I drove the CaDually into work today.
The work commute is approximately 110 miles total. I had been testing the air ride since repairing the bad section of air hose.
Work day
Another Leak!
I cruised over to Stockton for an Optometrist appointment. I had laid the CaDually out on the parking lot for security reasons. Yeah, also because I wanted to see it laid out.
I got another leak on the CaDually. These leaks are due to me not knowing about routing the air lines properly. In this case I had a line that had too much slack and was able to reach and make contact with the muffler system.
The CaDually barely fit onto the flatbed. I’m surprised that AAA sent such a small truck, maybe that is why it was the shortest wait for roadside service I’ve ever had. The driver “Robert” didn’t have to any of the truck tasks. I drove the truck up the ramp and drove it down. I wasn’t sure if the Robert ever drove a Dually up a flatbed. Even though I never have, I had more confidence in my experience doing it.
On our way back to Valley Springs this dude started falling asleep on the wheel. He crossed over the other side of the double border lines onto traffic a few times. One instance of stopping at a stop sign I thought he was going to plow into the car in front of us. I offered to drive the rig home but he pointed to a dash camera that was pointing towards us. I had no idea we were being recorded. LOL!!
I run dual exhaust that both mufflers are near the center of the bed, in front of the transmission pumpkin. The ride side airline really needs to have the exhaust system in mind. I found this “thermo-sleeve” at a local NAPA store. It works perfectly for a 3/8″ air hose. I used all 3′ on the section of air hose that is in the engine bay. The hottest source that is nearby is the heater hoses that go to the radiator and water pump.
The protective sleep may be overkill but after seeing what the muffler did to an exposed piece of hose I decided on the extra protection layer.
I have re-routed the air line from the front passenger side to the rear air manifold. I’m using rubber looms along the way, I have spaced mounting points every 18″ or so. I’m also using tie-wraps for less critical areas until I can get the proper mounting hardware.
I’ve tested the air ride system to see if there are any kinks or areas that may contact any hot spots. I haven’t detected anything but the real test is always out on the road and using the system at its fullest.
EDIT: August 20, 2023 – I’ve driven CaDually a couple hundred miles and slammed CaDually as many opportunities i could. No leaks whatsoever. I leave the bags almost fully inflated at night and there is no difference 24 to 48 hours later.
Damn leak
Sometime during our trip to San Luis Obispo’s C10 SLO Down event the front right air line was damaged. It’s possible that it was “kinked” during a hard jolt on the road.
During the troubleshoot stage it is heck of convenient to be able to control the Accuair VU4 manifold remotely. I can add air and to see if I have any leaks before I install in between the upper and lower control arms.
This is a normal weekday evening for me. Dismantling the upper control arm, ball joints, outer tie rods, brake caliper assembly and dropping the lower control arm to access the bag cups.
C10 SLO DOWN 2023
We headed to San Luis Obispo for the annual C10 SLO DOWN show. The year the promoters stopped taking truck registration when the count hit 1000!
We got our tickets early enough so there was no issue not being able to get CaDually onto the golf course lawns.
The event organizer slated 7am as the opening time to allow the Registered trucks to enter with the guest and spectators coming in 2 hours later at 9am. We left our home at 2am and arrived just about the opening time. I think the locals got pissed the line was moving so slow and took off down the street going down the wrong side of the road.
Once we got into the venue wifey hooked me up with some grub!
Buff and Polish
I’ve been looking for somebody to cut and buff the CaDually. I had a couple of prospects but most turned out to be inexperienced guys trying to do a side hustle. The guys that were reputable and known for their good work would not travel to Valley Springs to do the job. I’d have to leave CaDually at their location which most of the time was a home residence.
Not too many folks have a garage that can fit the length of a dually. That would mean the ride would be left outside if it was an overnight job.
I decided to learn how to perform the light cut and buff process. My goal was not be overly aggressive and take my time with the process.
I asked around to see what the “Pro’s” were using for equipment. I’d say the majority of guys buffing their rides are using something in the Harbor Freight realm. I was looking for a buffer/polisher that I could use long term and had an online following as well as hardware support.
The original paint had horrible water marks. I tried to wax it off but had no success. At the time I had never heard of “Corrective Compound” and what it was used for. It turned out to be the key of buffing and removing the hard water marks.
Air bag cups
I decided to replace both upper cups due to the bolt that was welded at an offset inside the original cup. The air hose was actually 1/2″ hydraulic fluid lines that was rigid and difficult to move around. I’m guessing the installer back then decided to use the shock mount hole since it was very large in diameter.
The lower cup on the original setup had a “floating” configuration. That’s when the cup is seated on the lower control arm not bolted down or secured. I would have done the same again since the original setup had probably lasted over 20 years. After speaking with my Cuz’ I decided to take his advice and secure it down with a bolt that was welded in place.
There is a “horseshoe” hole on the lower control that can be used to allow a bolt go thru. The lower cup is then secured down using a strap. In this case I was out of steel material and used scrap aluminum I had laying around the shop. I will replace the temporary strap with a 1/4″ steel plate at a later date.
Using a transmission jack to hold the lower control arm and disc brake setup is the best thing ever! It is so much easier to maneuver around then screwing around floor jack that always seems to get in the way. This is really helpful when pressing in the upper control arm ball joint back into the upper spindle.
