C30 air ride: 3/8" or 1/2"?

[D.FENS]

Getting a plan together to bag my C30 crewcab.

I recently aquired (most of) an older A.R.T. RidePro kit, which has a pair of 3/8" 2-way manifold valves. Are the 3/8" valves sufficent for a truck as heavy as a crewcab, or should I upgrade to 1/2"?

ART claim their 3/8" valves flow as much as other manu's 1/2's, and I have already read comments about trucks going up / down too fast on 1/2's. The price on the kit was right enough that it was a good deal even if I have to buy bigger valves.

Also, do you run whatever size line straight off the valves to the bag fittings, or do you use smaller size feeder lines from the main line to the bag?

Sorry if this seems like an obvious question to everybody, I've been researching this for a couple weeks and haven't found this addressed directly, just in passing in some old threads (like '02 and 3)

Maybe installers used to use 1/4" feeder lines and now they just run the big line all the way to the bags?

[jimmydean]

Go 3/8 as 1/2" is WAY too fast. On my '69, I used all 1/2" valves and lines and it was crazy. I ended up running fill/dump adjusters to make it usable. My '66 will be all 3/8 valves, fittings, and lines.

[protrash64]

I would agree with jimmydeans comments. 3/8's line will be sufficient. About the lines, are you doing a front/back system? How many valves for each corner?

I would run a T off the valve if it is possible so as to eliminate places for leaks; then run a line all the way to the bag.

[FnLow69]

Cick here For valve plumbing diagram, i know your running a manifold valve but its still should help.

[D.FENS]

Originally Posted by protrash64

I would agree with jimmydeans comments. 3/8's line will be sufficient. About the lines, are you doing a front/back system? How many valves for each corner?

I would run a T off the valve if it is possible so as to eliminate places for leaks; then run a line all the way to the bag.

From what I understand the RidePro system was designed to be F/B/S/S, separate manifolds for front / rear, each wheel has a up / down valve (did I explain that worth a damn?).

So I would run the 3/8" line all the way to the bags, correct? At present I plan to use RE7 and RE8 bags, provided they are still available when I get to that point.

[N2TRUX]

The 3/8 valves will work just fine for your build. The size of the line has nothing to do with the weight of the truck. For a heavier truck you will want larger capacity bags, and plenty of air capacity in your tanks to fill those bags.

Although there are ways to run less than 8 valves, you are correct that its best to have two valves per bag. This eliminates air transfer from side to side when cornering.

[jimmydean]

Yes, run 3/8 line to the bags. Not sure if the bags come with the option for a 3/8" port, but you can run a 1/2 to 3/8 fitting from the bag to the 3/8 line if they are 1/2 ports.

[D.FENS]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

The 3/8 valves will work just fine for your build. The size of the line has nothing to do with the weight of the truck. For a heavier truck you will want larger capacity bags, and plenty of air capacity in your tanks to fill those bags.

Although there are ways to run less than 8 valves, you are correct that its best to have two valves per bag. This eliminates air transfer from side to side when cornering.

Good to know the valves will work. The plan is to upgrade to dual 480 compressors, and at least ten to fifteen gallons of reserve capacity.

Bags will be RE7's front, RE8's rear, as I said, if they are still available in few months when I can spend some more money. The Slam Specialties bags seem to be fairly common on Duallies. Anybody thinks they know better needs to say so now.

Originally Posted by jimmydean

Yes, run 3/8 line to the bags. Not sure if the bags come with the option for a 3/8" port, but you can run a 1/2 to 3/8 fitting from the bag to the 3/8 line if they are 1/2 ports.

The RE's have a 1/2" port, but 1/2 NPT to 3/8 tube elbows are pretty easy to find.

BTW I've seen bags with one port and some with two ports. What's going on with that? Connecting bags in series?

[RunninLo]

Originally Posted by D.FENS

Good to know the valves will work. The plan is to upgrade to dual 480 compressors, and at least ten to fifteen gallons of reserve capacity.

Bags will be RE7's front, RE8's rear, as I said, if they are still available in few months when I can spend some more money. The Slam Specialties bags seem to be fairly common on Duallies. Anybody thinks they know better needs to say so now.



The RE's have a 1/2" port, but 1/2 NPT to 3/8 tube elbows are pretty easy to find.

BTW I've seen bags with one port and some with two ports. What's going on with that? Connecting bags in series?

There was a period of time in the earlier days of bags when they were trying to be like hydraulics and hop off the ground. There was a fairly big vendor that had an expedition that would get all 4 wheels off the ground hopping on bags. They used high cfm valves and pressurized Nitrogen running multiple supply lines for speed/volume. IIRC it was running 900psi.
In the end it never matched a hydraulic system for bounce and blew bags up alot. Most folks that are using bags these days are about ride quality not carnival ride. Even the guys that run hydraulics are losing the bounce in favor of ride quality.

Josh

[baggedout81]

3/8" should be fine both fittings/line etc. If its still to fast put some slow downs inline SMC makes some PTC ones that get the job done.

If its dumping to fast.Here's a cheap way to fix that.Get a female NPT threaded plug an drill a hole in it then install in dump side of valve(air comes out at)IOf its still to slow drill the hole a little bigger till desired speed drop.Easy fix

I like it snappy myself.An in theis air game its cheaper if you want it fast to buy as big of valves,line,fittings etc. as you can the first time.So your not wasting money down the road buying bigger.

It's WAYYYY cheaper to slow a air system down than it is to speed it up