23 gallon tank

[JusticeJMB]

I didn't want to hijack C-nips for sale thread...

http://www.norcalbroncos.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=9773

Am I to interpret this as that the 23 gallon gas tank I have may not be able to utilize the clearance created by adding a body lift? I see on the WH website that their current 23 gallon tank allows for up to a 3" BL... What do I need to look for on my current 23 gallon tank (installed by PO) to see if I can raise the tank when I add my 2" BL?

Thanks!

[garberz]

Re: 23 gallon tank

Look at the cross member above the rear axle, the 23 gal. tank has a notch cut out of that corner, as it fit's tight against the bottom of the bed, it also extends under the cross member. If you don't have the body lift model tank, you won't be able to raise the tank with the body, it will be stuck on the cross member. You can put 2" blocks on top of the tank when you do the body lift, so the tank stays where it is. But these tanks drag on everything. It's nice to gain the 2" of clearance with the newer 20gal BL tank.

[Fungus232]

Re: 23 gallon tank

I inherited this same 23 gal tank with the notch for the rear xmember with one of the donor Broncos I picked up out here. As I'm pushing the rear axle back 4-5" I'm just going to mount the tank as far back as possible, flush against the bottom of the bed. I'll notch the rear bed support if I have to.

[TBS-POPS]

Re: 23 gallon tank

There were 2 different 23 gal tanks in the past. body lift and non body lift, you just have to look as garberz said. cheesenips 20gal tank, like mine is a different tank.

[DirtDonk]

Re: 23 gallon tank

It depends on which tank you have Justice.
If you've got a Sherman Tank, you're good to go, no matter what body lift you do or don't have. It's literally adjustable to compensate, and does not have the shelf that the other tanks have.

If you've got the NWMP tank though, you do have to work with what the others have already mentioned. If you have the non-body lift version, you will have to space down the mounts from the body and you don't gain any ground clearance.
If you have the body lift version, it doesn't matter how much body lift, you're good to go.

Typically though, only the Sherman is body-lift compatible and retains the full 23 gallon capacity. The NWMP body-lift compatible tank is only 20 gallons. Unless they changed it and I wasn't paying attention!

Hope that clears things up.

Paul

[71BRONCO71]

Re: 23 gallon tank

I have a 23 gallon tank that was not made for a body lift. I just shoved it as high as I could. It still sits higher than stock.

[JusticeJMB]

Re: 23 gallon tank

well that sucks, one more thing to add to the list to replace I guess. I thought all the aftermarket tanks were designed for any lift, kinda stupid that they would design 2 different tanks, one for body lift and one not... oh well.

So what have you guys used to space the void 2" square tube?

[DirtDonk]

Re: 23 gallon tank

Two inch tubing would probably be ideal. Easy and inexpensive and readily available.
Since the NWMP design touches the body though, I like some kind of insulator. If not the whole spacer, then at least something sandwiched between the body and the tank.
A thick block of rubber, or heavy rubberized fabric would to. Like the material they use at the exhaust shops for the old-style muffler hangers? I used some of that on mine before the lift.

I disagree about the whole thing being stupid though. I don't think it was stupid, so much as a very natural progression.

They came out with a decent design to hold as much gas (23 gallons in this case) as was reasonable, given the space. Then, with more and more people installing body lifts and and finding out they needed to add spacers to make it work, requested one specifically designed for that. One without the need for spacers, and/or to allow for more ground clearance potential now afforded by the body lift. So they made the obvious design change and offered it to people with body lifts.
Now you have one that fits all EB's and has a 20 gallon capacity.

Some owners already had body-lifts, so getting this one was a no-brainer. Others already had the tanks, then added the body lifts later (like me in fact) so either added spacers, chopped off the shelf themselves, or bought one that would work with the lift.

Ok, so at this point the manufacturer could have gone with just that one model to fit all EB's, but that wasn't good enough for Bronco owners who'd now had a taste of big tanks. Nope, most people without lifts still wanted the maximum capacity available and already knew you could fit an extra 3 gallons under there.
Hence 2 tanks from one manufacturer.

Enter BCB and an adjustable tank. Great idea, but most Bronco owners polled said they like ground clearance, but would gladly compromise some clearance for more fuel. I think they've even made different ones over the years. 20, 23 and 24 gallons comes to mind, but that could just be my imagination.

The Sherman is a small compromise in that area then. What you get with a fully adaptable tank that still holds the (now traditional and expected) 23 gallons, is some loss of potential ground clearance over the alternate 20 gallon NWMP tank.
But it's cool, has a better mounting method (no straps!) and is easier to use an in-tank pump.
And while that's all a reasonable compromise for some, it's totally unacceptable for others. Including some here on NCB, to whom ground clearance is king. To the point either retaining the stock tanks, buying the smallest ones available, using fuel-cells in the bed (recessed or fully in the bed), or just making their own.
Hence at least 3 different tanks at Wild Horses alone.

So there you go. It's just how things got to this stage.
Sounds like the same basic thing that makes the whole world so complicated sometimes!

Paul

[JusticeJMB]

Re: 23 gallon tank

...Ok, so at this point the manufacturer could have gone with just that one model to fit all EB's, but that wasn't good enough for Bronco owners who'd now had a taste of big tanks. Nope, most people without lifts still wanted the maximum capacity available and already knew you could fit an extra 3 gallons under there.
Hence 2 tanks from one manufacturer.

Enter BCB and an adjustable tank. Great idea, but most Bronco owners polled said they like ground clearance, but would gladly compromise some clearance for more fuel.

So by that logic then if some were fine with the location of their 23gal tank with a body lift because they didn't want to lose the 3 gallons then isn't there a market for a ~33gal tank that is 2" taller to fill the void of a 2" body lift?? ijs

[904Bronco]

Re: 23 gallon tank

Two inch tubing would probably be ideal. Easy and inexpensive and readily available.
Since the NWMP design touches the body though, I like some kind of insulator. If not the whole spacer, then at least something sandwiched between the body and the tank.

A thick block of rubber, or heavy rubberized fabric would to. Like the material they use at the exhaust shops for the old-style muffler hangers? I used some of that on mine before the lift.

Tap Plastics, same material that cutting boards are made from, 1 inch thick by 2 inches. Drilled and counter sunk for two stainless bolts attached to the tank mount that rests against the body.

[kevoson]

Re: 23 gallon tank

I got a few 3'' body lift puck's.

[DirtDonk]

Re: 23 gallon tank

So by that logic then if some were fine with the location of their 23gal tank with a body lift because they didn't want to lose the 3 gallons then isn't there a market for a ~33gal tank that is 2" taller to fill the void of a 2" body lift?? ijs

I bet there is. But probably not enough people in need, nor willing to pay the extra few bucks it would undoubtedly cost, to make it worth a production run for any company I'm aware of.
From a custom standpoint though? Sure, there's someone out there that wants just about anything you can think of.

In fact, there are probably those out there that have actually made, or had custom made, larger tanks to fit every nook and cranny.
And clearance be damned.

Paul