Hi everyone,
I've been seeing a lot of chatter about the parts we recently released.
First thing, thanks to everyone who complimented the performance of our
work. It makes all the hard work and research worth it to have satisfied
customers. Next, let me answer a few common questions that I've seen pop up
frequently.
Coil springs:
We have two coils springs available,
V-6 coils p/n 1912F, cost direct: $162/pair; V-8 coils p/n 1913F, cost
direct: $162/pair
Both these coil sets are designed to give Non-R/T RC's about 2" drop (CC 2
1/4" - 2 1/2")
R/T's will get about 1 1/4" (CC R/T 1 1/2" - 1 3/4")
They are powdercoated gloss black.
Both kits include new bump stops. You have to drill or chisel the factory
bump stop 'cups' off of the A-arms to install the shorter stops
I give you new performance alignment specs designed to help the R/T's whose
tires slightly rub the inside fender lips after lowering. Not every truck
exhibits this problem, but some do.
Leaf Springs:
We have two versions:
Reg Cab p/n 2404, cost direct $301/pair; Club Cab p/n 2406, cost direct
$301/pair
Both springs come with new bump stops.
As they arrive at your door, the both springs will give your Non-R/T truck
about a 3 1/2" drop (R/T 2 1/4"). The springs are reconfigurable via four
1/4" spacer pads (steel) that are bolted into the leaf pack. You can remove
these to raise the rear end of the truck 1" from the numbers above, if you
desire. This feature is handy if you happen to run fiberglass toppers or
caps. It also allows you to set the rear of the truck up if you do light
duty hauling/towing. I highly recommend for anyone, regardless of the truck
or lowering method in question, if you plan on towing on a regular basis and
you want to lower the truck, get an airbag assist. Your money will be well
spent. This gives you the ability to have a good ride, and still maintain
loadability when you need it.
Sway Bars:
Stock Height Set 2WD p/n 2216, cost direct $500/set
Lowered Set 2WD p/n 2224, cost direct $500/set
4WD Sway Bar Set p/n 2221, cost direct $500/set
All kits have 1 7/16" diameter solid front bars, 15/16" diameter solid
rears. (The front is a 120% increase in stiffness over non-R/T's, R/T's see
a 75% increase)
The sway bars are ONLY sold as a set. We do a lot of slalom, skidpad and
track testing to make sure the bar combination is proper for the truck and
not dangerous to drive.
We give you everything you need to install the kits, new bushings
(greasable), frame and axle brackets, fabricated rear end links (greasable)
and hardware. These are very complete kits and we don't cheat on any parts.
Our quality is second to none in the aftermarket. The bars themselves are
powdercoated gloss black for good looks and corrosion protecting.
Everything else is either plated, powdercoated or stainless steel.
The front 2WD kits require a minor grind operation to fit the large 1 7/16"
bar between the tire and frame. DC engineers did such a good job with the
turning radius, that they didn't leave any extra room in the front. If you
crawl under the front of your truck and look at the sway bar shape, you will
notice that the factory bar runs pretty close to the bump stop bracket. The
corner of this bracket that sticks out towards the bar is what has to be
clearanced for the new diameter bar. It is a non-structural modification
and the amount you have the grind varies wildly from truck to truck.
Custom Tuned Bilstein Shocks:
No part #'s established yet. They will cost $84.95 each. There will be
separate shocks available for the front based on V6 or V8 applications, and
should be available in 3-4 wks.
I am making the custom tuned shocks due to the fact that at the lowered
height, you have to more tightly control the suspension to keep it from
bottoming out. I tried the standard Bilsteins with our spring setup and was
very dissatisfied with the combination. As you know, a suspension has
springs, swaybars and shocks that all work in concert. If one's out of
tune, the total performance suffers. The rear shock package is a shorter
shock than stock, so it won't work on stock height trucks. I picked up
about a second in lap times during my autocrossing due to tuning the shock
damping for our springs on my Dakota.
For a truck that still runs the stock springs at stock height, we recommend
the standard Bilstein shocks. They were designed for stock trucks and work
very well with their setup.
As far as purchasing, you can get them either direct, or through our
distributors. Summit Racing can get the parts, but they don't stock them.
On the leaf springs, I highly recommend buying them direct. When boxed,
they weight about 95 pounds. UPS is not very gentle on boxes and they stand
a good chance of breaking out of the box when you have to ship them multiple
times. The less time they spend in UPS's hands the better.
Feel free to email me personally or Hotchkis Performance at
info@hotchkis.net for more information or call us at 562-907-7757
Sincerely,
Gary Pinkley
97 Really Red Dak (see ya in the canyons!)
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