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03-30-2013, 04:53 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Taylor, Mississippi
Posts: 1,648
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Shoutout to Ujoint
My van goes from basically empty to totally loaded... lumber and tools up to the windows... and back, quite often.
Back when I first started freshening, I asked Chris at Ujoint Offroad to send me a rear spring pack at OEM spec + 500#. All that works just fine through camping-loading and a bit more, but at maximum work-loading, I get a rear sag.
I called Chris and ordered the Ujoint Airbag setup. It is cutting edge, in that the bag is not attached to the lower mount, so axle-travel doesn't tear the bag. Brilliant!
Well, my van doesn't have enough lift (Quigley 4") to accommodate that setup, and in the attempt-to-install phase, the bags got a bit "shopworn"... little stuff, like welding tacks, etc.
I called cryin' to Chris that my new toy didn't fit, he conversed with Ray (the installer) in that way that only geniuses can, and told us to return 'em for a full refund... a full refund.
That, fellas, is an example of professionalism! Shoutout to Chris!
epilogue: Ray built a custom mount for some Firestone airbags, and they work just great... and my airbag-tearing risk is low
__________________
'95 SMB E350 Quigley 7.3
https://www.taylorarts.com
... If you have to ask, you'll never understand...
"... torpedo'd, because we don't generally cotton to bullshit around here." -jage
"... do they ooch apart in the night?" -Dia
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03-31-2013, 07:17 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: AVL NC
Posts: 1,008
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Re: Shoutout to Ujoint
Thanks! Sorry they didn't work. We'll get ya next time!
__________________
Chris Steuber
02 E350 7.3 (V4)
17 Focus RS, 90 SHO, 49 CJ2A, 89 LSC, 20 T250 AWD
ujointoffroad.com
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03-31-2013, 08:24 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Parker, CO
Posts: 7,644
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Re: Shoutout to Ujoint
Tell me about this tearing. I'm buying REF's old bags when he gets back...
__________________
it was good to be back
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04-01-2013, 07:36 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Taylor, Mississippi
Posts: 1,648
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Re: Shoutout to Ujoint
Kim ain't gonna let you drive the young'uns anywhere that you might risk an airbag tear
The answer to your question is... if you drop a rear wheel fully into free space, you risk tearing the airbag, as it is attached at top and bottom. Ray sez I should caution any shops I use to lift the van on a drive-on vs. frame lift, or make provisions to prevent full extension. Ujoint makes a bag that does not attach at the bottom, but lands back into a receiver plate on return. I'm sure he can tell you much more about it.
The good news is, you still have shocks and springs if you tear a bag. Unless.....
__________________
'95 SMB E350 Quigley 7.3
https://www.taylorarts.com
... If you have to ask, you'll never understand...
"... torpedo'd, because we don't generally cotton to bullshit around here." -jage
"... do they ooch apart in the night?" -Dia
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04-01-2013, 10:02 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Washington - Ridgefield
Posts: 4,728
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Re: Shoutout to Ujoint
On some vehicles the shocks limit travel enough to prevent stretching the air bags, others get limit straps, others get torn airbags.
Mike
__________________
Alaska to Key West, Labrador and more
Prostate cancer survivor. See Thread Prostate cancer and Sportsmobiles
2015 VW GTI 2020 Fiat 124 Spider
2012 E250 Hitop camper
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04-01-2013, 12:45 PM
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#6
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Site Team
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Turlock Ca
Posts: 10,408
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Re: Shoutout to Ujoint
When I read this, I jumpped over to U-joints site. I wonder if he'll just sell the landing plates? What did you build Marc?
__________________
2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer
Sportsmobile 4X4 Adventures.......... On and off road adventures
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04-01-2013, 01:32 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Corvallis, OR
Posts: 5,300
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Re: Shoutout to Ujoint
Hmmm. My airbags haven't torn from overextension, but I'm not sure if the shocks limit travel or the airbags do. I have the Firestone sportrites which are tapered, so they have about 12" of total travel which is I think is pretty close to what the shocks have. The van has been on lifts no problem, and it's been jumped several times. Come to think of it, I did have one tear jumping the van, but it was because the baseplate bolts snapped and allowed the baseplate to shift out of alignment, and it basically caused a pinch-flat a few miles down the road. This has happened twice, but only once from a jump. Firestone sent me a whole new setup, including an improved base-plate which I have not installed yet because I will need to modify them slightly. So far I'm using the original style (also sent by Firestone).
Chris - Any concerns with the airbags sliding off your landing plate? Seem like during a hard landing with some throttle, the axle is going to twist rearward pretty good. Gould that make the airbag slide off and get pinched? Do yours have in internal bumpstop? I had some under-frame Airlift bags previously, and even with 100 PSI I could still bottom them out sometimes. This was part of the reason I switched to the outboard mounted firestones.... They allowed me to re-inall my bumpstops.
__________________
2000 E450 dually V10 wagon
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04-01-2013, 03:04 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Taylor, Mississippi
Posts: 1,648
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Re: Shoutout to Ujoint
Quote:
Originally Posted by daveb
When I read this, I jumpped over to U-joints site. I wonder if he'll just sell the landing plates? What did you build Marc?
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Ujoint set up was too big for my rig by the thickness of the landing plate only. I have a Quigley lift and 4wd, but the lift block itself is 3", so I don't know if I have a nominal "... on Quigley 4" lift..." or an actual 3" lift.
Ray cut off the bumpstops, (which looked absolutely unbumped to both of us) and built up a mount to make a really perfected fit to my rig. I haven't run 'em loaded yet, but he put in 50#'s as a start, and it picked up the rear 1 1/2". Really tightened up the ride, but again, haven't run loaded.
I'll try to get a camera out and make a film about Round 3 of the remodel which will include the bags and particularly the Ray Mount, but I gotta dig out from all these bills first.
__________________
'95 SMB E350 Quigley 7.3
https://www.taylorarts.com
... If you have to ask, you'll never understand...
"... torpedo'd, because we don't generally cotton to bullshit around here." -jage
"... do they ooch apart in the night?" -Dia
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04-01-2013, 06:07 PM
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#9
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Site Team
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Turlock Ca
Posts: 10,408
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Re: Shoutout to Ujoint
I'm just trying to figure out what keeps the bottom on target when they come down. The U-Joint kits bottom plate doesn't look much different than mine.
__________________
2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer
Sportsmobile 4X4 Adventures.......... On and off road adventures
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04-01-2013, 06:55 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: AVL NC
Posts: 1,008
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Re: Shoutout to Ujoint
I ran this setup on Vanaconda for a few years, honestly it was out out lazyness! When I first installed my bags years ago I ran a limit strap to keep them from over extending. When I went wheeling to shoot a video I unbolted the bottom mount for more articulation. Never hooked them back up and they worked fine for 2 years and many many miles.
The axle doesn't move enough front/rear to have the bag come off the pad. I tried to find a good long travel bag and there are a few out there, but nothing that I liked. My kit has to have a lift spring to clear everything.
__________________
Chris Steuber
02 E350 7.3 (V4)
17 Focus RS, 90 SHO, 49 CJ2A, 89 LSC, 20 T250 AWD
ujointoffroad.com
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