SOLID FOUNDATION, PART I
Modern Chassis Solutions From TCI Engineering
THOUGH CLASSIC PICKUPS have bold bodylines and real style, they don’t always have the best components underneath. Back in the day, these trucks were workhorses built to get the job done. Comfort wasn’t a priority; hauling loads was the primary goal. Trucks were more likely to travel unpaved roads and were given a higher stance to cope.
Nowadays, most of these classic pickups have been taken out of service, but we customizers enjoy giving them a new life. Getting these trucks to go low isn’t too difficult, but it can be a pain to drive one that still has most of its original components. Things like modern ride quality and power steering are features to which we’ve grown accustomed. If you’ve ever driven an old truck, you know what we’re talking about. Parallel parking? Forget it!
If you’re like us, you dig seeing these trucks slammed. There are lower budget methods for getting your classic truck to sit low, but you do get what you pay for. Simply bolting on a few parts might give you the look you want, but they won’t help your truck drive any better. In fact, budget lowering parts can actually cause your truck to perform even worse. Safety is also a concern, because rotted, old suspension parts can fail and put you in a dangerous situation.
Fortunately, there are companies like Total Cost Involved (TCI) Engineering providing solutions for tired, old trucks. TCI offers a wide range of products from basic independent front suspensions (IFS) to complete chassis with numerous options. These systems accommodate disc brakes for stopping power and rack-and-pinion steering to ease turning. The different kit
levels also provide options for running dropped springs, Ridetech coil-overs and even airbags.
The company was started back in 1974, and has a solid reputation for bringing new life to old trucks. TCI started from humble beginnings, but it has expanded to become a huge competitor in the classic truck aftermarket. We decided to head to TCI’S headquarters in Ontario, California, to see the 32,000-sq-ft facility. As we were guided through the grounds, we quickly discovered that TCI makes all of its products directly onsite. Better yet, the majority of the components that make up the kits are fabricated onsite as well. Making products in-house, like TCI does, allows for improved quality control. The folks there have so much confidence in their parts that they offer a lifetime warranty for parts made in-house and a six-year/60,000-mile warranty on wear-and-tear parts.
When we stopped by, the TCI crew was building a few 1953-56 Ford F-100 chassis. We took some photos to capture the features and benefits these kits offer. For this article, we focused on the options available for front ends. We’ll follow this up with other components in the next issue. Stay tuned.