Dodge Ram Suspension

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noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:54:00 +0000

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Dodge Long Travel Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:50:00 +0000

The entire Carli Crew met up at our second home, Campo Cuatro Casas in Bahia Colonet, on Saturday night with a whole slue of new digs on our trucks. New shock tunes, setups and hardware finally meet Mexico's biggest bumps. Everyone's rig is riding sweeter than it was before and more capable when it's time to get serious. We're more than comfortable zipping around the Pacific side of Baja, especially around the Casa, and the festivities quickly turned into a circus of whoops, corners and airtime. One thing stood apart from everything else, the new long travel spring pack, shackles and enough shock to deliver 17" of travel while hidden under the bed.

Here's a shot of Mike's truck with the completed setup with a true 17" of rear wheel travel.
In typical Carli detail, the rear end is dialed with a new chromoly crossmember that's fully plated and dimple died for even more strength.

Of course this means longer shocks and the first setup went on a Bilstein 2.65 setup and this wasn't done until a custom, 4-tube bypass layout was added and Blackhawk reservoirs.

After the installation and a couple of tuning trips to the dirt, Mike got to show us what this project can do. Amazed was my first reaction... With a tuned up CTD backed up with some billet ATS goodies, the truck can power through twice as much bump and the control the shocks deliver inspires confidence.

The bar has been raised, or in this case lowered, by slapping on another 6.5" of droop. Score another ringer for the Carli team, this is something that you instantly want, after you feel it.

Can't wait to see who's truck goes next.

Bilstein 5100 Backorder

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:09:00 +0000

We placed our usual order for Bilstein 5100 shocks in June. We just got a call yesterday from Bilstein saying that there is a backorder for another 45 days or so. It is unfortunate that we didn't have any advanced notice of short supply from Bilstein and until our delivery arrives, Starter Systems and Level Kits cannot be shipped.

Sage had a talk with Bilstein yesterday and we're trying to get our June order filled as fast as possible. I'll put up another post when more information comes. If you're waiting on a Starter System or Leveling Kit, we apologize for the wait.

Carli Upper Ball Joints w/ Moog

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:41:00 +0000

You don't have to look too hard to find Dodge Ram Ball Joint problems posted on truck and diesel forums from members of the HD truck community. It's difficult to determine the exact cause of a problem when you don't have the truck on hand for troubleshooting. Well, our first hand experience with some Moog replacements rendered an interesting find.

In response to a Dodge Ram Ball Joint Thread on Diesel Truck Resource.com, Sage broke it down for us and threw a few bucks at getting to the bottom of the issue:

Carli Extreme Duty Upper Ball Joints and Moog Lower Ball Joint Combination - WARNING

September 23rd, 2009: DTR Forum, Sage Carli's Input

"So I just had first hand experience with a truck with the exact same issue. The truck had our Extreme Duty Uppers and Moog lowers. One of our customers replaced the ball joints only and the truck started to wander all over. After reading this thread, I had to see for myself what was going on. I told him I would replace his lowers with McQuay Norris brand at no cost to him to see if it would cure the problem. When the truck was dropped off, I decided to take it down the freeway so I could feel how much the wander there really was. Well, I almost hit a car hauler that was in the lane next to me. As soon as I made a correction the truck would shoot off in the other direction, SCARY!!!

So I disassembled the front end down to the axle. I grabbed one of the lower ball joints to see if it was tight. Well, it was. So much so that it felt "crunchy" inside. There was no smoothness at all as I cycled it through it's normal motion. It felt very notchy. And there is no weight on them at all at this point. I then continued on and finished the replacement of the lower joints.

Time for the test drive. Customers exact words were "It is completely different!" The steering was nice and smooth and the wander was gone. He was very happy. But I still had to know why the moogs would give such a symptom. So of course, I cut one apart. The design was actually pretty interesting. No bushing or insert of any kind. Which if done properly, is the only real way to have a "lifetime part." But, I saw two things that I didn't like. One was the fact that it looked like they take in old ball joints on warranty and reuse the pin. The pin had some pretty deep pits in it. The other thing was how the ball fit in the cup. The wear pattern is up to high on the ball of the pin. The top 1/4 of the ball never makes contact with the cup. So the weight of the truck is trying to force the ball down a tighter radius, which could create a pinching effect. I have attached pics so you call all see what it looks like on the inside."

Cutaway photos of the Moog lower ball joints (click to enlarge)

Vehicle: 2005 LWB, CTD with Performance 2.5 and Carli Extreme Duty Upper Ball Joints with Moog replacement Lower Ball Joints that had only 1,000 miles on them.

We encounter customer questions on almost a daily basis who have had a ball joint experience or are in the middle of one and try to assist each individual with their needs, but sometimes it is too demanding to provide a definitive answer with a verbal assessment of a truck's behavior. This could have been the same thing, however we were able to keep the truck and the customer's parts and get to the bottom of things.

Product Catalog

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 02:51:00 +0000

Well we finally got off our asses and made a professional bound product catalog with every system, component and complimentary product... complete with HD photos, part numbers and prices.

Just like everything else that goes on down here, what started out as something as simple as a sales guide, turned into a full blown effort and went all the way to inventory identification... but it came out sick, so we're happy.

You can download the PDF Version or flip through it right here at your desk using the online catalog. These will be hitting the mailbox going out to the distributor network in the next few days and it won't be long until we add a few pages. Long travel rear springs / shackles, radius arms and whatever else gets thought up.

Business as usual down here at the shop...

Dodge Ram Radius Arms

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:52:00 +0000

The pursuit of more travel and textbook Carli Suspension overkill design and strength is about to raise the bar once again. The first prototype Dodge Ram Radius Arms are getting powder coated and will be in testing by the afternoon. Chromoly tube, tig-welded with hi-nickel rod and fully boxed - these are the strongest radius arms you can get. Fitted with a 2 3/4" race heim on the frame side and hardened ball centers, just like the control arms, on the axle end - heavy duty just got passed like it was standing still.

These will be hung by a laser cut bracket assembly from the frame with the same robust approach that the arms were built with. This will be a weld-on application and extend the travel of the four-link by over 30%. Stay tuned for the follow-up shots of these on Mike's 2500.

Extreme Duty Lower Ball Joints

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:08:00 +0000

Case hardened... two stages of dry lube... billet chromoly stock and a two-piece assembly. The Carli Extreme Duty Lower Ball Joints will be the strongest part on your truck. All we need to do is wrap up the prototype development with a complete bashing down in Mexico for days on end. The Carli fleet will be throwing down in Baja in a few weeks and after a final inspection, the PO will be drafted for a production run.

Stay tuned...

For now, check out the Dodge Ram Lower Ball Joints product page with more information

Dodge Long Travel Rear End

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:24:00 +0000

Referring back to the Dodge Ram Long Travel Suspension post that showcases almost 20" of travel with a modified full leaf pack and new spring shackles, the latest news is completed designs and first test runs.

The rear shocks stay under the bed with the addition of a chromoly tube tandem shock mount. The first installation of these shocks is being done with 16" travel, Bilstein 4-tube bypass racing shocks. This new setup has been completely designed in house, including the layout of the bypass tubes that match the bump zone compression travel as well as the characteristics of the Dodge Ram.

These should be debuted here shortly, not too soon for the start of the desert season, which will mean that by the time we all rally up for a Halloween weekend run to the sand, one of our trucks will be dropping 37's out of the wheel well through the whoops and probably sporting a coil-over front end to match.

Just another round of the Carli Suspension delivery and this year is set to be our heaviest hitting movement in the history of the company. Stay tuned for more updates on this project.

The real beauty of this addition is the fact that cost control was implemented in the project, cost control for the customer that is. In order to get this kind of travel the shocks have to be relocated as the compressed dimensions won't allow for longer travel. Keeping the bed of your truck functional means keeping the shocks under it. There are other ways to, however it would lead to a price tag that would create a disadvantage for some... leaving room in the budget for custom shocks or any of the goodies that the company is rolling out.

Lower Ball Joint Surprise

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:32:00 +0000

The lower ball joints have graduated the Carli R&D process and are already getting miles on Sage's truck. It started on Wednesday with the driver's side which brought a new feel back into the front end of his truck. As of yesterday, both sides were done, more measurements taken and parts inspected - then the road report comes in. The front end of the truck feels so tight, it's almost foreign.

So much mico chatter comes through the steering column that you simply get used to it. That movement is coming from the lower ball joints. The OEM parts were fully inspected, on and off the vehicle and were found to be within factory specs and otherwise appeared to be normal, so you would never be able to trace that last "loose" feeling down. After riding around, installing and assisting with the final test installations, the amount of feel is dramatic. At least 50% improvement from the driver's seat is immediately recognized.

We didn't expect this to happen either, the goal was to improve on the design and strength of the lower ball joints, just as we did with the uppers. Creating a two-piece assembly that is hardened beyond that of the upper ball joints was performed right off the bat. The tolerances were closed tightly through the machining process and installation is done with Redline CV2 high performance grease. A zirc fitting is included in the unit that is appropriately located and positioned for easy maintenance.

We are working up a satisfaction guarantee behind these components that simply throws it out there, if you're not satisfied, we'll buy them back from you. There might be a couple of minor revisions to the clocking of the assembly for easier installation, but other than that, it's time to have another release party at the shop.

Carli's Torsion Rate Sway Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:29:00 +0000

We are just another week away from having the first stock back from the laser cutter and off to powder coat. You can learn more about Carli's Sway Bar on the products page that we're still pending the photography for. This is one of the single items that you can put on your Dodge Ram and feel a staggering difference. The factory torsion rate sway bar is incredibly stiff and it marries the front axle to the chassis. The result is a low speed nightmare when traversing speed bumps one tire at a time, exiting driveways at angles and let's not forget that exhausting off road experience going slow in the rough. Carli Suspension worked on a torsion rate that provides all of the high speed stability and body roll management as well as delivering excellent low speed manners from our trucks.

Sway control is effective from 0 to 5 inches of lift and the torsion is another Carli custom tune.

New Pistons Hit Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:34:00 +0000

It was a last minute jaunt to Baja for half the crew at Carli Suspension. One of us already committed to supporting a motorcycle team for some long time friends hitting the 500 for their first time. Day 1 was purely administrative... and the next morning we decided to make a short blast out of Ensenada via the canal and first leg of the course. Two Dominator 3.0 systems with the new pistons and two totally different tunes.

My Megacab has been riding so supple on the street and highway, I figured that it just wouldn't have enough for Mexico and I'd find my rear axle 4 feet off the ground with my front none. That and if I pushed it too hard, wind up bending something somewhere. Immediately everything came together and for the first 40 miles of race course, every inch of shaft was used, front and rear, without a single solid bottom out. That's when you're suspension is working just right, when you're using all of it and not running out before your travel ends. Everything from rocks, silt hills, massive ruts, switch backs to straight matted into Ojos Negros, my truck has never been more controlled or felt so right.

This is an accumulation of so many things. As these pistons debuted, the tuning was constant all over again. Sage found the sweet spot pretty quick and the truck rides so nice on the street, your gut tells you to bump it up for Baja... but that was yesterday. Before the pistons were swapped out in my rig, the usual discussion floats around the shop and it's only a matter of time before somebody is holding a shim in one hand and a shim in the other thinking about the end result and this time, it was a perfect kill. The level of detail that goes into custom shock tuning grows by the week down here and each stack of shims that rests on a piston surface was a well thought out and tailor made application.

There's still something called preference and some people like their trucks a little tighter than others and there's always the honest guy that admits that his truck isn't going to see any air, but he likes the big shocks and builds a show class vehicle. Regardless of preference or application, you can have exactly what you want here. Call us up, tell us what you want to do with your truck, listen to the information and ask a couple questions and we'll make sure that you're happy. It's been a fun ride getting to this point and now the dedication is starting to flourish. The pursuit of real world suspension tuning that allows you to drive the family around town comfortably and the next morning be moshing down the Baja 500 race course... is here.

PS: Team 349x finished 6th in their class and 76th overall and had a damn near flawless race. Congratulations Tim, John, Todd and Scott.

More Bilstein 2.65 Performance

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:27:00 +0000

Nothing stays the same for very long here at the shop and it's pretty much the standard here. We've been working with Jounce Stops on the Bilstein 2.65 systems and found that we can increase the comfort and performance of the system with just one more tweak to the recipe. The final 2.5 inches of travel is assisted with a rubber stop at the base of the shaft, a Jounce Stop. The durometer of the rubber isn't intended to be a bumpstop, it's purpose is to augment a bumpstop. Whether you're running factory rubber stops or Carli's custom inverted King 2.0's, the Jounce application will increase the comfort of that final shaft movement to full bump travel.

Business as usual down at the shop, another week passes and something else gets added to the arsenal of Dodge Ram performance upgrades. Maximum performance, maximum comfort. Bilstein 2.65 owners should appreciate just one more level of performance from their system.

Check out the rest of the package of the Carli Bilstein 2.65 Dodge Ram Suspension System

Carli's 2.5 Piston

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:03:00 +0000

When something is good, you gotta go with it. Carli Suspension pulls out another proprietary tweak to the performance spectrum spread with their King 2.5 shock piston. There's been a couple of pistons that we've tested and found some results on a shock dyno, yet the net effect we were looking for wasn't found... so I introduce the ground up build of a new piston for the King 2.5 off road racing shock. We've been able to get a 2.5 to stand down compression figures that a 3.0 produces with an inordinate amount of dampening during testing, but if you constrict the flow too much, heat becomes an issue. The 3.0 actually cools itself down during dyno testing after being warmed up to over 100 degrees and when we pump up the previous 2.5 piston with a super low flow design, you need gloves to get it off the dyno.

More about Carli Suspension's 3.0 Dyno testing and shock tuning.

The piston designs born here at Carli Suspension are focused on Total Control. Being able to tune the shock with increased ranges of adjustment allows for an extension of what we've all come to expect from the company. Sweeter street ride and more off road performance all in one package. The pistons are the biggest advancement yet, which wouldn't have even arrived without years of testing and tuning a myriad of shocks in as many applications.

On the tuning bed, a ceiling was approaching working with just valve shims... so after a year of exploring options, the machinist received a PO and now we are the beneficiaries of this initiative. Total Control engineering that results in a technology that you feel in your seat.

Carli's Own 3.0 Piston

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:41:00 +0000

Well, now I have to take a step back and correct something about the 2009 Dodge Ram Radar thread when mentioned some of the goodies that we should be waiting for this year... and there wasn't anything about a Carli Suspension King Piston anywhere. Well there's a reason for that, we didn't know it was coming either.

Dodge Ram Suspension manufacturers all tout a proprietary approach to their systems, but the smartest part of any suspension system is the shock. Now there is true separation in the industry and Carli crossed the line with their advancements in suspension technology with their very own 3.0 King piston. You can rest assured that there aren't any other suspension manufacturers that are machining 7075 blocks of Aluminum into a custom designed 3.0 shock pistons just for the HD line of Dodge Ram's.

The entire initiative is spurred by the same thing that drove numerous advancements in shock tuning. Superior ride quality and street manners with the ability to hammer bumps in the dirt at speed - from a single tune. The quest to offer the best of both worlds lead to an incredible amount of intellectual property at the company and now it's just getting crazy, this isn't experimental shock valving that gets a diesel on top of whoops, this is real engineering.

The outcome is just ridiculous, Sage's truck is the first to be outfitted with any King advancements and one ride leaves you speechless... and if you don't believe that statement, come down for a demo and I'll post your comments for the rest of the readers. I've gone through at least 12 different tunes with my 3.0's and although improvements were found across the spectrum, it still wasn't anything close to what the piston delivered on the first installation.

Transitions are smooth, compression ramps up quickly minus any harsh qualities. Expansion joints are miniaturized and curbs don't jerk the wheel out of your hand when you run em over. The design supports Sage's latest shock tuning methods offering 5x the ability to tune bleed - the result? A seat-of-your-pants feel that will leave you wondering what's coming next.

19" of Rear Travel

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:08:00 +0000

Well as we've all come to expect, Carli Suspension is pulling more and more rabbits out of the Dodge Ram Suspension hat and now we change our focus to the rear end. Modifications to the full rear leaf pack and a new Carli shackle design allows for bolt-on long travel Dodge Ram rear suspension. Boasting a bit over 19" of travel with the first prototype, this project is already creating a buzz in the arena.

The design allows for a pinion angle change at full droop which doesn't create driveline issues. Mike's truck has been the lab rat for quite a while and the rewards are always a massive step up in consumer fun for the rest of us. There aren't very many Dodge Ram CTD trucks running the streets that will drop a 37" BFG race tire completely out of the wheel well and below the body line... or I should say, there aren't any trucks.

Here we get to look at the signature of Carli Suspension from a different angle and although dropping jaws in the industry isn't something new, innovations are being released that just didn't happen anywhere else. Sage and the boys get an earned round of applause for another addition to the Dodge Ram aftermarket goodie buffet that is sure to make some waves when it comes time to play.

Super Duty Suspension Praise

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:56:00 +0000

Pick up this month's issue of Diesel World for the latest solid from the press for Carli Suspension. Showcasing their Ford Super Duty Suspension System for the 05 to 08 line of Ford owners.

Dig on the complete play-by-play installation and how to bolt-on pure performance for some of the biggest light diesel trucks. Complete with an optional dual bypass racing shock from King Off Road and sporting that signature Carli shock tune, this is a Royal Flush for Super Duty fans.

It's been a long road with the products for the Dodge Ram and all of this is bleeding over to Ford's lineup and you can expect the same quality in the Super Duty system; comfortable street ride, excellent freeway manners and (of course) the flying diesel circus in the dirt. It won't be long until somebody wants to go huck their F-350 and you can expect that I'll be there with the cameras and the coaching "Yeah, that was cool, but how bout you double your speed and hit it again?" - that's about how it goes on play-day and we always hit the local taco stand on the way home from an addition to Sage's carnival of flying diesels.

2009 Dodge Ram Radar

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:07:00 +0000

Carli Suspension wrapped up the 2008 year with the innovation of numerous tuning enhancements and performance components, some still in the development cycle. This includes the Dodge Ram Upper Ball Joints, Custom 2.0 King Front Bump Stops, Carli Sway Control, Carli Diff Protection, Bilstein 2.65 Suspension System and the Dodge Ram Front End Upgrade Kit. The company has been on a progressive development pace and you can expect the same in 2009 with more features and upgrades for your trucks.

Key items that will be on the radar for 2009 are King Rear Bumpstop system, which is a modification of the existing hydro-pneumatic rear bumpstop brackets and lower ball joints for the Dodge Ram HD series 4x4. Shock tuning hasn't slowed down one bit either, we will be continuously pushing the envelope and pulling more out of our off-road racing shocks while preserving the street ride and comfort of your truck - business as usual.

Stay tuned for some site updates, component releases and performance upgrades real soon.

2008 Race Truck Testing

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:10:00 +0000

We pulled an entire weekend in Barstow testing the #807 Race Truck. Saturday started out with a couple of issues with a Kong reservoir, so Sage and I headed back to the shop for the spares when we got cut off by the fires, which resulted in Saturday's productivity being scrubbed for testing. The prep went fine and we rebuilt three and a half King Kongs and had to wait until Sunday to get back out to the desert and drop on the new reservoir and roll the truck.

Once the truck hit the first whoop, we were amazed at the difference from the last setup and the testing turned into mild bypass tweaks. The truck's composure started to collect, the drivers found their rhythm in the bumps and we ended the afternoon running the middle of Barstow Main at 63 mph on the GPS.

Installation Instructions

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 02:22:00 +0000

We're putting together an instructional library for all Carli Suspension, Inc Dodge Ram Suspension Systems and Components. Complete with illustrations, where necessary, tools you'll need for the job and step-by-step narrative accompanied by photos. These will be fully updated and available for download in our Dodge Ram Suspension Instruction Library.

We'll be completing this over the next few days and will notify our distributors so they can update their documentation as well. Note: Each Carli Suspension, Inc delivery comes with printed and laminated instructions, however how many of us dive into a project and half way through (or more) decide to look at the instructions - don't worry, if you're one of those (like I am), you can download a new copy from the library.

2008 Baja 1000 Preparation

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:19:00 +0000

Looks like things are shaping up pretty well for the Big Dog and Carli Suspension team! This is going to be an interesting adventure with the first part of the course being a hazard for miles on end. Last night I came out of Baja via Tecate and spoke with team 299 who was pre running the course on motos and they reported a 3 hour traffic jam from a buggy that broke an axle on the course... and the section being so steep and narrow, there was just no going around. Somebody had to produce a welder and repair the axle on course in order to free up movement. This is surely to be a careful execution for the larger vehicles.

So far this year, the Carli crew has been on all of the sections of the course, minus the La Rumorosa section. We have a day planned to pre run that the week of the race from our camp in La Bufadora. This weekend the Canadian team will come down and we're set to do some Kong tuning in Barstow before we depart for Mexico. Everything is staged to be down in Baja early next week.

King 3.0 Shock Dyno Testing

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:47:00 +0000

Tuning Dodge Ram Suspension is a constant process... and today we just added another tool to our box. A shock dyno. Shown here is Sage working with a tech with one of the first 3.0 King Shocks for a Carli Suspension System. We are able to tear down a shock, tune it with whatever valves we like, then reassemble and install on the dyno. From here we can make several passes with the shock connected to a Nitrogen tank so we can adjust the gas charge and run the same valve profile and compare data.

Today was our first day playing with our standard valve profile and one of our latest experiments. So far, we've learned a lot and the theory is starting to take shape. Understanding how to interpret data is important and being able to connect a curve on a graph to "seat of the pants" feel is bringing new light into the world of tuning these race shocks for our Dodge Ram's.

So now we're able to see the transition of force that the shock absorbs, how fast it absorbs it and what happens next. We are able to visualize what we feel after tuning the shocks, which before was impossible. After the first few passes and adjustments, Sage was pointing at a computer screen and able to pick out where the big bumps are absorbed and where those little expansion joints are felt.

After the run of the standard Dominator 3.0 shock tune, which impressed everyone who saw the graph, we valved another 3.0 with my Megacab tune. An experiment that was tried several months ago... and Sage even said "I'm almost scared what this is going to show..." jokingly, of course... and what happen next made us all bug out. First of all, the valve stack and method was something completely different, hence the experiment... and what we found was that the second shock produced over 50% more compression that transitioned in a smooth arc on the graph and had balanced rebound. After someone else asked what was going on and they got the full technical scoop, I heard someone say "Yeah, I remember that Walker Evans used to do that on one of his buggies".

Here's a quick look at the very first test results. What you're looking at is the dyno graph of the shock stroke. Now to make things simple, what you're looking for are smooth transitions and no spikes - this is where ride quality can be visualized. Shown here is the standard Dominator 3.0 shock valve profile. Each test was run with a different gas charge and what we found is that the pressure that is recommended for our valving, produced the best data signature when tested.

The next graph is experimental 3.0 valving for "special case" off-road driving that we tagged with a nickname at the shop, but that's aside the point. What we did was start out with a very low pressure charge and work our way up. You can immediately see a major difference. The size of the visual, when overlaid with the first test, is much bigger, almost 40% more - which turns out to be the amount of energy this valve profile absorbs in the same time and distance. Big bump compression, with the exact same smooth transition. The next thing you notice is the anomaly at the end of the compression stroke, represented with the teal colored line. This was done with the lowest reservoir charge and shows that the shock cavitated. Once we got into actual operating pressures and not testing pressures, that anomaly was reduced and finally with the actual pressure we run with this stack, turned out as smooth, if not smoother than the valve stack with 40% less compression. Smooth transition of energy absorbing and recovery is the key to ride quality, on or off-road.

This kind of research and development is only possible through a tight working relationship with King Off Road. Access to their equipment, personnel and knowledge is a contributing factor in the speed at which our R&D progresses.

We're headed back in a couple days with an arsenal of shocks, various tunes and ideas. This is sure to speed things up with the R&D and help confirm or deny some of the ideas that pop up around the shop. This advancement is only going to lead to more shock tuning experience and knowledge, which means we'll have more fun in our trucks off road and they'll ride nicer on the highway.

SCORE International Baja 1000

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:10:00 +0000

It's that time of year again and the Carli Suspension Team is making the logistical plan to greet Mexico's toughest terrain in a Dodge Ram 2500 HD. Teamed up with Big Dog Performance out of Alberta Canada and racing in Class 8. This year there's some new terrain for the team to tackle as well as something new for everyone. The buzz is some really technical and brutal sections and some relief that San Felipe's biggest whoops have been tamed by recent rains. It's going to be another adventure and test of commitment for all of us. As the dates grow closer the excitement will ramp up, more so for the driver's... supporting this year's race will be much easier than a point-to-point course.

Big Dog Performance will be down shortly to perform the final prep and tune in the King Kong's before heading south. There will be much to do in the coming weeks and as most of America will be visiting family and carving the turkey, some of us will be having a sleepless night in Ensenada just before we launch on a 40 hour adventure that we'll never forget!

We'll get some updates going weekly as we progress and some pictures of the race truck.

Bilstein 2.65 Delivery Dates

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:54:00 +0000

The question has been answered: We will be shipping Bilstein 9100 2.65 systems in Mid-November! We will have our first sets of shocks in from Bilstein in just a couple of weeks. The custom cut shock bodies that go through a clear-powder coat process took the longest to produce. Just to make sure we have plenty in stock, there will be an additional run of 240 shocks that will be available in January.

Our delivery date is scheduled for the 14th of November and a month after that, we will receive another run of the Bilstein 2.65 racing shocks to make sure we meet the demand. In 2009, Bilstein will produce hundreds more of these for Carli Suspension, Inc.

Sway Bar Torsion Rate Finalized

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:39:00 +0000

As with all of the research and development done here at the Carli shop... the final performance call of off road suspension components gets left to Mexico. Another weekend logging hundreds of miles testing tweaks to valve profiles, prototype components and, this round, sway bar torsion rate. Too stiff and you loose low speed articulation and driver comfort... too loose and you sacrifice high speed stability. This has to be something that is tuned just right. Although, still adjustable with a two position sway bar arm, you can tweak it a little bit more to work for your own preference or suspension set up. Our findings are going down into the books and we'll be setting up some part numbers with metal suppliers to get these into production. Along with that, custom laser cut brackets will be fabricated as well as selecting bushing material for the mounts. Carli's Dodge Ram Sway Bar is just around the corner.

Carli Diff Protection

noreply@blogger.com (Prozac) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:52:00 +0000

Taking your Dodge Ram out in the boondocks, whether that means deep in Baja or your favorite local spot, should not be a trip that winds up costing you a set of gears. Having the confidence of .250 wall steel plate constructed differential guards is one of those piece of mind add-ons that any adventurous off road enthusiast should strongly consider. Shown here is my Megacab negotiating the infamous Goat Trail on the SCORE race routes a few weekends ago. Taking a truck this size down trails as tight as this means you're limited in your selection of lines... and as you can see from the photo, there isn't a pretty one to choose from. Once in a while you're going to make contact, whether that is by choice and moving slow and deliberate or by accident - either event can cost you.

The first time to Barstow for a location scouting run, I dropped my front differential down on to the top of a rock buried in a sand wash. The only reason I caught this is due to a flat tire and upon inspecting the rest of the rig, I noticed a steady flow of gear oil coming from my differential cover. Sage grabbed a rock and smashed the cover with it a few times and got it to seal up with just a small puddle of oil under the axle. Had we continued and this went unnoticed, it could have cost a set of gears and a few hours in the dirt removing critical running gear for the limp home.

We installed 5 prototype differential guards on 5 Dodge Ram HD's and headed for hundreds of miles in Baja a couple weekends ago and turns out, one of us took a boulder dead center. An impact that brought a long bed quad cab diesel to a dead stop while slowly rolling down a trail. The incident required nothing but a change in line to correct the situation and the adventure continued. Without the guard... who knows?

Proven strength in the roughest conditions we can subject the hardware to... testing has completed. Now it's a matter of design tweaks to accommodate all 3rd Gen Dodge Ram model years' steering hardware, various stabilizers and their mounting brackets. Stay tuned for the release of Carli's Diff Pro.