New Tri-Five Pro-G IRS for ’55-’57 Chevys

Wauconda, IL, August 15, 2012 – Heidts Automotive Group used the 43rd Annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals Plus at Louisville, KY to introduce a bolt-in, high-horsepower Independent Rear Suspension System for 1955 through 1957 Chevrolet cars. This bolt-in rear suspension system is based of the proven and award-winning Pro-G IRS design and adds yet another popular vehicle to the ever-growing lineup of fully engineered front and rear suspension systems and components.

The Tri-Five Chevy owners have been asking us to develop a true, bolt-in IRS solution for them to put under their cars,” says Mike Hawley, Heidts Sales Manager. “These cars are hugely popular with both customers and our dealers and are built from mild to wild. This new bolt-in high horsepower Pro-G IRS will allow them to take the ride and handling of these classic builds to a whole new level of performance.”

“When we set out to develop this product, our engineering team had one goal: make the BEST bolt-in IRS solution on the market – period,” says Jim Shaw, one of the Engineering Team members at Heidts that developed  the Tri-Five Pro-G IRS. “The bolt-in feature means this Pro-G IRS can be installed on cars that are already complete or easily added to builds already under way. The ’55 to ’57 Chevy chassis provided some unique challenges, but we addressed them all and even made a few design enhancements to make exhaust routing easier.”

“We know that this application is going to be a big hit with our dealers and will allow them to introduce Heidts’ award-winning design and engineering, along with our best-in-the-industry customer service to a whole new segment of hot rod and street rod customers,” adds Hawley.

New: Tri-Five Pro-G IRS (Independent Rear Suspension)
Responding to the request of our dealers and customers, the Heidts Engineering Team has developed a high-horsepower, ’55-’57 Chevy application of the award-winning Pro-G IRS design and geometry.

The Tri-Five Pro-G IRS features a fully welded and boxed upper cross member, heavy-duty upper and lower control arms, fully welded uprights, heavy-duty constant-velocity joints and axle shafts as well as Heidts’ own cast center section that can be loaded with a ride range of gear ratios and posi-traction differentials.

The Tri-Five Pro-G IRS also makes use of standard 10.5-inch inboard mounted disc brakes with four-piston Wilwood calipers. Based upon the intended vehicle applications, the Heidts Sales Team will help the customer select the proper spring rates for the coil-over shock assemblies. The Tri-Five Pro-G IRS is available in both 56- and 58-inch wheel track versions.

The Heidts Tri-Five Pro-G IRS package includes:

• 9-inch aluminum housing
• 3rd member, iron, posi-traction differential
• HD CV Joint Half-Shafts
• Tubular Upper and Lower Arms
• Steel Outer Uprights
• Fully welded and boxed Top Cross Member
• Frame Mounting Brackets
• Front Pinion Support
• 10.5-inch Wilwood brake rotors
• Black Wilwood brake calipers
• Billet, Single Adjustable Coil-overs with Chrome Springs

Heidts Tri-Five Pro-G IRS Options include;

• 56- or 58-inch Wheel Track Widths
• Choice of Gear Ratios
• Choice of Spring Rates
• Choice of component finish: Raw or “Show Package” of polished and chrome steel components and polished center section
• Parking Brake Kit and Cable Kit

Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price:
MSRP for the new Tri-Five Pro-G IRS starts at $7,995 (options extra) with units in stock and ready for shipment.

For more information on this or other industry-leading Heidts products, contact your local Heidts dealer, call Heidts directly at 800/841-8188 or visit our website at http://www.heidts.com.

About Heidts Automotive
Headquartered in Wauconda, IL, where all of its components are designed and manufactured, Heidts Automotive has served the automotive enthusiast market for more than 25 years, providing industry-leading and high quality suspension solutions for hot rod, muscle car and performance car builders around the world. More recently, the company has focused on expanding their line of products to serve the rapidly growing “resto-mod” and performance markets and has become the industry’s largest supplier of high performance Independent Rear Suspension (IRS) systems with its new Pro-G product line, which was voted Best Chassis and Suspension Product at the 2011 Hot Rod & Restoration Show. For more information or to request a product catalog, visit http://www.heidts.com

Heidts Automotive on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heidts-Hot-Rod-Muscle-Car-Parts

Heidts-equipped AMXess Competes in 2012 Real Street Eliminator at Car Craft Summer Nationals

Built by D & Z Customs, Jimi Day’s AMXess is a one-of-a-kind Pro-Touring ’69 AMX that has been hitting the event circuit very hard in 2012. After making it’s public debut at the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Day has been driving and racing this unique Heidts-equipped muscle car at events all over the country, including the recent Car Craft Summer Nationals in St. Paul, MN. Here is his report from the event.

The AMXess in the D&Z Customs display at the 2012 Car Craft Summer Nationals

AMXess attended the Car Craft Magazine Street Machine Nationals this last weekend in St. Paul, MN.  The CC Nats has been around nearly forever and continues to be one of the most anticipated events in the street machine arena.  Over 5,000 cars invaded the Minnesota State Fair Grounds and there was certainly a variety of build styles on hand.  Everything from for classic hot rods, crazy rat rods, fully restored muscle cars, vintage pro-street cruisers, some things we couldn’t really identify, and a host of G-machines made for an awesome mix of automotive creativity and ingenuity.

AMXess was invited to participate in the Real Street Eliminator competition – a series of points events including an autocross, dyno challenge and launch box.  As well, Randy Johnson, owner of D&Z Customs and builder of AMXess, was chosen as one of six pro builders to compete in the Car Craft Pro Builder Shootout and he submitted AMXess as his entry – so we were doing double duty!  Randy was the only Pro Builder that had a car competing in the RSE competition – a real tribute to his building talent.

AMXess came out of the box fast – we put down the RSE autocross and launch box times to beat early in the weekend with a 21.56 and 2.98 respectively.  On Saturday, there were only two other cars on the entire property in the 22’s and no other car had run under 3 in the launch box.  The trouble with leading going into the final hours is that you become a sitting duck and all you can do is try to defend.  Our toughest competition (and my personal nemesis) was the Crusher Camaro owned by the Leisinger family.  They were nipping at my heels most of the weekend, but going into Sunday, they pulled out all the stops and managed a 21.48 on the autocross and 2.96 in the launch box.  That was enough to relegate AMXess to a 2nd place tie for the RSE – disappointing to say the least.  Knowing the Crusher Camaro as I do, I felt a bit like we had a knife at a gun fight, but we’re already working on some improvements to get that monkey off our back.

This was my competition in the Car Craft Real Street Eliminator competition. It came down to the two of us battling it out on Sunday morning. In the end, the Crusher Camaro nudged AMXess for the title. It was this close – autocross 21.48 to my 21.56 and the launch box 2.96 to my 2.98. These were the fastest times of the weekend for all entries, not just RSE. Thanks to all the staff at Car Craft for a great event.

All of the parts we have on AMXess are working flawlessly. As planned, we’re beating the living hell out of the car.  In the last three months, we’ve put over 4,500 highway, city, track and autocross miles on the car.  This is a tribute to all of the quality parts and I want to thank everyone for the never-ending technical support and advice.

Jimi Day

Congratulations Jimi! Keep up the great work… and kudos to you and the team at D&Z Customs.

Heidts-equipped Camaros Hitting the Autocross Circuit in 2012

In addition to all the events the Heidts team is attending during the summer of 2012, the Heidts Pro G equipped ’71 Camaro is tearing it up at Goodguys autocross events and Optima Street Car Invitational events around the country.

Click on the image below to watch some of the autocross video from the recent Nashville Goodguys event. The Heidts Camaro, driven by sales manager Mike Hawley, begins terrorizing the cones at the 2:12 mark.

And check out this video of both the Heidts ’71 Camaro and Randy Johnson’s  “Re-Peeled” ’70 Camaro at a Goodguys event in Joliet, IL.

Be sure to keep your eyes – and your ears open at the next event…there may just be a Heidts-equipped car out on the autocross course layin’ down some fast times.

Want to build your own street-going autocross monster? Give the Heidts Sales Team a call toll free at 800/841-8188.

Heidts-equippped AMXess Project Showcases Street, Track and Autocross Performance Capabilities

Heidts dealer, D & Z Customs completed a one-of-a-kind ’69 American Motors AMX “pro touring” build just in time to be debuted at the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Immediately after leaving the SEMA Show, the car competed in the final event of the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational Challenge at Spring Mountain Motorsports Park in Parhump, NV.

Since that debut event, the car is being used just as it was designed and built for: driving! Named AMXess, Jimi Day’s red and white rocket is powered by a GM LS engine making 550 horsepower and is fitted with a customized Heidts Pro G front suspension. Below are some of the highlights of the “event reports” that Day sends us. Be sure to check out the videos as well.

Road America Highlights (from Jimi Day)
“During our testing sessions in April, we discovered that AMXess had a troubling characteristic I call “snap loose”.  The front sticks so well that we were unable to create any understeer, and under hard cornering, the front and rear would stick like glue right up until the time it didn’t, and the rear end would quickly snap all the way around.  Not a good scenario.  I like a car to be able to drift just slightly under hard cornering and be a little more predictable before it comes all the way around.  Randy and I put our heads together and decided that we needed more compression adjustment capabilities to compensate for the short wheel base (97″).  A Saturday afternoon call to my good buddy Bret at Ridetech confirmed our diagnosis and on Tuesday, a beautiful set of Ridetech triple adjustable shocks arrived at the shop!  AMXess was now ready for the track.

AMXess was fast right out of the box.  I was running in the B group with some pretty fast cars – Nissan GTR’s, lots of Corvettes, Mustangs and Porsches.  Needless to say, I had the only AMC product on the entire 500 acre facility.  However, AMXess and Re-peeled (D&Z’s Heidts Pro G equipped ’70 Camaro) were surrounded by spectators and other racers all day long both days.  If we had a nickel for every picture that was taken, neither Randy nor I would have had to pay for any of the 25 gallons of fuel we went through over the weekend!

At the end of the weekend, both muscle cars really impressed not only the spectators, but earned the respect from the other drivers in our group.  Of the 30 cars in the B group, AMXess was in the top 10, turning a fast time of 2:41 on Sunday.  Not bad for a 42 year old muscle car with a 97″ wheelbase.  This is the point in the update where I give Randy Johnson all the credit in the world for being a near miracle worker.  I ask him to use an orphan car that’s way under-respected with a short wheelbase and turn it into a street and track dominator – and he did!  His suspension knowledge and fabrication skills coupled with his keen eye for clean design made AMXess everything I could have dreamed.”




Goodguys Rod & Custom Show – Nashville

AMXess made an appearance at the Nashville Good Guys show this last weekend in Nashville, TN.  It was the feature car in the OPTIMA Batteries booth, although it spent much of Friday and Saturday entertaining the huge crowd surrounding the OPTIMA sponsored Good Guys autocross.  As you know, AMXess has performed really well on the big road course at Road America.  But our goal was to build a car that was as versatile as could be which means it needs to be functional and perform well in any situation.

With that said, we put AMXess to the test and decided to drive from Grafton, WI to Battle at the banks in Salem, IN.  No support vehicles, just a simple tool set and an extra quart of oil and brake fluid.  Our trip took us from Grafton to Princeton, IL, then down to Scottsburg, IN.  We competed in the Battle finishing 11th against a very tough field.  From there is was another road trip on Sunday over to Sullivan, IN to the local home town car show, then down to Vincennes, IN.  Next, AMXess made a stop at Ridetech for a quick bath before heading on down to Nashville and two days of auto-crossing fun.  992 miles, including 2 competitive events, 22.4 MPG overall, no support vehicle – NO PROBLEM!  Versatility all wrapped up in a 550 HP shiny red shell!

As I write this, AMXess is in Lawrenceville, IL prepping for the upcoming Midwest Musclecar Challenge this weekend at Mid America Air Park.  Road course, autocross, drag race, show & shine and a road rally – then my wife and I are going to drive it back to Grafton (WI).  I’ll be sure to capture some great pics and video.

Oh, the autocross results from Nashville – well, the photo above tells a lot! With the help and advice of many folks (especially Rockin’ Rob McGregor), I got AMXess into the mid 35 second range with fast lap of 35.6. 

Hittin’ the Road with Heidts in 2012

Once again, the crew from Heidts Automotive will be attending some of the top hot rod, street rod and muscle car events in the land during 2012. Many of these events will feature autocross competition, where you can watch (and hear) the awesome Heidts ’71 Camaro taking it to the competition.

If you’re attending any of these events, be SURE to stop by our display and check out the latest in suspension solutions for your classic hot rod or muscle car project.

You can also pick up your own copy of our latest catalog, purchase one of our famous “Heidts Hot Rod” t-shirts and of course, visit with our top-notch sales and tech staff to learn just how easy it is to put some award-winning Heidts products under your ride.

And of course, if you already have a Heidts-equipped vehicle, bring it with you – we LOVE seeing all the fantastic work done by our Heidts dealers and customers. Besides, we’re always looking for new cars to feature in the blog and on our Facebook page.

Heidts 2012 Event Schedule:

May 18-20: Good Guys, Nashville, TN
June 1-3: National Street Rod Association (NSRA), York, PA
June 23: Optima Event, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
July 6-8: Good Guys, Columbus, OH
July 9-10: Popular Hot Rodding Street Machine Challenge, Columbus, OH
July 13-15: Motorstate Challenge, GingerMan Road Course, South Haven, MI
August 2-5: NSRA Nationals, Louisville, KY
August 24-26: Frog Follies, Evansville, IN – UPDATED
August 27-28: Super Chevy Shootout, El Toro, CA
September 2-3: Midwest Muscle Car Challenge, Putnam Park Road Course, Greencastle, IN
September 7-9: Holley LS Fest, Bowling Green, KY
September 14-16: NSRA, Kalamazoo, MI
September 21-23: Good Guys, Indianapolis, IN

Keep up with us… if you can!

Alston Racing’s New 2012 Camaro Pro Link Drag Race Chassis Now Available

A newly developed Alston Pro Link 2012 Camaro Sportsman drag race chassis is now available from Alston Racing. Designed to use all the race-proven Alston Racing suspension components, interior kits and Fast Glass windows, the new Camaro drag race chassis features a 112-inch wheelbase and is available with several options that allow racers to spec a chassis for their particular needs or preferences.

The new Alston Racing Pro Link 2012 Camaro chassis will make its public debut at the 5^th Annual Race & Performance Expo, Feb. 25 & 26 in St. Charles, IL.

The standard chassis is fabricated out of mild steel, with 4130 chrome moly available as an upgrade. The rear suspension is Alston’s race proven Pro Link four-link and can ordered with Alston’s Pro-9 fabricated rear axle housing. The standard front suspension is a Strange Engineering strut design, but the new chassis can also be fitted with Alston’s double A-arm configuration as well.

The new Alston Racing Camaro Sportsman chassis is designed specifically for the VFN 2010+ Camaro body. The standard chassis is suitable for 7.50 – 8.50 certification, is also available in chrome moly to meet the 25-1E certification.

One aspect of their chassis that Alston has become known for is their relatively large and “roomy” driver’s compartment. “Even with the funny car cage option, this chassis provides a very roomy driver’s cockpit,” explains Mike Ruth, Alston Racing Product Manager. “As a matter of fact, the chassis we have in our shop right now has been ordered to fit a driver that is six-foot, six-inches tall and weighs more than 300 pounds.”

“We’ve designed this new chassis to be as one-stop as possible,” adds Ruth. “Using all our proven Alston Racing suspension components, interior kits and even our Fast Glass windows, you can essentially build this chassis right out of our catalog.”

For more information, give the Sales Team at Alston Racing a call at 847/395-3500.

Alston Racing Introduces New Power Drag Racing Wiring Kit

Alston Racing introduces a new, pre-configured wiring kit that makes powering up a chassis-based race car a snap. The Alston Electronics Power Drag Racing Kit is a simple, modular wiring system designed for all classes of drag racing. It provides the builder with all of the components necessary to power the electrical systems in the drag car. The new Electronics Power Drag Racing Kit is available for order now and has an MSRP of $1,299.

Using OEM multiplexing technology, the new Alston Electronics Power Drag Racing Kit provides a rugged, proven electrical system that slashes the number of wires on the chassis, greatly reducing the time required to wire the car. The kit also includes functions that have been unavailable in traditional wiring harnesses and offers power diagnostics to help identify and fix electrical problems quickly.

Built for Hardcore Race Duty
The system is designed for harsh-duty and off-highway applications. The Electronics Power Drag Racing kit uses the exact same components as systems used in first-responder vehicles, utility trucks and military vehicles. The entire system has been tested to survive vibration, mechanical shock, temperature extremes and harsh chemical exposure.

Utilizing an exclusive multiplexed switch panel, the Alston Electronics Drag Racing Kit simplifies the entire switch wiring process to two simple conductors, dramatically reducing the size and weight of the electrical harness in the vehicle. Additionally, the multiplexed architecture means that you put the outlets where you need them in the car, further reducing the size and weight of the power harness.

The Alston Electronics Drag Racing Kit becomes a great foundation for your electrical system. Depending on your car and your application, additional outlets can be added to control other electrical functions, including nitrous oxide systems. Best of all, additional modules are completely plug-and-play and can be added to the car when you need them.

For more information on this and other Alston Racing products or to get your free Alston Racing catalog, call us at 847/394-3500. Like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/AlstonRacing

Alston Racing to Host New 2-Day Dave Morgan Chassis Tuning Seminar

Alston Racing announced that they will be hosting a race car chassis seminar by renowned chassis tuner, Dave Morgan, March 3 & 4, in Lake Zurich, IL.

Morgan’s previous one-day seminars had a reputation for being over-packed with information, so much so that some racers felt it was too much to cover and process in a single day. As a result, Morgan has developed a new two-day seminar series for racers who want to receive more in-depth information at a better pace and one that allows for more discussion and interaction.

“I’ve always felt that I left a lot out of my lecture,” said Morgan. “Yet there was really nothing I could do. It happened so many times… by the time we got done on Saturday, I could see that the attendees were maybe a little…or a lot overloaded before we even got to the final subject, rear suspensions.”

Morgan believes the new, two-day format will provide everyone with a better learning experience,” said Morgan. “We can cover many more details about the subjects I normally cover, while adding new material and allowing more time for discussion of examples and the challenges everyone faces in setting up their chassis.”

Morgan notes that the design of this seminar is not one where he simply added additional information to the end of the previous lesson plan. “As a whole, the new two-day seminar is much more comprehensive throughout. For example, in the past, there was never enough time to discuss subjects such burnouts, aerodynamics, front suspensions or hardware. What I really like about this plan is that we can save most of Sunday to discuss suspensions so people get a chance to rest before listening to their favorite subject,” added Morgan.

As they have in the past, Alston Racing will serve as the host for the Dave Morgan seminar in the Chicago market. This years event will be hosted by Alston Racing Products in new Lake Zurich, IL location.

“These seminars have been very popular with Midwestern drag racers,” said Mike Ruth, Product Manager for Alston Racing. “As in previous years, we are pleased to hosting Dave and providing the venue for his outstanding seminars and letting him share his knowledge with the racers attending. Dave is a very smart guy and not afraid to answer questions. I think it’s important for people to hear what he as to say because he can help them improve their car’s performance and at the end of the day, save them money by being more effective at setting up their cars when they do get them out to the track.”

Visit www.davemorganseminars.com for more information about Morgan’s new seminar plan, read testimonials, take a self-test and register for the March 3-4 event in Wauconda or contact Morgan directly at staaytuned@aol.com or via phone at 567/242-9779.

Additional Speaker to Attend

For the Alston Racing hosted Morgan Seminar, attendees will also hear from John McCrory, Race Car Product Manager from Aurora Bearing. McCrory will be a part of the seminar and give a presentation on race car bearing selection. “This will be a ‘everything you ever wanted to know about bearings, but were afraid to ask’ part of the overall seminar,” said Ruth. “He will also hold a question & answer session for the attendees. John is very well known in the racing world and will no doubt bring additional value to the overall seminar.”

 

New Product: Universal High Horsepower IRS

The Heidts Automotive Group announces the availability of a new Independent Rear Suspension (IRS) system designed for high-horsepower, “universal” applications that may not be covered by the existing Pro-G products. This new product is based off the proven and award-winning Pro-G IRS design and extends Heidts’ leadership with regards to their existing range of fully-engineered front and rear suspension systems and components.

 

“We’re really excited about the Universal High Horsepower IRS,” says Mike Hawley, Heidts Sales Manager. “We are constantly amazed by the mechanical creativity of our dealers and their customers and we can’t wait to see all the types of vehicles that will be built around this new Universal IRS system.”

NEW: Universal, High Horsepower IRS (Independent Rear Suspension)

Responding to the requests of our dealers and customers, the Heidts Engineering Team developed a high horsepower, universal application of the award-winning Pro-G IRS design and geometry.

The new Universal HHP IRS features a fully-welded and boxed, cut-to-fit upper cross member, heavy-duty upper and lower control arms, fully welded uprights, heavy duty constant velocity joints and axle shafts as well as Heidts’ own cast center section that can be loaded with a wide range of gear ratios and posi-traction differentials. The HHP IRS also makes use of standard 10.5-inch inboard mounted disc brakes with four-piston Wilwood calipers. Based upon the intended vehicle application, the Heidts Sales Team will help the dealer or customer select the proper spring rates for the coil-over shock assemblies. To aid in custom installations, the HHP IRS is available in both 56- and 58-inch wheel track versions.

The Heidts Universal High Horsepower IRS (HHP IRS) package includes:

* 9-inch aluminum rear gear/differential housing
* 3rd member, iron, posi-traction
* Heavy Duty CV Joint & Half Shafts
* Tubular Upper & Lower Control Arms
* Steel Outer Uprights
* Fully welded and boxed Top Cross member
* Frame Mounting Brackets
* Front Pinion Support
* Forward Struts (requires sub-frame connectors)
* 10.5-inch Wilwood Rotors
* Black, four-piston Wilwood brake calipers
* Billet single adjustable coil-overs with chrome plated springs

Options include:
* Available in 56- or 58-inch wheel track widths
* Choice of gear ratios
* Choice of rear spring rates
* Parking brake kit and cable kit

Hawley notes that the new Universal High Horsepower IRS is available for order now and typically ships within 48 hours. “Here’s your chance to be one of the first to install and build a cool hot rod truck or high horsepower muscle rod around our award-winning Pro-G style IRS,” says Hawley.

For more information on this or other industry-leading Heidts products, contact your local Heidts dealer or call the Heidts Sales Team directly at 888/841-8188.

Heidts Introduces Superide II Front Suspension for ’57-’64 Ford Pickups

Heidts Automotive Group announced the availability of their industry-leading Superide II IFS front suspension system for 1957 to 1964 Ford pickup trucks. This new product essentially extends Heidts’ Superide II design to cover an even wider range of vehicles, with applications for Ford trucks now spanning 1948 to 1964 model years. Heidts also has a Superide II IFS application for 1953 to 1959 Chevrolet trucks.

“Hot rod trucks have always been an important part of the Heidts product offerings,” says Mike Hawley, Heidts Sales Manager. “This new application for the Superide II IFS now covers the early ‘wide cab” model Ford pickups that are gaining popularity with our dealers, builders and customers.”

NEW: Superide II IFS (Independent Front Suspension) for 1957 to 1964 Ford trucks

Using our the famous Mustang II-style dropped front spindle, the innovative Heidts Superide II design uses a front steer mounted rack & pinion unit and employes a steering geometry very similar to the Mustang II, which has proven to work very well on classic trucks.

The heavy-duty upper and lower control arms use threaded adjuster for precise wheel alignment. Regardless of how large a road bump the suspension is subjected to, the threaded adjuster will never slip or loose alignment. The geometry of the suspension provides a low, smooth and highly steerable ride with no bump-steer and a moderate level of anti-dive already incorporated into the design.

A large, robust single-piece main cross member makes the suspension system installation a breeze and eases engine installation. Combined with a full compliment of mounting hardware and thoroughly detailed instructions, the installation will be as smooth as the ride you’ll get with the Heidts Superide II suspension system.

According to Hawley, the ’57 to ’64 Ford pickup Superide II IFS is available for order now and that most orders ship within 48 hours. “There are some awesome hot rod truck builders out there and we are looking forward to working with them on building some cool Ford trucks around the Superide II fronts,” says Hawley.

For more information on this or other industry-leading Heidts products,  contact your local Heidts dealer or call the Heidts Sales team at 800/841-8188.