kustombuilder
12-10-2003, 05:47 AM
...OR, the longest tech post EVER!!
Air ride suspensions can in fact be a dependable and reliable suspension system if you take the time to set it up properly and use a little common sense during the install. follow these simple tips and you will be on your way to many happy miles of trouble free cruising with your air ride suspension....
Tip 1. make sure NOTHING can come into contact with the bag at ANY point in it's travel. err on the side of caution and make sure you have MORE than enough room around the bag.
Tip 2. use some type of thread sealant (the goop or the tape, i've had good luck with both) on all fittings BUT be careful not to get any anywhere that it might get inside the air system. it can cause problems with the valves. better to stay away from the first thread or two with the sealant.
Tip 3. make sure to keep the plastic airline as far away from any and all heat sources as possible. it will melt even if it isn't TOUCHING anything hot. exhaust systems get VERY hot.
Tip 4. keep all air lines away from sharp edges that could cut the line or rub through it with time. if you can't run it elsewhere try wrapping it with some type of hose protector or take a piece of thin wall tube (or conduit)that the line will just fit into. slide the hose through it and place the tube at the point of contact. then place a hose clamp or zip tie at either end of the piece of tube to keep it in place. also, anywhere that an airline has to pass through metal (like a firewall) use rubber grommets to protect the hose from the sharp edges of the metal.
Tip 5. secure all air line so that it will not drag or otherwise get tangled up in anything or rub against any moving parts. take your time when running the lines and THINK and you will have alot less problems with your air system.
Tip 6. proper bag angle. a lot of people set there suspension up so that the bags are comletely collapsed and laying flat (top and bottom plates parralel) when teh air is let out. what this does when mounted between the frame and the lower A-arm is to make the angle of the top and bottom plates, at ride height, very steep. you want the bag to be as paralel as possible AT RIDE HEIGHT. there will have to be a little comprimise here but the thing to look out for is extreme angle on the bags when inflated to ride height. this does not allow the bag to function properly and it puts all the forces on one side of the bag rather than evenly around the entire bag. your ride will be effected if this is not done correctly and the bags may fail prematurely.
Tip 7. use a braided stainless "leader hose" for at least the first 12" off from an electric compressor. they do get hot and they WILL melt the plastic line if it runs right to the compressors outlet port. hard line is another option but remember the compressor vibrates and it needs a flexable link to allow it to do so. a little bonus tip is to use a two foot stainless leader hose from the bags as well. it will help eliminate leaks near the bag where they are difficult to get to (plastic line tends to leak "off and on" where it goes into the push fittings). it will also help with abbrasion of the air line where the line has to pass through the frame. this is mostly usefull on the front suspension but it is good to do it all around.
Tip 8. BUY QUALITY PARTS!!! buy from a reputable distributor. it is better to pay a little more in the begining than all the headaches you will cause for yourself when it breaks down on the side of the road in the middle of BFE on sunday night. don't cut corners or you WILL have problems. isolate the bags so that each one has it's own "fill" valve and it's own "dump" valve. this will not only insure that if there is a problem the entire car will not drop but it will also give much better handling. on that note... keep your sway bars if you have them and add them if you don't. it helps ALOT.
it costs more to do it "right" but it WILL be worth it.
and finaly for those that are still a bit paranoid. keep a couple feet of air line and a few fittings (including a couple "butt" fittings) in your trunk with your tools and a sharp knife or air line cutter. just in case... you could even carry an extra bag if your real worried about it, but if it is set up correctly you should be good to go for miles and miles.
when i worked on semi trucks the only time we ever replaced an air bag on a truck was because it was very old and weather checked or because something had come off the road (ie., they ran something over they should'nt have) and damaged the bag. and semis get WAAAAAAYYY more miles on them than your hot rod is likely to. happy cruisin http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Mike Brimm Kustombuilder
Air ride suspensions can in fact be a dependable and reliable suspension system if you take the time to set it up properly and use a little common sense during the install. follow these simple tips and you will be on your way to many happy miles of trouble free cruising with your air ride suspension....
Tip 1. make sure NOTHING can come into contact with the bag at ANY point in it's travel. err on the side of caution and make sure you have MORE than enough room around the bag.
Tip 2. use some type of thread sealant (the goop or the tape, i've had good luck with both) on all fittings BUT be careful not to get any anywhere that it might get inside the air system. it can cause problems with the valves. better to stay away from the first thread or two with the sealant.
Tip 3. make sure to keep the plastic airline as far away from any and all heat sources as possible. it will melt even if it isn't TOUCHING anything hot. exhaust systems get VERY hot.
Tip 4. keep all air lines away from sharp edges that could cut the line or rub through it with time. if you can't run it elsewhere try wrapping it with some type of hose protector or take a piece of thin wall tube (or conduit)that the line will just fit into. slide the hose through it and place the tube at the point of contact. then place a hose clamp or zip tie at either end of the piece of tube to keep it in place. also, anywhere that an airline has to pass through metal (like a firewall) use rubber grommets to protect the hose from the sharp edges of the metal.
Tip 5. secure all air line so that it will not drag or otherwise get tangled up in anything or rub against any moving parts. take your time when running the lines and THINK and you will have alot less problems with your air system.
Tip 6. proper bag angle. a lot of people set there suspension up so that the bags are comletely collapsed and laying flat (top and bottom plates parralel) when teh air is let out. what this does when mounted between the frame and the lower A-arm is to make the angle of the top and bottom plates, at ride height, very steep. you want the bag to be as paralel as possible AT RIDE HEIGHT. there will have to be a little comprimise here but the thing to look out for is extreme angle on the bags when inflated to ride height. this does not allow the bag to function properly and it puts all the forces on one side of the bag rather than evenly around the entire bag. your ride will be effected if this is not done correctly and the bags may fail prematurely.
Tip 7. use a braided stainless "leader hose" for at least the first 12" off from an electric compressor. they do get hot and they WILL melt the plastic line if it runs right to the compressors outlet port. hard line is another option but remember the compressor vibrates and it needs a flexable link to allow it to do so. a little bonus tip is to use a two foot stainless leader hose from the bags as well. it will help eliminate leaks near the bag where they are difficult to get to (plastic line tends to leak "off and on" where it goes into the push fittings). it will also help with abbrasion of the air line where the line has to pass through the frame. this is mostly usefull on the front suspension but it is good to do it all around.
Tip 8. BUY QUALITY PARTS!!! buy from a reputable distributor. it is better to pay a little more in the begining than all the headaches you will cause for yourself when it breaks down on the side of the road in the middle of BFE on sunday night. don't cut corners or you WILL have problems. isolate the bags so that each one has it's own "fill" valve and it's own "dump" valve. this will not only insure that if there is a problem the entire car will not drop but it will also give much better handling. on that note... keep your sway bars if you have them and add them if you don't. it helps ALOT.
it costs more to do it "right" but it WILL be worth it.
and finaly for those that are still a bit paranoid. keep a couple feet of air line and a few fittings (including a couple "butt" fittings) in your trunk with your tools and a sharp knife or air line cutter. just in case... you could even carry an extra bag if your real worried about it, but if it is set up correctly you should be good to go for miles and miles.
when i worked on semi trucks the only time we ever replaced an air bag on a truck was because it was very old and weather checked or because something had come off the road (ie., they ran something over they should'nt have) and damaged the bag. and semis get WAAAAAAYYY more miles on them than your hot rod is likely to. happy cruisin http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Mike Brimm Kustombuilder