Hundreds of new product announcements cross the desks of PRI editors each month. Following are our top picks for May.

PRO28 WELDING TABLE

Strong Hand Tools
stronghandtools.com

Flexibility and precise fabricating are the benefits of this new modular-style PRO28 welding table from Strong Hand Tools.

“We needed a heavy-duty, five-faced counterpart to the BuildPro line. People were asking for it,” said Danny Ulloa of the Santa Fe Springs, California-based company. 

The table features multiple plates that can be staggered to accommodate unique-sized projects. Ulloa said the table flatness is rated at .064-mm per 600- x 600-mm square area. The 28-mm holes are spaced every 100 mm and accept a wide variety of fixturing components to help ensure accurate welding.

“By staggering the plates, you don’t have to buy an awkward-sized table that is too large for one project,” said Ulloa. “The plates slide out and you don’t lose your level surface. If you’re working with heavy-duty equipment and were to damage a plate, it can be flipped over or replaced. You don’t have to buy a new table.”

The top plates are constructed of P20 steel and nitrided for a Vickers surface hardness rating of HV 750. The side plates are constructed from Q345B steel and have a surface hardness of HV 550. Nearly 20 fixtures, clamps, and tools designed for the table are available in a variety of kits. —Mike Magda

TRINITY SERIES INTAKE MANIFOLD

Brian Tooley Racing
briantooleyracing.com

The increasing number of performance cylinder heads for select LS and LT applications prompted Brian Tooley Racing (BTR) to develop the Trinity Series modular three-piece intake manifold.

“There are lots of different cylinder heads with different port heights on the market,” explained Brian Tooley. “And we get requests to match them all. So, we decided on a three-piece design with a center plenum and bolt-on runners that we could easily make to fit those applications.”

Tooling to cast a single-piece intake could cost more than $30,000 while the tooling for a set of runners is around $3,500.

“For some high-power applications, the only choice was billet,” continued Tooley, whose shop is based in Bardstown, Kentucky. “A lot of these billet intakes are modular three-piece. If we could take that concept and make it cast three-piece, we could service more markets.”

BTR had to work out issues of machining and designing O-ring seals, and now there’s development of additional plenum sizes to accommodate larger throttle bodies. 

“We’re also working on a dual-injector version that could be serviced with a single fuel rail on each side,” Tooley told us.

Current applications include LS3, LS7 and Gen V with or without injector bosses.

“Whether NA or boosted, it’s definitely for high-rpm applications and for those who want durability over sheet-metal and price point over billet,” Tooley added. —Mike Magda

MOD SERIES SHOCK ABSORBER

QA1
qa1.net

Due to limited valving options, shock absorbers are rarely flexible enough to adapt to different tracks and racing conditions. Racers can’t go autocrossing and drag racing with the same shocks and expect optimum performance. QA1 addressed this conflict by developing the MOD series with interchangeable valve packs that allow quick adjustments to achieve the desired suspension dynamics.

“Say you’re at a Pro Touring event with autocross, road race, and speed-stop challenge. Those are three very different disciplines that the suspension needs to adapt to,” explained David Kass of the Lakeville, Minnesota-based company. “We found the traditional adjustable shock was unable to suit those needs very well.”

The MOD series features interchangeable QuickTune modular valve packs that allow adjustable compression and rebound with low-speed bleed. High-speed valving allows for tuning over impact events, like coming off a wheelie. Low-speed valving is for fine tuning weight transfer. All the shock fluids and nitrogen gas are separate from the valve pack.

“We took the valving off the piston and put it in the valve packs that you swap out in just a few minutes,” said Kass. “Now the racer has greater flexibility in valving options. He can make adjustments between events or if track conditions change. These work great on the street, but they’re really for track cars, Pro Touring, and radial tire drag racing.” —Mike Magda