Exhaust powered dump bed !?!

Sorry if this is in the wrong spot... I am building a truck ( postal jeep cab, '46 ford front end, dodge truck bed) and would love to make it a dump bed. Being on a budget and cheep I don't want to buy a kit for it. I also like doing things the hard way[ddev So I was trying to come up with cool/ different way so lift the bed.
One way among several bouncing around in my head was inspired by an exhaust powered car jack that I saw.

So here is the question could i use a cut out in the exhaust and fill up an air tank that I could then use to fill an pneumatic ram, or a truck style air bag?
Is this just a really bad Idea? let me know your thoughts.
Thanks in advance

When I was a kid my old man used to have a hose that you screwed into a spark plug hole and it inflated tires. It was good in an emergency. I didn't have to use the hand pump... so I thought it was genius.

gold03

The lift idea uses volume vs pressure to lift.To store in a tank you would need a way to compress the exaust gas and engine doesnt have that ability.The airbag that it would take to lift the bed would need to be pretty good size because the engine only has a limited pressure before it chokes down the engine.Its like a 10 spd bike tire has 50psi while a 4 wheeeler only has 5psi.

you could take an old york ac compressor and mount it on the engine just turn it one when needed those are hard to kill alot of offroad guys use them for airing up tires and such. pick one up at a junk yard fairly cheap

Depending on the weight of the bed...

why not use a long reach hydraulic ram from / for a engine hoist/cherry picker and power it with a power steering pump....not real expensive and with a bit of valving required but with a little work, it could be slick...or use the york compressor and make it air over hydraulic......either way....just an idea

Maybe you could just use a long hydraulic jack, like a tile bed trailer uses. The exhaust won't work, unless you want one of those huge orange bags under it.

use the exhaust side of a turbo to power an altenator that in turn charges a battery that powers an electric actuator ram......[S

Its only a 1/2 ton pickup anyway...

Sgtpontiac tapping into the power steering was another idea on the list, and it sounds like that is a better Idea...
I was also thinking of a frame mounted crane that could lift the front of the bed.

On the early tractors they used a cylinder connected to the exaust to raise and lower planters and bedders thought this might be of use but I bet it can be done.

Wilit Everrun said:

So here is the question could i use a cut out in the exhaust and fill up an air tank that I could then use to fill an pneumatic ram, or a truck style air bag?
Is this just a really bad Idea? let me know your thoughts.
Thanks in advance

Click to expand...

Google the terms turbo conveyor. It is a down stream turbo that just builds air pressure to unload bulk takers. You might be able to do something with a set up like that.