Readers following the progress of the CCT/ Smith Men '34 Ford roadster pickup project truck know that much headway has been made. Smeding Performance built a 555hp/557-lb-ft 427ci Ford stroker engine. Steve's Auto Restorations created a '34 Ford car-based roadster pickup cab and mated the body with a custom Pro's Pick bed. Comprised of industry leaders in terms of a chassis' essentials: suspension, steering, brakes, and drivetrain, award- winning chassis-builder SAC Hot Rod Products fabricated superlative underpinnings for the Ford ("All Independent & Polished," Oct. '05).
Much of the componentry comprising the '34 Ford chassis came from a company established in 1969-Kugel Komponents. Founded by former Bonneville Salt Flats and Dry Lakes multiple-speed-record holder, builder, and longstanding street rodder Jerry Kugel, Kugel Komponents has eight employees. Together Jerry's wife Judy and daughter Jerilyn run the business office. Joe is a fabricator, while the Kugels' other son Jeff oversees the shop and builds the IRS systems. Technicians Jose, Rene, and Jimmy have been with the company several years.
Kugel Komponents provides line clamps, universal brake systems, award-winning suspension systems, and handcrafted roadsters. Kugel's independent rear and front suspension systems are so beautiful, we wanted to see how the components go together. We visited Kugel's shop one sunny Sunday morning for the IRS build. On a separate occasion, we watched Jose construct the IFS.
We imagine many custom vintage truck/car enthusiasts would pay to see how well-engineered these products are and how they go together. Instead, for the cost of a newsstand copy of CCT (or yearly subscription), we'll give you the armchair quarterback's perspective. Kugel Komponents lives up to it's slogan, "Creators of Quality since 1969," and has fun doing so. But don't simply believe us. See for yourself. Enjoy.
 From any perspective, the...  From any perspective, the polished Kugel Komponents IRS is a work of art.... |  ...Find out how Kugel constructs...  ...Find out how Kugel constructs these world-class street rod suspension systems, both IRS and IFS. |  Can you believe it took Jeff...  Can you believe it took Jeff Kugel a mere two hours (even with a feature editor snapping photos and asking questions) to assemble these polished Kugel IRS Komponents? The same procedure is followed each time to prevent mistakes and be efficient. |
 To begin, Jeff screwed the...  To begin, Jeff screwed the four aircraft-style steel keenserts into the bottom of the aluminum housing. As shown, he then staked each of the keenserts. Since the pivot plate bolts to the housing and the control arms swing from the pivot plate, it's crucial that the pivot plate never slips free. That's why the steel keenserts are used; hard steel is being screwed into steel as opposed to soft aluminum. |  After putting Teflon tape...  After putting Teflon tape around the threads to prevent leaks, Jeff screwed the oil plug into the bottom of the aluminum housing. |  He turned the housing on its...  He turned the housing on its side and used Permatex high-temp silicone before pressing the oil seal in the side of the housing. Afterwards he inserted the axle-lock ring in the opening to test that it rests underneath the bearing flange. It did, so he repeated the procedure on the other side. |