Bought bags/Bag Pro's?/Wiring valves?/Custom Push button momentary switches?

[JHickson6]

Attn: Slammed 67

I've been doing some thinking about your height dilemma Slammed67 and a solution came to me last night as I was headed for bed. I drew up a little sketch to follow that should help to explain it. It only requires modification of your upper bag brackets, rather than your whole front crossmember. If the bag's positon in the control arms was raised height up into the upper spring pocket it would lower the front similar to a lowering spring, so you could achieve your drop in the front, while still having your preffered 80psi in the front bags. Now when it come time to raise your truck up to it's max, it would be slightly lower than it's current max height but it would be better than the 1.5" notched crossemeber method. That doesn't really matter, we're building these trucks to go low not high anyways! Only other possible foreseen problem might be bag wear against the control arm, but you really have to think how often you'll be draggin your truck around with no air in it, you'll kill your tires with negative camber before those bags and even then those bags are made to take a punishment!!!

Anyone else have anything to add, maybe I missed something!!

Thanks Guys

Jared

[Dropt72Shortbed]

not a wise idea

any slight rubbing of your bags will lead to an air spring failure over time.

if you can get it higher up without having any rubbing then it would work.

i would imagine it would be easier to buy dropped lower control arms and modify them for bags. or would the lowest point on the dropped LCAs be lower than the crossmember? cause then youd just be hitting the arms on the ground instead of the crossmember.

[XXL]

Originally posted by JHickson6
you'll kill your tires with negative camber before those bags and even then those bags are made to take a punishment!!!

Unless/until Slammed does some mods to those front fenders (then sends me lots of pics and encourages me to do the same to mine ), he's not going to do much dumped driving. The fender is sitting on the tire already

I'm eager to see some shots of lotik's hood hinge solution.

Kenneth

[SCOTI]

Yep, I've been trying to figure out the hood dilemma as well. I've been looking under all kinds of makes for something that might work on these trucks w/o much luck. Lately, I've been kicking around the notion of using a glass hood (expertly prepped of course) & some gas charged hatch prop rods in place of hinges/springs.

Another thought was a reverse tilt hood similar to what 'no limit engineering' sells for 55-59 trucks. W/the reverse tilt, the hinges pivot from the core support & that opens up the modification possibilities to the inner wheelwells (although a bit extreme for my RestoRod theme).

Hell, it took a year to figure out my engine accessory brackets to get the exact placement I wanted (a/c & alt @ bottom of the block), so w/enough time I'll figure out something (thinking is usually free in my garage) .

[Shane]

in regard to the reverse opening hood ... check out the late 80's Buick Electras hinge and catch system... I have already studied this set-up and don't think it would take a ton of fabrication to make it, or something very similar, work on one of our hoods.

Hope this helps ...

[XXL]

Originally posted by SCOTI
some gas charged hatch prop rods in place of hinges/springs.

(thinking is usually free in my garage)

I was thinking of giving double duty to my air system by putting air cylinders on each corner of the cab to push the hood straight up. Or... use short (say 4") cylinders in the rear and much longer ones (maybe 18") in the front to get some clearance. Maybe do some kind of quick release on the front cylinder top mounts so the hood could be raised and prop-rodded from there???

BTW, thinking is also free in my garage. It's the ideas that get expensive

Kenneth

[Slammed67]

JHickson: Good idea, but like they are saying, the bag can't rub at all. I could probably get a 1/2" more drop that way without any rubbing, but that'd be about it. I think the upper plates that NSANE68 sells have a slight indention, but looks like maybe 1/4" or so. I originally had thought of trimming away part of the spring pocket and mount the top of the bag up inside there, but there isn't enough room. I guess with some serious modifications, the spring pocket area could be modified to work, but the cross member notch might be easier in my opinion.

As for the hood XXL, when did I become the guinea pig???? J Would you really even need some type of assist for the hood? I know they are much heavier than newer car hoods, but I think just a prop rod to hold it up would be sufficient. How many times do you raise the hood anyway? Plus, raising an old steel hood with just manpower could really impress the chicks! I just plan on installing bump stops that’ll keep my tires just off the inner fenders. That is unless we can all collectively think of a way around it!

[XXL]

Originally posted by Slammed67
As for the hood XXL, when did I become the guinea pig????

From the beginning

Originally posted by Slammed67
How many times do you raise the hood anyway?

About every 1500 miles or so *glug glug*

Originally posted by Slammed67
Plus, raising an old steel hood with just manpower could really impress the chicks!

1) While my biceps are fairly well developed, so is my waist, and 2) my wife has expressly forbidden me to "impress the chicks!"

C'mon... just get a torch out and start creating something. With as many times as you've rebuilt your truck, it should be anything to try a few dozen hood/fender solutions out this weekend!

Kenneth

[SCOTI]

XXL, we think alike. I researched air cylinders as well (I work for a dairy & we use alot of small air regulated cylinders in our packaging machines/automated palletizers/conveyors) & I haven't found anything attractive, that can be regulated for smooth, consistent operation (up & down). However, we add new equip almost daily so something might peek my interest & then I can research further.....

As far as those expensive ideas, you just have to have more of the cheap ones & it all offsets. . .... right? Yea, right.

WOW....1500miles in between hood lifts??? I would be working out 3 times as much as you w/that math & my 68beater.

[fastbagged68]

There was a guy on the board last year that cut the upper spring pocket up and used cup mounts like the newer chevy's use. On my friends 71 we used cups and with out cutting anything we got the mount to sit alittle higher then the plate. On another one of my friends truck we didn't run a bottom cup and his rides super low and never hits a thing. One thing with cutting the upper spring section of the crossmember is the cross member will still bottom out first. Also I think the lower control arm will come close to hitting a couple inches from where it bolts to the crossmember. I think you would get more bumpsteer with the cut up cups type design. The crossmember i think is the best. It lowers the overall frame up 1.5 inches. I am doing one my burban a 2inch crossmember drop and no spring cup in the bottom,a cup on top versus the plate system, and drop spindle I'm hoping to get my rocker within a 1-1.5 inches to the ground. In a few weeks I am going to start on my extra frame with all this and see if it works. I'll keep you guys posted. Here my truck I just sold.

[BigChevMan]

ok...quite a few things to say here...first...I uploaded all the diagrams since so many people wanted them...Just click on the links..I even included a nifty little compressor power indicator for those that need to know that sort fo thing.

basic bag/valve layout

The relay setup needed for most switches to handle the current

The basics of inside a switchbox

Finally...the compressor power indicator

second. fastbagged68....that truck is bad ass...any more info and pics on it?

Third....the hood hinge thing. We flipped the hood on my buddy's 92 chevy using the front tilt hood hinges and parts from like....I wanna say 89 lesabre or something like that. Works like a charm and looks killer. all in all it cost about 15 bucks for the mod...and that was the hinges from the junkyard mostly.

I can get pictures of how he did it if anyone is interested and can firm up the vehicle and year also.


I hope this helps...and reumster...I hope you remeber me when I call to order my LED inserts for my project!

[BigChevMan]

Ok...found a couple more diagrams that may come in very helpful...one will help you plan your whole system. This is the diagram that I use to buy my fittings. The second will help with those of you running two compressors and only one pressure switch.

Here are the links.

Here is the dual compressor/one pressure switch diagram

That diagram might be handy for those of you burning up pressure switches

System Plumbing Diagram

The only thing I would change is the routing from the tank...the way they did that was just ridiculous.

[JHickson6]

Thanks BigChevMan for the diagrams

fastbagged68 that truck is soooooooooooooo sweet! I could never bring my self to sell something like that!

I guess i should have tried the links for those diagrams first, i get FORBIDDEN for all the links in the first post, but the two links in your second post work.

[fastbagged68]

I'm glad I sold the truck- got me 12 grand. Helped me buy my first house. I have a 63 suburban that will be way better. It's going to be way lower. The truck I just sold had a 402BB with the edelbrock performer cam and intake, roller rockers, chevelle shorty headers, 3 inch exhaust, TH 350, 3.08 gears, full ar ride FBSS. the air system had 2 thomas 315 compressors, 6 gallons of air, 8- 3/8" sirai 300psi valves, 1/2" lines to the front, and 3/8" to the rear. I had 2 inch blocks in the rear, early classic bags ( the big ones) I beleive the are called T bags. HaHA. The truck had less then 5k miles on the motor and less then 2k miles on the air system. The was pretty cool but my burban will be better.

[Reumster]

Update on the Push Button Momentary Switches. I found a better switch at Radio Shack. #275-646 275-644 RED/Black

These work well.

[Reumster]

Ok I just added a 7 gal aux tank. Or at least it says its 7 gals, don't look any bigger than a 5gal bucket. But any way it took my compressor allmost 10 minutes to fill my aproximate 10 gal system. And it got pretty hot! Next time I fill from zero I'm going to the gas station to pre fill this thing! I still need another compressor.

[Dropt72Shortbed]

Originally posted by Reumster
Ok I just added a 7 gal aux tank. Or at least it says its 7 gals, don't look any bigger than a 5gal bucket. But any way it took my compressor allmost 10 minutes to fill my aproximate 10 gal system. And it got pretty hot! Next time I fill from zero I'm going to the gas station to pre fill this thing! I still need another compressor.

whats the duty cycle on your compressor? if it aint 100% and its only 25% or so you may burn the thing out soon running it 10 minutes straight.

on the smaller compressors the rule of thumb is 1 compressor for every 3 gallons. on bigger comps or 100% duty cycles you can do 5-6 gallons per comp. i plan on running two viair 450s (100%) and two 5 gallon tanks.

[Reumster]

On the way to work I fried my power wire running to my pressure switch powering the comp. It may have grounded out some where. What are you tieing your power wire to? Fused acc. ???

Also my comp is 100% duty.

[Reumster]

I just confirmed my suspision that the wire was shorted. It got pinched between the bed floor and the frame. I need new body mounts.