Churchill Freightlines 4900
We now have some awesome photos of the fully finished 4900 Western Star that came through our workshop for a full fit out of stainless steel accessories a few weeks ago.
Some of the work SLS completed includes: stainless steel headlight defenders, bug deflector, side deflectors, elephant ears, air cleaner light panels, quarter guard mudflap brackets, 12″ drop visor, Moto mirror trims, roof lights, cab & bunk trim extensions with custom lettering, lower wing trim extension, stainless steel tank wraps, lighted tank trims, deckplates and more.
We made major adjustments to the RHS tank positions to make the truck look more uniform. We shortened the larger fuel tank & moved the j-bracket. The AdBlue tank was adjusted & the filler neck relocated, & the rear tank was moved forward making room for a Custom Air unit.
Churchill's 4900
Superliner
SLS recently completed a fit out on a sweet Mack Superliner. The truck is still getting some final touches before all the plastic comes off for the final detail before delivery to the owner. Here’s a few snaps from when it left our workshop, we hope to do a photo shoot once the truck is ready to start work.
Some of the work completed by SLS includes::
Number plate covers, bullbar lower light trim, bullbar mudflaps with anti-swing wire, driving lights fitted to bullbar, s/steel steer flares, bug deflector, 14″ drop visor, pre-cleaner covers, lighted Moto mirror trims, cab step scuffs with MACK lettering. We installed 7″ air kooled exhaust stacks and made a set of smooth s/steel exhaust shrouds to match.
The air rams were shortened to line up with the roof. The tanks were wrapped in stainless with stainless tank straps & trims. Rear bunk trim with SUPERLINER lettering. Front & rear polished propeller deck plate with MACK logo, rear bar & mounting brackets.
The work also included relocating air & electrical lines, converting the cab rooflights, modifications to the grill mesh & bars.
Superliner
4900 Western Star
Last week SLS Stainless completed a fit out on a 4900 Western Star. It is now in the hands of its very happy owner. The truck left our workshop with all the protective plastic still on, so we haven’t seen the fully final product yet.
Some of the work SLS completed includes: headlight defenders, bug deflector, side deflectors, elephant ears, air cleaner light panels, quarter guard mudflap brackets, 12″ drop visor, Moto mirror trims, roof lights, cab & bunk trim extensions with custom lettering, lower wing trim extension, stainless steel tank wraps, lighted tank trims, deckplates and more.
Also take note of the adjustments made to the RHS tank positions. To make the truck look more uniform we shortened the larger fuel tank & moved the j-braket. The AdBlue tank was adjusted & the filler neck relocated, & the rear tank was moved forward making room for a CustomAir unit.
Volvo FH700
In July, SLS Trucking completed a massive fit out of a Volvo Fh700. It went back to it’s owner in Melbourne with all the plastic protective covering still on. In Melboure the truck was sign-written and a few Kelsa bars & other items were added, the plastic was taken off & the truck was detailed. So last weekend Steve flew to Melbourne to see the fully finished product.
Some of the work done includes:
- Number plate cover, s/steel
- Bullbar mudflaps
- Bullbar swingplate, s/steel wrapped, mounted to bullbar
- Bullbar lights
- Visor cover strip, s/steel
- Mirror trims, lighted
- Steer quarter guard infill
- Tank wraps, s/steel
- Strap wraps, s/steel
- Tank trims, lighted
- Exhuast Stacks, 7” Air Kooled, curved
- Exhaust stacks, twin modification
- Deckplate, front, propeller plate
- Deckplate, rear, propeller plate, Volvo logo
- Walk plates, propeller plate
- Mudguards, centre mount, smooth s/steel
- Mudflaps, rear
- Lower wing trim
- Fire extinguisher mount & bracket
Click on an image to enlarge.
Dynaflex: Setting Trends Since 1972
By Daniel J. Linss
This article originally appeared in the June 2014 edition of 10-4 Magazine. It is reposted here with permission.
For the past 42 years, Dynaflex Products has not only specialized in American-made chrome exhaust parts, but created an entire industry, as well. Dynaflex was the first company to ever produce and sell high-quality, chrome stacks in sizes larger than five inches, which had been the standard size forever. They coined the term “Monster Stacks” and today it used across the industry to describe oversized exhaust systems. But, in actuality, Dynaflex invented them way back in the 1980s and still produce them by the thousands, today.
Based in Los Angeles, California, the company was loosely formed by Gil Contreras and Bob McGovern in 1968 after the two men met at Aeroquip, a company they both worked for that made, among other things, cooling and exhaust systems for rockets. Because the diameters they worked with at the aerospace company were identical to those used on trucks, it only made sense for the two men to set their sights on the trucking industry. Their first product was an expandable flex joint for truck exhaust systems, made to replace the troublesome and unreliable fiber-paper bellows of the day.
A few years later, the company was officially formed and incorporated in 1972. Since their main product back then was “dynamic and flexible” joints, the company was called Dynaflex Products. Today, Dynaflex has over 7,500 active part numbers and manufactures complete exhaust systems from “turbo to tail pipe” for virtually every make and model of heavy duty truck made from 1950 to the present. That is a lot of trucks!
With a large manufacturing facility, a chroming plant, and a well-organized warehouse, all located near each other in Los Angeles, California, Dynaflex has been a California original since the very beginning. And, except for just seven non-essential items made elsewhere, the rest of their 7,500 products are all made in the USA (after developing them about 20 years ago, Pickett elbows are still their most popular part). With almost 100 employees, many of whom have been around for 10, 20 and even 30 years, Dynaflex is proud of their reputation for making quality, innovative products, and their excellent customer service.
Gil and Bob were great business partners. Gil was the engineer and the “idea” guy, while Bob was the salesman. Together, along with help from people like Sal Quezada, who has been with the company since 1978, Dynaflex grew and prospered. In the early 1980s, in response to customer demand, Dynaflex made the first chrome 6-inch diameter stacks for trucks – and they were a huge hit. From there, it didn’t take long for truckers to start asking for even bigger stacks, and by the late 1980s they were making 7-inch and 8-inch pipes, as well. And they don’t just make the pipes – they make everything – including the gaskets, connectors, spools, brackets, mufflers, elbows, heat shields, clamps and more.
And as the engines in trucks have changed, so have the Dynaflex exhaust systems. Constantly re-engineering their products to accommodate the special needs of these new engines and the rigs they come in, Dynaflex’s pioneering and innovative spirit has kept the company on top, where they plan to stay for decades to come. One of their latest offerings is known as the “Z-Series Kit” which makes replacing your entire exhaust system really easy. You tell them a few simple things like the make, model and year of your truck, what size and style of pipe you want, and how tall you want the tops to be, and they put the entire system on one pallet, with every piece you will need to get the job done. It has made a somewhat confusing and often daunting process a lot simpler.
Bob McGovern retired last year and is now Chairman of the Board. Gil began to have medical issues in 2012 so his only daughter, Denise Pehrsson, who had never worked at the company but was highly educated and had ran a few other businesses, was brought in to help. She is now the president of the company. Sadly, her dad died in January 2014, but his legacy lives on at Dynaflex. Denise’s son Cory (27), who began working at the company part-time when he was just 15 years old and full-time five years ago, is now the Vice President of Marketing. Together, with Randy Simons, the Vice President of Finance, these three dynamic individuals have become the new triangle of leadership at Dynaflex.
Filling the shoes of such well-liked and respected men like Gil and Bob has not been easy, but thanks to a very loyal and talented staff who has helped make the transition a lot smoother, Denise, Cory, Randy, Sal and the entire team continue to be the driving force behind the company, leading Dynaflex into the future with both barrels blazing.
While walking through the offices on our tour, we got to meet some of the other people who are behind the scenes at Dynaflex – people like Mike, Andy, Rachael, Travis, David, Andrew, Omar, Al, Jay and Rich, just to name a few. Touring the manufacturing facility, we met a few folks out there too, including Alex and Pacheco. Down the street at the warehouse, Junior gave us a complete tour and told us about the extraordinary packing procedures Dynaflex performs to ensure that all of their products arrive at their destinations undamaged.
With two full shifts working in the manufacturing facility, they have ten welding bays, two automated saws (named Poncho and Maria), eight bending machines, and all sorts of other machines that cut, bend, punch, grind, split, press, and a bunch of other loud stuff (there is a lot going on out there)! Every part they make, whether it is destined to be chrome-plated or not, is made to the same strict standards, and every part they make is put on a test fixture to ensure proper fit before it ever leaves their building. They also have a “new parts” area where various makes and models of trucks are brought in and fitted with experimental components. At the time, there was a very cool red and black dump truck in there being fitted with some new “tester” parts (I could tell you what parts it was getting, but then I’d have to kill you). In addition to the three California facilities, they also have distribution warehouses in Kansas City and Dallas, to ensure the fastest delivery of their parts possible.
With Cory in charge of marketing and new product development, the team pushes to constantly create new products and kits. As part of their “Z-Series” catalog, they launched a signature series top stack line to their arsenal of choices, giving their customers nine different and unique designs to choose from. They also started a new brand ambassador program called the DP Team, which is a small group of elite truck owners who are leading the way in regards to creativity and craftsmanship on their trucks, and dedicate much of their “spare” time to show them off. In recognition of their efforts, Dynaflex invites them to join the team, which entitles them to prototypes, etched DP Team clamps, and a bunch of DP swag. Also, their amazing trucks are featured in Dynaflex ads and catalogs and, eventually, a DP Team calendar. These guys are “the best of the best” and Dynaflex is proud to have them on their team. Many of our past cover truck owners (and friends) are on the team, which makes us feel proud, too.
Making personal connections with their customers and dealers is important to Dynaflex. Cory, Denise and Sal spend a big portion of their time traveling the country, attending truck shows, and meeting their distributors. This hands-on approach has become legendary in the industry, as the new leaders strive to continue what the original leaders started over 40 years ago. If you ever have a problem with your Dynaflex part, you can be sure that your phone call will not only be answered (by David), but that your issue will be resolved promptly.
A California original that has stood the test of time, Dynaflex has come a long way from the tiny storage shed in Marina Del Rey they started out in back in 1972, but they are still a tight-knit family operation. Proud to manufacture quality, American-made products for the entire world, Dynaflex is poised to lead the way into the future of after-market exhaust systems. We are proud to have Dynaflex in our family of advertisers and are happy to say that, like 10-4 Magazine, something good for the trucking industry is still coming out of California! If you would like to learn more about Dynaflex Products, go to your local distributor or visit www.dynaflexproducts.com.
California Cool
McQueen’s T904
Going through our archives of photos we came across a heap of photos of Tom McQueen’s T904 Kenworth that SLS customized back in 2007. Since we have pictures of the entire before, during and after process we thought we’d throw them together to show the awesome transformation of this sweet ride.
McQueen’s T904 took out the award for “Best Presented Overall Vehicle” at the 2007 Newcastle & Hunter Region Road Transport Awareness Day.
Some of the items added include:
- Front Bumper Bar Lights
- Bonnet Hinge Trim
- Headlight Defenders
- Grill Mesh & Bars
- Bug Deflector
- Steer Flares
- Elephant Ears, Teardrop
- Air Cleaner Lights
- Vortox Air Cleaners
- Mirror Trims
- Drop Visor, 14″
- Roof Lights
- Battery Box, s/steel wrap
- Steps, s/steel, closed ends
- Tank Wraps, s/steel
- Strap Wraps, s/steel
- Tank Trims, lighted
- Side Bunk Trims
- Deckplates
- Center Mount Mudguards
- Rear Bumper Bar
- Icepack
FH700
SLS recently completed a big fit out of stainless steel accessories on a Volvo FH700. While we don’t have fully finished photos yet – the truck went back to the customer with all the protective plastic still on & will be getting signwritten – here’s a peak at what it looked like when it left our workshop.
FH700
Big Move
Check out some of the footage SLS’s Ray Nixon shot when out on the road with our customer Betts Bower Haulage Group during one of their big moves! Here they are hauling a Caterpillar 994.
And here are a couple of Steve Lawler’s snaps from the move.
Exhaust Elbow Drip Tray
Tired of the dripping mess from your exhaust system ruining the look of your fuel tanks and skirts? Our exhaust elbow trip drays are designed to capture the residue and contaminants from around the exhaust system and deflect it over the inside of the tanks.
Our drip trays are made from the highest quality 304 BA finish stainless steel and are supplied with all mounting equipment and easy fit instructions.
Drip trays are now available to suit Kenworth, Mack and Western Stars models.
For prices please call 02 4932 6304 or email trucking@slsgroup.net.au.
Passing the Test of Time
Below is the interview with Steve Lawler that was featured in the Summer 2014 issue of Australian Custom Trucks magazine. ATC has kindly given us permission to reprint the article here.
Simply click on a page to enlarge or view a PDF by clicking here.
