James Duff SAS full size Bronco?

[rookieshooter]

You heard it first hear.

Rumor has it that Duff is coming out with a SAS kit for the full size Broncos for guys that want to trash the ttb which means it should work on other trucks also.
And they do have D60, 70s, Sterling 4 links and Ford 9" with outboard shocks hmmm.

 

[janderson4010]

I thought James duff already made a sas kit for full size broncos using a radius arm design, I saw it on that stacey david guys show, might not have been james duff though.

 

[janderson4010]

I guess it wasn't them, I just got on their site and nothing about that. Sounds like Rick is insider trading haha. the other kit is the fabritech kit and cage makes pretty much a full kit as well, at least anything you need for it. James duff makes some pretty cool stuff im sure a kit from them would be quality stuff.

 

[lounge lizard]

Gearz did the broncograveyard (I believe) SAS conversion on Ted Nugent's full size bronco.


Rick! an insider? can it be true?

 

[DB_1]

the other kit is the fabritech kit

Absolute garbage.

 

[janderson4010]

Absolute garbage.

thats what I understood reading online as well. it prob was the bronco graveyard kit, I just didn't catch that through stacey davids giggling haha.

 

[DB_1]

Well, Bronco Graveyard was one of a couple places you could buy it. If you wanted to SAS your RBV and drive it on the street it will do the job. If you wanted to actually use it off road and perform you are better off building something yourself.

Without including the axle, you can do the swap for a fraction of the price of the kit if you used the radius arm set-up any 70's Ford truck or full sized Bronco. The only thing you'd have to fab (or buy) is the trac-bar brackets, steering linkage and and maybe a trans mount depending how you set it up. Coil buckets will have to be modded to fit as well but overall it's about a close as you will get to a bolt in swap.

 

[janderson4010]

I looked and broncograveyard doesn't even list a kit anymore, couple of random parts but no full on kit. kits are dumb anyway, just like DB1 said its all about the customization. That being said my buddy Eric who runs an offroad shop has talked about putting something together for the Explorers, BII's and Rangers of the word. I think it would be prohibitive to do that though, and even if I sold the arms, coils, buckets and all the joints to make it my 3link required a LOT of modification, driver side frame rail is unrecognizable. I guess if you did a radius arm setup you might be able to make a kit that peeps would be happy with.

 

[ThatFabGuy]

While it isn't a "kit" per se, JD done the swap using off the shelf parts. Track bar bracket was made and a new trans crossmember is in the works.

Calling in or emailing will get you all the info you need. Basically using all the stuff they used for the RBV SAS except for the coil buckets. These universal buckets and shock mounts will let you tune the ride height you want.

 

[janderson4010]

just watched that Gearz episode, he used parts from james duff, looked like a really cool setup, sat to damn high imho.

 

[ThatFabGuy]

The Ted Nugent Bronco was a complete one off setup. In case you missed it, it has ProRock 60s front and rear with 42" tires. The only thing you can buy from the Gearz episode is the radius arms along with a few small parts.

The Bronco Driver magazine shoot (above) is an all bolt-on attempt at a SAS for the full size guys. Basically it's saying that Duff has offered the parts for years to do all the stuff everyone *****es about not being able to do. If you don't call something a "KIT" then you don't get the same sales as everything sitting on the shelf.

Radius arms--Offered for 6 yrs--$699
coils--even before the RAs--$170
buckets--at least 3 yrs--$125
HD lower coil retainers--at least 2 yrs--$75

So for $1K you could have done this anytime in the last few years. Throw it together and call it a "KIT" and all of a sudden the phone is ringing off the hook.

The Gearz episode is a crock in my book. The guys @ Duff done everything as a one off for free and Stacey David takes all the credit. He was calling one of the Duff guys asking what different pieces were called and what could be removed for the filming. They each got an awesome T-shirt for all their hard work.

 

[ThatFabGuy]

Here's a pic from when it was @ the Duff shop

 

[janderson4010]

so are you saying that the suspension was put together in duffs shop and then taken to the gearz set wherever that is and then Stacey David acted like he put that together? I guess that is what I would expect from a tv show. Also I would think its pretty common practice for a company to donate parts to a tv show to get their name out there, exact same reason Ian on extreme puts arbs in every gd rig he build, not always the best for the given rig but he prob gets them for free. I don't know what your affiliation with James Duff enterprises is but you seem to have the inside line on the goings on there, too bad there was bad blood over it.

 

[ThatFabGuy]

so are you saying that the suspension was put together in duffs shop and then taken to the gearz set wherever that is and then Stacey David acted like he put that together?

That would be EXACTLY what happened. I always though ol Stacey kinda knew what he was talking about but after everything I seen/heard, only thing he knows is guitars. BTW, the Gearz studio is right outside of Nashville, TN.

Also I would think its pretty common practice for a company to donate parts to a tv show to get their name out there

Again, you are correct. Good business sense for a company that is getting plugged for what it is they do. Getting a small company like Duff's to make a one off suspension for a truck that will never see the light of day......not so much. It's good to get the phones ringing, but if you can't sell the customer a product then you just shot yourself in the foot. How many customers you think wanna bring their truck to the Duff shop and drop $7K on something that hasn't even been tested? ZERO!

I don't know what your affiliation with James Duff enterprises is but you seem to have the inside line on the goings on there

They used my Explorer to prototype a few new products as well as the SAS "kit" for the RBVs. I spent a lot of time there working side by side with the guys doing the R&D, manufacturing the products, and the installation. Not to mention we went on many wheelin' rides, events, and a couple open houses. I used to co-own a fab shop and when the Shop Supervisor left Duff to move home to take care of his aging parents, they offered me the position.

too bad there was bad blood over it

No bad blood but the experience did make some people a little smarter. Duff's is a very small company (8 employees). With a company that size, you can't focus all your efforts on doing a "favor" that isn't going to add to your bottom line. The Gearz stuff is behind them and before my time. Hopefully the Bronco Driver shoot will be something to boost the Duff guys and get their ball rolling.

 

[janderson4010]

so are the coils for the eb the same as the coils for a 70s ford pickup or a 78-79 bronco? my little brother has a 76 f150 and we are looking at the JD progressive rate coils for him. I see that the blue rig fsb has them on it but I wondered if they were using eb coil buckets or if the stock peices are the right diameter.