About to order parts for bag setup, what do I really need?

[ElkyRacer]

I just ordered a pair of RE7s and RE8s from a ebay member today, which will ship wednesday. Im looking to order my front plates from Suicide Doors, as well as my triangulated 4 link parts. The build is going to be a 64 Long Fleet that will have a Z up front to lay frame on a 29in tire, a 5.3/4L80E/Ford 9in. The truck will put out around 450hp(turbocharged) to the wheels, see some track duty(hard launches with slicks) and be used occasionally to tow a car trailer/Jeep.

Now onto the questions. What size tubing should I go with for my application? The lowers I was planning on square tubing, mounting the bags about half way on the tubes, with rubber bushings at both ends. Uppers will be adjustable with bushings as well. SD sells the bushings with both 3/4 studs and huge 1 1/8 studs. Both the same price, but Im thinking tubing will run more if I go with the 1 1/8. Is this needed? Will 3/4 be fine? Is bigger always better?

For now just to get the frame rolling Im just concentrating on those parts, not any valves/tanks/compressors as Ill have more need for drivetrain parts. What else am I missing?

Kyle

[ElkyRacer]

Anyone?

[shifty]

Took me about 2 seconds to find this using the search feature: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...19#post2602919

[ElkyRacer]

No offense shiffty, but you dont know me very well. I do my research, Ive read just about every post from the past year in this section, but saw nothing with any suggestions on link material size, thickness, bushing and stud size, or anything like that. Ive read numerous buildups, but all are mostly for just normal builds just for laying frame. Ive picked up a few hints here and there, so I bucked up and went with the RE8s.

And no, I dont use the search. I just read this forum, and 2345780245 others, page by page, and save the threads with the important info. My firefox bookmarks is almost to its limit.

[shifty]

Originally Posted by ElkyRacer

No offense shiffty, but you dont know me very well. I do my research, Ive read just about every post from the past year in this section, but saw nothing with any suggestions on link material size, thickness, bushing and stud size, or anything like that. Ive read numerous buildups, but all are mostly for just normal builds just for laying frame. Ive picked up a few hints here and there, so I bucked up and went with the RE8s.

And no, I dont use the search. I just read this forum, and 2345780245 others, page by page, and save the threads with the important info. My firefox bookmarks is almost to its limit.

I wasn't criticizing, I was tossing out some help based on the title and first paragraph. But hey! Thanks for jumping my ass, I really appreciate it.

EDIT: Wait, let me toss a wink in here at the end of it, I bet that will make everything better.

[ElkyRacer]

Nah, didnt jump your ass. I just figured you did only read the title and first paragraph. No biggie, cides, cant jump your ass, your build on LS1tech has helped me too much!

Kyle

[ElkyRacer]

Almost forgot.....

[shifty]

Cheers, no hard feelings. I'm still kicking myself for not reading the second paragraph before responding.

[shifty]

bumping this up, since nobody chimed in to help.

[68burb]

i would price out both materials. anything around a 1/4" wall should be enough.

i'm thinking of doing the square on my lowers for ease of mounting the bags and round on the uppers.

[royo]

Originally Posted by ElkyRacer

I just ordered a pair of RE7s and RE8s from a ebay member today, which will ship wednesday. Im looking to order my front plates from Suicide Doors, as well as my triangulated 4 link parts. The build is going to be a 64 Long Fleet that will have a Z up front to lay frame on a 29in tire, a 5.3/4L80E/Ford 9in. The truck will put out around 450hp(turbocharged) to the wheels, see some track duty(hard launches with slicks) and be used occasionally to tow a car trailer/Jeep.

Now onto the questions. What size tubing should I go with for my application? The lowers I was planning on square tubing, mounting the bags about half way on the tubes, with rubber bushings at both ends. Uppers will be adjustable with bushings as well. SD sells the bushings with both 3/4 studs and huge 1 1/8 studs. Both the same price, but Im thinking tubing will run more if I go with the 1 1/8. Is this needed? Will 3/4 be fine? Is bigger always better?

For now just to get the frame rolling Im just concentrating on those parts, not any valves/tanks/compressors as Ill have more need for drivetrain parts. What else am I missing?

Kyle

HELLO !!! lol

[ElkyRacer]

Thanks,

Ive got a few pictures of the truck as it sits on my computer at home, not much to look at, but as soon as I get all my parts in and get the truck up here to work, Ill be documenting everything.

[The Fab Shack]

Originally Posted by ElkyRacer

I just ordered a pair of RE7s and RE8s from a ebay member today, which will ship wednesday. Im looking to order my front plates from Suicide Doors, as well as my triangulated 4 link parts. The build is going to be a 64 Long Fleet that will have a Z up front to lay frame on a 29in tire, a 5.3/4L80E/Ford 9in. The truck will put out around 450hp(turbocharged) to the wheels, see some track duty(hard launches with slicks) and be used occasionally to tow a car trailer/Jeep.

Now onto the questions. What size tubing should I go with for my application? The lowers I was planning on square tubing, mounting the bags about half way on the tubes, with rubber bushings at both ends. Uppers will be adjustable with bushings as well. SD sells the bushings with both 3/4 studs and huge 1 1/8 studs. Both the same price, but Im thinking tubing will run more if I go with the 1 1/8. Is this needed? Will 3/4 be fine? Is bigger always better?

For now just to get the frame rolling Im just concentrating on those parts, not any valves/tanks/compressors as Ill have more need for drivetrain parts. What else am I missing?

Kyle

for the sake of unneeded added weight, dont over do anything you dont need to over do.

you lower bars can be either 1.5 square with a .250 wall or 2x2.188 wall. I've used both on fullsize suv's and never any problems at all.. for upper links.. what are they gonna do? hold the rear end in place.. you're not sticking the bags there.. thus you will be 150% fine with 1" uppers with a .188 wall from a place like Gravity Werx.. (chassis engineering is 3/4" link bars for their parallel 4's on pro street cars) you can get both uppers, adjustable on 1 end with bushings all for 100 and some change. If you are making the lowers yourself, get some bushings from anyone.. i use gravity werx, i can drill and tap a grease fitting and be cheaper then spending 24 each from suicidedoors. you will want the 3" ends from gravity werx for the 2" bars. they measure from bushing end to bushing end.. bushings tick out .250.. so the your piece of DOM tubing is really only 2.5" that leaves .250 on each end of the bar to weld.. plenty. plus they are 9.95 with bushing and sleeve verses 20 at SD.

now your thing with towing. towing with bag on bar is a real pain in the ass issue.. if you plan to tow some heavy stuff.. go with a sleeve bag behind the axle.. if you can keep the tongue weight down to around 2000 lbs. then you will be fine with RE8's on the bars.. but i'd probably only do a 1.5:1 ratio, not a full 2:1.

now to have a better looking notch if you need an actual notch.. i hate the look of the 8 piece.. i use 2x3x.120 retangle tubing and make my notches.. look a LOT better and costs pennies.

for these trucks that ever uses the top plate and the lower cup.. i always cut the pocket off the frame, plate any hole if there is one when done and use a torsion bar bracket setup.. this way i can mount my bracket anywhere i want on the frame to make sure i am fully laid and fully using my bag and it all depends on me, not the factory frame. i also center part of the center of the lower arm so i weld my circle plate in there. then i run a nice shock with good travel.. i always use Monroe or KYB replacements for an 85 lebaron v6 rear shocks.. i use em both front and rear.. ride awesome and get like 9-10" of stroke.

you will need 8 valves (i always use ASCO 3/8 quick but at the same time, VERY easy to adjust.. and never had a stuck valve), tank size and compressors are depending on you.. if you get 2 380 viairs, dont get bigger then an 8 gal tank per 2 380's. if you get 2 480 viairs, dont get bigger then a 10 gallon per 2 480's.. i have a 12 gallon, but i also had a EDC on it, now i'm running nitrogen (i have a nissan, so it doesnt pertain too much to you).. I think for someone who isnt a switch happy as living hell, you could easily get 2 380's on a slim 5 gallon and run the viair pressure switch around 180-200psi. you will also need some type of rear bracketry.. you can get the lower brackets that mount onto the bars that suicidedoors sells, or you can get circle plates, weld them on centered and use 2 little pieces to gusset it to the link bar on the bottom.. now you need a top setup.. you can use over the axle top bracket on the side of the frame or you can incorporate it into the tube work and use something like an upper cup with no studs.

lemme sum this rambling up.

you need 8 valves
an air tank
compressors (2 viair 380's on up to 8gal, 2 480's up to 10 gal)
brackets front and rear (both upper and lower)
air line
fittings
pressure switch and relay or noid
some wire
switch box (i prefer AVS)
gauges if you wanna keep an eye.. you'll need 1 single needle and 2 dual needles
line for the gauges

that is pretty much all i can think of.

[ElkyRacer]

Now THATS what I was looking for. Someone who with some reasons as to WHY I need to use this, or why not to use that. I hate asking someone a question about something I know very little of, and get a 'well thats just what you do' with no reason as to why. Good advice on mounting the bags at more of a 1.5 to 1. Im not looking for insane lift, just a good comfortable low ride height with a bit of lift for those 'situations'.

I was planning on running square tube lowers for ease of bag mounting. As I said in my first post, air managment is a ways away, but I will be using 3/8 valves, with a EDC filling the tank.

Thanks for the insight. Ill be doing some ordering next week!!

Kyle