Smoother ride ideas.

[Sutter1stgen]

I like modifying my truck, it is my number one hobby. I've had two influential people in my life when it comes to fabbing stuff, my dad for the skills, and my current boss for the free thinking I'm allowed to have. I just got done reading your build and I think you could learn me how on a few things lol. I like your plasma circle cutter. I was looking at the one for our torch the other day and I though it needed to be a little shorter and have a wider opening.

[mknittle]

My dad is the type of guy that thinks if it isn't the way he would do things they are not right. He also hates disk brakes.
The guy I worked for that had the machine shop he would give me a stack of drawings and hang around for a while as we looked at them then go gack to his other shop to design more parts. Often we were ahead of the draftsman. That was fun.

I am sure that the machine work had a big influence on my fabrication. I think mostly how a do the layout part.

The circle cutter is one of my favorite homemade tools. It started out to cut tops out of beer kegs to make pots for home brew beer then sort of evolved.
Did you catch the link to the steering column? That is one of my top favorite things I have made.

Seems like you often can't buy what you want/need. My wife once asked me "Is there anything you don't modify?"

[Sutter1stgen]

I just did a 4 hour round trip to Manteca Ca. I went over some pretty thrashed freeway concrete section. Let's just say this, id much rather take my truck on a long road trip than any car my wife has owned. I run a 265 with 60psi up front and 40 psi rear. Ride was still plush.

[mknittle]

Ok you have talked me into the spring swap. once I get this thing together I will start collecting the parts.
I have been cleaning up the front Dana 60 Looks like the outers need to be rebuilt. It's not that big a deal . Just one more thing to add to the list. that list is getting shorter on one end and longer on the other

[oldestof11]

I'll see if I kept the pics. For some reason I thought this was a different thread and just now read it. At Indy NHRDA race last year was a lad with a kelderman single bag rear and a dual bag front suspension. It rode like a caddy the kid said.

[oldestof11]

Ha! I do have a pic but not a good one:



You can see some of the bracketry hanging down on the back side of the springs. It's not the skid plate.

[mknittle]

The air ride rides really nice . but for around here it just hangs down too low.

[Sutter1stgen]

I was really surprised!! The bumps you normally tighten up your core on (not that I have much of one), didn't required the brace for impact. I just remember thinking "$h!t this is going to hurt bad!" And it was nothing. Don't get me wrong, you still felt the bump, and that's good in my thinking, as you should always have a feeling for your environment while driving. But the sharpness was gone and I felt comfortable the whole trip.

Jon I talked with Rc on the phone way back when I started theis thread about doing the same thing. I just couldn't figure out how to package it. I wanted it to not get in the way one bit while working on the rig. It doesn't really appear to hang down too low, but I would snag that on something once a year guaranteed. But I bet that thing rides better than a caddy!!

[mknittle]

I was really surprised!! The bumps you normally tighten up your core on (not that I have much of one), didn't required the brace for impact. I just remember thinking "$h!t this is going to hurt bad!" And it was nothing. Don't get me wrong, you still felt the bump, and that's good in my thinking, as you should always have a feeling for your environment while driving. But the sharpness was gone and I felt comfortable the whole trip.

Jon I talked with Rc on the phone way back when I started theis thread about doing the same thing. I just couldn't figure out how to package it. I wanted it to not get in the way one bit while working on the rig. It doesn't really appear to hang down too low, but I would snag that on something once a year guaranteed. But I bet that thing rides better than a caddy!!

The freeway down there has potholes that are bigger than some town I have seen. One good thing is if the ride is easier on you it is easer on the truck also. a win win.

[Sutter1stgen]

I often wonder if some of the electrical problems with my truck, were caused by a harsh ride.

[CumminsPower59]

That's not a normal Kelderman front unit, as they attach near the U-bolt plates. That's some rearranged rear unit on the front.

[mknittle]

I often wonder if some of the electrical problems with my truck, were caused by a harsh ride.

I am sure it doesn't help matters any.