Racing suspension is here!!!!!!!!!!

[Hemiless]

Jason,



How long have you had the t-rex suspension system?



Is it everything you expected?



The prices people have mentioned in this post don't seem all that bad if the system works as nice as is seems it should. When you think about what some people spend on custom bumpers, wheels and tires and then look at what you get in the t-rex system the price doesn’t seem that all bad plus it does more then just make truck look good. Again I have yet to talk to Kent directly to see what the actual system price is so everything so far is just hear say. But I'm definitely intrigued.

 

[GiesJ]

Hemiless -

I have had the system now for about 4 months and put on just over 5,000 miles. I would say half of that is high way and half is pure off road. I am more than impressed. I did not purchase this kit so that I could go down to the local gas-n-sip and show off, I bought it cause I'm hard on my truck and needed something better. If you check my reader’s rig photos you will see a Rancho 9000 I destroyed. Kent (of T-Rex) is one of the great vendors on the TDR. I believe he has a money back guarantee regarding his system and follows up with me regularly to see how my system is functioning relative to my driving needs.

I actually re-financed my truck to afford this system, got a better interest rate and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Give Kent a Call sometime and talk to him about your needs, he'll take good care of you.

Jason

ps - shoot me a pm if you want to chat over the phone.

 

[onesloryd]

Hemiless'

If you are concerned about seal life look at something other than Kings.

 

[kentkroeker]

Gents,



T. Rex Engineering invites you to participate in a weekend of adventure exploring the majestic Baja Peninsula, June 17-20, 2004!



As part of our Adventure Team, you'll experience some of the best Baja has to offer, to include the Baja 1000 race course, the world famous Mike's Sky Rancho, Baja's Pacific Coast, Tecate's Pine Forrest and the beautiful Rancho Santa Veronica. This is a fully-funded, guided expedition - all you have to bring is a robust vehicle equipped with tough off-road tires, a spare tire and some standard Baja essentials (gear list provided upon reservation). Good suspension and four wheel drive are a plus, but not required. All food, fuel, lodging and logistics will be pre-arranged and paid for by T. Rex. The course will be wide and well-marked and all vehicles parked in gated, guarded compounds. A vehicle number and VHF radio will be issued to each driver. T. Rex Engineering's staff will ensure a safe, secure environment in which to experience the beauty and adventure of Baja first hand. Editors from "Four Wheeler" magazine will be in attendance, documenting this event for a Summer article. Representatives from "Weld Racing," "Fox Racingshox," "Deaver Spring," "Bilstein Off-Road," "Team Toyo," and other friends of T. Rex will join us on the Baja Adventure. Cost is $400. 00 per person. A $200. 00 non-refundable deposit is required. Spaces are very limited, so please reserve your place on the Team by Friday, April 30th, 2004. Contact: -- email address removed -- or dial 760. 749. 8687.



Itinerary:



June 17 1200 - 1300 Meet at at specified location near San Ysidro border. Insurance purchased, driver brief, numbers assigned, radios issued

1300 - 1500 Drive toll road to Ensenada, check in to San Nicolas Hotel

1800 - 1900 Dinner at San Nicolas Hotel





June 18 0700 - 0800 Breakfast San Nicolas Hotel

0800 - 0900 Caravan to Santo Tomas

0900 - 1200 Off-Road along Pacific Ocean to Erendira

1200 - 1300 Lunch at Erindira

1300 - 1400 Off-Road to San Vicente - Fuel

1400 - 1700 Off-Road from San Vicente across to Valle Trinidad

1700 - 1800 Valle Trinidad to Mike's Sky Rancho

1900 - 2000 Dinner at Mike's



June 19 0700 - 0800 Breakfast at Mike's

0800 - 0900 Air Filters/Maintenance

1000 - 1100 Off-Road to Valle Trinidad

1100 - 1200 Lunch at Valle Trinidad

1200 - 1700 Off-Road to Laguna Hanson then Rancho Santa Veronica

1700 - 1800 Check in to Rancho Santa Veronica

1800 - 1900 Dinner Rancho Santa Veronica



June 20 0800 - 0900 Breakfast Rancho Santa Veronica

0900 - 1000 Drive to Tecate

1000 - 1100 Cross Tecate International Border



All times and locations are tentative and subject to change.



Hope to hear from you soon,



Kent Kroeker

T. Rex Engineering

 

[kentkroeker]

Gents,



Some important info. about T. Rex events, new products and pricing:





The Baja 500 is coming up and we're working hard to prep our project truck, not to chase, but to RACE! We've already trussed the front axle and are installing a full, roll cage and fuel cell. We're racing the SCORE "Stock Full" class to prove that with bolt-on components, these great trucks can be fully competitive. Robin Stover of "Four Wheeler" magazine will be covering the event, riding as a copilot for several hundred miles then chasing in their T. Rex-equipped, 2nd Generation project truck. Look for a Summer article in "Four Wheeler" on the prep, install and race. The August issue will have a full tech/install article covering our system and our new Weld/E-rated Toyo MT wheel and tire combo.



Check out the new Baja film, "Dust to Glory!" I've raced the Baja 1000 several times, soloed the San Felipe 250 and Baja 500; I know what it's like to do 100 mph off-road at night in the middle of Mexican nowhere, passing people in dust - let me tell you, this film captures the essence of Baja! In theaters this June. http://www.d2gfilm.com/



We will be attending "May Madness" and giving demo rides in our truck. We will have the full-race, Baja 500 valving and hopefully the cage, four race seats and five point harnesses installed. A couple of our great customers who've been out to Vegas lately have been kind enough to scope out some rough real estate for us, so we should be able to have some real fun!



We now have two basic suspension systems for the big Dodge, solid axle trucks. They each use different kinds of shocks that are tuned to optimize performance in different areas. Both systems consist of special T. Rex Coils, our patent-pending 6061 T-6 aluminum mount system, reservoir brackets, limit straps, hardware and four remote reservoir racing shocks.



Bilstein 7100 Series system - for maximum pavement control and smoothness. We designed this system to work best on the road at highway speeds and off-road at speeds below 30mph. It's best for people who need a general purpose suspension for more control while towing, long distance highway travel, and lower speed off-road, such as exploring trails, hunting etc. This system addresses the expansion joint issue to the maximum extent possible. It costs $2000.



Fox Racing Shock system - for maximum off-road performance. This system is designed for very high-speed off-road use. It makes washboard, dirt roads like highway. With this system, dirt roads that would be rattling and shaking a stock Dodge Ram are driven with much more speed and control. The rougher, the faster, the better. It's big and bad and awesome. Guys who spend a lot of time in the dirt love this system, but it works great on the highway as well. Off-road sweet spot 30mph +. To accompany this system we recommend heavy duty off-road tires and lower tire pressures. This system costs $3000.



The excellent King off-road system is also available, but it's now a special-order only item. $3,500.



Mini Paks are a great option. They install in a snap and make the rear of your truck very progressive, yet you can still haul a big load. They cost $300.



Our Fox steering stabilizer will be available soon as well. It uses a special aluminum mount and will retail for $300.



With either of our Dodge systems you can run 35x12. 5 tires with no clearance issues.



T. Rex also has the exclusive on the new, 18x8. 5" Weld "Cheyenne 8" wheel, designed by us specifically for the Dodge solid axle trucks. These wheels are Dodge hubcentric and have the special large backspace required for correct fitment to the 03-04 Rams. T. Rex is the only company who will have the wheel. We will be receiving 200 wheels from Weld - hopefully in May. 100 are slated for local Dodge dealer showrooms. The rest will be for sale to the general public. They retail for $575 each. We are currently working on some special TDR pricing or a "buy in" of some sort.



Our Baja Adventure is shaping up nicely. We'll have full National magazine coverage and a bunch of great guys and gals from the off-road industry will be attending. Want your truck to appear on newsstands? Come along. We've still got several spots open. Let it be known that we're not going to drive over terrain that will thrash your truck! It's Baja, but we're taking the wide, mellow roads that are fun, not heinous! The idea is to introduce non-Baja people to some great places in Baja, not destroy vehicles. It's a trail drive, not rock crawling or racing. Anywhere we're going you can also drive your wife's Camry!



Best Regards,



Kent

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

2-wheel drive springs, axle wrap

Kent, the Baja trip would be a blast. If I didn't still owe a lot on my truck I'd be all over this trip



I am thinking of making May Madness. I want to spec out the Weld wheels for my 2-wheel drive.



Since your systems could not be feasibly engineered for 4x2 trucks, what about the Mini Packs? (I assume these are the progressive overload spring replacements). I read earlier on this loooong thread the overloads replacements will significantly reduce wheel hop, something that greatly afflicts my 3500 shortbed SRW. No one I'm aware of offers traction bars, and I would like to eliminate it to the point I can drive in sand without violently banging the crap out of my truck's rear end.



Thank you for contributing so much to this thread and for taking the time to talk to me about wheels when I called you several weeks ago.



Vaughn

 

[geusterman]

GBaines... Talked with Kent today re heavy camper and backcountry which is my direction with new 600. I have used the Rickson/Michelin combo on my 02 and loaded BigFoot but really slows me down in backcountry. Highways fine (with Kelderman air ride). What tires are you using with the King shocks? I have been shopping for a lighter 17" tire that can take the SRW weight and has sidewall puncture resistance. I will use the factory aluminum wheels as Kent drops 6' on them! I ordered the Fox shocks today because Bill Swails uses King and so do you. But I need to lighten my tires if this is gonna work otherwise the Bilsteins would probably be better. Hope you are around to answer this. Don't want a 12. 5 inch if I can help it as it just sucks fuel. I like tall/skinny. I have a flatbed and carry heavy. George

 

[thejeepdude]

Originally posted by geusterman

I have been shopping for a lighter 17" tire that can take the SRW weight and has sidewall puncture resistance.

Check out the TRXUS on intercotire.com. I know you didn't want 12. 50 width, but I don't know of another 17" tire with a 10 ply load range E rating. The sidewalls will definitely hold up. The 33 has a 3085lb rating and the 35 will hold 3640. I'm debating on whether I will get these on my 3rd gen when it gets here, but I like the local Americas Tire roadhazzard warranty, and most likely I'll end up with the Goodyear MT/R if I buy from them.

 

[TBrennan]

Kent,



Is there any chance you guys might be building a suspension system that had a few mor inches of lift and travel to accomodate a 37" tire without trimming fenders?



I was hoping for a system with really long control arms like the Dick Cepek extreme lift on the 2nd gens along with 4" - 6" taller springs and all the custom shock and tuning you guys do. Just curious if there is anything being planned.

 

[kentkroeker]

Vaughn,



We've got a couple of 2wd guys running our mini-paks and race shocks out back. It's a good combo that helps with the wheel-hop, but it's only a partial solution. If you're running a lot of horsepower and you're also in deep sand, sometimes you'll still get some wheel hop - even with stiff valving - just depends on the conditions. Right now we've got our full-race valving in the T. Rex truck and over the weekend we were in San Felipe testing and I was able to get a little shudder a couple of times. Kind of surprised me considering how stiff I've got the hydraulics for the race. I think our leaves may finally be dead (due for replacement), so this factor may have contributed. It wasn't a violent shudder, just a little hop while approaching 3000 rpm.



We look forward to seeing you at May Madness.



TBrennan,



Good question. Contrary to what the lift kit companies are telling you, lift doesn't exactly equal travel - if anyone expresses interest I'll tell you what the lift kit companies typically do to actually reduce your travel while giving you lift.



I like the concept behind that Dick Cepek kit. The theory behind it is spot on; it's the application that leaves a little to be desired. The purpose of long arms is to reduce the severity of the arc along which the axle travels. For a given amount of wheel travel, this allows the shock to cycle without moving fore to aft as much as it would with shorter arms, so theoretically you could use a longer-travel, fatter shock and still not bind in the spring bucket as the suspension cycles. It also keeps the wheel on a more direct, up and down path within the fenderwell, thereby keeping the tires farther from the edges. These are really good things that aid steering precision and generally make the suspension smoother feeling because the angles to which the bushings are forced to move are reduced, thereby reducing lateral friction. The problem is that it doesn't give you any more real travel because the track bar and steering still limit what you can realistically attain. When it comes to suspension function, actual wheel travel is really important. If all you want to do is fit a big tire without cutting, then this kit is a good way to go. I've heard a lot of good things about this kit - good quality, good ride. By the look of it, the engineers put some solid thought into it. But the application violates what we stand for - maximum performance. Our systems provide more real travel, but don't raise the CG of the truck much at all - low CG is another element of performance. In order for us to build a kit like that, we would have to do some crazy stuff that goes against T. Rex policy. We would be doing something for cosmetic purposes, not performance purposes. From a business standpoint, maybe we're shooting ourselves in the foot. Maybe people just want stuff that looks cool (big tires and ride height) and we're missing out on a huge market. Also, to some people, "performance" doesn't mean high cornering speeds or safely absorbing big bumps; it means being able to crawl over large obstacles without getting high-centered - so simple lift does have value for certain types of "performance. " It's just not what we think most people are doing with their big trucks that have a long wheelbase anyway.



We've got some control arms on the way that are visually the most spectacular automotive chassis parts I've ever seen. They're machined from solid billet aluminum and use a special joint at each end that is a combination between a uniball heim and a bushing. We made these for function, but they turned out like true works of art. Nothing in the industry has ever been done like this. Despite the fact that we made them for pure performance, I'm kind of hoping that these parts will add a little visual panache that will shift the aesthetic emphasis from big tires (whose utility has limits) toward cool, functional parts that actually make your truck work better in the real world. I'm sure it won't surprise anyone that these new T. Rex control arms are exactly the same length as OE control arms!



And please don't misunderstand me. I'm not criticizing your taste - not one bit. I think big trucks with big tires look cool too - as an American, that's my duty! I just think it's cooler to actually go fast than it is to look big. So to answer your question, no, a long arm system isn't in the works. If we thought we could make your truck truly work better by going this route, we would, but long control arms, crazy brackets, voided warranties, cutting, drilling, dropped pitman arms, modified steering, lengthened bump stops and ultimately fewer inches of precious travel - for what? Only 1 more inch of tire height than the 35x12. 5's permitted with our systems? Not an equitable trade off in my opinion. If all I wanted was to run 37's, I would much rather take five minutes to remove a bit of sheet metal.





Cheers,



Kent

 

[San Felipe Bob]

Baja!

Kent,

Great idea!

I know the roads, trails, and race courses of Baja very well.

You are planning an excellent trip!

The route you are taking is very forgiving.

A completely stock truck will have no difficulties what so ever.

Basically fun graded roads.

Your price for the "tour" seems a little on the low side.

How many trucks will be going on the adventure?



I have spent over 3 grand trying to make my suspension "work".



It finally works ! Oo



I would have gone T-Rex, but i started modifying back in 98.

I had not heard of or seen what I wanted at the time.

I would go T-Rex in a second.....





San Felipe Bob.

 

[TBrennan]

Kent,



Your killing me. Very well written, every time you respond to a question I find your logic and veracity impeccable.



Personally I wanted to run a 37" tire for two reasons which I think are valid. One of course is the larger tire affords greater real ground clearance which I like as I spend some time off road and slow crawling over obstacles where I'm dragging the axles over something and second, I wanted to use the Goodyear MT/Rs and they're 37" tire is rated at 4000 lbs (E range) which is better than any other similar tire I've seen. They also do not make a 35" tire for a 17"rim.



I also spend even more time blasting down old pock marked / washboard country dirt roads at speed where an improved suspension would be great



Generally I insist on doing things the best way I can, even if it means spending more than I'd like. In this case I'm conflicted a little though as I want a system that offers me both advantages, but in reality it would be stupid of me not to sacrifice the small tire size gain for a much better system. Maybe one day I can bring myself to cut up my fenders and I'll have the best of both worlds.



So if I get my order in soon for the complete Fox system I'd get those new control arms for free, right?



I am by no means an expert but at first thought I would be worried about using aluminum in such a high stress piece. I would think the high impact forces would deform them over time. Of course if you guys don't break one I bet I won't. What is the advantage of control arms performance wise? When do you expect them to be ready? Any other goodies you are working on?

 

[kentkroeker]

San Felipe Bob,



Just saw the photos of your truck. I know you're a real Baja guy because I parked the T. Rex Truck right next to your rig at Santa Veronica last Sunday! Nobody was nearby, so I snooped around that truck like a bloodhound and came to the conclusion that real Baja use forced you to make some very sano mods. I looked underneath your rig and saw exactly what you had going on - you've put a lot of thought into that thing, my man! Good job! I like the front combo of the 5100 (digressive piston) and the 7100 with light valving (170/60) and linear piston. Limit strap location looks good too. Nice leafs in the rear that eliminate the block. You've definitely done your homework!





I was at Santa Veronica, having lunch with Robin Stover, one of the editors of "Four Wheeler" magazine. He liked your set up too! We had just done over 500 Baja miles - 360 miles off-road on the Baja 500 and San Felipe 250 race courses. We had just come up from Ojos Negros via El Compadre - hauling ass - he was driving our truck - jumping the cattle crossings and pitching it sideways. It was a beautiful day - the weather was perfect. What were you doing up there? I assume you put dirt bikes in the back of your rig and you were busy riding some single track in the mountains? In a funny way, Baja is a small world ain't it? Wish you had been around to chat a bit.



I'm glad you like our trip itinerary. Should be fun for guys who frequent Baja, but also fun for guys who've never been there. I know the price seems low, but we're not doing it to make money, just to cover costs. The whole trip is just for fun. I get a group rate for vehicle insurance and hotel rooms at Santa Veronica etc. -so it makes it possible to do this for only $400 per person. We're covering everything so all someone has to do is simply show up and drive. We're taking all the planning, translating and logistics out of the equation so people can just relax and have fun.



I met your truck last Sunday, next time I hope to meet you as well!



Best Regards,



Kent

 

[thejeepdude]

Kent, when is this trip? Where do I get more info? That sounds pretty cool...

 

[San Felipe Bob]

Baja

Kent,

Thank's for the compliment's!

It means alot coming from you.



Not bad for a "bike" guy I guess.



It's still a work in progress.

I have the straps for the rear I just need to find time to put them on.

The front coils are incorrect and replacements are being made to level the truck.

The next set of tires will be 35's.

The list goes on and and on .



You really need to check out my Full race car.

Class 0.

It's an engineering masterpiece.

http://www.off-road.com/vw/bajaugly/bajaugly.html

It will blow you away Literally!!!!!!



:--)





You were wondering what we were doing in Baja?

We were on my Bachlor ride.

Thursday morning we rode from Santa Veronica to San Felipe by way of Ramona's, Valley T. , Diablo and Jose's Lake side Cantina,Zoo freeway to the dump road. , To the Arches. ,To Miramar of course.

That was just Day 1 200 miles



Friday Day 2 was a 100 mile loop up Huamote and down Chanate.

back to S. F.



Saturday Day 3 was a very easy ride up to Mikes by way of Jose's Lakeside Cantina, San Matais for gas & lunch MMMMMM. Last stop was Mikes Cantina. 80 + miles



A T-Rex was sighted...

My Buddy Lee Bower (future TDR member and 2005 600 owner)waved to a black truck headed east before Diablo.

He says he recognized the stickers from the T-Rex site.

We were a group of 4 blue Yamaha's.



Day 4 Mikes to Simpson's ranch (the HARD Way). to V. T. , to Santa Catarina, to the Forest, to Ramona's , Back to Santa Veronica !!!

150 miles

Yeeee HAaaaaa. .



SFB

 

[jadoca]

the baja hillbilies, very cool!

 

[San Felipe Bob]

Baja

You think your T-Rex handles good?

You should see how La Bamba handles the 4 to 6 foot Whoooooops of San Felipe!

Simply UN- Believable



SFBOo. Oo. Oo. Oo.

 

[kentkroeker]

San Felipe Bob,



After seeing the class 0 car, I know exactly who you are now - didn't you drive that thing right through Contingency for the San Felipe 250 in '98? I was walking a bike through to get it teched and will never forget all the attention that beast was getting. Also, didn't you have that thing painted all gold one year? I know I've met you and shared some jokes several times. I've soloed some of the Baja races on a motorcycle - and I think so have you - not many people do that stuff and someone I know who knows what you've done mentioned you. Am I correct?



Sounds like you guys had a great ride! How was Simpsons? I rode that on a bike two weeks ago and it was great!



That _was_ us headed East from El Diablo down the race course toward Morelia Junction. We stopped there momentarily to help a couple of guys on big Cagiva Paris Dakar bikes. Our weekend trip started in Guadalupe wash - the old 500 course, we got through the "locked" gate then cruised up over the mountains to Ojos Negros, then entered the course again at El Alamo, cruised to Nuevo Junction then hung a left and went balls out all the way down the Goat Trail into Valley T. Had to roll through those huge whoops prior to the Goat Trail - man, they're getting deep - too deep even for the T. Rex to get on top! Robin wondered why we couldn't just fly over them - I told him we needed about 400 more horsepower, 4000 lbs less weight and 14 inches more travel - then we'll have a 400 thousand dollar class one car and we would be able to "get on top!" Then we went past San Matias and took the El Diablo high road (250 course) to just past the Chinolito turn off down the race course to Morelia Junction then down Zoo Road to San Felipe. Next day El Compadre to Santa Veronica. Robin was hung over, couldn't withstand anything too serious. He spent all night at the Rockodile then I woke him up at 6 am, took him to breakfast at the Cortez and fed him stingray machaca and eggs! Good trip. His first real Baja experience, so I thought I would break him in right.



Nice talking with you - we'll have to ride some time.



Kent

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

Man,

I haven't been on a good Baja trip for at least 10 years. Kent, I think I will have to go on the trip too. I'll have to quit tattooing for at least a weekend to talk my boss into letting me go. Sounds like a trip I need... ... Bad!!! Sold horse #1 today and that means I just that much closer to whippin your butt buddy... . !

 

[San Felipe Bob]

San Felipe Bob

Kent,

Yes

I am the driver of the Dodge powered La Bamba.

Yes

That was us on contingency row. (we actually have passed tech inspection for many years. Way Tooooo Much Fun. )

Yes

We attract tons of attention. I feel bad for the 500,000$ trophy trucks that are directly in front or behind us. I think we

distract some of the fans

Yes

It's been a multitude of colours over the years. The gold was for the New Millennium.

Yes

I rode the entire year 2000 SCORE races SOLOOo.

1st sportsman in the San Felipe 250.

4th sportsman in the 500 about 13 hours.

20 something sportsman in the 2000 about 59 hours non-stop.



Sportsman Class Champion for the year 2000.



2001 raced the San Felipe 250 on a 125 Yamaha.

I ended up colliding with a Class 1 on Old Puertocitos Rd. :{

Totaled the bike and temporarily paralyzed me below the waist.



Raced the 1000 in 2003 with a bunch of buddies in the 250 pro class. I did the start to V. T. (Bike broke just before Chapalla, DNF'd).



Simpson's seemed pretty smooth. (It's been a few years since I rode it. )



Good job on breaking Robin in correctly. Oo.



We ran into the Dakar guys at Jose's Tienda.

Have you been to Jose's?

It's the shack on the South end of Diablo.

Maybe you saw his new BEER sign we made?





SFB