To bag, or not to bag

That is the question. I've got RE7's, gauges, switch box and some possible back up equipment, (used bags, 4 3/8" valves). Still I question "should I?" I've considered keeping it static and going for a quality, good handling, static ride. But looking at parts costs, I'd spend about the same to be bagged. My static ride is not that bad now either, nothing a c-notch wouldn't take care of...and shorter shocks up front. But if I were to stay static, I'd go with lowered leaves, sway bars, etc.

Here's my concerns bagging:

***other than getting the welding work done.

1. Handling - I don't want a soft boat like drive, I do like to corner from time to time w/o lean.
2. Maintenance - I like maintenance free!
3. Ride - See # 1, plus I still worry if there will be any bounce.
4. Doing the work, spending the money, and not being happy with ride.
5. Still need the bed for hauling.
6. Truck is my only vehicle I have for my self...the wife has hers of course.

Here's my concerns static:

1. Ride quality - how much worse/better with dropped leaves? Will it still be stiff?
2. Handling - how much will sway bars help vs. now or being bagged vs. cost?
3. Wasting money for a good riding static but then still wanting bagged afterward.

Also, I've purchased a set of the chrome chevy modular wheels like Justin's. I'm questioning running these instead of what I've got on in my sig. What do you think?

Thanks for the opinions/help fellas!

Got bagging parts, hit me! lol.

Here is my opinion.

I love bagged trucks, they are super fun. I have never owned one, but I help friends rebuild them all the time.

When its freezing they sometimes have to get under and hit the valves with a torch before they can go anywhere, even with water traps and in line oilers. You can run coolant through them but thats even more work - complication. For a weekend toy I would love a bagged truck, but not for a DD.

My truck will be a DD so im doing it static. Also because I drive it hard and want it to hold up.

Up front ball joint flip, re indexed torsions, cut upper shock mount and fabbed up new mount for stock length shocks. No cost so far.

out rear im repacking leaves with flatter ones. Moving the front leaf mount up an inch, and making sliders for the rear to eliminate the shackle and drop it more. 6" of drop in the springs and mounts, then a 3" block and mini notch. All that and just 30$ for the u bolts.

That is some fab work but not as much as bagging it. Or big $ for a bolt on bag kit.

Man i loved my truck before i bagged it. It was red, dropped on the nice chrome wheels. Truck looked hot for real. Ride wasnt terrible but wasnt great. Never game me a problem at all. Was my only ride as well. I wanted to bag it so i bought a little beater car to get me by while i did it. Did the front in a weekend with plans of the back in a few more weeks. Got most of the parts but then got busy. So i drove the truck as was and man it really was just a huge hassle to have as a daily. Always had to worry about valves freezing up or lines getting hot and blowing. If you are going to do it you need to have another vehicle to drive until you complete the whole bag job or else you will be like me and not wanna put it under the knife again cuz you either like drivin it or have no choice. Wished i would have waited till i was a little better financially to start on mine.






-Justin

One day I lean more towards keeping it static and the next day, bagged.

Slowroller, you've got some good ideas. Of course it helps that you're capable of doing all that work your self.

Justin man, you're closest to me and if you've had problems with frozen valves, then I'd think I would too. That goes along with my fear of being bagged just meaning more maintenance needing to be done.

My truck really doesn't ride that bad. For the most part she's good. I'm just not quite as low as I'd like to be due to needing the rear notched and either relocate the front shocks, or go with spindles/control arms. I worry about spindles pushing the wheels out too far to tuck.

Btw Justin, I've got a set a wheels like on your truck now...though mine are still chrome lol. Just haven't put them on yet.

I want a nice looking, comfortable, mostly worry free ride. I don't dog my truck 99% of the time, just may occasionally hit a corner a little hard...one of the things that worries me about the monoleaf set up.

I agree. I wouldn't bag it if it's your only vehicle. Once you do have bags it's nice to only go on short trips so you can fix a leak if ones comes up. I was always worried about getting a leak and being down in the middle of rush hour.

1. Handling - I don't want a soft boat like drive, I do like to corner from time to time w/o lean.

Brief answer: This all depends on your suspension set up. It can handle very well.

2. Maintenance - I like maintenance free!

It can be reliable but it does require more maintenance. Some things that can cause problems are water in the lines. This can freeze the valves and prevent them from working. Sometimes even a small piece of dirt can get into the valve and prevent it from closing all the way so depending on if it was a dump or lift valve you will leak up or down. These are just a few examples. What is more common is the air bags & 4 links not set up correctly causing the bushings of the 4 links to wear out quick, also for bags to puncture.

3. Ride - See # 1, plus I still worry if there will be any bounce.

Brief answer: This all depends on your suspension set up. It can ride very well. For a better ride do not mount the bags on the axle.

4. Doing the work, spending the money, and not being happy with ride.

I would say if there was a bolt on kit you could do it your self but you are talking designing a new suspension for your truck. You would be much happier in the end of you paid a good shop to do the work.

5. Still need the bed for hauling.

Another option may be a trailer. If you need all of your bed you can still be bagged you just won't be able to go down that much.

6. Truck is my only vehicle I have for my self...the wife has hers of course.
I recommend getting another vehicle. On my Ranger I regret that I was driving it daily while bagging it and now I'm redoing everything on it.

Good stuff there Baha, thanks for the tips.

This will sound the wrong way, but static. How much you want if you decide to sell the bags? I'd like bags to do an axle setup on one of the Mopars. I just don't want to cut the trunk up for juice.

Ride will be better static, unless you want to ride close to stock height. To me, there's no point in that. Sticking valves suck. Putting coolant can cause the seals In the valves to swell and when they dry they become brittle and eventually fail prematurely. You want nothing moist in your valves if you want the set up to work ideally. Certain valves can't be rebuilt because the seals change and get discontinued, then it's new valve time. You can keep your bed with bags or juice, you just have to set it up right. I've got some suspension designs drawn up that would allow full retention of the bed without modifying it. I'd have to find them again though, cause when I hit the sign in the ice storm and tore my cab and bed up I said fuck it. I'll be going static for now, then I'll juice the front, then the rear.

So far as taking corners fast in a slammed vehicle...that's how you end up with pans bleeding on the road. The motto its low and slow for a reason.

Btw I think I saw your truck the other day out off old concord salisbury rd.

Haha Charles, I don't think I've been out that way in a while. Maybe you saw Eastwood's truck, similar, cept he's a bit higher and has Escalades on it.

You can be low and handle good. I will be quite low, I promise. But the side to side lean will be less too. Definitely going to upgrade sway bars, that'll make a dramatic enough difference most likely for me. The truck doesn't lean terrible now.

I've pretty much decided static is what I'll remain. Now, do I want to put on the 17" chromies, like Justin's above, or get me two more pathies and go with a little more tire than I could on the 17's? Scrubbing the fenders with the 17's may be an issue, as I already do with my 16" 55's. I never scrubbed with my pathies.

I'll pm ya about the bags I guess.

Where are you located man? I'm always up in the research area, as I live behind Baker's Creek Park.

Might have been, all I could tell was it was a low white b. Made me feel like I was in a lifted truck as I went by him. Haha.

Low can definitely handle, so long as you can turn the wheels fully. I could out corner almost anyone in my slammed civic once I got it high enough to stop chewing up my fenders. I was in Charlotte though, so one wrong turn (too fast and miss upcoming street craters or debris) and I was tearing something up. I'm suprised I never got pulled on suspicion of drunk driving as much swerving as I had to do in it. I had 3" to the rocker, about 2" to the pan and ripped the exhaust hangers off multiplle times. In my CRX I hit a train track with the front of the torsion bar and shoved the floor about 2" up on the passenger side. No fixing that on a unibody.

I'm in no rush on the bags, I really want to give them but I just don't want to cut them up, so I'm still playing with ideas. Need to do other things first though.

I'm in China Grove. Out near 29 and Lentz area.

Yeah Charlotte driving in a low rider is not too fun. Been there.

Slammed on my 16's I rubbed a lot on corners. I think it's the width factor compared to the pathies being 15x6 though. That's why I'm considering going back to the pathies, plus a little more tire side wall will help smooth out the ride a bit. I don't race this thing much, just don;t like a leaning vehicle when I want to corner hard, or hit some s-curves for fun.

I didn't realize you were so close. That's cool. We'll have to get together some time.

I don't remember the last time I've been on Old Concord-Salisbury Rd. so it wasn't me I don't believe. Haven't seen a slammed white Mazda other than mine either lol...I'm not "that" low really.