Pictures of CPP notch before/after drilling for bags?

[shifty]

As many of you that have em, I want to see several of them.

Anyone got any photos handy of what your notch looked like before and after drilling (WITHOUT the bag installed)?

Thanks if you can help. Any photos of the template and process are appreciated also.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by shifty

As many of you that have em, I want to see several of them.

Anyone got any photos handy of what your notch looked like before and after drilling (WITHOUT the bag installed)?

Thanks if you can help. Any photos of the template and process are appreciated also.

Sorry, no pics, but maybe I can still help. I make templates of the bag that tell me exactly where each hole needs to be located. I then use the template to accurately transfer the hole C/L's to the frame for drilling.

[shifty]

That's what I have right now downstairs on paper (template), I traced off my RE7's to make it.

I didn't want to reveal the real reason for me asking cause I might have screwed up, but here goes

My center hole for the spring doesn't hit in the exact same place on both notches. It hits at the top of the ovular center hold of the notch on one, and the bottom of the notch on the other. However, the center point of the notch measures equidistant from common points on the frame, and the axle seemed to tuck properly/centered in the notch with the stock crossmember and trailing arms.

I will go take some pictures so you can see what I'm saying.

[shifty]

here you go. this is what i'm looking at. sorry, they're taken from different heights. i will explain:

in these pictures, the C-notches are sitting in the position they were in as clamped - and eveyrthing is sitting flush against the frame, and i smacked them with a hammer to set them.

notice that the top hole is spot-on, regardless of how I clamp the notch down, but the center spring hole is slightly out of whack, misaligned to the top on one side and towards the bottom on the other. the bottom-most hole is slightly more out of whack, no matter what I cut, the damned thing just will not get near center, vertically or horizontally.

[SCOTI]

The pics do help understand your issue. I did the CPP bolt-in notches but cheated on my first round of mods. I flipped the bags upside-down....

This meant no drilling multiple holes in the frame. I took a typical bag plate, placed it on the truck arms, marked the areas that needed drilling & trimming, drilled the bolt holes (I 'clocked' them so they split the center of the truck arm seam & then notched the arms on one half for the air fitting). The plate was then put between the bag & arm as reinforcement upon installation. It was much easier to modify the single layer of steel on the arms vs. dealing w/the frame, CCP notch material, OE reinforcement piece, etc....

When I re-did the suspension, I installed smaller bags up-right & drilled the required holes. I never looked to see if mine were centered or not. I just used the original truck arm hole to center the placement of the bag & my templates to drill where the holes needed to be in the frame (you don't use that upper spring retaining hole on the top side of the 6" Slam bag). If I remember correctly, the air fitting hole & the spring retaining-bolt hole did intersect & I had to use a file to clean the edges for one 'larger' kidney shaped opening. Ugly to view, but functional. Once the bag was installed, you wouldn't know w/o me telling (& I'll never tell ).

[XXL]

You'll be fine. Get them bolted tight and then warble out the bag hole. That's as good as anyone has gotten the notches to fit.

[shifty]

sorry, what's a "bang hole"? i have some ideas in my head, and they aren't related to trucks

[Shane]

I'm with XXL ... drill it out enough that a bolt passes thru and tighten it down.

You're thinking about this too much.

[shifty]

I have done that a lot with the project.

But in this case, I blame the equipment. Why didn't CPP cut a perfect circle out of the middle of that notch plate (spring pocket center hole) instead of an oval hole? Why cut an oval hole? Doesn't make sense to me.

This would be a lot easier if that hole in the middle was, like, 1" round. Will it hurt anything if I drill it out as such?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by shifty

I have done that a lot with the project.

But in this case, I blame the equipment. Why didn't CPP cut a perfect circle out of the middle of that notch plate (spring pocket center hole) instead of an oval hole? Why cut an oval hole? Doesn't make sense to me.

This would be a lot easier if that hole in the middle was, like, 1" round. Will it hurt anything if I drill it out as such?

What bags are you installing? Are they single bolt top & bottom?

If not, don't worry about opening up the hole to a perfect 1" or whatever larger size. Figure out where your air fitting hole needs to be. If necessary, open up the hole to accomodate.

[shifty]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

What bags are you installing? Are they single bolt top & bottom?

If not, don't worry about opening up the hole to a perfect 1" or whatever larger size. Figure out where your air fitting hole needs to be. If necessary, open up the hole to accomodate.

Slam RE7's, the dual port (larger port), single bolt top and bottom. Again - I need to find the bolts, I don't know if they came with the bags or not, I have to go look in the box. I bought them from a name brand company - the one Suicide Doors, I think?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by shifty

Slam RE7's, the dual port (larger port), single bolt top and bottom. Again - I need to find the bolts, I don't know if they came with the bags or not, I have to go look in the box. I bought them from a name brand company - the one Suicide Doors, I think?

I have RE-7's from SD; no bolts came w/them. Mine aren't the dual port though. I'll google them to see what the top looks like.....

[XXL]

Originally Posted by shifty

I have done that a lot with the project.

But in this case, I blame the equipment. Why didn't CPP cut a perfect circle out of the middle of that notch plate (spring pocket center hole) instead of an oval hole? Why cut an oval hole? Doesn't make sense to me.

A decade or so ago, I provided several design improvement suggestions to this and another product. They told me flat out that they weren't interested. I don't spend my money with them (for this and other reasons).

[SCOTI]

^^^ I've always loved that pic.

[C10Slim]

Sorry to jack the thread but... Now you guys got me worried. I got my c-notch today and was going to try and get it in this weekend but do I need to wait until I get my bags and do it all at one time to make a template??

[XXL]

Originally Posted by C10Slim

Sorry to jack the thread but... Now you guys got me worried. I got my c-notch today and was going to try and get it in this weekend but do I need to wait until I get my bags and do it all at one time to make a template??

Doing it all at once isn't critical but it's definitely more work if you do it that way since you'll be doing an r&r on the spring twice. You'll likely run into the same hole misalignment on the top spring bolt as shifty is having above. Just warble out the 2 holes until they come together in harmony.

[C10Slim]

Originally Posted by XXL

Doing it all at once isn't critical but it's definitely more work if you do it that way since you'll be doing an r&r on the spring twice. You'll likely run into the same hole misalignment on the top spring bolt as shifty is having above. Just warble out the 2 holes until they come together in harmony.

I got ya. Fortunatly I am down to bare frame so won't have to R&R the springs.

[VA72C10]

Any recommendations on how large to make that center fitting hole overall? I have the same bags (RE-7's but not the fittings yet so I want to make the holes large enough so I don't have to drill more holes after I paint. I'm going to make a paper template as well for the bolt holes upper and lower but want to make sure I leave ample room for the fittings. Thanks. Also, here's a picture from my CPP notch install. We welded it on...no bolts at all. You can see where we wallowed out the hole already somewhat to line up with the other holes. Didn't think about the fitting being larger until now or I would have made the hole in the frame larger before welding on the notch. Since this picture the underside (the top in the picture) has been welded as well.

[SCOTI]

One thing I noticed is that you're both wanting to know how much to open up the hole when none of the airbag holes line up exactly w/that frame hole.

The mounting holes for the bag are slightly offset from center as is the air fitting (vs. the exact center of the bag).

[VA72C10]

I guess when I make the template and mock up the bags it will be more clear' but basically you're sying I'll be drilling one extra large hole for the fitting and one for the bolt on the other side of the existing spring bolt hole?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by VA72C10

I guess when I make the template and mock up the bags it will be more clear' but basically you're sying I'll be drilling one extra large hole for the fitting and one for the bolt on the other side of the existing spring bolt hole?

Exactly. While the mounting holes for the bag bolts are centered, they're not centered both horizontally & vertically when looking @ the top of the bag plate. Same w/the air fitting. For me, the bag needs to be bolted in place on the truck arm & then trace the exact location of the bag on the bottom of the upper frame rail including a reference mark. Using a template that has been clocked properly w/a reference mark, place that within the traced portion of the frame, align the reference marks & center-punch your holes for the mounting bolts & air fitting. Drill & file where necessary.

The easier method is to use a 'hat' that has a single stud welded to it. This keeps the mounting bolts & air fitting below the plain of the hat & only the single stud goes through the existing OE hole that located the coil spring originally. The drawback is the hat will need to be @ least 1" tall (it has to be taller than the air fitting) which means 1" less drop w/all other dimensions being equal.

[XXL]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

The drawback is the hat will need to be @ least 1" tall (it has to be taller than the air fitting) which means 1" less drop w/all other dimensions being equal.

However, unless you're notching the bed for the pumpkin, this "lost" inch is actually not an issue.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by XXL

However, unless you're notching the bed for the pumpkin, this "lost" inch is actually not an issue.

Very true.... My combo poked a hole thru what was left of the original wood floor.

I found that inch was needed to be able to have more air pressure in the bag @ ride height (2600/7" bag & 1.5" block = ~35psi @ ride height = 1" inside the frame @ the top of the axle tube). When I had the 'hat' installed, I was under 30psi (@ the same ride height) & it was noticed (bouncy ride quality). Once I bumped air pressure up, the bounce was gone so I removed the hat for slightly higher air psi @ the same overall ride height.

[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Very true.... My combo poked a hole thru what was left of the original wood floor.

I found that inch was needed to be able to have more air pressure in the bag @ ride height (2600/7" bag & 1.5" block = ~35psi @ ride height = 1" inside the frame @ the top of the axle tube). When I had the 'hat' installed, I was under 30psi (@ the same ride height) & it was noticed (bouncy ride quality). Once I bumped air pressure up, the bounce was gone so I removed the hat for slightly higher air psi @ the same overall ride height.

I was thinking about the hat today when you had mentioned it because I have a stock steel bedfloor and will not be modifying it. But your comments are concerning me now. I will be running RE7's and 2" blocks so hopefully it will work out okay. Also, was your ride height fairly low? I plan on about a 4/6 drop ride height.