T950 Legend #36

The #36 T950 Legend is owned by Betts Bower Haulage Group and has undergone an extensive amount of customisation here at SLS Group. Below are progress pics from throughout the customisation. Keep your eye on this page for photos of the final result.

Forged By Friendship

Australian Custom Trucks magazine recently ran an article featuring Betts Bower Haulage Group and the custom fit out SLS Trucking did on their C509 and T909 Director.  Chris Betts and Daniel Bower first met at the annual Newcastle Transport Awareness Day several years ago and their friendship developed when they both had trucks being customised in our workshop.

ATC has kindly given us permission to post the complete article here.

 

 

 

 

 Click on a page below to enlarge.

 

New Zealand Monster

Many thanks to our customer Penske Commercial Vehicles, Tauranga New Zealand for sending through this gallery of photos of the 4964 Western Star daycab they recently completed. This beast belongs to Dave Chambers who hauls chemicals for IXOM. The truck was customised by Penske and includes an SLS Drop Visor along with a complete 8″ monster stack air kooled exhaust system kit with straight tops.

From Dave “I would just like to thank the team at SLS Custom Stainless for helping me & my wife turn our Western Star into the beast that it is. Thanks guys we couldn’t be happier with the end result.”

SLS Trucking has been exporting DIY kits to customers in New Zealand for over 12 months but this is the first monster stack kit we have supplied. If your in New Zealand and are looking for a set of monster stacks or air kooled tops, get in touch with Shane Edmonds at Penske.

Aussie Style in Puerto Rico

Check out our customer, Paitos Trucking Inc’s Mack Titan. These guys are based in Puerto Rico and wanted to upgrade their air intake assembly to the Aussie style.

We supplied the full air intake assembly along with riser pipes, air rams, and SLS lighted pre-cleaner covers. The goods were air freighted to Puerto Rico & installed just in time for a local truck show where this Titan won truck of the show.

Angel of Paitos Trucking says “Best of Show! Everybody crazy about the australian look. My boss says thank you for your great service we are more than happy with all of you. You give the extra mile.”

  

New Volvo FH Sleeper Cab

The work completed by SLS includes:

• Number plate covers

• Bullbar lights, lower trim

• Driving lights

• Drop visor, 12″

• Mirror trims

• Steer quarter guard infill

• Lower wing trims

• Tank trims, lighted

• Deckplate, hinged for easy maintenance & cleaning

 

Click any image below to enlarge

 

 

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.

 

 

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.

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.

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.

 

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.

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