I could use some opinions

[KevSrFord]

I am getting ready to go away from the stock fuel tank and go with a saddle tank onder the side of my flatbed.
Would ya'll plumb the fuel lines from the bottom or from the top?
I can see advantages to both and since I am setting the tank up myself I can do either one without any problems.
I'm just curious what others would do.

 

[Farmer Rock]

I would think the top would be best, since you will have the sending units on the top.This way you won't have the supply on the bottom and the sending units on top. JMHO



Rock

 

[Scotty4]

Can get sumps and do away woth the terrible stock style pickup. @Thewespaul

 

[IDIBRONCO]

My answer would depend on your set up. If the bottom of your tank hangs low or if you do a lot of "not on the road" driving, I would draw from the top of the tank. This would keep things from hitting the pickup and causing damage to it. Otherwise, I don't see why you couldn't draw from the bottom of the tank.

 

[typ4]

Career diesel mechanic here, draw from the top. Fixed too many broken crossover and low fuel lines on semi trucks to count.

 

[KevSrFord]

Career diesel mechanic here, draw from the top. Fixed too many broken crossover and low fuel lines on semi trucks to count.

As a retired truck driver of almost 30 years I have seen alot of those myself.
I do go off road quite a bit but never to the extreme of hitting anything on the chassis or hanging down (I am 2wd and honestly my truck will not fight its way out of a wet paper bag if it is too muddy or soft).
I have been leaning towards going top to keep any garbage that may end up in the tank from getting into my lines.
Bottom would actually be easier to do in overall labor.
I'm going with an off brand sending unit for my guage that will get its own dedicated hole anyway so either way I have to accommodate fuel lines separately from it. But this also makes running the fuel lines easier (at least in my opinion)
I'll probably go from the top with a tube going straight down sitting an inch or so from the bottom with a sock screen filter over the end.

 

[IDIoit]

if its a driver, always pull from the top.
IMO sumps are for race applications.
i wouldnt want the potential of something going wrong with 50 gallons in the tank

 

[Blue94]

From the top, I got lucky and found a 30 gallon aluminum fuel cell from a boat a few years back that fit between the frame rails of my 94, it draws from the top with no trouble. Like the others have said, I would be worried about hitting a sump on something and having issues. I was able to fab up a skid plate for my tank because it still draws from the top. A saddle tank would be nice, no filler neck vent issues.