man, some times i am slow to a post... Sometimes even i beat wagonboy, but the past few days, I have been really sick, and broke, so i try to stay away from the forum since everytime i look here, i get another idea of something to work/spend money on...
about the deals...
The "First Deal"
The one with the slam specialties and parker valves... 3 thumbs up.. great deal, IF you really get all that stuff. If you break those down individually, that is a big savings. Kinda one of those "man this is cheap, a little too cheap"
The "firestone" deal...
ahhhh... hmmmm....
First of all... The 10 way switch prewired box, if its the plexiglass CRAP that AIM sells, plan on throwing that away. Firestone bags are good. At our old shop, we never had someone comeback with a blown bag, UNLESS they drove around on 0psi, or the flex in the bag pushed into something hot. (the later was only on customers coming to us FROM another shop)
For $1500 i would have to say NO... Buy it seperatly, and plan your purchases.
PS, Slam Specialties have inner BUMP STOPS, so when you blow a fuse, and get stuck draggin your ass home on 0psi, you dont have to worry about grinding away your inner rubber bead that holds the bag together. Plus they dont FLEX.
_____PERSONAL OPINIONS______
Compressors.....
I wouldnt do Dual Compressors. save a bit of cash, and go with a nitrogen tank. Personally, i think the only time you would go through enough air to deserve dual compressors, is if you are showing off, inwhich case you will want nitrogen tank anyways.
AIR LINE.....
Surprisingly, if you dont go to "cheap "insert wording here" parts.com" and you go to a place intown that makes DOT aproved airline, you can get steel braided airline for about $1.30 - $2 a foot with push to connects. This is my preference, at 70 feet, that (max $150) is worth not being stuck onthe side of the road on your trip way out of town because a twist tie came loose and your line drug on the tire or the ground.
VALVES....
Parker, HERION, are the ones i trust/believe in. Most valves that people sell with "MY-STORE-BRAND-NAME" are just valves that real companies that rely on valves working everyday rely on. Do the research. Find a local Pnumatic/Hydraulic supply Shop, and ask them what the best valves are for heavy duty pnumatic use is. These are people who deal with this EVERY DAY, and whose "making money" revolves around a good set of valves. Remember when pricing valves, you need one with electronic 12 volt selenoid, for AIR (pnumatic) use.
Switch BOX...
Cool, all 3 packages seem to want to sell that box, must have realized that they are crap, and trying to sell em cheap. "quick put em in a package deal so people will think their gettin a deal" I am not saying wiring a 10 way switch box is easy, but you will finally rip it out and drag frame ontop of that box with frustration.
WIRING...
Find a local electronics shop. find 12 different color wiring. If you donot, you will hate wiring this thing up.
Fittings...
There are pretty ways to do this. There is a company with a buffalo/bison as their logo (i donot remember who as of this sec) who makes nicklel fittings. Really clean looking, i am thinking $5 a piece but i am probably wrong...
when ordering Remember Push to connect and self crimping are 2 seperate things, and figure out what you are doing with the air line prior to getting the fittings.
Valve Size...
It is not the size of the valve but how you use it. that is another Myth... If you have QUAD 1" ports to every bag, and you are driving 80, and want to lower your car 1-2 inches... FORGET IT... there is only ALL UP AND ALL DOWN. My personal preference, which hopefully soon will be a reality, is... 1/2 or 3/8 UP and a smaller 3/8 or 1/4 down... This option lets you GET UP quick when you suddenly see that pothole, but lets you gracefully set the car down to 1/16th of an inch off the concrete when cruising town.
BUT THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO VARY YOUR VALVE SIZE... as "grocerygetter" said its too hard at times... The secret is in this.. Just because the VALVE is a 2 inch port does not mean that you are stuck with 2" of air (ps i am being exageratory in my numbers) you can get a "stepdown" as i call it. It simply does that, takes a 1", 1/2", 3/8" and steps the hole size down to a lower size. Just like a water faucet, just because the water is connected to the ground by a 5" pipe, if you barely turn the faucet, less comes out. So you go to a show, and you need to bounce, take the fitting off the end of your export pipe, and you have full opening again.
Final personal opinion... I will never trust KIT parts with NO NAME. if it is a "circuit breaker" or "All fittings + Air Line" count on throwing them away... They might work like a dream, but to believe them to be good quality when ordering... is..umm.. stupid.
FOR YOU NITROGEN GUYS......
there are little things you can get for cheap if you just go to a real store (not a car supply store)
Hand Wheels for easy nitrogen tank disconnections...
Swivel Connectors
Through Body Connectors
Things that will clean up the look, and are relatively cheap too...
Are you going to get your bag brackets somewhere else or are they included to?
