Tag: Dakota

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Poll results!

Poll Results: What Are You Looking For?

I recently ran a poll to find out what kits and components you’re most interested in. Unsurprisingly, the clear winner was the “Fridge Trucks” — the 1957–1960 Ford F100s. That’s where my focus will be over the next four weeks.

If you’re one of the many who voted for it, you’re in luck—development is already underway.

Ranking of the poll
Ranking of the poll from 03/16/2025 through 03/23/2025

What’s Next: Fabricated Arms and Airbags

Tube control arms are still on the table, but I’m also working on a fabricated version. These would potentially reduce cost and be better suited for airbag setups. I have quite a bit of design work to finish before they’re ready.

 

What I need from those of you interested, is suggestions on how you intend on using these. Stock applications? That is a possibility for you Dakota guys. Do you want to stick with stock rubber bushings, go fully Poly bushings? How about something trick like spherical bearings?

Studebaker IFS Kits and What’s Coming Next

Over the years, I’ve built a handful of Studebaker IFS kits. While they worked well and had their fans, they were never big sellers—on average, I moved fewer than six kits a year. On top of that, the fixtures I had built for them were damaged during my move back in early 2020.

That means if I want to bring them back, I’d have to start from scratch—completely rebuilding the fixturing and investing the time and materials to make them viable again. Based on current costs, I estimate each kit would land at around $1250, plus crating and freight for shipping.

A Community-Supported Build?

Here’s the deal:
If 10 committed people are truly interested, I’m willing to do the work. I’d need a $750 deposit from each person to fund the fixture rebuild and the first production run. Once your kit is built and ready to ship, the balance would be due.

If that sounds like something you’d be on board with, reach out. If I can gather 10 real commitments, I’ll greenlight the project.

New Name, Same Mission

As many of you know, I’m in the middle of a rebrand. The new parent company will be called KofA Kustom.
I’ll still be using Industrial Chassis as the label for my branded suspension parts, but KofA Kustom will represent the broader business and future of what I’m building here.

Thanks for sticking with me, and thanks for voting—it’s genuinely helpful as I plan what’s next.

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Dodge Guys! Front Brake Upgrade Information!






Caliper Bracket Compatibility Chart



Caliper Bracket Compatibility Chart




✔
Make Model Year
CHRYSLER 300 1971
CHRYSLER NEW YORKER 1972-1973
DODGE B100 1973-1980
DODGE D150 PICKUP 1977-1981
DODGE RAMCHARGER 1985-1993


If your spindle looks like this, there is a good chance this bracket will allow you to use the Wilwood D52 two piston slider caliper on your stock rotor. Centric, StopTECH and R1 Concepts are both making slotted and coated rotors for a nice visual and actual performance upgrade.

The one I am unsure of is the D100 with the 5 on 4.5″ bolt circle. The inner bearing is smaller indicating the spindle may be different.

Printable PDF CLICK HERE

The update here is that the 1980-1984 Dodge D150 rotor for the 3300 lb. front axle is the small pattern rotor has the 63mm inner bore on the rotor so it does fit the spindles with the 1.49″ bearing register. Everything else is the same as the 3600 lb. axle with the 5 on 5.5″ rotor. Beware of what inner bearing and race are used on your application, as there is a difference in the small pattern rotors. The National A17 shows a 1.3772 (34.981mm) inner bore on the bearing and a 2.3622 (60mm) outer, which is smaller than the National A18 bearing that rings in at 1.4961 (30mm) on the inner bore and 2.4803 (63mm) on the outer. Both carry the same A18 bearing. If you are unsure of what spindle you have, grab a measuring caliper and check that inner bearing register on your spindle with these inner bore dimensions. And please refer to this drawing for your caliper mounting dimensions.

It is possible that these brackets will work on the D100 spindle, but it is unlikely that the small pattern D100 rotor will fit the Dakota or D150 spindles, because of this diameter difference.
I would love to be proven wrong on this!  And now I was proven wrong, we are good to go!

Part image

 

The Dakota and D150/B150/B1500 use the same bearings and grease seals.

National A18 inner bearing with 38mm ID and 63mm OD. And all the spindles use the same A16 outer bearing with the 21.999mm ID and 45.974 OD.

 

Below are likely to be able to use these caliper brackets.

If you need further assistance, send me an email at info@industrialchassisinc.com or text to ‪(480) 535-7774‬ to learn how to purchase a pair.

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Next video up, Rust removal click bait!

And some metal shaping too!

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Bench Racing Forums

The Bench Racing Forum is the place to ask questions and have a discussion about the products we make and sell.

The forums can be found in the tool bar above and to the left, click that tab and join me in the forums.

There we can discuss the products offered, your project or just ask a question about your build. I would much rather have a conversation here than on social media pages.

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Interesting information!

MOOG looks like they are making the Dakota control arms now.

CarID has a page where the Passenger side is listed available

 

MOOG® - R-Series™ Front Driver Side Upper Control Arm and Ball Joint Assembly

https://www.carid.com/1990-dodge-dakota-suspension-parts/moog-r-series-control-arm-and-ball-joint-assembly-3665691174.html?parentsubmodel[]=WHEEL+DRIVE|RWD+%28Rear+Wheel+Drive%29

Right Upper – RK623220
Left Upper – RK623221

No information on lowers at this time.

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Stupid viral outbreak

I apologize for the lack of updates, but we are having growing pains. The new building and the move has taken way longer to accomplish than anticipated.

First the shut down and move since the first of the year, moving the equipment to the new location in Tempe AZ and the merge with Phoenix Hotrod Company, all of which was underway when this shut down has occurred. Most of the move went fairly well, but getting the trades in the new location to do build-out of the building was slow or delayed. But the thing that is absolutely kicking our butts is the dust collection system for the plasma table.

The new location is air-conditioned. Going to be so nice for those hot Arizona summers. In fact, this past summer we broke a record of days over 100º by one day (so far) and it’s been really dry. Our Monsoon storms were non-existent this year, which was sort of a blessing as a lot of our equipment was stored outside. And as it goes, the last thing we need before we can ramp up production is the dust collector. The plasma table can really kick up some dust when we are cutting. The portable units we have for temporary use just are not capable, and I can plug up the HVAC filters in minutes. There have been promises to get this system up and running since early September, not even close. The blower fans needed haven’t even been made yet.

So the minimal cutting we can do without choking everyone out has resulted in something. As a test run, we made two of the bolt in kits for the 47-55 Chevy/GMC trucks. One is spoken for, the other is up for grabs!

The other products can resume as soon as we can. Look forward to an announcement on the www.phoenixhotrods.com page, I will have the web store up here and there as Industrial Chassis Becomes the “house brand” for PHC. And trying to talk the boss into a Grand Opening party/Throwdown/Meet-N-Greet or maybe a pancake breakfast or something.

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Opening Day is getting closer

I am getting really hammered with requests for product, I really want to get back to production. This COVID virus has really put the brakes on everything. We had hoped to be up and running by last month, more likely we will have things working and ready for production by mid-August now.

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Covid Blues

This has been one strange journey.

Since our merge with Phoenix Hotrod Company in February, the move came to a crawl. The preparation for our new location in Tempe Arizona almost ground to a halt. The electrical install has taken way longer than we anticipated. However, things are finally getting wrapped up. Machinery is finally getting placed and we hope to move the remaining equipment from the Deer Valley location of Phoenix Hotrod by mid-July. The push to get going over there is urgent.

It will likely take us a few weeks if not months to get the workflow worked out, so production may be a little slow in coming. But it looks like we will get everything back online before the end of summer and, AND new stuff also.

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Making use of my free time

Quarantine time

We find ourselves in strange times with this viral outbreak. My merger with Phoenix Hotrod Company is ongoing, but we are on a limited work schedule. So what am I to do with a four day weekend for the next few weeks. Normally we work a 4-10 with a nice three day weekend, but we are trying to limit exposure. By one day? Okay, that’s what the legal team wants.

Everyone is doing it, so I may as well join the fray. I’m getting back to doing my videos on YouTube. I have two of my long-term projects stored at a secret location where I can work on them over the weekend like normal folk. So naturally, I need to document it and put it on YouTube, right? The first project I am going to work on is my 1954 Ford F100. I started this years ago.

This was a farmer’s Special. Worked hard and abused to death. Was originally a standard truck with a 272 Ford Y-block and overdrive trans and heater being the only upgrades. When I got it, the frame rail on the driver side had two major breaks and some really sketchy repairs. The right side rail wasn’t much better. I pulled the frame all the way down to the rails. Designed and built a whole new fabricated center X-member, installed one of my Dakota IFS kits with 1990 Dakota parts. All powder coated and rebuild. The rear is a 1969 Dana 60.3 from a Camper Special truck. Rebuilt, all new bearings and custom axles to use the later Ford 8.8 style axle bearings, Wilwood brakes all around, Ride Tech coil overs on the rear with helper sleeve airbags and Cargo Coil springs and Bilstein Shocks on the front. The intent is to build a towpig. Like a heavy half ton truck that can comfortably tow a 24′ enclosed trailer.

Power is coming from a Cummins ISF 3.8 four cylinder turbodiesel and backed by an Allison 1000 6-speed auto.

The goal is is to make this look like it was a stock truck, but as a crew cab. Even going with the factory colors.

Follow along with the build. https://www.youtube.com/user/ELpollacko

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Do work son!

Yeah, things are progressing. The move is moving forward. It’s looking like about six weeks or so of this posting that we will be back.

The web-store will be back when we are able to produce. There may be a delay in between when you order and when we ship, but no more than a week as we sort the production and shipping in the new location.

This has been one of the wildest journeys so far. The potential here is going to be next level for the entire team.