I was hoping someone might be able to help me here:

1. I have a swale crossing a creek bed in front of my house. When it rains the water can get very high (in big rains we only cross it in a tractor).

2. The swale is steep so a low vehicle bottoms out.

3. I want to lower my L but I'm going to have to have a system that allows me to raise it and lower it as needed.

Is there a system that won't totally bastardize the suspension?
Any chance I'd come out better?
Where's a good place to find it?
Am I screwed?

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Silver 2001.5 ordered;
Customized 1997 Expedition for sale;
2000 2 door Ford Exploder;
2000 Infinit I30 (best of the lot);
1998 Chevy S-10 with my 19 year old's mods;
1948 ****** Jeepster.

 

Build a bridge.

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Red '00 Lightning,
Power Surge Performance enhanced,
Sound effects provided by Flowmaster,
375 RWHP,
445 RWTQ,
13.227@103.55
Track Videos

 

Well theres the airbag or hydrolics systems, but you got to cut the bed, handleing well you can for get that a Grayhound bus will out handle you. I sugest Building a Bridge like 4D THNDR recomends.

 

The inexpensive way is quick , easy, and works great.
Air bags.All you need is the bags and some lines.Shoot them through the license plate holes.You can fill them up with any compressor.No need for a onboard system.This can be done very inexpesivly. Easy install too!

My buddy has bags and its great for when you want to pile in a hole bunch of people in the back of the pick-up.

He has cut the back of the cab off of his f150 longbed ,added a rubber grommet with a fiberclass solid cap and flooring and its like a suburban inside with TV ,Subs, carpet,video games and makes an AWESOMe DREX mobile!!This is not half a $$ job either. Looks factory!

 

What's a swale?

 

It's a huge fish looking creature thats actually a mammal or something

 

Like if the swales were spawning in trabuco canyon or something, you could probably sell tickets. That would be cool.

 

"Swale" just means that the creek bed is concreted where the road crosses over the stream. It's like a big V ditch but only as wide as my road - 20".

The bridge is a ball buster - $140,000 to $180,000. That's why I've lived hear 18 years without one.

I'm not sure if I understood Lightningquick but it sounds like I'd have to get out to pump air into the air bags. Can't do it. I'm thinking of something like a low rider car where I just flip a switch.

But Burninout101 makes is it sound like anything I do is going to produce a crappy ride...

Any more ideas?



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Silver 2001.5 ordered;
Customized 1997 Expedition for sale;
2000 2 door Ford Exploder;
2000 Infinit I30 (best of the lot);
1998 Chevy S-10 with my 19 year old's mods;
1948 ****** Jeepster.

 

I meant 20 foot wide on the swale...

 

Please, don't get the Airbags. My friend's got a set of Firestone bags on his Silverado and that thing handles like a p.o.s. Why don't you just build something that's inexpensive and gives you the ability to cross your creek or whatever it is?

 

Ids like to clear a few misunderstandings,

You can get an onboard pump(more money)

when they are deflated,you will not even know they are there.The way my friend has them installed,the truck rides on the regular suspension when not inflated.He uses them like you would,only when needed,i see no other way when you want to lower it.remember,they will be thereb when you want um.just pump up up and away.The only time I hear about bad handling is when your truck is sLaMeD and you use them to "ride on"

 

You WILL have greenpeace wackos floating about protesting if you attempt to distrupt/harpoon/jackhammer/forge a beloved swale. As an added bonus since you own/operate an "evil" vehicle, "building a bridge" (thumb extended) I'm sure isn't an option either.

Ever consider a custom plate....SWALEKLR?

How do you, the Mrs., and/or the young un navigate the Infiniti through this?

just curious...

 

how about going to an army surplus store and purchase a corps of engineers temp bridge? if it can hold a tank, it can hold the L, the infinity, the jeepster, and the explorer all at once!

just a thought.

 

Look closely, we don't call it an Explorer. We call it our Ford EXPLODER. It's actually a 2001 and we had it for all of three days when the spit hit the fan on the tire thing.

SpeedinBob, the Infiniti has a real short distance between the front wheel and the front bumper parts. Still, if we go more than five miles an hour it'll bottom out.

So, if I put two and two together from Lightnquick, I could do a standard lowering job, install the airbags, and then as long as I only use them to lift for the creek, the rest of the time I'll have every bit as good of a ride as if they weren't there at all...

isitgonnacostabundle?



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Silver 2001.5 ordered;
Customized 1997 Expedition for sale;
2000 2 door Ford Exploder;
2000 Infinit I30 (best of the lot);
1998 Chevy S-10 with my 19 year old's mods;
1948 ****** Jeepster.