Has anyone put air ride on a banjo rearend? I want my car to set low without kicking the rear of the frame up. I was wondering about keeping the bottom main leaf spring so the rearend doesn't move side to side and get rid of the rest of the springs then put bags on it for suspension. Will it work??
Don't know if anyones done it but I'd try to heat the leaf or even buy a monoleaf before bagging it, unless that's what you want but it'll be a lot more work, you might have to get the main leaf shortened if you want to go that way too because that much lower would probably make it bing on the perches,actually, what kind of car is it?
Yes why not? The 41-48 axle has a panhardbar. So you can remove the spring completely. Im toying with the thought to remove the spring and bolt a new mounting bar between the spring mounts, for the airbags. And make an upper bar airbagmount bolted to the spring mount.So it will be a bolt on affair.
If you use only the bottom main leaf,The car is gonna move side to side.A single leaf doesnt have the strength as Say...two or three leafs.If your gonna use just one leaf,you would be wise to install a panhard bar to stabilize the rear end Hell if your gonna bag it...Might as well custom build your own 4-link.
I think i might do away with the spring all togeather and put a bar on it. So the 40s Banjos already have a bar on them??
I'm not quite sure I understand what you want to accomplish. I've never seen a vehicle with bags that didn't notch or c the frame. Your axle will still bottom out at the same point whether its bags or steel springs. If you don't want to go low enough to justify a notch why go through the hassle/expense of bagging it? Also, I haven't ever rode in a vehicle with the bags over the leaves, but everything I've read/heard is that most don't ride anywhere as good as bags with links. You have to take into account spring rate vs spring heigth vs spring mount location. At what spring rate (psi) are you going to be at ride heigth, etc? The single leaf is not an ideal axle locator. I'm not trying to piss on you, just trying to remind you that sometimes shortcuts don't really save much money and leave you with less than you hoped for. There is a logical reason that links and notches get used. re boones pic: Big name$$ shops should know better than to mount convoluted bags 1:1 over the rear axle. Looks pretty, but here again spring rate vs lift is gonna suck. It'll suck even moreso if that is on a relatively lightweight rod. Ryan
Early 60's "x" frames do not have to be notched, I have a 63 buick that sits on the frame without a notch or dropped spindles!Ive also seen where people have cut the rear half of the leaf spring off just behind the axle housing,Install a quick panhard bar. The front half of the leaf spring stays to connect the rear end to the frame and....viola!three link !
I never said I wasnt going to notch the frame. I am going to start building my Model A sedan and I dont want to kick the back of the frame up. I need the room for a back seat. I am going to run an early ford rear end with a torque tube and they already have the rear bars to the outer end of the axles. The reason I was thinking of using the spring in place of panhard bar but wasnt sure that would work so thats why I asked. I am going to put a flat rear cross member in it and make the center of it go around the rear of the center section and that way I can get it low without a kick up in the frame.
yngrodder, I have been contemplating some of the same things. if you use the bags to sit it down on the frame at shows and then air it up to drive I think you can get away without the rear step up. I am leaning towards a strong rake with mine since i plan to let the wheels hang out slightly. I do not know why the rear set up pictured would ride bad. it was in the down position, air it up and it will be like anyother car with bags on top (like my wagon). as long as you do not have to much air it should ride nice.
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