Latest news with #SheldonBrown
The Drive
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
Toyota's Air Shock Seats Are Finally Making It Into the Tundra TRD Pro
Get The Drive's daily newsletter The latest car news, reviews, and features. Email address Sign Up Thank you! Terms of Service & Privacy Policy. Toyota trucks aren't as simple as they once were. Then again, nothing is. Still, it's wild to think that the manufacturer is currently selling pickups with supercar levels of horsepower and torque just two years after ditching drum brakes. It doesn't stop at electrified powertrains, either, as the new Tacoma TRD Pro even has seats with stinkin' air shocks in the back. And now, those IsoDynamic thrones are making their way to the full-size Tundra. This makes sense, really. In case you've never seen them before, these seats are thick—so thick, in fact, that a human can't sit behind me in the Tacoma whenever I have them adjusted to my driving position. Granted, I'm 6'5″, but everything ought to fit a lot better in the half-ton Tundra. Here I am, seated behind an average-sized man in the Tacoma TRD Pro. I can only imagine this won't be such a problem in the Tundra. Caleb jacobs When we asked Sheldon Brown, the Tacoma's chief engineer, to explain these air-over-oil shocks at the truck's launch event, he said: 'We started with some very basic technology, obviously increasing the bolsters both in the seat as well as in the rear seat back. And that obviously helps snuggle up the occupant, makes sure they're nice and tight. In the front, we added a swivel joint. 'In the back is our superstructure. It's a hot-formed steel tube. We basically blow it and quench it so we get the strength out of that. Obviously, that adds a little bit of mass, so behind this, we have gone from a metal back frame and a metal seat pan to a reinforced resin, and that helps us take some of the mass back out of the seat. The way this fundamentally works is we have the swivel joint there in the front, we have a spring-loaded ball joint, and then, of course, we have an articulation structure below. 'What we have here is air-over-oil, and what we can do is with a simple air Schrader valve. You can pull this off with something like a mountain bike-type pump; you can pump that up and we can set it to a specific pressure. We give you recommended pressures based on the occupant's mass, and then from there, you can customize it however you like, and you can change the damping force.' You don't lose any luxury with these high-performing seats, either, unless you count power recline as a luxury. They're still heated, ventilated, and adjustable up, down, fore, and aft. Toyota The difference between the IsoDynamic seats and regular ones is tangible, for sure. You can run 10 or 15 mph faster with the air-suspended seats than you can without them and not lose your dental fillings. And with the extra cab space in the Tundra, I think it'll finally be a net positive as I couldn't fully get behind them in the Tacoma—either literally or figuratively speaking. Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Mum catches out DNA lab worker who tried to help her child's father get out of £94k in maintenance payments
A mother caught out a DNA examiner who helped her child's father pretend to be unrelated to their son so he could evade maintenance payments. Lab worker Robert Patel provided a saliva sample, forged a doctor's signature and used an official stamp after being asked to skew the test results. HGV driver Sheldon Brown, 26, left Chelsea Miller, 31, three days after the birth of their son Louie in March 2022, The Sun reports. Ms Miller said she 'always knew who the father of my child was' but was 'left questioning everything' after Brown denied being Louie's father. A court heard Brown would save £94,000 in maintenance if it was proved he was unrelated to the child - his aunt then asked Patel to skew the results. But after the Child Maintenance Service said the test supposedly taken by Brown was negative Ms Millar managed to persuade Brown's mother Katie to provide DNA at a private lab. The sample proved Louie was Katie's grandson and the fake DNA swab matched Patel, 38, who had a conviction in 2017 for stealing £1,600 from a disabled person. There was no evidence he received payment for the scam. Patel and Brown both admitted conspiracy to defraud at Guildford crown court, The Sun reported. Brown, of Hampton, south west London, was sentenced to 50 weeks in jail and Patel, of Feltham, west London, got 33 weeks. Ms Millar said online in the wake of the saga: 'I always knew who the father of my child was, but I was left questioning everything. 'The level of unprofessionalism and violation of trust in this case is beyond unacceptable. 'Patients deserve to feel safe and respected when receiving care, especially in situations as sensitive as this. 'I sincerely hope this review encourages others to proceed with caution and prompts the relevant authorities to ensure such behaviour is never repeated.'
The Sun
15-07-2025
- The Sun
Mum nails DNA faker who tried to help her child's dad dodge maintenance payments of up to £94k
A MUM nailed a DNA examiner who helped her child's father evade maintenance payments. Lab worker Robert Patel provided a saliva sample, forged a doctor's signature and used an official stamp. 2 2 He was asked to nobble the test by Sheldon Brown's aunt. The HGV driver left Chelsea Millar three days after their son Louie was born in March 2022 and denied being his father. A court heard he stood to save £94,000 in maintenance. When the Child Maintenance Service told Chelsea the test supposedly taken by Brown was negative, she persuaded Brown's mother Katie to provide DNA at a private lab. It proved Louie was her grandson. The fake DNA swab matched Patel, 38, who had a conviction in 2017 for stealing £1,600 from a disabled person. There was no evidence he received payment for the scam. He and Brown, 26, both admitted conspiracy to defraud at Guildford crown court. Brown, of Hampton, South West London, was jailed for 50 weeks and Patel, of Feltham, West London, got 33 weeks. Chelsea, 31, said: 'I always knew who the father of my child was, but I was left questioning everything.'
