Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

how much air does the system need to lift the unit to ride height? just curious because as a heavy duty mechanic i have worked on lots of highway haulers with air bags and their systems work fine on 120 psi. all the regular sized trucks I have worked on with air bag suspension also work on 125 psi. do you recall what size bags you're using?

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

about your cluster/monitor. the nice thing is that smooth dash panel thats available could be welded in if you cut the hole and do mods for the monitor and then you decide it is too out of place and want to put it back to a more stock look. just first ensure the shifter isn't gonna be too close so you can't see the cluster or maybe it bumps when the driveline flexes etc. possibly the monitor could be recessed with a sliding cover so the sunlight doesn't make the screen hard to read. also, screens being the way they are, it may get pretty bright inside the cab on a dark night and become distracting. as a firefighter we had laptops mounted between the seats for the driver or rider to check notes and updates for calls and also for maps to show routing to calls. they were quite bright and could be distracting at night. a sliding cover, like a roll top desk, might be a cool cover that would be out of the way when open.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Dominator D2600 bag, rated for 600psi max. it's the IFS that really messes with the load though, the leverage from being on the LCA greatly increases what it sees ... i forget what my exact load ratio ended up at. would be nice to have a larger dia bag in there, but i wasn't going to re-engineer it that much to start with. entirely possible future project though!

i'd cut the screen into the dash, so the "eyebrow" styling of the dash should make a nice sun reflection shade. i get the screen brightness at night thing, everything has crazy screens now and i am always turning down the backlight.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Turning is very overrated Ha ha. There is always a comprise between being really low with a large diameter wheel/tire. I can't turn lock to lock either but I'd rather have the right look proportions wise even if I lose some turning radius in the process.

My 2 cents (not that anyone asked).

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

is there a blackbackground mode on the screen maybe? that might help at night.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

oh yeah, it's fully customizable to anything you'd want.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

got the 'Aire Jax' switches hooked up last night and they are amazing. super easy proportional control for slower speed and fast as hell if you want. i dropped the front once hard enough i was worried about breaking something, but i can also easily take however long i want for it to drop. the new switch location is also money. highly recommend.

with the switches and no psi regulator, i was able to get 140psi in the front bags, the max on my tank regulator. but i got very little extra lift. i'm starting to get worried about making the 8-8.5" height i wanted.

after that i started hooking up the relay and fuse block to get the onboard pumps running. got them to run, now i just need to wire them thru the psi switch.

https://i.imgur.com/v5f6Zn9l.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

get'er done. let us know how it goes.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

nice tidy work. good job you're doing. better than sone proffessional jobs I've seen.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Ii remember back in the day with the square body trucks they used some air bags inside the coil springs. can't remember if that was a factory thing or an aftermarket thing. I always wondered how much they helped but never actually found out since i was the repair guy not the truck owner or driver. mostly I seen them on 1 ton trucks but the max engine size/weight would have been a big block or a 6.2 diesel. hopefully you can make your's work without having to rework the control arm.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

bag inside the coil spring or in place of the coil spring?

this is the second set of LCA's i've built to take a bag in place of the spring. these use an 8" dia bag, the first set was for a 9" dia bag. i could also go back and make another set for the higher capacity bag again.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

bag inside the coil. standard factory ride height. i think maybe the ride height was taller on the air bag assisted trucks but that was a long time ago.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

oh yeah, compensate for added weight or try a small lift by making things stiffer ... they still sell those, even seen ppl use footballs :lol:

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

yup, stiffer comes to mind for sure

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

got it! i was determined to get you that full height picture!

so i finished wiring up the dual OBA compressors with the tank psi switch and got actual good PSI to the bags. she went right up to height, and a weight off my shoulders.

8.5" front, 9" rear

https://i.imgur.com/ocMNAQMl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/WwscXDLl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/hKhsi8il.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Dp2Udpml.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

fewf, load off.
looks good for height there.
thanks for the pics.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

One of my favorite duallys! (and I'm not a dually guy)

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

are you puting a bumper on the front?

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

thank you!

hopefully you still like it after i do the bed. it'll be a little different.

sure thing, i have the factory matching patina front bumper for it. will get placed a little tighter to the body, and a little lower to the ground.

i then have a 70's step bumper for the back

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

the task force trucks with no front bumper kinda look like they are launching when they are sitting still, haha.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

so it begins ...

i only have a few things to hook up, but there are so many damn wires!!

https://i.imgur.com/qogarqj.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

looks pretty neat to me. keep going one circuit at a time and soon you won't have any circuits left.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

You're on the downhill side. It looks good at that ride height.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

thanks, and i even get to weed out n not use quite a few of these wire too!

i have always HATED the "Christmas tree press-in clip" style zip ties on factory harnesses. just a pain, never reusable, etc. well while working on the wife's vette i finally bought a bag of 100 of em and i'm starting to really like them. now that i can just cut em off n replace they are super handy. 1/4" hole, super secure, done.

also, this cheap split seam loom from amazon is way better than that old plastic corrugation stuff i've used in the past.

https://i.imgur.com/rnXmqchl.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

thanks! cross your fingers for me it functions n rides well too, haha.

i've searched and searched, but cant' find a good cheap set of factory late-gen C30 knuckles. i'd really like to have a set on the shelf for back-up. i made some 3" bag spacers for the back, and by swapping out these drop knuckles i could gain back a real functional height while still getting low enough to be pretty sick.

what drives me nutz is i had a set on that chassis i bought and they got scrapped. immediate regret.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

there is also a tool that helps insert the wire into the splkit loom.
https://www.cabletiesandmore.ca/wire-loom-tools

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Wait!! You built a chassis from scratch and you are griping about pulling a few wires through your truck??? LOL. Is it just me???

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

:lol:

generally a fabricator is allergic to electricity ya know!

satisfying at completion, just not my favorite work. partially cuz ideal functionality of routing is not the same as a nice looking routing for the most part ... i end up with an internal struggle of hidden and serviceability.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

oo! good call on a tool for that. i used a box wrench last night and was pretty decent, but could be way better.

found these online and printing a few different sizes of them now.

https://www.printables.com/model/662...esser-werkzeug

https://media.printables.com/media/p...ge_662378.webp

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Have you looked at a racepak for your gauges and data logging? For the cost of the holley stuff I think the racepak might be a better option price wise.

Your air valves look like the little Larry ones I have on my truck. I'm guessing these guys bought Larry out. Unless they changed design or upgraded something inside them, plan to add some lube to your air system maybe 1 or 2x a year. I only have the 2 valve and not the 4 but they will stick some times and that sucks. Hopefully yours won't. I've had mine on the truck for a long time so maybe mine is just an old design. :lol:

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

funny you should say that! i spent a lot of yesterday bored at work researching data logger and gauges :lol: racepak, AEM, and Holley are all kinda similar with different levels of fancy. i think i have currently landed on the Dakota Digital RTX (factory 55 looking cluster with the mini screen display in the speedo) and then a OneGauge with no screen to log into with my phone. looks like the cheapest, easiest, and best styled setup. i just need to hit up OneGauge n discuss inputs.

i'm pretty sure they did buy Larry's yeah, or might have been a partner ... not sure. the direction do say to oil em, i'll keep that in mind.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

I've been happy with my dakota digital VHX clusters. The only complaint I have is last time I called for the new setup, they said 6 month wait. That was good you got instructions with your valves. :lol: I'm pretty certain I didn't. But I do like the speed of them.

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

ok, the painless harness for the win. as i started i was hesitant to reorganize or cut things, but after getting into it, that just works. as soon as i have a wiring issue with my 93 it's just getting all-new from scratch too.

https://j.gifs.com/KrjaEZ.gif

i really keep feeling like i want to make a funnel scoop cut into the front/side of the hood to bath the air filter. not sticking up or out at all, just thru the bulge right above/around the filter.

then here's how i ran the wiring. with no inner fenders at the moment, it's just attached to the under side of the fender at that lip. i made 2 nice big pass-thru grommets to then get behind the grill to hide the crossover and the fan relay. horn ordered, that's the green wire. i really like how all that hid really nicely behind the header latch panel. big blue wire is a ground strap. made a few different harness sections under the hood, i was worried that would look a mess but i think worked. the coil around the breather bottle are gauge sensor wires. i even put little 10-32 nutcerts in the cowl for that main harness fuse.

inside had such a massive pile of wires, but they are pre-bundled. by that time i was on a roll and just started hacking. left enough for easy servicing, wound up stuff for future use n BAM. lights work, switch is fully functional. key works, starts the damn thing, and splitting the ACC and IGN sets so the fans are on with the IGN but only the air compressors are on for the ACC.

i did end up hooking up the blinkers in the mid-bar in the headlights. hoping once i get the rear plugged in she'll actually flash.

https://i.imgur.com/77hYQbNl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cTJp565l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/4m8EVrQl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/9r1uHP0l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/OFYCZrMl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/k8Ft5RRl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/uCZWNNPl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/jw6B7D0l.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Looking good. Wiring can be such a time suck. On my bagged 48 truck build I had custom inner fenders but I used a piece of SS tube and ran the wires thru it in case my tires as to come in cant when being really low and turning. I attached thru the fender bolts holes with isolated metal/rubber claps. Worked/looked slick.

Wiring means your getting close...

Marc

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

not sure why, but getting the factory rear view mirror back in after sand blast n paint was super satisfying.

the kick panel covers however ... sometimes ya just gotta "paint it black and put it back"

finished getting the wiring under the truck covered and tied up, horn in, steering wheel final assembly, fuel tanks tied together with a balance hose and vent to make one big volume (19*2). getting more check marks on the list!

https://i.imgur.com/pVQ8d2ql.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/pugZBkOl.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

this horn is CRAZY loud for as cheap as it was :lol:

https://imgur.com/7GFlR4F

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

Looking great. You’re making great progress. I can relate to the wiring fun. I’ve been doing it for 3+ weeks now. You’ve got to be getting close to roadworthy. Definitely anticipating completion. Keep the pictures coming!

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

my barn kit got delivered! i can not wait for the foundation work to start ... i really need to get this bed done so i can maybe drive this while building the shop.

got a wild hair last night after the wife went to bed, got my shifter floor seal made. printed a cut template earlier over dinner for a nice tight fit. 2 layers of 1/8" neoprene, one cut around the trans and one around the shifter, then the steel trim ring. i feel like the ring should be AL or chrome, but should i paint it white or black for now?

later i think the wife plans to stitch up a boot for me too, but not needed to start driving this thing.

https://i.imgur.com/pFCeEOo.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/R9oYvVC.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/bTqYzZj.jpg

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

black for me
nice job
will look great with a stitched boot

Re: Project: Tow-Rat (Lil' Blue)
 

black it is!

got the kick panel bits back in, just waiting on the vent flappers to show up to finish assembly of that stuff. factory radio delete blasted and re-painted. just don't know what to put into the last open hole, i don't have any more delete buttons ...

got most of the bed mounts frame and floor side fabbed up Sunday. i really need to just get the bed sides on already!

https://i.imgur.com/On6H9vLl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/JRpmjfCl.jpg