Air tanks are no joke.
CK5
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'72 K5 - Greg's @MightAsWellK5 Build
- Thread starter Greg72
- Start date
This is the build description. I will improve this later. (GB)
Air tanks are no joke.
superbuickguy
1/2 ton status
rusted, thin-gauge, chinesium tank that he didn't keep drained. Not only that it rusted down the seam after 20 years of use... I get safety, and preach it often - but this time, fastidiousness springs to mind.
I am loving the idea of an aluminum air tank more and more....
Can't see any reason to go with steel when aluminum is readily available, lighter and almost identical in price.
-G
I would not worry about the strength of the boxes, it being done all the time with no problems.
I don't know anyone running 200 psi though but all the rubber hoses you run take 250 psi.
The problem usually is getting a good seal on all your welds.
2017.05.23 - UPDATE! - !! BRACE THE DOORS...BRACE THE DOORS !!
Seems I've heard that advice somewhere before, but I can't quite recall where or from whom....
Dragged my Plasma Cutter out of the cobwebs and made a few curved cuts in the new step-up panel and cut a few frame clearance notches as well and it was time to drop it into place to see how it looked.
The result was very satisfying and really cleans up the look compared to the old, crusty part that had been there forever!
It was disturbing to discover that as the panel was lined-up with the established index marks, the door opening on the driver's side was a full 1/2" larger than the opening on the passenger side!!! (you can see how the flange on the floor doesn't touch the step-up panel at all on this side)
HOLY DOOR GAPS BATMAN...
(perhaps I should have taken my own advice about bracing the doors, though I'm not sure exactly WHAT could have been braced since 95% of the area is completely missing!)
Fortunately, after some "quality time" spent pulling dimensions from side-to-side and comparing all the discrepancies it was clear that the problem was not particularly serious after all. The lower A-pillar had shifted out of position by roughly 1/4" and there were some measurement errors on the step-panel side as well.... nothing that a $2 ratchet strap couldn't fix...
"Door" gaps are now equal from side to side and nothing else appears tweaked. The door hings and header areas have identical angles on both sides, so there is no "twist" in the windshield frame / firewall structure.
FORWARD!!!!
-G
Seems I've heard that advice somewhere before, but I can't quite recall where or from whom....
Dragged my Plasma Cutter out of the cobwebs and made a few curved cuts in the new step-up panel and cut a few frame clearance notches as well and it was time to drop it into place to see how it looked.
The result was very satisfying and really cleans up the look compared to the old, crusty part that had been there forever!
It was disturbing to discover that as the panel was lined-up with the established index marks, the door opening on the driver's side was a full 1/2" larger than the opening on the passenger side!!!
(you can see how the flange on the floor doesn't touch the step-up panel at all on this side)HOLY DOOR GAPS BATMAN...
(perhaps I should have taken my own advice about bracing the doors, though I'm not sure exactly WHAT could have been braced since 95% of the area is completely missing!)
Fortunately, after some "quality time" spent pulling dimensions from side-to-side and comparing all the discrepancies it was clear that the problem was not particularly serious after all. The lower A-pillar had shifted out of position by roughly 1/4" and there were some measurement errors on the step-panel side as well.... nothing that a $2 ratchet strap couldn't fix...
"Door" gaps are now equal from side to side and nothing else appears tweaked. The door hings and header areas have identical angles on both sides, so there is no "twist" in the windshield frame / firewall structure.
FORWARD!!!!
-G
Material thickness isn't my concern. The ERW Seem is my concern. I've had air storage let go, it's a sobering experience.
Compressor tanks have been welded with a robot and mig gun.
I'm not saying I'm not wrong, my opinion is I would be concerned.
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
I know Greg isnt going to pressurize rectangle tube just like I knew he'd never install a York in the engine bay.
The shape of tanks has some effect on their strength as well. There's a reason their round.
LOL..... Brian, it sounds like you know me all too well at this point!
True enough on both counts. The build is moving on.... I need to find a 2 or 2.5 Gallon, 6-port aluminum tank today (One top port, One bottom port, and 2 ports at each end...or sides). Lots of LowRider shops around quite a few options from what I have seen already.
-G
I found a cool source for aluminum seamless tanks in CA....
http://specialtysuspension-com.3dcartstores.com/6-Seamless-Air-Tanks_c_260.html
Available in 2.5" diameters, 3" diameters, 4" , 5" and 6" diameters too. Prices are on par with more traditional welded tanks and they look really slick.
6-5/8" diameter x
18" = 2.07G
24" = 2.89G
28" = 3.44G
5-9/16" diameter x
24" = 2.05G
28" = 2.43G
32" = 2.82G
4" diameter x
32" = 1.80G
3" diameter x
32" = 1.08G
2.5" diameter x
32" = 0.71G
-G
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
LOL..... Brian, it sounds like you know me all too well at this point!
True enough on both counts. The build is moving on.... I need to find a 2 or 2.5 Gallon, 6-port aluminum tank today (One top port, One bottom port, and 2 ports at each end...or sides). Lots of LowRider shops around quite a few options from what I have seen already.
-G
Aluminum tanks are nice too because they don't rust. They're also seamless except for the port which makes them much easier to track down leaks that inevitably happen. Plus they just look cool
superbuickguy
1/2 ton status
a Greg whisperer?
You can occasionally here a little something if you have a 1st gen but no cookies, but it usually just sounds like whining about garage art projects while I'm driving around topless.You need to be part of the 1st gen cookie crew in order to hear them.
You can occasionally here a little something if you have a 1st gen but no cookies, but it usually just sounds like whining about garage art projects while I'm driving around topless.
The whining YOU hear is actually your front pinion bearing...
-G
2017.05.24 - UPDATE!! - !! THREE DAYS OF FORWARD PROGRESS !!!
Feels great!
Slow and steady.....workin' the list and putting parts back together. The new step panel was carefully marked for all the through-holes (bedfloor mounts, seatbelt mounts, B-pillar through bolts)
Some details for the passenger side:
I was going to transfer the top flange mount dimensions from the original panel, but I figured it might just make more sense to mark the holes stamped in the reproduction panel instead:
It was pretty funny to consider that even from the factory, the holes were a full 1/2" diameter, but the carriage bolts themselves were only 5/16"-18 size. It's good to remind ourselves that GM wasn't building these trucks to a particularly tight set of tolerances. They were trucks, being built to do truck things.... and "close enough" was often good enough.
Once the top rail holes were all completed. It was joined to the bedfloor and fit beautifully. Couldn't bring myself to install 5/16" hardware, so I used 3/8" instead for a tighter fit.
I may end up taking a couple of hours to move the chassis to the left garage bay again... and lower the rollcage/bedfloor down in position. I've got some weird concerns about the fuel tank fitment and it would be easier to visualize with the bedfloor in it's correct position. This will help to identify how much room is available for the airtank (above the rear driveshaft) as well. It's not so much a length problem; I can probably fit a 24", 26" or 28" long tank... but the diameter might get a bit too close to the pinion yoke for comfort.
-G
Feels great!
Slow and steady.....workin' the list and putting parts back together. The new step panel was carefully marked for all the through-holes (bedfloor mounts, seatbelt mounts, B-pillar through bolts)
Some details for the passenger side:
I was going to transfer the top flange mount dimensions from the original panel, but I figured it might just make more sense to mark the holes stamped in the reproduction panel instead:
It was pretty funny to consider that even from the factory, the holes were a full 1/2" diameter, but the carriage bolts themselves were only 5/16"-18 size. It's good to remind ourselves that GM wasn't building these trucks to a particularly tight set of tolerances. They were trucks, being built to do truck things.... and "close enough" was often good enough.
Once the top rail holes were all completed. It was joined to the bedfloor and fit beautifully. Couldn't bring myself to install 5/16" hardware, so I used 3/8" instead for a tighter fit.
I may end up taking a couple of hours to move the chassis to the left garage bay again... and lower the rollcage/bedfloor down in position. I've got some weird concerns about the fuel tank fitment and it would be easier to visualize with the bedfloor in it's correct position. This will help to identify how much room is available for the airtank (above the rear driveshaft) as well. It's not so much a length problem; I can probably fit a 24", 26" or 28" long tank... but the diameter might get a bit too close to the pinion yoke for comfort.
-G
That new panel looks beautiful! It's cool to see this area going back together since this is an area that a lot of us 1st gen guys have rust issues in, but most of us have never seen the onion peeled back this far to really understand how all the pieces fit together.
How much of the cross seal are you going to have to cut out for drive shaft fitment? Is the drive shaft brake far enough forward that it will sit in front of the cross seal without interference?
How much of the cross seal are you going to have to cut out for drive shaft fitment? Is the drive shaft brake far enough forward that it will sit in front of the cross seal without interference?
Looking great, especially the DA'd panel.
David
David
