Custom air tanks

[abadsvt]

Hey guys! I was wanting to make some custom air tanks for my truck. I am not sure how thick of material i should use. I found some 5" OD dome ends that were 14g which i thought would be plenty thick but wanted to get some opinions before i order anything. So do you think 14g is safe to use?

Thanks Josh

[lowrollin70gmc]

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[shifty]

I saw a recent article in Truck Builder mag where someone boxed in their framerails to turn them into tanks. Very cool concept, very custom, and very sweet way to hide your tanks!

(May not help, but it's a cool idea!)

[abadsvt]

I am doing kind of a custom setup. I am using the round tubing in my frame as my air lines. I wanted to have no air tanks and just the volume of the tubing as my tanks but it doesn't equal out to be enough. So i am going to build some custom tanks that will go in the middle of the my frame and plum them into my round tubing. I think it will look sweet but we will see.

Josh

Ps. I was told that you shouldn't use square or rectangle tubing as tanks because of the air pressure will ballon the steel. It has to have an even pressure all the way around or it will ballon.

[shifty]

/me tries to picture 3/16" steel balooning

[abadsvt]

Originally Posted by shifty

/me tries to picture 3/16" steel balooning

I was just saying in general that someone should use round over rectangle. I don't think 3/16 would ballon with only 180psi.

josh

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by abadsvt

I am doing kind of a custom setup. I am using the round tubing in my frame as my air lines. I wanted to have no air tanks and just the volume of the tubing as my tanks but it doesn't equal out to be enough. So i am going to build some custom tanks that will go in the middle of the my frame and plum them into my round tubing. I think it will look sweet but we will see.

Josh

Ps. I was told that you shouldn't use square or rectangle tubing as tanks because of the air pressure will ballon the steel. It has to have an even pressure all the way around or it will ballon.

What about the moisture from the heated air off the compressor condensing in the tubing walls?

[shifty]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

What about the moisture from the heated air off the compressor condensing in the tubing walls?

i wondered about that too - they actually did this "tubing as air source" trick on Extreme 4x4 on one of the Toyotas they back-halfed, IIRC. i wondered about the same thing, i don't think drier valves would really help.

[PBFAB.COM]

Originally Posted by shifty

/me tries to picture 3/16" steel balooning

Make a square or rectangular air tank out of 3/16" and put 180 psi. in it.... it might surprise you!
Would it work... yea, but it will bulge. Over time (long period) it will fatique and eventually stress crack and leak.

As for moisture... it's the constant enemy of any air suspension system. The round tubing wouldn't rust and or corrode any faster than the inside of the air tank. It would ve beneficial to coat the inside of the tubing with something to protect them... helping to minimize corrosion/rust.

14 gauge should work fine... it would be nice to find some in 10gauge though.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by porterbuilt

.

As for moisture... it's the constant enemy of any air suspension system. The round tubing wouldn't rust and or corrode any faster than the inside of the air tank. It would ve beneficial to coat the inside of the tubing with something to protect them... helping to minimize corrosion/rust.

True..... But it's much easier for a poor-boy to replace the air tank .

[abadsvt]

I never really thought about the moisture. So lets put our heads together and come up with something that will work. If you coat the inner liners of the round tubing would help but when i weld the tubing together it will most likely burn the coating off where the weld is. Is there anything else that i might be able to do?

Josh

[slug]

they have a product that is used to coat the inside of gas tanks. iv used it on a rusted atv tank before. just do your welding then pour this stuff in and coat the inside of your tank.

[slug]

http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?i...emType=PRODUCT

[PBFAB.COM]

Originally Posted by abadsvt

I never really thought about the moisture. So lets put our heads together and come up with something that will work. If you coat the inner liners of the round tubing would help but when i weld the tubing together it will most likely burn the coating off where the weld is. Is there anything else that i might be able to do?

Josh

You could always run braided stainless inside the tubing...???

The large portion of the tubing will remain coated after you welded... just the smaller area affected by the heat at the joints would burn off. Besides, Josh, you can just build another chassis if it starts to leak!

[abadsvt]

Originally Posted by porterbuilt

You could always run braided stainless inside the tubing...???

The large portion of the tubing will remain coated after you welded... just the smaller area affected by the heat at the joints would burn off. Besides, Josh, you can just build another chassis if it starts to leak!

You got a good point Nate! I should build a few now so when it does start to rust i can just swap chassis. Got any extra storage space.

Not a bad idea about the braided lines. I wonder if i would be able to get it to make the turn to come out of the round tubing.

Josh

[abadsvt]

Originally Posted by slug

they have a product that is used to coat the inside of gas tanks. iv used it on a rusted atv tank before. just do your welding then pour this stuff in and coat the inside of your tank.

That is a good idea! The only problem is i am wanting to use the round tubing inside my frame as part of my air tanks and they have to be installed and welded. Once they are installed i won't be able to pour the stuff in the tubing.

Josh

[ChiefRocka]

Keep in mind you can always use aluminum. In fact, they manufacture luminum air-tanks for air-ride.

This might be an idea.

You will be running filters, right ??