we will feel terrible if you buy the most advanced off-road suspension available and the pavement ride isn't better _enough_ to warrant its cost.
I'm the V. P. and in charge of Marketing and Customer Relations, but, as you can see I'm no "Salesman!" We shoot straight around here. We've got a very unique product and for some people it's literally priceless to have it on their trucks. But I don't think it's for everyone.
Please don't hesitate to call us for more info. We can also put you in touch with people who are using our suspension. We think their opinions are often worth more than ours.
Best Regards,
Kent
As far as selling my 69 charger
, that's going to happen no matter what. Just starting my family,so some toys have to go. 
