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The guys at RS Hydraulics in San Jose, California,
have come up with another wild way of getting your lowrider
to launch a wheel up to the sky. It was at the most recent Lowrider
Super Show where top-rated lowrider engineer and entrepreneur
Robert Velasco showed us the first patent pending lowrider lifting
design called an "air lock-up" for three-wheel action
lovers, and we scheduled a visit to his San Jose facility on
the spot.
A few years back, Robert also brought to market the "double-barrel"
hydraulic cylinder system that really had rte look of a sawed-off
double-barreled shotgun. Quite innovative, yet the product hasn't
caught on in the customizing industry. Today, he's at it again
with a bigger and better, quieter and cleaner set of rear suspension
aluminum casing air cylinders that operate from the rear axle
and can throw up a mean three-wheel stance for guys who like
to have all eyes on their ride.
So we set out to share with you the multiple advantages of this
air lock-up system and how the shop quickly and easily installs
the ultimate three-wheeling show car system. In Robert's shop,
the powerful "big boys" are already installed on a
four-door Cadillac prototype, the same on that we see in the
shops promotional pamphlet.
The challenge facing Robert during his months of tooling were
getting the front wheel as vertical as possible with the air
cylinders (similar to hydraulic cylinders) as opposed to airbags,
which do not three-wheel. In addition, there is a 2-galon helium
tank to suck out the air o the right or left rear cylinder.
It's interesting to note that airbags can only lift 6 to 9 inches
while the air cylinders can largely increase that with lifts
between 8 and 20 inches. Other benefits include no addition
batteries (except for the car battery), no battery smell, no
oil leaks, no frame reinforcement and a smoother ride. In review,
RS Hydraulics provides a new and innovative style to lowriding
with a system that's so cool it'll take your breath away!Robert
(far left) and the crew at RS Hydraulics. A lowrider since birth,
Robert is always looking for inventive ways to stimulate the
entire lowrider industry and air cylinders is another option
that vehicle owners can experience.
1. These particular twin air cylinders (3 inches in top diameter)
are the basis for this article. They can stretch out to 14 inches
and collapse down to 9 inches. need assorted sizes? Cylinders
can also come in 8, 10, 12, and 16 inches.
2. A nice big, roomy trunk is where they cylinders do their
best work and are part of an air compression system that can
be quickly and cleanly installed.
3. Already precisely measured, a plasma cutter is used to cut
3.5-inch forward-facing oval-shaped holes.
4. A welded 0.25-inch reinforcing steel donut plate is required
under the ear where the factory springs used to bounce unconditionally.
5. Like a smile from ear to ear, the shop welds a 0.5-inch thick
square tubing reinforcement bar called a bridge across the ears
to connect the chain to the rearend housing which helps in the
leverage of the three-wheel system.
6. Known on the street as "powerballs" or "swivelballs,"
these important axle-mounted anchors feature four octagon allen
screws and must be packed with suspension grease. They can withstand
plenty of movement.
7. An installation professional inserts the bottom of the cylinder
shaft called the powerball.
8. A shop air wrench is used to drive the allen screws into
their secure position.
9. Robert explains to first time readers that 1-, 2-, or 3-ton
springs can be used over the cylinders. Originally, a 3-ton
seven-coil (or turn) spring has now been cut down to three turns.
Any more turns cut and the Caddy would scrape bumper and that's
not he desired effect on this project.
10. All finished with the install in less than an hour, not
counting the rest of the system. At the lowest point, the cylinders
are bottomed out.
11. The top of the cylinder can be seen aligned and poking through
the oval opening.
12. Hooking up the system to the 5-gallon air tanks joined together
for 10 gallons requires 0.5-inch brass ports with water-tight
Teflon tape. nylon tubing is then inserted to the rear-most
inner sleeve of the fitting and allows for easy installation.
13. Here's a look at the newly installed cylinders in the lowered
position.
14. All by itself, the gauge reads a maximum of 200 p.s.i. and,
at the 165 p.s.i. read, there's enough pressure to flip the
switch a few more time, but max performance comes at 200 p.s.i.
full-tank pressure. Reading from left to right: the first switch
triggers the front up and down, the second is for the rear up
and down, the third is for the left rear wheel, the fourth is
for the right side rear wheel, the fifth is for pancaking all
four wheels up and down, and the sixth switch is the thriller
three-wheel with the helium tank sucking air out of the right
rear cylinder.
15. The power to take up compressed air is provided the 2-gallon
helium tank and regulator which drops the right rear cylinder
for the three-wheel action.
16. While we talk less about the front setup, here the shop
removed the front springs and added RS-62 2,500-lb. 400 p.s.i.-rated
Slambags to round out the Caddy's suspension system.
17. Actual street performance field tested well. The three-wheel
stayed up and the Caddy drove along at slow speeds.
18. The Cadillac's looking as cool as heck three-wheeling while
making a u-turn at slow speeds. The main point of the air-ride
lock-up is show performance.
Source
RS Hyraulics
701 Kings Row, Unit B #23
San Jose, CA 95112
408.971.9888
rshydraulics@hotmail.com
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