New Sonoran Steel Product: KDSS High Articulation/Long Travel Trac/PanHard bar

[DigitalVex]

Awesome work. Love it.

 

[sandcrawler]

good stuff! your lower links have been on my wishlist for a while now. now this too. :smokin:

 

[sschaefer3]

71 FJ40, never should've let it go

I have a white 71. No, you should not have let it go. They are gold now !!!

 

[sandcrawler]

I have a white 71. No, you should not have let it go. They are gold now !!!

*sigh* i know, i know.

and every time i see the undercarriage of a Toyota that's spent its life in AZ or CA i die a little inside. you're killing me!

 

[trailstandardoffroad]

How would you say it compares to. Non kdss with metal tech long travel?

 

[Asugm13]

articulated?

Shocks came out perfect. Exact same up travel as stock, so no loss there. 1 1/8" longer extended than a Bilstein 5100 (33-187174) which is also the perfect amount of extra extension. Non-moving passenger side mount is maxed out, and the drive side plunger still has 3/8" before it pulls all the way out. So there is no way that will even get close to max extension. I would say we nailed it with all this stuff. I have been testing the new shocks for 3 weeks now and even though they are 2.5's they ride extremely well on a truck without any extra weight on the back. So I would say without a doubt we have max KDSS articulation. Doing a run to the boarder with the AZFJ people in early August for additional trail time.

I was wondering if you have tested the new set up by articulating it? or on a ramp?

Like using a forklift on one of the rear tires and pushing it up to the bump stop and seeing how it flexes on the opposite side is nearly touching the ground?

 

[sschaefer3]

I was wondering if you have tested the new set up by articulating it? or on a ramp?

Like using a forklift on one of the rear tires and pushing it up to the bump stop and seeing how it flexes on the opposite side is nearly touching the ground?

August 4th, 2018. Trail Run from Tucson to the Mexican Boarder with the AZFJ group, lots of opportunities for flex out photos on those trails.

 

[sschaefer3]

How would you say it compares to. Non kdss with metal tech long travel?

Well they are different.

What Metal Tech does is give you a 3" bump stop drop and a shock that has an extended length 3" longer. Along with much taller coils that will not fall out. What they have essentally done is not "long travel" in the purse sense but they give you lower travel. They lower everything down 3".

I have installed a few of these kits. If they cut a hole in your floor and ran a 14" travel shock on a hoop in the cargo area and hit the same droop and kept the stock bump stops, that would be long travel. But what they have done is just lower the travel.

The KDSS trucks have the bar hit with off the shelf shocks. You can't pull an OME or a Bilstien 5100 all the way out with a stock bar on a KDSS truck.

The Custom Radflo shocks are 1.25" longer then a Bilstein 5100 and they retain the stock bump stops and up travel.

The beauty of KDSS is the stuff, you can't limit that or you missed the boat. This setup keeps the stock up travel, adds 1.25" of droop beyond a Bilstien 5100 which a stock panhard bar can not pull the full drop anyway. So for my testing on my vehicle, the custom bar lets you drop 2" further down and keep the stock up travel.

Pics on the 4th.

 

[Angelo]

Following this. Assuming everything falls into place the way you're envisioning, would it be feasible / possible to do this bar in aluminum for weight purposes?

 

[sschaefer3]

Following this. Assuming everything falls into place the way you're envisioning, would it be feasible / possible to do this bar in aluminum for weight purposes?

Nope. It has to be cold rolled steel for strength. This bar weighs 15 pounds our standard bar weights 10. 5 pounds is not much.

 

[honda250xtitan]

Well they are different.

What Metal Tech does is give you a 3" bump stop drop and a shock that has an extended length 3" longer. Along with much taller coils that will not fall out. What they have essentally done is not "long travel" in the purse sense but they give you lower travel. They lower everything down 3".

\

FINALLY someone says it lol.

 

[trailstandardoffroad]

Well they are different.

What Metal Tech does is give you a 3" bump stop drop and a shock that has an extended length 3" longer. Along with much taller coils that will not fall out. What they have essentally done is not "long travel" in the purse sense but they give you lower travel. They lower everything down 3".

I have installed a few of these kits. If they cut a hole in your floor and ran a 14" travel shock on a hoop in the cargo area and hit the same droop and kept the stock bump stops, that would be long travel. But what they have done is just lower the travel.

The KDSS trucks have the bar hit with off the shelf shocks. You can't pull an OME or a Bilstien 5100 all the way out with a stock bar on a KDSS truck.

The Custom Radflo shocks are 1.25" longer then a Bilstein 5100 and they retain the stock bump stops and up travel.

The beauty of KDSS is the stuff, you can't limit that or you missed the boat. This setup keeps the stock up travel, adds 1.25" of droop beyond a Bilstien 5100 which a stock panhard bar can not pull the full drop anyway. So for my testing on my vehicle, the custom bar lets you drop 2" further down and keep the stock up travel.

Pics on the 4th.

Got it. I asked because I recently went front lt and mt rear lt. And converted from kdss. I would like to try to retain the rear swaybar. But also would like to keep the extra down travel. I also went 35s and that is why I wasnt worried about the bump stop extensions because the just barely rub at full bump as is.

Still a very cool thing you have going for kdss.

 

[sschaefer3]

Did the run from Tucson down through Sonoita then Patagonia and over the mountains to the boarder, finally up and over to south of Sierra Vista. Lots of high speed two track and rutted mogul filled border patrol roads. 9AM to 6PM, 180 miles.

The result was in incredible improvement over before. As I have stated, the off the shelf shocks never rear full droop due to even the stock bar hitting the KDSS sway bar. This 1.25" over off the shelf and getting full extension was something.

Didn’t get any poser shots. I will find someone with a fork lift and get a poser shot.

 

[jhguth]

if we buy this from you can you help with the information needed for the custom radlfo shocks you're using?

 

[sschaefer3]

if we buy this from you can you help with the information needed for the custom radlfo shocks you're using?

Yeah of course, you can order those from me, I am a Radflo Dealer.

In fact there is a package that has the 2 shocks and KDSS trac bar.

Custom Radflo KDSS Shocks (2) & KDSS Trac/PanHard Bar (1) 2010+ - $1,255.00 : Sonoran Steel Fabrication LLC, Toyota Truck Parts

 

[CODERNR]

Too close for diff armor.

Bummer, so you don't think it'd work with C4's new skid (KDSS compatible)? What do you feel the issue would be?

 

[sschaefer3]

Bummer, so you don't think it'd work with C4's new skid (KDSS compatible)? What do you feel the issue would be?

That specific one looks like it would be fine. Worst case scenario you would need to grind back the rear lip so it does not stick out more than the furthest part of the bump in the axle tube where the diff is. From the photos it looks like the diff bump stick out more.

That specific one seems fine.

 

[CODERNR]

Did the run from Tucson down through Sonoita then Patagonia and over the mountains to the boarder, finally up and over to south of Sierra Vista. Lots of high speed two track and rutted mogul filled border patrol roads. 9AM to 6PM, 180 miles.

The result was in incredible improvement over before. As I have stated, the off the shelf shocks never rear full droop due to even the stock bar hitting the KDSS sway bar. This 1.25" over off the shelf and getting full extension was something.

Didn’t get any poser shots. I will find someone with a fork lift and get a poser shot.

Lets see some flex pics! RESZ Fabrication posted a good stock version on IG:
"Nothing exciting, just stock suspension with KDSS."

Anyone have these installed and out in the wild yet?

 

[sschaefer3]

This is not our wheeling season right now, it is still really hot here. We go out from October to May.

I am looking for a fork lift owned by a hill billy. You can't go into a normal place and say lift one of my tires up and almost tip my truck over. They will look at you like you are insane.

I think I know someone but it's still really hot here.

 

[sschaefer3]

Anyone have these installed and out in the wild yet?

There are 12 in the world counting the prototype.

From Georgia to California. There is also one in Alaska.