Dirt King Shock Tuning Session
When it comes to performance off road suspension systems shock tuning is essential to fine tune the ride quality to your preference. Shock tuning refers to adjusting the damping characteristics of a shock absorber. There are several factors that can be adjusted when tuning a shock absorber, including:
1. Rebound damping: This controls how quickly the shock absorber returns to its normal position after being compressed.
2. Compression damping: This controls how quickly the shock absorber compresses when it is subjected to an impact.
3. Spring rate: This refers to the stiffness of the spring. A stiffer spring will offer more support, but may also result in a harsher ride.
4. Preload: This refers to the amount of tension placed on the spring before the shock absorber is installed. Adjusting preload can change the ride height and handling of the vehicle.
We got eight Dirt King equipped vehicles together for a shock tuning session at plaster city. The owner of each vehicle would drive through a section of rough terrain and whoops so the shock tuner can see what adjustments need to be made. By watching the vehicle and getting feedback from the driver the shock tuner is able make adjustments so the vehicle absorbs bumps better and can increase speed through the section.
2021 Toyota Tundra
Here is the latest Toyota Tundra build that rolled out of our shop. The customer originally had the Icon Vehicle Dynamics mid travel suspension and wanted to take the next step for improved off road handling. He upgraded to our Dirt King 4WD long travel kit up front with our spec coilovers and bypasses. For the rear we installed our bed cage, bolt on bump stop kit, long travel spring under kit, Deaver I96 leaf springs, and spec 16" triple bypasses. The wheels are Innov8 G400 bead locks with 37” BFG KM3 tires. For fiberglass he has the McNeil 4” fenders and 4” bedsides. To top it off the customer had a Magnuson supercharger installed to make 510+ horsepower after the dyno tune. Overall this customer was extremely impressed going from mid travel to our long travel kit!
2021 GMC Sierra 1500
Here is the latest GMC Sierra 1500 that we built. This truck was being built the same time as the gray Tundra above. The customer drove all the way from Montana, unloaded his motorcycle out of the bed, and rode home like a badass! For the front suspension on this Sierra we installed our 4WD long travel kit. The rear suspension got upgraded with our prefab bed cage, long travel shackles, Deaver R81 springs, and spec 16" triple bypasses. He’s running Method 315 wheels with 37” Toyo R/T tires. For fiberglass he has the Fiberwerx 4” fenders and 4” bedsides. We custom built the front bumper and installed our production plate rear bumper. Similar to the gray Tundra this truck also got a procharger installed making 550 horsepower after the dyno tune. The customer dropped off his truck stock and picked it up complete then straight to the shock tuning session!
2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 [ZR2]
This is the first Silverado 1500 ZR2 outfitted with Dirt King long travel suspension. Up front the customer chose our 4WD long travel kit with spec shocks and made our production front bumper look great with the OEM ZR2 valance. To pair with the front suspension the customer chose our prefab bed cage, long travel shackles, Deaver R81 springs, and spec 16" triple bypasses. He has KMC KM444 Mesa Forged bead lock wheels with 38” Nitto Ridge Grappler tires. For fiberglass he has the Fiberwerx 4” fenders and 4” bedsides. After shock tuning this truck handles as good as it looks.
2016 Toyota Tacoma
This Tacoma can handle just about anything you throw at it! The only thing holding this truck back from going through the whoop sections faster is the factory V6 motor. The Tacomas handle great off road because they're light and get good suspension travel numbers when upgrading to Dirt King suspension. This truck is equipped with our 2WD long travel kit, front long travel spec coilovers and bypasses, custom front bumper, prefab bed cage, spring under kit, bed cage spec 16" triple bypasses, and Deaver H70HD leaf under springs. The wheels are Method 101 bead locks with 37” BFG KM3 tires. For fiberglass he has the McNeil 6” fenders and 6” bedsides.
2019 Ford F-150
The owner of this vehicle built one the best looking F-150s that we've ever seen! Commonly F-150 builds are compared to Raptors. The suspension upgrades on this truck out perform a stock Raptor and has a similar track width. This F-150 has our Dirt King 4WD long travel kit up front with custom gold anodized ADS coilovers and bypasses. The rear has our prefab bed cage paired with Deaver L84 leaf springs and gold ADS bypasses. For fiberglass he has the McNeil 5” fenders and 5” bedsides.
2015 Silverado 1500
This Silverado 1500 recently upgraded from our long travel kit to our long travel race kit which increased the amount of suspension travel from 12" to 17.5". The main difference between the two kits is the race kit is 2WD only and primarily for off road use where the standard long travel kit is 2WD and 4WD compatible and great for both on road and off road driving. Moving to the rear suspension this truck has our prefab bed cage, shackle and hanger kit, Deaver U182 springs, and spec 16" triple bypasses. He has the KMC KM444 Mesa Forged bead lock wheels with 38” Nitto Trail Grappler tires. For fiberglass he has the Fiberwerx 6” fenders and 6” bedsides. The customer was impressed with the improved off road handling by switching to the long travel race kit.
2014 Silverado 1500
This 2014 Silverado 1500 has our Dirt King 4WD long travel kit up front with spec coilovers and bypasses. In the rear we installed our prefab bed cage, shackle and hanger kit, Deaver U 182 springs, and bed cage spec 16" triple bypasses. We also built a custom front bumper and installed our plate rear bumper. He has Raceline 952MC Aero HD wheels with 37” Toyo R/T tires. For fiberglass he has the Fiberwerx 6” fenders and 6” bedsides.
2018 Silverado 1500
This 2018 Silverado 1500 originally had our Dirt King 4WD long travel kit up front and switched to our Dirt King 2WD long travel race kit. The customer chose to remove 4WD since he primarily does high speed off roading and was able to increase the wheel travel from 12" to 17.5" by switching suspension systems. The race kit is paired with our spec King coilovers and bypasses. In the rear the customer has our Ultra 4-Link kit and spec King shocks. For wheels and tires this truck has Innov8 G500 wheels with 37” Nitto Ridge Grappler tires. For fiberglass it has the RK Sport 4” fenders and 4” bedsides. There is no shortage of power for this truck with the procharged 6.2 engine with methanol injection! This truck was an absolute blast with the amount of suspension travel and power it had.
- Dirt King Fabrication