Customs To bag or not to bag?

Paul, I know this wasn't what you were asking for, but I LOVE this pic! I also love this one.

As far as MY car goes, I don't want to lay frame. I'd like a "period" amount of drop, like the Hirohata or Moonglow. I just don't feel I'm there now. I have pictures of my car next to fellow HAMBer cars that make my car look jacked up!
Before leaving:
And now playing with the other kids with their air shocks


I thought I was low, but look how high up in the air I am!

I guess I should get a picture of the underside of the car, it's just going to be difficult and I'm not sure how much you'll see, but I should do it. The front has been modified with a Mustang II.


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Hey man, I wasn't giving you a hard time for anything just expressing an opinion that you asked for. Superlow is supercool, but like JeffSled says "friends don't let friends lay frame".
Good luck
Paul

 

You mention cost/time restraints in you opening post.
Consider Notching the frame with a gambinos notch kit, spend your time in finishing out the truck floor and continue to run your 4in blocks till you have the money for the bags, When you get the bags it will be a bolt-on job.

Notching the frame and finishing the floors and wheel wells could take you several weeks, depending on you skills/time

Once this is done you can spend a good weekend installing the bags/tank/valves/lines ect.

Edit, I did not notch my 53, you may not want to either, bags allow me to sit the axle on the frame when parked, and I raise it to drive, this may be your intentions also. I am 1 inch off the ground when lowered. I do not lay frame. consider your tire size, you may want to run a larger or smaller tire, this will effect your lowness greatly.

Just a thought
Godspeed
MrC.

 

no question... bag it

 

Bag it but bag it correctly. Controls, shocks and bag size are all important. I bagged my truck with a kit and it rides awesome It does not lay frame and still has a rake even when laid out.

 

I agree that's what you often see but would also say it isn't the only reason.

Personally I like the functionality of self leveling. (get 3 other people in the car and toss some stuff in the trunk and ride height will adjust back to perfect).

Also the ability to raise the car for speed bump clearance/etc.

 

dont be a mini trucker guy with an old car.

 

nothing wrong with being an old mini trucker who has graduated to old cars. (maybe you mean you do not want to see old cars laying rockers with 24 inch rims.).

Here is my 2 cents. If the car is low enough now but rides rough, I would "C" notch you frame to get some extra clearance (with a rubber bumpstop to prevent hitting).

If you are unhappy with how low it is, then do a larger notch and dearch the springs but only notch as high as required (no need for a 12" notch when your axle is only going to travel up into the area 2 or 3" during normal susp travel. So far none of these are requiring bags.

if your**** is sagging to much, then consider just rear bags to help level the car when hauling people or stuff (easy set up, that gets the axle up off the frame when driving)

If you want to go bags, do your research and realize it is a bigger investment as it requires money to do it right, especially if you go with the newer self leveling kits like Accuair. plus the time to set up the car correctly. just remember, the bigger the bag, usually the better the ride. (making big bags fit requires thought and work.

 

I have a bagged 54 Chevy and love it. Rides great and looks good. Do it all at once, and don't cheap out. Air ride Tech stuff is good, but the best I have seen is from AirLift, use the ViAir pumps. Keep spare parts, and I have said this before on here. Have your welder instal a schrader (spelling??) valve so you can add air from a gas station tire compresor or whatever is you ever burn you pumps. I know AirLift will install one for you. If you set your system up right, use hard lines or braided and the bags arent rubbing and metal you should be able to have no issues, get a great look and a very nice ride. Also, I went with small lines because the bigger ones make it hard to control the system. The fast drop kits*****, you can't adjust, it's either full or empty. With the 1/4 inch I have I can adjust ride height and quality at 70mph.

 

If you are burning out compressors, then you either have the wrong ones for your application, or too few of them.

 

Bag it.

 

What and how do u have the leaf springs re-arched?

 

Bags are for groceries and ugly broads.

 

I just drove Alex Gambinos 54 to the gnrs from san jose CA. His car has his taildragger kit in the rear and a fatman m2 ultra low in the front. The 54 drove way better than mine (1940 chevy coupe) and i have 3" blocks in the rear with a Gambino notch and no bags. after driving his car, I decided to start saving for the rest of the taildragger kit.

 

Buy pumps that are 100% duty cycle, use more than one, I use 2. If your going to play with your car like a toy, install an engine driven compressor, it the only way to keep up.
yes always have a schrader valve installed, its a good back up.
you can adjust your dump with any size line, I run 1/2 line and I built my own slow down (pipe plug with 1/16 hole drilled through it), its nice and slow. Use only D.O.T. approved line, if its good enough for every semi truck, its good enough for you.

Like with anything there are better ways to do things, not always the most expensive.

Godspeed
MrC.

 

pull the whole spring pack out, go to the local shop that does spring work and tell them how much you want to de-arch the springs. They may also remove a couple of leafs
foot

 

If you do go the spring route, lookup St. Louis Spring. They know they're stuff and you'll be suprised at how reasonable a new custom dearched spring costs.