My solution for bump and steering stops with bags

[bubbasimms]

I have been browsing the site for years...looking for inspiration and advice. I've asked a few questions and learned tons from the site.

My mother gave me a 69 stepside, base model, several years ago after my step father passed on. He has owned it since the early 90's and we used it as a work truck (they owned a small dump trucking company) for many years before he parked it due to massive oil consumption. It went many miles loaded with tools and tires, slopping through limestone quarries and even hauled a complete 400 Big Cam Cummins replacement engine one time and they are HEAVY. Poor little truck deserved better. Below is my inheritance. My apologies for being out of order, but I am learning how to post pictures.



I started a restoration/improvement on it about a year ago. My plan is a mostly stock but improved rebuild with the addition of disk brakes, power steering and a lower stance with bags and spindles but sticking with the 250 six and the 3 ott. Going to go with the sea mist green and white with painted bumpers, white steelies and caps. Something along the lines of this truck:

[bubbasimms]

Mixed with a little of this:

[bubbasimms]

I may start a build thread when I am a little further along but I just wanted to include a quick little summary. The topic of this post brings me here. I didn't like the idea of running no bump stops or steering stops but following the trend I whacked the factory stops when installing the bags. I have the typical upper plates and lower cups and the factory arms with drop spindles. I got to thinking about just trimming down the factory stops so here is what I did.

[bubbasimms]

I trimmed them down and then added a little boxing for extra strength. I slipped in some new original style moog bump stops. Drilled the original spot welds out for some 3/8 hardware and here is what I got when aired out.

[bubbasimms]

Here is aired up...I have plenty of clearance all around the bag at any height, plus I have factory steering stops in the factory location. Right now the stops are limiting my aired out stance by about and inch and a half or so, measured at the center of the cross member.

[bubbasimms]

I think I am going to trim the triangle portion of the bump stop down an inch and a half or so. Then add a piece of thick wall one inch square tubing to the bottom of the upper plate so the nut of the plate bolt is not what is digging into the rubber stop. the nut will be inside the square tube. I can adjust the trimming of the rubber to achieve maximum drop while still keeping the collapsed bag from contacting either the upper plate or the lower control arm.

[bubbasimms]

Clearance pictures

[Jason Banks]

Nice Work!