Let the torture begin !!
 

Well I am embarking soon on some surgery to my 2002 Lightning, a full Air Ride levelpro setup with double adjustable shockwaves at all 4 corners, and a custom made (by me:rofl: ) 3-link rear with watts link. I have done brake, suspension, interior, audio, etc installs on my own, but this will my first time fabbing my own stuff and slicing and dicing on the frame.

My goals are to create a pro-touring Lightning, one will which ride smoothly on the rough ny roads, drop nice and low for carshows, and handle on the road course very well.

Well on to the gratuitous and excessive pictures.

First, the truck as it looks now, well as it looked last summer.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/seneca1.JPG


http://www.lightningmod.com/images/seneca4.jpg

And a couple renderings done by Kris Horton, mainly my need to imortalize the truck as artwork since the overall look will not change much.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/r...ing4_small.jpg

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/r...gRearsmall.jpg

I did have to invest in some needed equipment, I hope I did good.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/miller/CIMG3038.JPG

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/miller/CIMG3039.JPG

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/miller/CIMG3040.JPG

And the nice guys at Air Ride sent me a few boxes of fun......of course this was after a few grand of my hard earned money evaporating from my checking account.

The guys at Air ride certainly have a sense of humor.....

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3041.JPG

Shockwave 8000 series double adjustable rear bags.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3043.JPG

Shockwave 1000 series double adjustable front bags.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3049.JPG

Level pro ride height sensors.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3054.JPG

The ridepro ECU and control panel.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3055.JPG

A bag of the various fittings, then the air pressure sensors, and the pimp daddy remote controls.....push a button, and PSHHHHH CLUNK !

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3056.JPG

The harnesses are all covered in techflex and all are preterminated, my OCD is at ease.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3057.JPG

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3058.JPG

The Ridepro soleniod block, one awesome piece of billet magic.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3062.JPG

The pair of Thomas 327 pumps, I know Viair are faster and prettier, but these are fine for my use, and weatherproof and reliable.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3064.JPG

5 gallon aluminum tank, now standard issue with all the Air Ride setups, and 1/3rd the weght of the steel tank, 7lbs. vs. 21lbs.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3065.JPG

A variety of 3/16" and 1/4" thick steel for brackets and whatnot, and a nice 3.5 Id DOM tube for the c-notches.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3051.JPG

Some 1/4" wall DOM tube for the 3 links and a bunch of 2x4 .120 wall for crossmembers.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3052.JPG

Some real nice and THICK (3/8in.) front upper shock mounts that I got from my good ol' canadian madmen buddies, good thing they had twice as many made as they needed, they are doing a full frame off job on a Lightning up in their neck of the woods.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3068.JPG

what brand of wheels are those?

Boze Forged "Mesh" 3-piece 20x9.5 front 20x11 rear.

I dunno, some weirdo hotrod builder talked me into it....

Thanks for the cardboard chris, I have done alot of drawings, but the templates will surely be a lifesaver. :thumbsup:

I will keep the build process updated, and thank you again for all the advice and help you have provided me thus far in planning this project, this probably would have never come to fruition without your inspiring build and the great ideas you have shared with me.

Ian

Got some more goodies in today, a few 3/4" XM rod ends for the watts link, and my Ballistic fab flex joints for the main 3 link bars, I was going to use johnny joints, but these BF jobs made me tingle in my special place. I think these will stand up to NYC potholes. :unibrow:


Mind you that is a 3/4 x 3/4 QA1 XM rod end in the picture.....WHOA.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/b...c/CIMG3078.JPG

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/b...c/CIMG3079.JPG

Exploded view, not showing the zerk and set screw.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/b...c/CIMG3081.JPG

Watts link propellor and mounting plate showed up from Jim Fay at Fays2 suspension.

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3083.JPG

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3084.JPG

http://www.lightningmod.com/images/a...s/CIMG3085.JPG