Trottle Down Kustoms (TDK) Frame Build

[awsigear]

Anyone every do a build with TDK Frames? I just ordered mine today and I would like to hear about the fit and finish, bracket alignment, geometric accuracy, etc. thanks for your help!!!

 

[DirtDonk]

Hey awsigear, welcome! I see you already have a few posts, so may have had a welcome extended already, but you're still a pretty recent member. So welcome!

I think I've heard good things about TDK (name takes me back to my old tape recording days!) but don't really know. Curious what the others have to say too and just wanted to jump in and bring it back to the top of the page.

Good luck. Maybe we'll get some good pics of other projects. We like project pics!

Paul

 

[Cooper]

Here's an older thread.
Sounds like anyone with any association has good things to say
https://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=235984&highlight=custom+frame

 

[suckerpunched]

Hey awsigear, welcome! I see you already have a few posts, so may have had a welcome extended already, but you're still a pretty recent member. So welcome!

I think I've heard good things about TDK (name takes me back to my old tape recording days!) but don't really know.

Paul

haha, the young ones out there don't know what the heck your talking about.

 

[DirtDonk]

Yep, tape is for sticking stuff, right?;D

And speaking of magnetic tape... I was righteously pissed when I drove up through Redwood City the last time and saw that they'd actually had the gall to remove the old AMPEX sign! Holy crapoly, the nerve of some of these young'uns I tell ya!

Actually it probably wasn't someone that didn't know the history. It was probably a foreign investor that owned the property and wanted to make room for the Vogon Constructor Fleet to build a scenic bypass.%)

Oh well. Another little bit of history gone.
Sorry for the hijack awsigear. Just havin' some fun.

Paul

 

[nvrstuk]

Paul- your reference to TDK tapes took me off topic-again!!

I think this Maxell tape ad was taken of me!!! ;D

I actually started exclusively using Maxell 90min tapes after this ad campaign came out. lol

 

[DirtDonk]

And I knew just which ad you were talking about as soon as I got the notification e-mail with the word "Maxell" in it!
I have a centerfold from some audio magazine (or maybe OMNI?) of that ad, plus a couple of copies on VHS that I took from the original MTV ads way back when.
I always put stuff I thought was cool after a movie, or show I'd recorded, if there was blank tape at the end of the reel.
Which of course there often was, so I have a ton of old music-videos and advertisements from when they first aired.

Yes, you could say they're a bit dated, but still fun as heck to see sometimes as a real memory-jogger.
So now you know what types you have here on the forums awsigear! Sometimes we stay focused on-topic, sometimes not so much. Can you say "segué"?%);D

Paul

 

[nvrstuk]

Geeez Paul-

Wish I could sit back and laugh and reminesce with you watching all those with you! Dang, that would be fun...

 

[Jamie Chriss]

I went with them for my build. I put on taller shock towers, everything about the frame is really good!

 

[rguest3]

TDK has a great frame for the Early Bronco. Much beefier and stronger than the Original Bronco Frame. I have only seen positive reviews and have ordered one myself for my Coyote Build. However, they are about 2 months out on their production time.

The interesting thing is that, since they build to order, they can customize as you like. You can have the Rear Spring Hangers and Shock Mounts deleted if you wan to install a 4-link, for example. You can have the Front Shock Towers or the Radius Arm Brackets deleted if you want something custom. They even have an option to have the frame 1" wider on each side for the wider Coyote install, (the Body Mounts stay in stock location). They may even be able to move the Front Crossmember forward some for extra clearance as well. By deleting some of the brackets, et, is actually brings the cost down a little too due to less work/welding on their part.

 

[Jamie Chriss]

That's is really good, they didn't have those options when I got mine.

 

[markw]

How do you deal with the VIN with a replacement frame?

 

[sprdv1]

Welcome aboard awsigear!! Def found the right place

 

[Evolkid]

When I worked in the Off-road aftermarket, I used to work with Jeremy (owner of TDK) on his class 1 buggy. Good guy to deal with.
When the him and his guys would come out to CA for testing, we would buy them all In-and-Out, and they would bring us Elk and bear sausage and jerky.
Good times.

 

[DirtDonk]

How do you deal with the VIN with a replacement frame?

Others here are more qualified to answer that question Mark, but I'd say it depends at least in part on the individual state as to how much hassle it is, but I'd bet that in at least a few states they need to create a brand new VIN for your newly re-registered vehicle.

Some states may very well create a new plaque with your old VIN, while others may start fresh and put a matching decal on your door pillar. The glovebox warranty plate then would become something of a "thing" to deal with, but not sure what they would do in that case.

It's probably easier for the state to just stamp the new frame with the original VIN, as long as you can prove the old one is scrapped. They just can't logically allow two possible vehicles on the street with the same identifications, so some states might just take all the known details into account and vary the process accordingly.

That's if you tell them...
If you don't however, you had better not sell your old frame to anyone. If it ever ends up under a Bronco and they attempt to register it by the old frame, there'll be some 'splainin' to do.

Paul

 

[markw]

When we built a "kit" 32 roadster for my dad a few years ago we were not allowed to stamp anything on the frame. Had to wait and get one of the few Kit VINs given out by CA. First come first served Jan 1. That may have changed by now. Maybe a blue sticker like I got when we built a boat trailer. Took all the receipts to DMV and got a new VIN for the trailer.

 

[ngsd]

Others here are more qualified to answer that question Mark, but I'd say it depends at least in part on the individual state as to how much hassle it is, but I'd bet that in at least a few states they need to create a brand new VIN for your newly re-registered vehicle.

Some may very well create a new plaque with your old VIN, while others may start fresh and put a matching decal on your door pillar. The glovebox warranty plate then would become something of a "thing" to deal with, but not sure what they would do in that case.

It's probably easier to just stamp the new frame with the original VIN, as long as you can prove the old one is scrapped. They just can't logically allow two possible vehicles on the street with the same identifications, so some states might just take all the known details into account and vary the process accordingly.



That's if you tell them...
If you don't however, you had better not sell your old frame to anyone. If it ever ends up under a Bronco and they attempt to register it by the old frame, there'll be some 'splainin' to do.

Paul

I would have a disclaimer about advising people to stamp the frame. That is not legal and should be taken not as advice from Paul.

 

[DirtDonk]

I can see where I may have been misunderstood, but what I was referring to was the DMV doing the stamping. Not an individual vehicle owner.
If the DMV uses the old VIN and they have a practice of stamping a new frame, pending verification that the old one is not usable, then there's nothing wrong with the state doing the stamping.

I was actually recommending against someone doing it on their own, but was not clear I see.
By stamping, I was referring to the officials doing the stamping. If that's not what they do, then it's a non-issue. But I would never recommend someone stamping a VIN into a new frame themselves.

Paul

 

[awsigear]

Thanks for all the input and for the “TDK” old timey tape references, really enjoy this forum!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[nvrstuk]

...hard to stay on topic sometimes... for some of us anyway!