Air Ride Install - '69 Chevrolet SWB Stepside

[lolife99]

Looks GREAT!

[butternut1972]

OUTSTANDING. i love everything about this truck. great work.

[VA72C10]

Looking GOOOOOOOOOD!

[big_al_71]

Al likes it alot.....

[Jeffs70]

damn that truck looks sweeeeet, great job well done

[Slick67]

Looks sik!! Not so low that you will be replacing parts or breaking them. I agree with the earlier statement, the rims look great being a shade off from the paint, maybe keep those and run them when you are feelin a little ratty!!

[bigdon-70blazer]

Now I am a fan (but always was!) Great job and it sure does look nice. Believe me folks, it looks better in person! Can't wait for the bed to be done, raised and original looking.

[tcb-1]

Originally Posted by bigdon-70blazer

Now I am a fan (but always was!) Great job and it sure does look nice. Believe me folks, it looks better in person! Can't wait for the bed to be done, raised and original looking.

'bout time you stopped in!

[72BlckButy]

Originally Posted by tcb-1

'bout time you stopped in!

He didn't have time... been drivin' around that Blazer to much.

[crakarjax]

Now that your air ride is done, is there anything you would have done differently? Any components that you would substitute for the ones that you used, knowing what you do now?

[tcb-1]

very good question, crackar.

In all honesty, I'm quite happy with the components I chose. the only other thing I wished I would have had the dough to pick up (when the front was completely tore down) was tubular A arms. I was on a strict budget and that idea was nixed. that would have brought the front down another 2-3". HOWEVER that would have meant that the inner fenders would have been axed - which I didn't want to do.

I'm sure as time progresses I'll find a fault with something, but right now I'm 100% pleased.

the only part I really wish would have better quality control was the 5 gallon tank from AVS. the four 1/2" npt couplings were not perfectly inline with another. one was on the centerline, while the other three were off at least 2 degrees each way. this isn't a big problem for guys who use flexible tubing directly out of the tank, but I was going to hard mount the valves directly to the tank. this issue caused me to have to run plastic tube out of the tank to try and compensate for the taps being screwy. but I liked the tank because it was aluminum (no rust) and powdercoated.

got some other tricks up the sleeve for the raised bed wood, but that might have to wait until later. time to hit the street now. who needs and bed floor anyway??!!

[72BlckButy]

Can't wait to see those rollin' pics/vids.

[powell72]

I haven't had any board time for awhile and I'm getting caught up, figured this a good place to start. Doug, that's looking great. Nice work.

[tcb-1]

long time, no see Chris! I was going to send you a "where the heck are you" pm soon. hope things are going well!

[powell72]

I'm still alive and kickin', I just got caught in one of those spells where life doesn't allow for board time.

[redbaron69]

doug, my hat is off to you one this one. great job man made it look easy, reading this kinda took away my fear of the unknown thinking about bags but know nothing about them.

[tcb-1]

and don't forget gang. this is a 99% bolt on system. not that I didn't have access to a mig and a plasma but I wanted to prove to myself that it could be done without them.

I call it "low buck for the masses".

[jwalk]

Truck is looking good! Are you still goin to change out the wheels and tires?

[tcb-1]

tubular control arms are coming!!!! yippee!!!

I definitely have some people to thank!

more later.

[crakarjax]

Why do you need tubular a-arms?

[sourkraut]

i like the avatar!

[lolife99]

Originally Posted by crakarjax

Why do you need tubular a-arms?

I think it's more of a "want",... than a "need". Ha.
Cool,... none the less.

[crakarjax]

Originally Posted by lolife99

I think it's more of a "want",... than a "need". Ha.
Cool,... none the less.

Cool, I'm probably going to use this project as my basis when I bag my truck so I was really wondering if it was a necessity. What are the benefits to tubular arms besides weight and less ability to act as a shelf for grime?

[tcb-1]

crakar,
good question, my friend. I'm going the tubular route because of a few things.

first is because they will allow more of a drop on the front end. I'm guessing about 2". right now aired out, I am about 1" high in the front. I'd like to have the front down further than the rear. this drop will more than likely mean fabrication work on the inner fenders (maybe), but I'm up for that challenge.

second, the tubulars have more travel than the stock. they also allow for more caster and camber adjustment and are geometrically more stable under loads.

third, and most importantly, the weight factor. shhhhhhhh, I'll let the kitty cat out of the bag. I want to autocross sometime with this truck. maybe not this year or next, but sometime SOON! This will mean I will need to adjust the front end geometry more and drop as much weight off the frontend as I can. trucks have a terrible front/back weight ratio, something like 80/20. so the more weight I can shift to the rear the better. these control arms will cut approximately 30lbs off the front static loads.

these control arms sort of fell from Heaven, but I planned on installing a set as soon as my truck first came off the jackstands after having the bags installed. I didn't have to go this route. I actually was going to cup the stock lower arms like Spraybomb has done, but I wanted a lighter frontend.

BUT there's nothing saying that you have to go with tubulars. this is just a personal preference and may help in the future when I finally set the truck up for autocross.

[tcb-1]

Originally Posted by sourkraut

i like the avatar!

thanks John! my old avatar of my shaved head, goateed mug was causing nausea in some board members.

have I said lately I want that bike of yours???!!