Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Bradbury
One of my parameters for Nate was that it NOT lay frame. I do not want it on the ground. This will be a working truck AND a show truck. It is going to be a driver not a trailer queen. Laying frame is great for shows to make a statement but so catastrophically dangerous on the road, especially the freeway at 70 MPH. I have seen enough rods meet their end when a bag or a line ruptures and the frame contacts the pavement and the vehicle is completely out of control.
Completely aired out, I want it to be 1" off the ground. This is a 1 ton frame so it is big and beefy at 7.5" .187" wall thickness. I really wanted to build my own or modify original but I also hate the camber lean when aired out and dropping that low there will be some lean to it with the OEM member. My plan this weekend is to remove the coil springs and drop it as low as it can go and measure geometries to get a better idea if the drop member is the way to go. Additionally a drop member will allow me to drop as low as a want without pinching the ball joints or taxing articulation geometries. I will weld in a bump stop to make sure it stops above the ground and my plan is that the control arms will not be maxed out in either direction.
I appreciate fore thought and carefully planning with all the mechanics of custom vehicles. Having a impatient approach or "good enough" attitude looses the shine with me. Some guys are okay with that approach and that is fine because it is their ride. Typically the trucks that have a crowd gathered around at the shows are the ones that have that well thought out, well planned, well designed, well executed build characteristics that has people attracted to it.
My drive toward excellence is not for personal accolades but rather to build a really cool truck that is a challenge for me and also an inspiration for others.
|
You definitely don't have to sell your logic to me. I've seen some scary stuff & would be considered a killjoy when it comes to erring on the side of caution. THE LAST THING I would want to happen is for someone to be hurt because my custom vehicle failed & was the cause of an accident.
My dually can be returned to it's OE configuration in just a couple of hours up front (coils & OE arms or the PB arms). It was built because of the same logic you're sharing. I knew one day it would be likely that I would no longer use air for the front. I have the stock arms but Mr. P makes those nifty coil spring seats for his arms so I can go that route as well if desired.
The rear will stay bagged/4-bar because of the improved ride quality empty or loaded. It has GM bump stops to stop travel @ 4". Ride height is @ ~3" clearance. They are adjustable for height as well.
If it loses a bag/line out back, the frame doesn't touch.
All lines are routed within the rails & routed away from heat.
The front lines to the bags has them routed within the rails & then through the center of the x-member away from heat.
Anywhere the bundled group are nearest to a heat source they're covered in DEI heat shielding as well.
Anywhere a single airline is near a metal edge, it is shielded in zip-tied rubber hose.
Anywhere a bundled group are near a metal edge, they were shielded in zip-tied rubber hose.