Just a quick question. Are there any good triangulated 4 link set ups to suit a 53 Chevy sedan that don't have the front of the top arms intruding on the floor of the rear seat? Maybe the method of having those arms on the top of the ch***is on the rear seat is not a big issue. It just looks like, if you want to box it up to seal out the fumes and road noise, it'll be a hard spot to access in the future. I do hear great reviews on the Gambino kit, even though they are done this way. I'm looking to get the rear of my car quite low, but not lay frame. So I can afford to be more subtle with the notch and drive tunnel modifications. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
If your concern is with access to the bar end hardware then just bend up a sheet metal box with flange to cover the area and seal it to the floor pan with RTV and a few self tapping sheet metal screws. It will all be covered when the rear seat is installed.
Fair call. I can understand if that's simply the best place for good four link geometry. I imagine that if you shorten the top bars or place them under the floor you end up with a lot of forward tilt as the suspension compresses? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Sounds like the right way to go. This car is, and hopefully always will be, my daily driver. Getting the floor sealed up from road noise and exhaust is a must. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I would contact Gambino, I think he's got an updated kit to not go into the car like that anymore, or at least not as much. I'm pretty sure I saw photos from him with that going on somewhere.
Do you have to go with a 4 link? A 2 link or "truck arms" fit a lot easier and give you a better ride. I built a 53 with a 4 link the way gimpy mentioned I put around 8000-10000 miles a year on it. I'm not sold on the ride quality at all I changed bags and that was the biggest help. So with that being said the 2 link with a watts link on the back is the way I'm going. But if you have to have a 4 link I made little tunnels over them. It didn't affected my seat at all I'm also running a mid 60s tbird rear seat. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I was thinking of the "truck arm" suspensions also, but pbr40 had a quicker reaction time, by about 54 minutes quicker. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
In what ways do the ride between a truck arm set up and a 4 link bag over axle (as is the norm here) compare? I understand that bag over axle can transfer more road feel. A 2600 bag is commonly used here. What size bag did you use? I am keeping the stock front end and planning to run 2500 bags (5 inch diameter). The appeal of the 4 link to me is the symmetry. Hard to explain but I just really enjoy how they look. I am using the stock seat in the rear. I have seen that the updated kit mounts the 'top' bars to the front of the axle and brings down the top front mounts by the same amount. PBR40, are you able to describe the ride quality issues you were having?
Ride quality can be a factor of bag diameter, setup, and pressure. The larger the diameter the bag, the less pressure that it will take to keep the car up at ride height, and the softer the ride will be. The smaller the diameter the bag, the more pressure that it will take to keep the car up at ride height, and the rougher the ride will be. The quality of the ride is a personal thing. Personally, I prefer a 7" bag on the rear of these, but others that I have built for prefer an 8". I have been using Slam Specialties SS-series bags for as long as they have been out, with good results. They have internal bump stops (which are the same height, so they are interchangeable) and common bolt patterns across the model line. They are USA made, too! I have seen folks install bags in such a manner that they are nearly topped-out when they are at ride height. This can make for a very poor ride, as there is little to no rebound available in the suspension. The biggest mistake that I have seen is folks not running shocks, thinking that they do not need to on a car equipped with air bags. As an actual engineer, I can tell you with absolute authority that this is not the case. While it is true that an air spring does not store energy the same way that a metal spring does, that does not make a suspension system equipped with them immune from excess and dangerous kinetic energy, resulting in uncontrolled, and uncontrollable suspension movement.
I'm not looking to high jack this thread! And get off topic. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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