Originally Posted by 6DoF (Post 8947051)

gotta get it above the bottom of the frame to lay frame! haha

i'll also end up wrapping the whole thing to keep the heat in too.

Originally Posted by youngrodder (Post 8947053)

Nah, just drag off anything below the frame....Its self correcting like that.

Originally Posted by 6DoF (Post 8947061)

:lol::lol:

i've done the whole self-clearance thing for fenders vs tires, but never tried to "polish the bottom smooth" :lol:

Originally Posted by 6DoF (Post 8947049)

i feel like this could be a polarizing subject, but lets hear your thoughts either way.

Seat Belts / Harnesses

i went for bright orange to contrast the blue n white, and still thinking i'd like to do an orange firewall after seeing the Backyard 55's red. i just love the accent contrast. but that's not the touchy subject.

so i got 5pt harnesses and will be installing them as a 4pt. my goal is to be better off than a 3pt kit, not race-ready. legally i could have none, but that's stupid. i don't think anyone would hate on just a lap belt cuz that's easy and way better than nothing. however with the steering wheel close i wanted more than just the 2pt lap. so i was researching 3pt and it just didn't seam like enough. (there's a reason new cars also include air bags with a 3pt) between the belt stretch, ratchet time to catch, give in the cab corner steel even with a giant weld-washer, my weight as a big dude, and the proximity of the wheel, i just didn't think it would really help enough.

i run a 5pt harness in both jeeps and love em, so that's what i wanted. however trying to get a harness bar in the cab when i'm already basically leaning on the back wall was a rough fit. i saw guys who had a tube welded from cab corner to cab corner, but i'd be leaning on the tube all the time. then i thought about cutting out that whole inner structure below the glass for more space, or running a tube behind it, but the seat leans on it and that low is a dangerous mounting angle for the shoulder belts. another option would be to just bolt the harness tabs flat to the cab structure, but they aren't designed to function in bending and still just a single mounting bolt to the sheet metal. even with a big weld washer.

so here's my solution, the harness plate. it's 12" wide with more bolts to spread the load out over a lot larger area. it's heavy enough to withstand the perpendicular belt mounting, and it let me mount the belts up into the glass area for proper angle off my shoulders. should be nice n solid around town, and any accident hard enough to bend/pull the cab structure right below where it welds to the outer skin in the window, was hard enough it's all fawked anyways. should hold me up better than a 3pt for sure, but obviously not good enough for any form of racing.

Originally Posted by youngrodder (Post 8947063)

Ha ha ..Not sure what you are using for air management but I'm using Accuair. Man, I love the adjustability. I wanted a lower drive height so I dropped it another 1" all the way around and re-saved it as my "new" drive height it comes up to when I turn on the ignition. She drives real low now. I wanted to drive it a bit first before making an adjustment.

Marc

Originally Posted by daddyjeep (Post 8947066)

I'm not sure the shape of your back wall there, but anyplace where you could add a 90 to your load plate would help quite a but. I might even consider extending it out to the corners with some bar stock, or better yet some angle.

That Jeep trail looked fun. I did the Great Lakes Jeep Jam myself... in a monsoon. It looks like the rain all stayed plenty notrth of you guys.

Originally Posted by 6DoF (Post 8947081)

i've been eyeballing the Air Lift 3H/3P, but cant' bring myself to drop the coin yet. the auto height control and multiple set heights is really tempting though!

current plan will just be 4 manual switch paddle valves from ThorBros

Originally Posted by youngrodder (Post 8947087)

I used a manual set up from Air Ride in my last build. It worked fine, I just like the auto correct and adjustability of this one better. I saw a smoking deal on a (new) Accuair set up on FB for $800.00 for everything you would need (minus compressors and tanks. I stay away from the tank and valves all combined into one. Those have a high fail rate.

Marc

Originally Posted by 6DoF (Post 8947100)

$800 with height sensors would be a sweeeet deal! totally agree on not running the fully integrated system, especially since i have the tank n compressors already.

Originally Posted by Rickysnickers (Post 8947515)

I'm a visual person. I am looking forward to seeing the plate and how it mounts to the truck. I like the idea of the 4 points. I have a big back window and don't have a lot of room for a 3 point belt. If the plate works out well, you may end up selling some :)

Originally Posted by lower50's (Post 8947617)

What about using 1/4" X 6" plate and making it look good and wrap it around inside the cab fasten it good then if the shoulder belts want to move they have to take the cab with them.
I have been using manual switches for ride height for 5 years now I run at 4" normally I just look out the window to the running board to verify height. I have bag pressure gauges as well but I find the pressure might be different based on the ambient air temp.

Originally Posted by youngrodder (Post 8948120)

You running a good water trap for the air ride? I was amazed at how much moisture mine hold when I release the air. I have (2) tanks and one trap per tank.

Marc

Originally Posted by 6DoF (Post 8948224)

ya know, i was planning to put a drain line on the tank i could access easy without getting under it ... but i hadn't thought about a separator. thanks sir!

i also plan to run the air intake for each pump up high under the hood, not just under the truck.

Originally Posted by GreasyLikeaBurger (Post 8953418)

Did the delivery guy toss it on its side at your door? My delivery guy always looks pissed if it the box weighs more than 20lbs. If its over 20, its almost always got a hole in the side, like they were pissed they had to unload it and walk the 30 feet to my gate. And just drop it on the ground.

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher (Post 8953463)

Very nice! Try not to slip it a lot since you went full ceramic. She'll get jumpy and jar your teeth out of your head. :lol: My only complaint about a dual disc is they actually slow down the shifting process if you are trying to drive fast, but yet necessary if you have the powa.

Originally Posted by burnin oil (Post 8953525)

I love the progress on your project.. I keep coming back and checking for updates every day or two.


It's funny to me that they can't build a clutch to hold torque in a gasser and go straight to the dual disc. On the diesel side of the house I have a 12v cummins pushing 750hp running a single that never slipped and shifted like butter. The work truck does have a dual disc but hauls alot of heavy loads. It shifts way slower but also never slips.. Both are G56 transmissions. Nothing but good things to day about South Bend Clutches.

Originally Posted by 6DoF (Post 8953973)

so that plate might have 4 different setting trials on it, lol

it's crazy how much the fish plates and frame rail acted like 2 different thickness, way more than i expected. both are 1/4", but from room temp the frame rail ends up being a HUGE thermal mass to heat.

i started out trying different sittings around my usual V and C, but never got a look i liked. the pattern i landed on was actually a down n out, followed by a re-trace. so basically i come straight down the one plate, then straight out the other, letting the puddle form in the middle. then i would sweep back up over the puddle quickly to ad a touch more fill while also giving a 2nd pass to flow the puddle n smooth/blend it more.

the hole fills were the same settings, but i guess i should have turned it down or given time between stitches in each.

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher (Post 8956428)

That's looking really nice. I've experienced the same as you. I have days when I pick up the welder I just have to put it down. But I have other days that every weld just comes out beautiful. It's unexplainable. I think yours look just fine. Keep at it!