1967 Chevy Shortbed - Baggin' It

8. Using a uni-bit and an air drill, Tony widened the hole in the backside of the crossmember to route the air hose. Once the hole was wide enough, he fitted a rubber donut grommet to prevent the air line from being frayed or cut by any sharp metal edge.

9. Tony applied Teflon tape to all the airbag fittings to prevent leakage.

10. The airbag fitting was tightened into place. Then, a Phase II technician filled the 'bag with compressed air and tested it for leaks with soapy water supplied from a spray bottle. Leaks create air bubbles, and none were detected.

11. With the air hose attached to the fitting and the A069 front crossmember plate in place, Tony bolted the airbag to the front crossmember using the four holes that were drilled in step seven.

12. Prior to this step, Tony made sure the attached airbag and air hose would not bind with the front suspension travel by using the floor clamp to press the deflated 'bag completely closed. In this photo, the A-arm was ground smooth in two areas in preparation for cutting two slits in the arm.

13. The ART instruction manual indicates the front airbag cups sit in the A-arms and don't require being welded in place. As an extra safety precaution Tony used the plasma cutter to cut two openings in the A-arm, so the cups could be welded.

14. Tony prepared the metal surface for welding by grinding the bottom of the airbag cup.

15. A Phase II technician used high heat (blue flame) with the arc welder to tack-weld the airbag cup. Next, he used low heat to smooth the weld, then increased the volume of the welded surface and completely filled the two holes that were made in the A-arm in step 13.

16. To remove all evidence of any welding, Tony used the air-operated grinding wheel to smooth the metal surface.

17. He covered the bare metal surface with black paint. Notice the scrape marks on the lower A-arm. We weren't kidding about this pickup scrubbing its undercarriage.

18. A perfect fit. The new ART front shock was bolted into place.

19. The completed installation of the driver-side front suspension reveals the details: the airbag, the air hose coming out of the grommet-filled hole in the crossmember, heat-shielding tape applied where the air hose is near a heat source (exhaust pipe), the new shock, and the reattached Belltech spindle to the A-arm.