KORE offers five performance suspension systems for the big Dodge Trucks.

Each system offers you:

• 2.5 to 3.5 inches of lift in front and some in the rear

• Better cornering precision

• Reduced body roll

• Less brake dive

• Low roll center

• More ground clearance

• 50% more available wheel travel to absorb large impacts

• Much higher speeds when the pavement ends

• Increased stability while hauling and towing

• A more comfortable road ride

• Levels of control you never thought possible

• Protection for your truck’s chassis and drivetrain

• Fitment of 35x12.5 inch off-road tires

• Easy installation with little to no cutting, or welding

• No fabricating

• Truck can be set back to stock

• Lifetime performance

Q: Is this just another lift kit?

A: Not in the traditional sense. KORE doesn't believe in the philosophy behind “cosmetic lift kits.”  Most Lift kits are cosmetic - an inexpensive way by which people enhance the looks of their vehicles. KORE is performance. Instead of inches of lift, KORE prefers to think in terms of inches of total articulation – how far the axles are allowed to move up and down while managing the terrain. And this is not just a question of terminology; it's a question of function. Many lift kits violate design parameters engineered into the vehicle by teams of men and women with PhD’s in physics and mechanical engineering. The people at the vehicle's manufacturer generally know what they’re doing. A universal joint can only move within a very specific range before it binds or wears prematurely. Wheel caster and camber are preset at the factory to give the vehicle good handling characteristics. For the most part, “cosmetic lift kits” do not increase wheel travel – and sometimes they even reduce it. “Cosmetic lift kits” raise the vehicle’s center of gravity which adversely affects handling – especially at the high speeds KORE suspension permits. Look at any Baja race vehicle. Do they sit very high off the ground? No, they don’t. And that’s for a reason.

Q: Well, do KORE systems change the way the vehicle looks?

A: Yes. KORE systems generally raise the truck 2.0 – 3.5 inches in the front – and about an inch or two the rear. This removes spring sag, providing the suspension more available up travel with which to absorb initial impacts. You will notice that on your stock truck, the space between the axle and the bump stop is only a couple of inches. The springs included with KORE suspension systems roughly double that space, thereby doubling your available up travel. YOUR truck will also lose that “stink bug” look and have an aggressive, level stance. In the rear, KORE's optional mini-paks replace your overload leaf(s) providing a progressive, controlled spring rate that the factory suspension can't provide. KORE mini-paks provide up to 50% more effective wheel travel and, depending on the configuration, do not significantly change the vehicle height or GVWR.

Q: If the engineers at big manufacturers are so smart, why didn’t they design their trucks with KORE suspension?

A: The average consumer doesn’t even know that suspension like this exists, so why would he or she want to own it? The average consumer is satisfied with 1970’s suspension technology, so that’s how the big manufacturers equip their trucks from the factory. Their market research has shown that people will buy their product anyway – so that’s how they sell it. KORE is offering something of the highest quality that the factory won’t offer because people don’t know just how well their trucks can perform with it installed. It’s the same reason that people continue to buy aftermarket “twin-tube” and “gas-charged” shocks from the “lift kit” companies. These shocks are hardly better than the OE shocks – and in some cases they are much worse. The OE shock is at least designed specifically for the intended vehicle. Many aftermarket companies expect one compression/rebound formula to perform when installed on hundreds of different vehicles that each have different weights, spring rates, shock mounting angles and driving requirements. Most people just don’t know what good suspension is, so they’re satisfied with the performance that is offered.

Q: Some KORE shocks mount by way of “heim joints.” What is a “heim-joint?”

A: Another name for it is a “spherical bearing.” It’s the way a racing shock absorber is mounted at each end. That’s why, for some systems, KORE designed a special tower to mount the front shocks. A racing shock absorber can withstand much more “event energy” than an OE shock absorber. An “event” in suspension terms is the shock reacting to a bump. When your OE or average aftermarket shock hits a large bump or hole, it just rushes through its travel, allowing the axle to slam against the bump stop. This is called “bottoming out.” A racing shock absorbs event energy by precisely modulating shaft travel over almost immeasurably small increments of time. It transforms event energy into heat which is then dissipated by the hydraulic fluid. Racing shocks see shaft speeds of up to 300 inches per second, impacts thousands of times per minute, millions of times per race. Rubber or urethane mounts absorb some of this energy instead of transferring it into the shock. Heim joints don’t flex on the vertical axis, so every bit of up and down motion goes directly into the shock, where it can be most precisely controlled.

Q: Won’t a racing shock absorber just make my suspension stiffer?

A: No. And this is the a very important question because it is a common misconception that in order to absorb big bumps, you must have stiff springs and lots of compression dampening. If we were making the suspension stiffer, then every little bump would be transmitted into the chassis. The key is that racing suspension is progressive. It’s very soft and supple over small bumps. It allows the axles to move quickly and react to the little imperfections on the highway and off-road. The first time KORE customers drive their KORE trucks down a washboard dirt road, they can’t believe how smooth, quiet and plush the ride is. When a larger bump is encountered, especially something with a square edge, the suspension just tightens up – as if it knows ahead of time what to do. It’s really amazing the first time you experience it.

Q: What does a remote reservoir do?

A: A remote reservoir has several functions. First, it allows hydraulic fluid to be displaced as the shock shaft moves into the shock body. Secondly, an internal floating piston within the reservoir constantly pushes against the shock's hydraulic fluid, preventing cavitation – an enemy of consistent dampening. Thirdly, it permits nitrogen pressure to help absorb some event energy. Lastly, it adds oil capacity in order to combat shock fade. Remote reservoirs are critical to attaining maximum performance.

Q: Why nitrogen? Why not just use air pressure like an air shock?

A: Although air is mostly nitrogen, pure nitrogen does not have moisture or “other elements” in it. It is less prone to large, heat-related changes in volume, thereby affecting damping. Adding more pressure does not significantly affect the way the shock works – do not change the nitrogen pressure.

Q: What are limit straps for?

A: Limit straps are installed to prevent the shocks from taking the impact of “topping out.” Topping out is the opposite of “bottoming out.” It happens when the wheels leave the ground or almost leave the ground. The axle drops away to the maximum extent of wheel travel and the shock absorber prevents the axle from traveling any farther. Limit straps absorb this energy so the shock doesn’t have to. Topping out KORE shock absorbers will not damage them, but this phenomenon can be eliminated with the addition of limit straps.

Q: Why not a “coil-over” for second and third generation Dodge trucks?

A: KORE feels that coil-over suspension is inappropriate for a production street vehicle of this size, weight and GVWR. If a spring, spring retainer, or shock component breaks in a coil-over system, total loss of vehicle control may occur. However unlikely, any single component of KORE system could break and the vehicle would still be controllable. KORE offers coil-over performance with OE safety and reliability.

Q: Can I install a KORE suspension system myself?

A: Yes, if you are a competent mechanic who follows KORE's detailed instructions exactly it will take you approximately four hours for a Recon Series, five hours for a Chase, six hours for a Race Series, and at least two full days for an Unlimited.  For Recon through Chase you will need a high-lift jack, jack stands, a regular set of metric and standard tools, a drill motor, and a 3/16 drill bit. For Race you will also need to weld two tabs for limit straps and have shocks recharged with nitrogen.  For the Unlimited Series you will need to do a little cutting, welding and grinding as well.  After installation you will have to get the shocks charged with nitrogen. Most modern off-road shops have the proper equipment to charge Schrader valved shocks. If you install the system yourself you can charge the shocks with air in order to drive to the shop with the nitrogen equipment. It only takes about ten minutes for the nitrogen procedure.  Recon and Chase Series systems can be installed without bleeding shocks.  These shocks come pre-charged and are no-hassle.

Q: Will it fit my truck?

A: KORE systems will fit all 1994 – 2006 4x4 Dodge Ram solid axle trucks – gas or diesel. KORE custom tailors each system to your needs.

Q: Will it void my warranty?

A: That is up to your service department but usually the answer is, "no."  KORE suspension doesn't change the truck enough to affect your warranty.  The new Dodge Power Wagon comes from the factory with what is essentially KORE suspension geometry.

Q: How long does KORE Suspension last?

A: For as long as you own your vehicle. Every shock KORE sells is either guaranteed for life (Bilstein 5100) or infinitely rebuildable (Fox 2.0 and 2.5's). All seals, bushings, bearings and fluids can be replaced if they show signs of wear.

Q: Does KORE Suspension require any maintenance?

A: Not much.  KORE recommends an oil change and main seal replacement at the 100,000 mile point. This ensures optimal performance and reliability.

Q: Why should I put the highest quality suspension available on my truck?

A: Look at what you spent on the truck itself. A nicely-outfitted Dodge truck costs upwards of $50,000.00 these days. That truck will run strongly for a hundred thousand miles or more. You’re going to own your truck for many years. YOUR truck’s relationship with the ground, from transmitting power through the axles, to steering, to giving feedback to the driver all comes through your suspension. Besides the engine and transmission, it’s the most important system there is. The OE suspension is the greatest limiting factor on an otherwise nearly perfect truck. Why own substandard, throwaway suspension when everything else on your truck is top-of-the-line? You buy KORE suspension once, not every few thousand miles as with the stock suspension. Every part on the truck also lasts longer and functions better because KORE suspension isolates it from vibration and impact. Why not drive a truck with suspension that provides excellent handling characteristics, never needs replacement or maintenance and allows you to explore the outer edges of true race performance?

People routinely spend several thousand dollars at a time reducing their vehicle’s performance by installing low technology, low quality lift kits. Their trucks spend most of their time on the highway, or rolling down the boulevard. You see them in parking lots, slowing down to carefully roll over speed bumps. Many 4x4 owners just want their trucks to look a certain way and that’s all. They don’t care about performance.

When KORE set out to design KORE suspension systems they did not have a target price in mind. The 2.5" shock absorbers in the KORE Race and Unlimited Series systems, by the time KORE is finished with them, cost over $500.00 each. KORE parts are designed and stress-analyzed on computers, then cut from solid billet by $200,000.00 CNC machines. KORE products are aerospace precise with tight tolerances and zero failure rates. KORE's goal was to use the finest materials, the finest components, and the clearest thinking to create the best product available.

KORE suspension is a bargain because it’s real. Some of KORE customers, the ones who work their trucks off-road, the ones who really use their trucks for adventure, have said that they would have paid double that price to have the performance we’ve given them.

KORE suspension is engineered to allow the truck to consistently and reliably attain unbelievable speeds over some of the roughest terrain on earth. KORE does most of its testing and R and D on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico where there are few laws and even fewer ways to be extracted if you break. Some may be familiar with the road from San Felipe to Gonzaga Bay running North-South along the cliffs above the Sea of Cortez. It is nothing but rocky, continuous, sometimes foot tall washboard with deep, intermittent, cross-grain washouts for 100 miles. Imagine driving this road at Level Nine, comfortably and in total control, while others can barely keep their vehicles together at a snail's pace. KORE takes performance to an unimagined realm – all while maintaining OE reliability. No company has ever done that before. That’s what KORE is proud of. Although KORE suspension systems give an aggressive, modern look to your truck, KORE is not really selling aesthetics. KORE is selling performance. Period. KORE is not interested in anything else. And neither are the clients who purchase KORE suspension.

KORE PRODUCTS BY TRUCK

Kroeker Off Road Engineering Inc.

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