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VISITING & TOURING ALL AMERICAN BILLET!

Chris Hamilton . March 19, 2021 . America
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VISITING & TOURING ALL AMERICAN BILLET!

HAVING THE BENEFIT OF BEHIND-THE-SCENES ACCESS TO MOST OF THE TOP TRUCK PARTS MANUFACTURERS IN AMERICA IS A GIFT MOST PEOPLE DON’T OFTEN GET. We get excited to tour the facilities and listen to the passion in the voices of the staff on site. Generally, these are all truck guys doing cool truck guy things with cool truck guy friends.

This group of gearheads at All American Billet decided to focus on high quality, billet aluminum hotrod parts for classic Chevy and Ford trucks. All of these parts are fully produced, engineered and made in America at their Phoenix location. The daily grind includes carving out beautiful aftermarket parts like serpentine pulley kits, engine, interior and exterior accessories, full suspension systems and more!

Since 1909, All American Billet’s sister company, Valley Machine Works, has been providing high quality new parts and durable repairs you can depend on. When C.F. Johnsen first opened the shop, it was powered by one single 5-horsepower motor. Today, that very same shop is equipped with a variety of precision machines including state-of-the-art CNC equipped mills and lathes. They also have a full-service welding and fabrication shop on the premises capable of building or repairing most anything.

This family owned and operated business has been producing quality work for more than four generations, over 100 years! It was in the same family until it was purchased in 2019 by All American Billet’s parent company, RM Garrison Machining.

After years of a successful operation developing new parts for all industries—including oil field and fuel industries, farm equipment, restaurants, construction equipment, elevator companies, as well as government agencies—the time finally came to test out the custom truck market. To make it to the top of the quality list in this scene, you need to produce good quality parts that perform as advertised and are affordable to the majority of the market. The crew at All American Billet knew the recipe for success and had the experience to figure out the rest. So, they hit the ground running, and they haven’t looked back.

Years of experience have shown them how to stay small and sell big. Their mission is to offer you products at the best prices, along with unparalleled service. All jobs receive the same attention to detail regardless of size or complexity. We wanted to get a firsthand look at the process, so we packed our bags and headed out to Phoenix for a one-on-one tour with the brain behind the billet, Shane Williams.

Here are a few of the products All American Billet produces in house.

SERPENTINE KITS

This small-block Chevy All American Billet Serpentine kit is a great way to clean up any engine compartment. The kit comes standard with high-quality accessories and is made in the USA. Brackets are made from 6061-T6 aluminum, and come in machined finish, polished or All American’s exclusive Silverline Series. Kits come with the option of two different pulley styles, classic pulleys (no holes or cutouts) or original pulleys (with the triangular cutouts), at no additional charge. All American Billet offers a flex fan option for those who do not want to run an electric fan. You can choose from a standard slotted or smooth classic style pulley. The 17-inch fan with counterclockwise rotation is made from stainless steel before being finished in silver. Includes spacers and hardware.

MSRP: $1,895 – $2,344.95

HOOD HINGES

All American Billet hood hinges for ’49 – ’80 GM trucks and ’67 – ’72 Ford trucks are a great way to make your engine compartment pop! Machined from 6061-T6 aluminum and engineered to operate smoothly, these hinges are manufactured to last and come with larger bearings, stainless-steel gas struts and stainless-steel hardware. Available in brilliant polished, black anodized and the company’s classic machined finishes. Sold in pairs.

MSRP: $699.95 – $799.95

FRONT SUSPENSION KITS

Available in coilover and air bag versions, these front suspension kits are available with either billet aluminum or fabricated control arms. The air bag version includes crossmember, control arms, upper control arm mounts, motor mounts, inner frame support, rack-and-pinion adapter and all hardware needed to install.

  • SBC or BBC engine motor mounts
  • Designed for Slam Specialties RE-8 air bags
  • Minimum of 19-inch wheels or spacers may be needed to clear tie-rod ends
  • 6-inch ride height between bottom of frame and ground, with a 30-inch-tall tire and 2.5-inch drop spindles. This will allow the truck to lay frame aired out.
  • Easy camber and caster adjustment
  • Narrows track width a total of 3 inches
  • Moves wheels forward and more centered with front fenders

MSRP: $2,595 – $3,895

BOLT-ON AIR BAG REAR SUSPENSION KIT

The only 100% bolt-on rear bag kit available for the ’60 – ’62 C10 that will lay frame on the ground and retain a 6-inch ride height with air springs on a 30-inch-tall tire. The kit comes standard with parallel four-link and a Watt’s-link system to keep the axle centered throughout its travel. This kit also utilizes a two-piece notch design, which creates a much stronger part by eliminating excessive welding. All parts are manufactured and engineered using precision equipment and CAD software. Comes complete with Grade 8 hardware.

MSRP: $2,995

Now let’s see how they are made!

This unassuming door open to a Wonka-style machine shop that nearly any gearhead could only dream of owning. In the Phoenix area? Stop by anytime and give them a look. Just look for a few C10s laying around and you’re in the right place!

The showroom is simple and to the point. A nice display of All American’s latest products, including pulleys and hood hinges, is all it takes to prove these guys know quality.

As we head to the production area, we dodge racks of raw material, massive industrial machines and old classic vehicles all in one building. Love it!

The first machine we watched them load up was a Feeler HV-1000. This vertical machining center is designed for high-speed machining with a 15,000 RPM, shoots coolant through the spindle and has a 45-inch X-Axis bed for milling.
With the correct cutting tips picked out and the green button pushed, the machine gets to work shaving billet aluminum into stylish accessories. So cool to watch.

Once the machine is complete, the parts are removed, cleaned and stacked awaiting the next stage.

This massive plasma cutting table gives the team at All American Billet the ability to produce large parts and pieces, including their rear suspension frame parts.

Having donor trucks out back allows them to quickly mock up parts and test fit them before full production. Quality and precision are key at All American Billet!

After mockups, engineering, cutting and test fitting, a new product is developed and brought to market. This is their fully bolt-in rear suspension for certain year Chevy C10 trucks.

In another part of the production area, we watched as they assembled a set of their killer looking control arms. These look beefy and ready to play on any track or highway.

The engineering and trial and error process is tedious, but when you see these completed parts ready to ship, it shows how all the effort was worth it.

With the designs complete, the engineering perfected and the production on point, it’s time to stack the shelves with inventory. Believe it or not, All American Billet has a hard time keeping up with demand, and the inventory needs to be constantly restocked. Not a bad problem to have!
Seeing these truck in the back of the property has us excited for what is coming soon from the minds at All American Billet. We will be there to see it all!

How could you not want to see this under your engine bay! You just need to call the crew and place your order. Just do it!

SOURCE
• All American Billet
623-580-7214
www.allamericanbillet.com

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