? for people w/ air susp. on early '50s cars...

what type of setup are you running in the rear? are you still using the leafs or did you switch to a 4-link, etc, etc? i would like to use Air Ride's Shockwaves, but have no clue whether to get their leafspring kit or their 4-link. any input and help is greatly appreciated. thanks.

 

In my opinion, shockwaves ****, All the ones I have installed have leaked up till last year, I don't know that they have fixed the problem yet. You can just go with a 2600 bag on top of the axle with leafs.

Email me if you want some more info or particulars.

Thom

 

So What has done quite a few of these swaps, and his advice to me on the rear 'bag suspension for my '49 Ford was to go with '67-'72 Chevy truck trailing arms (easy to install, improve the ride over the leaf springs, work well with bags). I got the arms and will be doing the swap in the next month or so, so I'll let you know how it goes.
Curt

 

I dont have an opinion on the shockwaves but I can say dont go with the Ir over leaf setup. I have it in one of my cars and it just does not have the load capacity to do the job on a heavy car. I am in the process of switching over to a four link and bigger bags.

 

I have the over leaf set up on my wagon and I don't have any problems with it. I've towed trailors and cars and I've had the back loaded with just about everything I own and it worked just fine. If you don't want to change the configuration of the rear suspension, this is a good way to go. If you don't mind puting in trailing arms, that is a better way to go.

 

How much travel will the over the leaf systems give you? Which brands have you used? I am looking at Airlift. Any problems with that setup? I have read several airlift sites where it specifically states, this set up will not raise of lower the vehicle, it only for ride stability etc.

 

I was browsing Air Ride's site last week and they have a really cheap over-leaf kit where you just take out a leaf or two and make up the difference with the bags. I have NO idea how it works, but it sounds good.

 

Ive got the bags over chevy trailing arms and havent had any problems with the suspension , except for the front I need to split the air valves and upgrade the sway bar for cornering , the car gets too much front roll in the big hills !

 

The over the leaf set up will give you as much travel as the springs, shackles and driveshaft allow as long as its set up right. On mine, I took out all but 3 main leaves and one overload. That way, when all the air is out of the bags, the car sits down on the bumpstops. Then I got the longest tapered rolling (sleeve type) airbag firestone made. You compress the bag to minimum hieght and build your brackets from there. That ensures that you get the most travel possible. On mine I've got damn near 10 inches of lift from 0 psi to 80 psi. You just have to make sure that when its all the way up, it isn't pulling the bag apart. You can use limitting straps attached to the ends of the shocks for this. You also have to make sure that when all the air is out, that the rear end hits the bump stops before the two ends of the bag hit each other.

 

got any pics?

 

I like the idea of putting the limiting straps on , there must be some type of stop so when you lift the car the bag cant over extend ! I am using shocks measured to stop before the bag can pop

 

If I were to muse the leaf spring setup in the rear, what would be the "economic"(cheap) way to do the front?

1954 Canadian Pontiac.

THX

 

[ QUOTE ]
So What has done quite a few of these swaps, and his advice to me on the rear 'bag suspension for my '49 Ford was to go with '67-'72 Chevy truck trailing arms (easy to install, improve the ride over the leaf springs, work well with bags). I got the arms and will be doing the swap in the next month or so, so I'll let you know how it goes.
Curt

[/ QUOTE ]This would make a good tech article!

 

I have the death defying 2 link setup on my 51 chev coupe. Works good.


FONZI

 

The price of the set up on the front totally depends on the tools you have and the ammount of work you are willing to do yourself....I did all the work on mine except the powder coating and all I had in it was the cost of bags, fittings and lines (I already had the compressor, switches and solenoids).
The way I did it, I built a mount for the top of the bag that fit in the spring pocket and set the top flush with the bottom of the frame. Then, I cut out the control arm and welded in a piece that would mount to the bottom of the bag and lower the front at the same time. The most important thing is that the bags don't rub! Then you have to make an exterior shock mount and you're set, I'll see if I can get some pictures up later

 

[ QUOTE ]
I have the death defying 2 link setup on my 51 chev coupe. Works good.


[/ QUOTE ]

2 Link... thats great!!

Chris50 has the Air Ride kit designed for the rear of his 50 Ford. Went in fine. Has a big ole 'C' notch in the frame and missing a couple of leafs. It'll be a few months (God willin) before he road tests it...

...and hopefully he will do a tech post on the shockwave setup he made for the front... pretty trick!

 

how about the front of the ala cart ? phony maybe but it had bags !

 

I have air over leaf on the *** end of my wagon and it aint low enough! You also MUST have a swaybar back there or your tires if they are wide like mine will scrub your fender lip in a turn from body lean. Something that will help body lean is to run your sytem with 4 seperate controls. Mine is front and bach, meaning the front is one sytem and the rear is another sytem, the problem is when you take a corner and the body leans all of the air will rush to the side with less weight and that causes you to loose support on that side of the car........

 

I have the 4 way set up on mine and I don't have a problem with tire rub, however I don't have big wheels or really wide tires

 

My wheels in the back are eight's and they are too wide even with the lip roll some. I wont have a problem when I go to seven with some traditional rims.......

 

My Chev has the air over leaf with bags meant for the front in the back. The bumpstops are cut out and the frame sits on the axle when the car is down. The springs are the three main leafs dearched. I drive it with 4 or 5 psi in the bags and that's enough to raise it a few inches.

Derrick

 

Yea I'm down to just two leafs and I have a set of 4 inch blocks too. I run about 35psi....no bumpstops either.

A word to the wise, if you can afford it, go with a 4 link, if not........you'll be doing it all over like I'm going to do in the near future.

 

Ive had my axle shortened to avoid any rub on corners and the panyard bar takes care of the rest ( or has so far anyway ) The front was a piece of cake compared to doing the rear , But I was switching out the whole ***embly from a closed drive line

 

[ QUOTE ]
I have the over leaf set up on my wagon and I don't have any problems with it. I've towed trailors and cars and I've had the back loaded with just about everything I own and it worked just fine. If you don't want to change the configuration of the rear suspension, this is a good way to go. If you don't mind puting in trailing arms, that is a better way to go.

[/ QUOTE ]

sounds to me like you have a bigger bag inplace than I do. with nothing more than a load of four adults in mine I have problems with bottoming out. I am in the process of changing over to a four link setup with the larger tapered bag placed behind the axel. I also have excessive axel wrap since I am running only the main leaf and the helper. When accelerating with a load in the drive shaf comes up and rubs the crossmember.

 

I have a step notch in the back with your standard double convoluted bags, 2 link w/panhard bar. Been running for like 3yrs. Have had very few problems. It sits right and rides right. It dosen't jump or anything but I can get in almost ANY driveway with no problemos.

I do not see any beefit to runnin shockwaves in the back. However, if and when i do the front of mine I will consdier them.

Oh, and my bag set up was designed and installed By Kevin Francis at KA Customs in Huntingotn Beach. He does GREAT work. I will try and post sum pics of some of his other stuff. His 41 Plynmouth is going to be incredible.

FONZI

 

[ QUOTE ]
Oh, and my bag set up was designed and installed By Kevin Francis at KA Customs in Huntingotn Beach. He does GREAT work. I will try and post sum pics of some of his other stuff. His 41 Plynmouth is going to be incredible.

FONZI

[/ QUOTE ]

i've seen him at the Long Beach swap meet. i've looked though his albums of photos and the cars look great. i mean, kick***. how's his welding skills? i mean, the guy that bagged my Ranger couldn't weld for ****, so this is a real concern for me. you can PM with more info. thanks a lot.

 

Whats the going rate to have the rear bagged, 2 linked, c-notched in socal?? just curious?

 

the going rate for ANYTHING in So-Cal is ****ing outrageous, except for a *******: but that still runs ya about 50 to 80 bucks.. Err uhhh heh Just kidding!!!

Im curious too about these prices, Way back when (way back, like 7 or 8 year ago) a local shop wanted to charge me almost a grand for just a C notch in my mini truck!!

 

maybe a HAMBer does air suspension jobs on the side??

 

[ QUOTE ]
maybe a HAMBer does air suspension jobs on the side??

[/ QUOTE ]Kustombuilder....but he's far from CA