[knighthawk]

and more....but...........now I'm thinkin........may be these air shocks are too big..... and too long...., that means going to the regular style car shocks with the normal mounts.....that means maybe these mounts won't work ! hmmmmm P S < extra comment here..........I'm using 1/4 plate material to make these brackets, with, cause that's all the thicker stuff I have on hand, so by reinforcing them it should be as strong as the 1/2'' original (??????)

[123pugsy]

Straight up and down is better. I used mine at an angle to get more travel up and down. That's the reason they'd be placed at an angle.

Your reinforcing plates will do what you want then to but the threaded rod you're using worries me. Even if its a grade 8 bolt cut down, I would think it may break easy from the welding. A piece of 3/4" thick wall tubing welded to your plate that the bolt could pass thru may be better.

[knighthawk]

yes, the ' ready rod' is only temporary, I do plan to replace it with a grade 8, but didn't have one on hand, but also I don't know how much welding I can do on a grade 8 bolt beforew it looses is strenght, have to ckeck on that too

[123pugsy]

I wouldn't weld a grade 8 either. It will more than likely snap off, usually when you're 300 miles from home.

[knighthawk]

So, here's the next version...the thin wall tubing, I think is 'chrome moly' from the race car builder guy. He said something about the carbon contect and that it needs to be welded with a 'puddle' , like when you use a TIG welder, and in the old days , they used a gas torch, cause it had a puddle.. Something like that anyway. So, I used my MIG, (wire feed), it 'kinda' has a puddle, so I may have compromized the carbon whatever in the chrome moly, so, I'm thinking, next I'll reinforce the end of the tubing where the bolt comes thru with a strap or washer

[123pugsy]

Keep your eye on them.
The tube being thin will more than likely "ovalize" over time.

[knighthawk]

version # 5 , finished product, now to make another one for the other side, just like it , but opposite , before I can test it.............total cost, so far ----NOTHING, except for the grade 8 bolts, yet to but !

[123pugsy]

That's better.

[knighthawk]

ran into a couple snags,,here... by relocating the shocks, now they hit the bat cable and brake line brkt.........back to the welding bench......

[knighthawk]

good news and bad news....the good : I now have about 6'' of axle clearance, where before I had only 3'' and the car still has the right look , or 'stance'.....Bad news, the bottom bolt for the shock hits the brake drum, also, the other issue is, the shocks are just about bottomed out when the car is at rest ! This, I assume, was part of my problem from the beginning ! So, I will have to make lower shock mounts narrower, to clear the drums, (hope I didn't warp the drums !) Then determin what shocks to get..... I wonder if I can get about a 15'' shock(at rest ) , with loops on both ends, and NOT gas charged ??????? there was a web site or thread somewhere...............

[48ChryslerRodder]

Try this from Monroe shocks.

[knighthawk]

thanks, but my computor and crappy dial up service will not allow me to open any pdf attachments

[knighthawk]

my guys at NAPA got me some shocks, and I took it for a road test today..... it's better, but still not what I was hoping for.....so , once again, checking it out, I find that one spring shackle bolt head is hitting the bracket the holds the bumper, ( should be an easy fix ) , then I see the ride height has changed, from when I had it on the floor jack, and once it's driven around and it all settles in, it's an inch lower, PLUS, I never figured in the weight of a full tank of gas, right now it only has 1/4 tank ! That means it's taking an inch or more of my shock travel away ! So, tonight I;ll re mount the shocks 1'' higher, as there is a hole there in the frame already...........Bottom line here is .......I didn't do enough research before I started this !!!!!!!!!

[123pugsy]

Originally Posted by knighthawk

...........Bottom line here is .......I didn't do enough research before I started this !!!!!!!!!

Alright! I'm not alone.

[knighthawk]

s0 , my shocks have total in and out of 4 1/2'', Im told this is the average.....so by allowing 1'' movement of the axle downward, it'll give me 3 1/2'' upward. Dosen't sound like enought to me, but anyway.... the car nows sits an inch lower than when it did when on the jack (????????) ,, giving me a total up travel of only 2 1/2'', so I changed the top of the shock to a hole 1'' higher, and now I'm back to 3 1/2 '' downward shock travel. The car still sit 1/2'' lower in the rear than I'd like, plus STILL not with a full tank of gas ! It's going to have be 'good enough' ........road test.......... rides pretty good, still a little stiff, makes me think now...... how heavy of truck was these new shocks supposed to fit ?????// I never did ask why their application was.............. maybe if I wait till these wear out some..............