Big Blue's Transformation

[BigBrother-84]

Had a very successful day. First, the rear view mirror stayed on the windshield all day.

Great news Gary, happy to hear that the nice preparation of the metal base and the glue did the job!

Now, let's patiently observe the test, only 3649 days left, regardless of leap years.

[Gary Lewis]

Had a very successful day. First, the rear view mirror stayed on the windshield all day.

Great news Gary, happy to hear that the nice preparation of the metal base and the glue did the job!

Now, let's patiently observe the test, only 3649 days left, regardless of leap years.

Ten more years?????

It occurred to me today that someone with a mill could fairly easily make a new, larger, button to make the load per square inch on the glue bond lower. Now, if I just knew someone with a mill.

[Gary Lewis]

Ten more years?????

It occurred to me today that someone with a mill could fairly easily make a new, larger, button to make the load per square inch on the glue bond lower. Now, if I just knew someone with a mill.

I got the Firestone Ride-Rite kit today, sans air springs. But 4WP's price for the springs was only ~$200, so I wound up paying ~$240 for the kit. While that is more than I expected, it is still at least $200 less than the full price.

I hope to install the kit after the show, although I'm not sure exactly when that will be. And, I need to figure out exactly how I want to plumb it.

Bob - I think you suggested connecting them together to get better articulation. Could you help me understand how that works? I'd like to kick this around a bit before I get ready to install it.

Anyone else can chime in as well. I just asked Bob since he already mentioned it.

 

[Bruce moose4x4]

I got the Firestone Ride-Rite kit today, sans air springs. But 4WP's price for the springs was only ~$200, so I wound up paying ~$240 for the kit. While that is more than I expected, it is still at least $200 less than the full price.

I hope to install the kit after the show, although I'm not sure exactly when that will be. And, I need to figure out exactly how I want to plumb it.

Bob - I think you suggested connecting them together to get better articulation. Could you help me understand how that works? I'd like to kick this around a bit before I get ready to install it.

Anyone else can chime in as well. I just asked Bob since he already mentioned it.

Gary, What I think Bob is talking about is if one rear tire went up on a rock, it would want to collapse that air bag on that side forcing the air to the other side. Helping to keep that tire on the ground. Helping with articulation?????

Soni Honegger did this on a 4WD buggy called Scorpion MK1 back in the late 90's. He used air bags all over to help keep the axles planted to get traction.

[Nothing Special]

Gary, What I think Bob is talking about is if one rear tire went up on a rock, it would want to collapse that air bag on that side forcing the air to the other side. Helping to keep that tire on the ground. Helping with articulation?????

Soni Honegger did this on a 4WD buggy called Scorpion MK1 back in the late 90's. He used air bags all over to help keep the axles planted to get traction.

Yep, that's the thought. If you want articulation you plumb the bags together, preferably with a large enough diameter line that it won't impede air flow. As one tire goes up the bag doesn't offer any resistance if the other tore goes down (which is usually happening if you are stuffing a tire).

Conversely, if you are looking for roll stiffness you would not want the bags connected. Then when the truck tries to lean one way it will try to compress that bag and the bag will resist, helping keep the truck level. It works kind of like a sway bar like that, and sway bars are not necessarily what you want rock crawling.

When I had air bags on my truck it was to help a 1/2 ton truck carry a slide-in camper, so sway control was a major goal of mine, and I plumbed them separately.

[Nothing Special]

.... Soni Honegger did this on a 4WD buggy called Scorpion MK1 back in the late 90's. He used air bags all over to help keep the axles planted to get traction.

The Scorpion was an incredible thought exercise that became a reality! Along with the air bags he also had the front and rear suspension geared together something like a differential, so the front axle could flex one way only if the rear axle flexed the opposite way.

The result of that was INCREDIBLE roll stiffness, because you physically could not lean the body the same way on both axles. It also had INCREDIBLE articulation because one tire could freely drop (as in no spring forces resisting it) as long as the diagonally opposite tire also dropped.

 

[Gary Lewis]

.... Soni Honegger did this on a 4WD buggy called Scorpion MK1 back in the late 90's. He used air bags all over to help keep the axles planted to get traction.

The Scorpion was an incredible thought exercise that became a reality! Along with the air bags he also had the front and rear suspension geared together something like a differential, so the front axle could flex one way only if the rear axle flexed the opposite way.

The result of that was INCREDIBLE roll stiffness, because you physically could not lean the body the same way on both axles. It also had INCREDIBLE articulation because one tire could freely drop (as in no spring forces resisting it) as long as the diagonally opposite tire also dropped.

Ok guys, that makes sense. I particularly like the analogy to a sway bar, of which I have none connected - on purpose. So that resonated with me.

And I do understand the bit about a camper needing sway control since we had the 9 1/2' unit on the 72 F250. Yes, it needed sway bars, but it didn't have any.

Ok, I'll plumb them together.

And, btw, I just ordered the Daystar cradles. Should be here on Friday, but I obviously won't get to play with them until after the show. Maybe next week I can install the stuff.

Thanks!

[Bruce moose4x4]

.... Soni Honegger did this on a 4WD buggy called Scorpion MK1 back in the late 90's. He used air bags all over to help keep the axles planted to get traction.

The Scorpion was an incredible thought exercise that became a reality! Along with the air bags he also had the front and rear suspension geared together something like a differential, so the front axle could flex one way only if the rear axle flexed the opposite way.

The result of that was INCREDIBLE roll stiffness, because you physically could not lean the body the same way on both axles. It also had INCREDIBLE articulation because one tire could freely drop (as in no spring forces resisting it) as long as the diagonally opposite tire also dropped.

The Scorpion was a work of art. I never had the chance to see it in person, but I did get to see the big Dodge pickup he was using before he built the scorpion. He was living in Arkansas at the time and he brought it to one of our clubs car shows we used to put on for St. Jude.

Bob have fun out in Sand Hollow, and remember if you get stuck, (Doubtful). Give Matt's Offroad a call. They'll get you out. LOL

 

[85lebaront2]

The Scorpion was a work of art. I never had the chance to see it in person, but I did get to see the big Dodge pickup he was using before he built the scorpion. He was living in Arkansas at the time and he brought it to one of our clubs car shows we used to put on for St. Jude.

Bob have fun out in Sand Hollow, and remember if you get stuck, (Doubtful). Give Matt's Offroad a call. They'll get you out. LOL

I have been following him (Matt) and his friends (FabRats and some others), and now his son Rudy has a channel. Amazing stuff, like the Morvair and Banana and now his new wrecker.

Some of the stuff they manage to pull off is amazing!

[Gary Lewis]

I have been following him (Matt) and his friends (FabRats and some others), and now his son Rudy has a channel. Amazing stuff, like the Morvair and Banana and now his new wrecker.

Some of the stuff they manage to pull off is amazing!

So this is the Morvair? I thought that was a Corvair - with a mod or two.

uv.uv