# '49-'54 front hydraulics cylinders question



## -NO NAME- (Jul 18, 2002)

Quick question, on a '49-'54 Chevy passenger car, will the fresh air tubes that run along the sides of the engine compartment be in the way of the hydraulic cylinders on the OG front suspension setup? I thought I had it figured out, guess not.


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## BIG E 602 (Mar 30, 2009)

ya gotta take them out


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## edmunds costoms hyd (Jun 26, 2002)

I think depending on your cylinders you may have to notch the battery tray too but Im not too positive.

You are gonna need a cup that fits the stock springs cause a regular size cup and spring wont fit in there.


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## -NO NAME- (Jul 18, 2002)

Going with springs out of a stock application, maybe Impala springs, or out of a Dodge Ramcharger. I haven't thought about it that far yet. The front will most likely get 6 inch strokes, but maybe 8's. I'm just going after lift and lay, with the frame on the floor, or as close to the floor, using mostly stock suspension components...with a little modification, of course! Going after a smooooth ride with juice, so the people out there that use ride quality as a reason to go with bags can trip out.


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## -NO NAME- (Jul 18, 2002)

BIG E 602 said:


> ya gotta take them out


Dayum, just picked some up! Still thinking that if I go with 6's, and maybe clearance that area on the tubes, I can still run them. I want that stock look under the hood


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## CROWDS91 (Mar 17, 2007)

we just did one yesterday with 6" cylinders they fit you have to notch the air tubes but yes they can be ran my dads old 53 has the air tubes with the cylinder hoses hidden inside:thumbsup:


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## edmunds costoms hyd (Jun 26, 2002)

-NO NAME- said:


> Going with springs out of a stock application, maybe Impala springs, or out of a Dodge Ramcharger. I haven't thought about it that far yet. The front will most likely get 6 inch strokes, but maybe 8's. I'm just going after lift and lay, with the frame on the floor, or as close to the floor, using mostly stock suspension components...with a little modification, of course! Going after a smooooth ride with juice, so the people out there that use ride quality as a reason to go with bags can trip out.


Stock wise it wont lay on the cross member, if you have a 49-52 you can use the stock spendels/ uprights from a 53-54 to lower you down some more or theres a place that makes them called Fat Man. Too you can also step the lower A-arm .


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## Matthew1689 (Feb 7, 2012)

Good Luck


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## 1229 (Sep 16, 2002)

edmunds costoms hyd said:


> You are gonna need a cup that fits the stock springs cause a regular size cup and spring wont fit in there.


cheapest way is to take some old cups and turn them down to fit the springs. only takes a few minutes, if its not for an aircraft setup its really easy. i had to turn the outside of these to fit the springs and the insides to fit the fat cylinders for aircraft, but still only took a few minutes.


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## Airborne (Oct 23, 2005)

TATTOO-76 said:


> cheapest way is to take some old cups and turn them down to fit the springs. only takes a few minutes, if its not for an aircraft setup its really easy. i had to turn the outside of these to fit the springs and the insides to fit the fat cylinders for aircraft, but still only took a few minutes.



shit Jason! How much to do that if I have cups to start with? And how much for those cylinders?


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## EMPIRE CUSTOMS (May 29, 2005)

wish i would have seen this topic while i was at the shop so i could post some pics.... lookin good J


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## edmunds costoms hyd (Jun 26, 2002)

TATTOO-76 said:


> cheapest way is to take some old cups and turn them down to fit the springs. only takes a few minutes, if its not for an aircraft setup its really easy. i had to turn the outside of these to fit the springs and the insides to fit the fat cylinders for aircraft, but still only took a few minutes.





Ive done them on my lathe too but as for it being the cheepest way, only if you own one cause Im sure a mechine shop charge a grip for shop time.


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## -NO NAME- (Jul 18, 2002)

CROWDS91 said:


> we just did one yesterday with 6" cylinders they fit you have to notch the air tubes but yes they can be ran my dads old 53 has the air tubes with the cylinder hoses hidden inside:thumbsup:


That's what I wanted to read, thanks for the reply  :thumbsup:


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## -NO NAME- (Jul 18, 2002)

Another question, I believe they are, but just want to confirm aircraft setup cylinders are fatter than regular hydraulic cylinders, right?


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## -NO NAME- (Jul 18, 2002)

edmunds costoms hyd said:


> Stock wise it wont lay on the cross member, if you have a 49-52 you can use the stock spendels/ uprights from a 53-54 to lower you down some more or theres a place that makes them called Fat Man. Too you can also step the lower A-arm .


Wish me luck, cause that's what I'm going to do with a little massaging. Everywhere I have read online says you need either a M-2 setup, dropped uprights, or stepped lowers. I think they all look like shit, so going as low as I can get the stock crossmember, control arms, and uprights to go, with as many modifications I can do to them. It it don't lay the crossmember on 15's and 5.60's, it'll come close. It'll for sure do it on 13X7's 


Matthew1689 said:


> Good Luck


There it is, consider it done!


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## -NO NAME- (Jul 18, 2002)

Mine is a 1954 Chevrolet.


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## edmunds costoms hyd (Jun 26, 2002)

Theres a couple other ways to get lower with the stock stuff but the bottom a-arms kinda angle up to where the spring may want to kick out of place, just shaving some parts off the cross member.

But it would be better to take the cross member off to do a cleaner job.


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## edmunds costoms hyd (Jun 26, 2002)

Some of the M2 settups I dont like, I seen other versions that were a little diffrent. I had a 71 Pinto and it is the same as a Mustang II front . 

My Pinto was lifted and what I didnt like was that the top A-arms would slide front and back for adjustments and would get loose after while.

And the bottom arms would angle so much when locked up that the springs wanted to kickout , they would get cought under the ball joint nut.


The best way for me to run it was to go coil over in the front and that was back in 1981.


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## -NO NAME- (Jul 18, 2002)

Any pics of coil overs in the front of a bomb?


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## -NO NAME- (Jul 18, 2002)

Also, what is the outside diameter of the cylinders used for aircraft setups?


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## daoriginator64 (Oct 29, 2002)

havent had a problem yet mustang ii

















before mustang ii we did with stock suspension terrible ride on the highway and unstable as hell.


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## edmunds costoms hyd (Jun 26, 2002)

-NO NAME- said:


> Also, what is the outside diameter of the cylinders used for aircraft setups?



are you going aircraft?


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## slo (Jan 12, 2004)

-NO NAME- said:


> Another question, I believe they are, but just want to confirm aircraft setup cylinders are fatter than regular hydraulic cylinders, right?


not sure on what the specs would have to be but fatter yes


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## -NO NAME- (Jul 18, 2002)

daoriginator64 said:


> havent had a problem yet mustang ii
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I was checking out your build yesterday, not bad. Your '50 is looking pretty good. I don't like the look of M2 front setups, going with the OG front end on mine, and laying on the front crossmember on all stock components.


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## -NO NAME- (Jul 18, 2002)

edmunds costoms hyd said:


> are you going aircraft?


Unsure, bro. I go back and forth on the idea. When I asked the question, I was thinking of going with the Black Magic fat sticks all the way around, that way I have all the cylinders in there when I get around to buying an aircraft setup. I was just planning on going with a Fenner-Stone style setup in there for now, simple but clean. Now I am leaning with going with some of the Black Magic new old school pumps to have that old school look, but in a new pump. I do have basically all I would need to run an '80's style cast iron setup, I was thinking of doing that for now.


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## edmunds costoms hyd (Jun 26, 2002)

-NO NAME- said:


> I would need to run an '80's style cast iron setup, I was thinking of doing that for now.



thats way I roll, I was tired of seeing the same o - same o in everyone's trunk.


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## -NO NAME- (Jul 18, 2002)

edmunds costoms hyd said:


> thats way I roll, I was tired of seeing the same o - same o in everyone's trunk.


EXACTLY!!! That's about the setup I want in my '54's trunk, but not sure I'll do a whammy tank. I want to go with some Waterman dumps like that, and some of those Prestolite motors with the band. I have ideas floating around for it, but it will definately be simple and clean. Simple, as in maybe even one pump, 4 dumps, and 3 batts. Front, back, and pancake is all I need at this stage in my life  ...and to think, I used to roll with 4 pumps, 12 batts, and about 12 switches in my younger days! :biggrin:


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## dogbonekustoms (Feb 7, 2012)

That whammy in that blazer is the dogs balls! Seriously beautiful with those Prestos.
How anbout givin me a little background on those dumps?
And Noname, sorry for the hijack, n did you do any work on that fntend yet?


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## Lowridingmike (Jan 10, 2002)

TTT for good info and a cool setup in a blazer! I got most that stuff laying aroudn collecting dust even one prestolite motor. Makes me wanna do a cast iron block setup, that one there is tits. I even have a waterman or two. lolz


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## Hydros (Apr 30, 2002)

Just throwing it out, haven't done a or seen a 54 in years, but, IMO
for a smooth ride, use soft coils, 
laying lower, cut the coils, and consider one large accumulator. Or maybe custom tank made to look and work like one oil tank, and inside, a second chamber to act like an accumulator.
for cylinders clearance, use a thicker donuts or stack them. 
Avoid fat cylinders, unless your pump is worn out.

don't allow the suspension to top off by compressing the coils, 6" cycinders IMO


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## edmunds costoms hyd (Jun 26, 2002)

dogbonekustoms said:


> That whammy in that blazer is the dogs balls! Seriously beautiful with those Prestos.
> How anbout givin me a little background on those dumps?
> And Noname, sorry for the hijack, n did you do any work on that fntend yet?





The dumps are call Waterman and were used back in the 70's to the 80's on the old Fenner pumps.


By pushing down on the button on top of the dump, you could lower the car without hitting the switch.


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## Lowridingmike (Jan 10, 2002)

edmunds costoms hyd said:


> The dumps are call Waterman and were used back in the 70's to the 80's on the old Fenner pumps.
> 
> 
> By pushing down on the button on top of the dump, you could lower the car without hitting the switch.


Just don't try hopping. you'll pressure lock em easy and will be pushing the button more than you'd like to. lolz they lock at 3,000 p.s.i., I'll sell em cheap! lolz


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## dogbonekustoms (Feb 7, 2012)

wow, beautiful. Funny i have looked at that Otto ad for years n never cared too much about that dump, i was always more intrested in the pump as it looks a lot like the Rayvern units im so familiar with. Im fairly new to lowlows too as you can guess.
Do you have an exploded view? Id love to see the guts....and i truly love your set up.

Lowridingmike, how cheap? And how far gone they are?


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## edmunds costoms hyd (Jun 26, 2002)

Back when they were used the pumps bearly maxed out the 3000 psi, the pumps had a releaf valve built in to them so the pump wouldnt get messup by over pressureing them. As the pumps got better we had to use better components to keep up, as well as hoses.

People say that the dumps arnt any good cause they pressure lock ( and they can or will) if used as if your king of the streets.

Mine dont have any problems , I just run 4 batteries and just raze and lower, I dont need anything more.


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## dogbonekustoms (Feb 7, 2012)

totally have your point. Gotta kno your system capabilities.


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