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full airbag suspension

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 4:44 pm
by tuff_89zook
sorry if this has been covered before tried searching but didnt come up with anything

been looking at swapping my coils out for airbags in my 80 series
at the moment ive got 6 inch coils 1st question can u get the same height out of a airbag and will it provide the same wheel articulation

2nd question are they reliable?

3rd are they hard to setup is it a home job or requires someone who specialize in the field?

thanks in advance

Re: full airbag suspension

Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 6:42 pm
by banks001
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtVtw6aDATM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

i thought that the coils stay in? as one of my tradies at work has them in the back of his navara from the weight he carrys around, so i recon that the airbag would just be mounted in there and could flex just as much,
then would be able to go up and down in each corner if its set up like that, that would help in some sticky situations

Re: full airbag suspension

Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 6:43 pm
by banks001
dont really no much about this, correct me if im wrong some one :D

Re: full airbag suspension

Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 7:16 pm
by Ashley_bmx
I believe that you could be 100% devoted to airbags alone with no coils (obviously you would still need shocks), You just would not use airbags for a 4wd application, when going from full droop to full Tuck the airbags would not be able to exhaust the air in the bags quick enough, also they would limit flex too much. They are mainly used for a Load assist device in the rear.

Re: full airbag suspension

Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 7:43 pm
by MUD80D
I have been looking at this for a while to put in my 80# cruiser if you are going full air you need rolling sleeve air springs not the ones that look like 2 doughnuts on top of each other you need the one with the piston on the bottom

look at this site the US

http://www.truckspring.com/products/Fir ... -7038.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: full airbag suspension

Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 12:25 am
by tuff_89zook
the bag would have to be similar to the ones on trucks and buses they have a base piston that they roll up and down on

ashley_bmx i was thinking about this and would to fitting a pressure releasing valve so as the bag start to get squash it would create more pressure and just air out to atmosphere and the have a cut in/cut out valve same as on a compressor on the inlet line so once it dropped to say 50 psi the valve would open and let air in once it reaches say 80 psi blocks it off then if the pressure gets to 100 psi it would just release to atmosphere

mud80d was talking to a guy up qld and apprently firestone make a long travel bag same as a normal bag but the base piston is just longer

Re: full airbag suspension

Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 12:27 am
by tuff_89zook
this is the sorta bag i have been looking at http://www.truckspring.com/products/Fir ... -5429.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

they are used in buses but have 14 inches of travel that plenty enough for me

Re: full airbag suspension

Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 6:22 am
by Ashley_bmx
What you would need is Ride Height control valves at all 4 wheels, But im still nearlly certain you would not be able to get the air to exhaust quick enough. You would need a bloody good compressor and atleast a 15lt air storage tank.

Ash

Re: full airbag suspension

Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 8:33 am
by tuff_89zook
if u fit a decent size pressure relief valve i reckon it would get it out quick enough and the ride height control would be awesome we have them on the buses at work but there would be alot of $$ in setup something like that up

if i end up doing it ill be going an endless air setup and using atleast a 20 litre tank probably more towards a 35 - 40 litre

Re: full airbag suspension

Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 9:16 am
by lukethedork
It's been done plenty of times.

Here's the Jeep Wrangler version by OffRoad Only.
http://www.offroadonly.com/products/suspension/airock/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Youtube 'AiRock Jeep' should turn up some videos of it in action.

Luke.

Re: full airbag suspension

Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 10:45 am
by brooksy
Land Rover did it long before anyone else. You could with a bit of work transfer it onto yours but biggest issue would be having to buy a 2nd hand late 90's Discovery.


brooksy

Re: full airbag suspension

Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 2:23 pm
by TheBigBoy
I have been right through this myself also. Seen all the vids on youtube. Made a million phone calls. I got onto airride which I found very cheap and helpful. I got onto a few other guys who already have/had them done. Thrashlux has them aswell as another guy on here with a chopped 80 ute. Brett from ontrack has just done it to his truck aswell.

DONT BOTHER!!!. For a road truck they are fine. To get good travel out of them you need to cross flow the backs with a line lock switch in between/or run a switch box to lift or lower each wheel at a time. It gets very dangerous offroad very quickly. There was a company who do small air bags ontop of coil overs. But the adjustable height isnt worth bothering about. The only way I can see to do this on my 80 is to custom fab coil mounts as high as possible (just under bonnet height) use 3" flexy coils with a slam bag ontop for height adjusting.

Airbags work well in theory but so damn hard to get right and fine tune. With coild when at full suspension stroke (say at the rear) 80% of the weight is on 1 wheel. With cross flowed air bags even at full stroke the weight is distributed 50/50 because the air from 1 bag flows into the other side. Would make lockers and lsds work alot less.

good luck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC7RHvY42A0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtVtw6aDATM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugicEN4OAKQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-mhHOQUjWY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooU2awrfLkI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: full airbag suspension

Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 4:42 pm
by tuff_89zook
i hear what ur saying mate but ifs been setup before it can be done again

Re: full airbag suspension

Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 7:35 pm
by TheBigBoy
Your choice mate. Good luck let us know how you go.

Re: full airbag suspension

Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 7:44 pm
by tuff_89zook
cheers mate and will do but like i said at the start im only looking into it seeing if its going to be a better setupo than what i have now