Air Ride

[Supreme Cutlass]

What's up with "air ride" suspensions? They seem interesting, But I'd like to know how much it would take to install them and use them. Would you have to do some fabrication to install them? How are these suckers controlled? And finally; has anybody put them on a w-body?

[GnatGoSplat]

Air ride is a suspension where instead of using metal coil springs, they are replaced with a rubber air bag. The ride height and ride quality is dependent on air pressure inside the air spring. Less pressure = lower ride height, softer ride. More pressure = higher ride height, stiffer ride. Air ride is normally just for looks or show, it's not that reliable because air leaks are common. Also, for a performance-based suspension, air ride does the opposite of what you want. Normally for performance, you want a lower ride height and a firmer spring.

 

They are inflated using an air compressor and air tanks. You can get valves so that each corner can be controlled via switches. You can choose from engine-driven compressors or electric. There are a handful of people who have put them in a W-body. There have been so few people because you DO have to do lots of fabrication to get them in, the cost can be $2000-3000 and most people don't find it worthwhile to put that into a suspension when it worsens handling instead of improving it.

[TheCutlassGuru]

air ride isnt necassarily unreliable. My brother has a 89 s-10 with a fuel injected 400 small block, a 3 inch body drop, a big c-notch and air ride and he drives it all the time (and rags on it quite often) and he's never had a problem with leaks. you can get air struts that would bolt right in to the front of a W but they are like $1500 a whack not including lines and a tank and such.

[GnatGoSplat]

I don't have any experience with the reliability, just lots of guys with bags on fullsizechevy.com recommended to a guy NOT to use a bagged truck to drive cross-country unless he knows how to fix leaks and stuff himself.

[J]

i have been reading for years about how to put air ride on a w body and it is not easy. There are a few who have done it, and i will be doing it in the next few years, (i am doing a project that is taking my money that no one knows about right now). There is a kit on http://www.airbagit.com and it is under cutlass i believe. It does involve welding the front airbag to the existing strut, after taking out the cartridge. There are some instillation instructions on thier site in pdf format. I am dealing with a shop that does custom installs (they are doing my other project) check them out i now it's too far for you but maybe they can give you an idea from the pictures. http://www.pmamotorsports.com Hope some of this helps. later Jay