The front is done!

[jimmydean]

Ok, so it took 2 months, but the front is done! I have everything for the back and if it's not raining I will start (with hopes to finish) tomorrow. I have a lot of vacation time next month as well, so I'm not too worried. It it under pressure now waiting to see if I have any leaks. I will add a second compressor for sure now because the tank takes what seems like forever.

1/2" valves + 1/2" lines = carnival ride fast!

here are a couple shots.

tank location:


compressor location:


up:


down:


I did not trim the cups on the front and I might when I install the new upper arms next month. I didn't want it to be too low to drive in case I loose pressure or something. I think it could be an inch lower without issue, but I will know when the back is all done.

[1LoC10]

cool... I miss being bagged, Can't wait till I get mine done

[bagged_gmc]

Makes me want to get mine done!!!

[67Fleet]

heck yeah!! Great job jimmydean. Can't wait to see the back finished. Are you notching it? A second compressor will make a world of difference. I was so much happier with my fill times after I put the 2nd 380 in.

[steveo10]

keep up the progress.

[st1x10]

Awesome! Can I get some more pics of the comp and tank, I was think about mounting mine in the back too?

[jimmydean]

Yeah, the notch is what I was holding off on. I wanted to get the brakes and stuff done first before doing the back. I'm not looking forward to drilling the 1" hole, but it's not too bad.

First thing in the morning I will finish up the power wires and then get the back up to cut and drill the notch.

I might remount the compressor on some bushings because it is metal to metal and shakes like crazy. I think I will get a pair of 450's if I can't find a matching Thomas. My fill time is like 6 miniutes. I got 2.5 lifts in the front from 7 gallons.

[67Fleet]

Originally Posted by jimmydean

Yeah, the notch is what I was holding off on. I wanted to get the brakes and stuff done first before doing the back. I'm not looking forward to drilling the 1" hole, but it's not too bad.

First thing in the morning I will finish up the power wires and then get the back up to cut and drill the notch.

I might remount the compressor on some bushings because it is metal to metal and shakes like crazy. I think I will get a pair of 450's if I can't find a matching Thomas. My fill time is like 6 miniutes. I got 2.5 lifts in the front from 7 gallons.

I used some rubber strips that were about 1/8" thick and put them under the feet of my compressors, which helped a bunch. Fill time sounds about right with the one compressor as does your 2.5 lifts for front. The rear is super light compared to front so you'll get a lot more lifts out of the back alone. It only takes 40psi to lift the rear up on mine to full lift. Front I need 85psi to get it all the way up and its sloooooow. If I get it to 120psi I can get the front and back up all the way just to get it out of the garage if it's been sitting. I have a slow leak at the tank on mine that I need to fix, if it sits for a few days it'll drain out. I've just had other things to do than pull the tank and re-do the fittings. 450's are nice compressors but I like the 380 for its reliability. It's a pretty bulletproof comp. Also, it is rated for 200psi whereas the 450 is only rated for 150psi. Also, the 380 pulls less amps than the 450. Fill times w/ the 450 will be a little faster, but the 380 is only 13 seconds slower from 110 to 145psi AND you can run it up to 200psi all day long.

[jimmydean]

After you posted about the 380's I went back and looked. I think I will snag another Thomas for now since it's cheap and should do the trick. Looking at the 380's sounds like a plan if I'm not happy with the Thomas pair.

I need to get a tank gauge so I can see if there is a leak in my tank. The front seems to be holding well.

[gringoloco]

Stock height spindles?

[jimmydean]

2.5" drop spindles and uncut Suicide Door front brackets. If I end up cutting the cups, I can get it down as much as 3" more. I don't want it so low I can't drive in the event I lose air. I will run a lot smaller tire once I decide what I am doing for wheels too.

[pkj]

hey jimmydean i like the look on the front. how tall are your tires? you said you have 2 1/2 drop spindels, was that on the first pic? how much do your bags lower the truck empty and drive height? i dont have my body on, but it seems my bags are only lowering truck about 1 inch aired out. i have not cut my SD cups yet. i thought you could only take 1 inch off cups? you say you can go 3 inchs? sorry for all the questions. thanks, pkj

[jimmydean]

Here is a reference point. This is a pic I took before I installed anything. I did not measure, but you can tell from this pic that the aired up height (with 2.5" drop spindles) is the same as the truck was stock. The shocks I have are either stock or 1" lower. The 3" lower shocks were too short and limited the fill height.

Stock everything:


67Fleet said he took the lower cup down to an inch (maybe less?). I would think as long as you have enough to sit in the lower arm, you're fine. I will wait until I get my upper arms ordered next month and I will cut a little off the lower cup then.

Right now my truck lacks a "ride height" because the dump is so fast it seems to be all or nothing. I have ordered some fill and dump adjusters so I can fine tune it a bit.

[Chops_by_Chase]

jimmydean,

Your truck is looking good, A couple things to keep in mind, the thomas compressor you have is only rated for about 3 gallons, filling a 7 gallon tank will cause it to burn up quicker than normal, that is probably why it is taking so long to fill, also i noticed that your compressor didn't have a filter on it, this will also cause it to burn up especially since it is in the direct spray of the tire. you will be getting some road debris in the compressor, so i would suggest remote mounting the compressor filter which you can do by putting a 1/8 npt to a 1/4 hose fitting in the compressor and running some airline somewhere under the truck with a filter on the end. if interested i should be able to get my hands on some filters, and some rubber feet to keep it from making so much noise.

[leftcoast66]

Lookin good, I like the tank setup a lot.

[pharcyde05]

looks good i need to get some spindels for mine now

[jimmydean]

Originally Posted by chase@ridetech

jimmydean,

Your truck is looking good, A couple things to keep in mind, the thomas compressor you have is only rated for about 3 gallons, filling a 7 gallon tank will cause it to burn up quicker than normal, that is probably why it is taking so long to fill, also i noticed that your compressor didn't have a filter on it, this will also cause it to burn up especially since it is in the direct spray of the tire. you will be getting some road debris in the compressor, so i would suggest remote mounting the compressor filter which you can do by putting a 1/8 npt to a 1/4 hose fitting in the compressor and running some airline somewhere under the truck with a filter on the end. if interested i should be able to get my hands on some filters, and some rubber feet to keep it from making so much noise.

Funny you pointed that out. I can't drive the truck, so I haven't done anything with that. When I bought it, it came with no filter, I have on on order that will be here shortly. I have also put some small rubber gromets between the base and the frame (same purpose as the newer style mounting). I haven't run the compressor for more than 2 minutes at a time because i didn't want to burn it up. Long before I am driving it, I will have a second compressor added and I am thinking of mount the compressors on the inside of the frame rail.

[Chops_by_Chase]

also, depending on what kind of valves you are running, you can put a plug in the exhaust port and drill a 1/4 hole in the plug. that way you still have your quick rise, but a slower more subtle deflate

[jimmydean]

I just ordered the adjusters. The fill is wicked fast too when the tank is near full. My daughter said it was like being at Disneyland, she had a blast in it. Once I get the adjusters, I will get it dialed for controlled rise and fall.

I wouldn't be nearly this far without all the help from people on this board. In fact, I would never even considered bags in the first place had I not gotten great support.

Thanks for the feedback.

[jimmydean]

Also, I did a search and didn't find much on leaks other than they suck. I have some slow leaks, the bags hold for at least 6 hours and when I went to lift it, and the tank was very low as well.

I am using all push fittings other than the valve manifold setup I made. How do you solve leaks in push fittings?

[Chops_by_Chase]

I am in the process of mounting my compressor system on my 65, i am running two thomas comps right under the cab and I put two 2 gallon tanks under the bed right behind the cab. I wanted to run a five in the back where you have yours, but i decided to go with a under bed tank which ruled out that possibility

[Chops_by_Chase]

the only thing is if you lines aren't cut perfectly straight, they will leak with the push style fittings

[Chops_by_Chase]

if you take some of your daughters bubble bath soap and put it in a spray bottle with water and spray it on all of you connections, you will see any and all leaks you have

[jimmydean]

What started this whole adventure was a deal I got on ebay that was 4 bags, compressor, tank, 4 parker valves, and some "universal" brackets.

The tank just has 2 tabs welded on the ends, so my mounting options were limited unless I wated to fab new mounts. It just happens to fit perfect in the notched area at the end of the frame and is still far enough back to mount a hitch later.

I trimmed the tabs on the tank a little so it sat higher in the frame, but other than that, I have just worked with what i had.

I will get some shots of my switches and gauges tonight to share.

I saw how to find leaks, I just wasn't sure how to fix a leak in the push fittings. I wil double check all my cuts.

[67Fleet]

I'll bet that your leaks are coming from the bungs on the tank where you have your fittings screwed into. Check those first as they are prime spots.