Hot off the Press...by Torklift Jen

It feels like we just rung in the New Year and already Torklift is looking at the 2015 model year trucks and getting the last of 2014’s parts engineered and fitted.   The timelines of the automotive and RV industries keep us hopping and ensure that the Torklift pit crew never needs a new year’s resolution fitness plan!

I was amazed at what I learned during the time I got to spend with the new 2014 2500 Ram 4x4 Crew Cab short bed we had in-house yesterday.

The coil suspension is one huge difference in the 2014, but even the most minute changes in model years must be accounted for in our fits to ensure perfect compatibility and no drill applications.

The process has a team of 6 engineers and manufacturing craftsmen working like a NASCAR pit crew to get this done and have the trucks back to our valued local dealers within a day.

They are looking for any differences that would affect our product line fits like tiedowns, hitches, StableLoads and our HiddenPower under bed battery mount.  Working with the pre-drilled holes in the factory frame requires phenomenal calculations, engineering feats, along with an artist’s eye.  They are also looking for applications that will make the truck safer and more comfortable under all the different uses for towing and hauling that the end user will subject the truck to.  Sometimes, the manufacturer will make slight changes even within the new model year after production has started and we will need to make changes right along with them.

Parts are researched based on prior year fits, the exact matching truck is procured, it is drawn for differences, raw metal is precision plasma cut, cleaned, bent, and welded. Then parts are installed and adjusted as necessary and then they are tested for weights under heavy loads.  It takes a lot of physical stamina and the mental strength of our research and development team to get this done all under a ticking clock.

We are always looking to answer the questions our end users will have for the truck and in relation to our products.  We overbuild all of our products, but as always, we recommend that you stay within the factory ratings.  You will find that the 2014 2500 RAM has factory running boards that extend beyond the cab and we were able to fabricate a solution for tiedowns and the factory class V hitch is modifiable to handle the dual receiver SuperHitch and our beefier components.

If you have questions or are in the market for a new truck just let me know, I’ll see what I can find hot of the production press!