Got the firestone air bags ,ride rites 0335.gettin ready to fab up some mounts and install them,any hints tips or tricks ?this is going on a rear trailing arm suspention ,66 chevy truck.
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Got the firestone air bags ,ride rites 0335.gettin ready to fab up some mounts and install them,any hints tips or tricks ?this is going on a rear trailing arm suspention ,66 chevy truck.
I would look at how the aftermarket makes the mounts. On those trucks the front bags bolt to a plate that bolts to the bottom of the spring cup. The rear will be easy. I would go with a longer panhard bar. Look at Early Classic Enterprises to see what they do for shocks. Above all dont let the bags rub anything and cut the air lines straight.
Shawn, let me know how those airbags turn out. I had a bunch of people at the HAMB board tell me to go with Firestone and that they are cheaper in price than Air Ride but just as good. I don't know what to believe but they use them and said they are fine.
I have Air Ride brand shocks(not installed yet), and they are made by Firestone for Air Ride, they have both company names on them, so id say they are the same as those just branded with the Firestone name.
Here is my 39 rear bags
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Here is one more
Mikec, is that a 40's Chevy frame? I have a 1948 coupe and the frame is EXACTLY like that and same with the square tubed crossmember, etc. I was going to see how hard it is to Cnotch the frame with that flat plate under the box frame. I forget what they call these frames all the time....
FMX,
It is a 1939 Chevy frame. The square tubing behind the rear axle is my doing to hange the rear shocks. The round tubing X member is aftermarket to stiffen the frame to handle the HP and TQ. You can not see it in these photos but this frame is so close to the ground without C notching it that am a little concerned. The bottom of the transmission pan is about 1" from the ground with the bags deflated.
You can sort of see it here
Yeah that is most likely how my car will be as well. What do you think I can do to raise the motor and tranny up 2 inches or so? Is there even a way to do this? I wont have to worry about the tranny hitting my floor since my floors are rusted out and I need to put all new ones in and can make a bigger transmission tunnel. Also what diameter, thickness tubing is that? I was going to do square tubing and have that design where the exhaust pipes go through it you know but with that flat plate under the box of the frame it wont work so I thought I will go with tubing. All I know is your chassis and car looks really nice. I was wondering if there would be a way to use just the grille and front fenders off something like yours instead of my front fenders where it rounds off and ends at the middle of the door. I think it would be sweet to do that and have that pointed front end. What do you think? Also, if you have anymore front pics and info on your front end of that I'd like to check it out. Thanks!
Personally I wouldn't run a pan-hard bar on a air-ride suspension system. I'd go with a triangulated 4-link as mikec posted that sytem works great, although I would have put the bags about halfway down the bottom bars, that gives you a much much better ride, and also more lift out of the same bag, so you don't necessarily have to run a big bag go with a 2500 or 2600 series bag. Slam specialty bags are by far my favorite, conti bags are good, firestones are ok.. just would not get air-lift bags, been having many problems with them lately. but if your looking for a place to buy all your goods go to suicidedoors.com they got what you need, i assure u. and there service is top notch, and they make all the bars for the triangulated 4-link and are built better than anyone elses, will also build you bars to your specifications, and will make special bars if you want bags mounted to the bottom arms, actually they stock all that stuff, but prob not for your app
I would also suggest against using the dot line that mikec used it works ok but is just plastic line, and crack, and is not very good with heat, can burn through, or rub though very easily, i'd suggest using braided lines. although you don't have to it's just better,, it can be expensive though, but the point is that if you are putting this on a expensive ride, i wouldn't want my ride to drop while going down the highway, and have it wipe out a fender or something,
also for all your compressor needs and valve needs suicidedoors.com has all of that stuff too. i keep saying there name because everyone has excellent luck with them and their service so i'm sure you will too.. once again though just dont' get the air-lift bags...
good luck to you.. if you need any more info on this feel free to pm me, i'm surrounded by people with bags.
Looks good mike but I think that I would raise the tranny up and motor up a bit, you have plenty of room.. can you get that rear sitting a little lower????
Mopar, I will be sending you a PM later today. I want to ask you a few questions since you seem to know a bit about bags. I will check out that site that you mentioned and see what I can find and ask around about them more.
If you are goin to the trouble to bag it you might as well move what ever you need to to lay the frame on the ground! The only way you would blow a bag is if it has to much air pressure or was installed imporperly and it is rubbing itself! Use good line and good fittings and you won't have any pronblems!
Is there any pro's and con's with air bags? Any pros and cons with air bags on a heavier car with a lot of power?
Your almost correct, but as i said the air-lift bags have been having prob's, they have a few as they word it "bad batches" out, as soon as they get air they pop... they'll replace them and all but it's just a hassle. they are in the process of making a new design to solve their prob, and they say there building a bag that will be better than all others out, we shall see. They seem to be good people and have good service, they are just having a prob, but are working it out..Quote:
Originally posted by TravisB
If you are goin to the trouble to bag it you might as well move what ever you need to to lay the frame on the ground! The only way you would blow a bag is if it has to much air pressure or was installed imporperly and it is rubbing itself! Use good line and good fittings and you won't have any pronblems!
we have installed 7airide systems this year alone . and 6 have been airride tech. you can use others BUT only the best use airride tech , 1 812 482 2932 , they have the best quality ,tech help , and the products are the user friendly ,
Quote:
Originally posted by mopar978
Your almost correct, but as i said the air-lift bags have been having prob's, they have a few as they word it "bad batches" out, as soon as they get air they pop... they'll replace them and all but it's just a hassle. they are in the process of making a new design to solve their prob, and they say there building a bag that will be better than all others out, we shall see. They seem to be good people and have good service, they are just having a prob, but are working it out..
one more comment , 3 words " firestone bags only " !!!!!
If I knew the design on the bag mounts and where to put them then I would make my own but I have no clue how they look and where exactly they are to go and the thickness of the metal I need. Other than that the rear mounts look easy, just some cutting, drilling of holes and welding.
The 7th kit Kenny is talking about is one that I did for a friend of ours! It was 56 pick up with a mustang II front! We built a lot of the mounts for it and fabbed up a parrallel 4 link! 3/16 is plenty of thickness with the proper gussets on the bag mounts! 1/4 would be fine if want it to plenty strong!
Just to make sure everyone understands air-lift and air-ride tech are two completely different companies, and air-ride tech does have some nice stuff...
and kenny why you say firestone bags only.. have you had probs with others, i've seen and used many with slam specialty bags and have had great luck and never seen any probs, that's what everyone i know around me is using and they are all ranting and raving about how much they like them.. just curious...
Mopar I contacted suicide doors and got an email from Ricky. He told me to call him so we can go over everything to get my 48 chevy coupe on bags. I am going to see what price they give me, see how well their customer service is and then compair to Firestone and/or Air Ride Tech.
I just purchased an Air Ride Tech system, havnt installed it yet, but I did mount the components that go to the trunk on a board, and bench tested the whole system, and it went together like a breeze, and their guys on the phone are very patient, honest, and really want to go as far as they need to to be sure you are getting the right stuff. Now lets just hope it all goes together well.
I hear Ricky is pretty good so we'll hear what they have to say, They also carry firestone if i remember correctly.. so maybe they can help ya there, if they got something that they build for your car it'll definetly be beefier though.. there stuff is heavy duty, that's for sure. I need to contact someone from there, to start ordering stuff to bag my ride..Quote:
Originally posted by FMXhellraiser
Mopar I contacted suicide doors and got an email from Ricky. He told me to call him so we can go over everything to get my 48 chevy coupe on bags. I am going to see what price they give me, see how well their customer service is and then compair to Firestone and/or Air Ride Tech.
What are you bagging anyways? Also can I get some more pics of some bagged cars and the chassis with the bags on them, etc so I can see how it all goes together like the brackets, etc?
Thanks!
Here is the last ride I bagged, I know it's prob not your fav vehicle, but the same concept.
Also did complete paint on it also.
Here's a pic of how we mounted the tank and compressors, there's many options here too. engine driven compressor, oasis compressor, or many different options from viar, or you can also just use a compressed gas.
I hope this helps. or gives you a idea or two..
Looks nice. I like S10's, not that style or the wheels but still a nice job on the paint and everything. Just because it's not my style dont mean it's not good right?! Heh. Is that Line X bed liner in the bed?
Yeah some truth to that.. i don't like the wheel's either, and actually the paint wasn't what i was hoping to do, but the paint has really grown on me, i like it more and more.. the bedliner was just a Sem tintable kit that didn't tint well so i just base/cleared over the top of it, it's not like he's going to put anything in there. but for show it worked out good...
Let us know what Ricky comes up with, i'm really curious to see if he can help out.
i used a set of air-lift bags trying to save money on a 62 , but kept blowing the top of the bags apart form the plate ! so we use firestone after that and sucidedoors likes to overbag a vehicle .
Yeah same prob i seen with the air-lifts, but i just didn't want people to be confused with air-ride tech,, for some reason i see that all the time.
and as far as suicide goes, they do tend to over do things sometimes, but i'd rather be safe than sorry..lol...
but anyways when you get going fmx post up some pics to show us what u got.
fmx , just keep 1 thing in mind while using airride . when setting up airride on a vehicle, the main point is height of the bag at ride height ! for a quality ride, make sure the bag is at the correct height , pressure is not important , if the bag is supost to be 8 in tall at ride height make sure is is 8 in !
All done was easy to do!!Firestone 3550 bags set at 5 inch ride height as instructions .
Just read alot on the internet,and posted here!!
n/m
Is there any way to remove the airline from the push on type fittings ?Or are they junk after u push the airline in?:confused:
push in on the line just a bit, then push the outter metal ring in and pull the line out.. there just press lock fittings. should be good to reuse, just make sure there's no dirt in there.
the push style.......you should be able to push the front part of the fitting with one hand and pull on the line and it will come right out! The crimp type are pretty much one time use only!Quote:
Originally posted by shawnlee28
Is there any way to remove the airline from the push on type fittings ?Or are they junk after u push the airline in?:confused:
mopar- I know some people running slams on mini trucks and stuff but they are overkill on a hotrod unless you are running half in line and 150+psi! They are good bags though