Rear air ride for a 1st gen

jimbo486

jimbo486

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Jan 24, 2010
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I would really love to soften the ride in my old pile quite a bit. I searched around this area of the forums for anything regarding air bags. Looking through this thread HERE, I saw quite a few nice setups. Some 4-link and others, well, 2-link I suppose. One that's always crossed my mind is how some of the OTR semi's are setup with a single "bar" if you will that is attached at the front spring hanger and runs under or over the axle and has a mounting plate at the rear for an air bag which is then bolted to the frame rail above. I can recall running across pictures of somebody either here or maybe on DTR who built that similar design. Seems like it could work well and not require any kind of traction or ladder bar to prevent axle wrap. Am I wrong thinking that?

I don't have a lot of fabrication skills but I think with all the materials and tools necessary and some help from others, maybe something like this acheiveable. Anybody happen to have more detailed pictures of similar systems using the larger air bags? Even better if it's a 1st gen. What sort of measurements are needed to build such a system and what things should be considered prior to doing so? Thanks!
 
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Look at 2wpullers setup. That's what I'm doing. He has a solid bar attached to a leaf spring and a pocket or plate setup behind the axle for the airbag.

He has the 70s ford with the twin turbo Perkins.
 
How did he attach the bar to the spring(s)? I couldn't really tell looking through his pictures.

Mono-leaf is the term I was trying to think of. Seems it would simple to use 2.5" square tubing with at least a .250" wall with bushing housings welded to one end to attach at the front spring hanger. Then build a pocket or plate just behind the axle for the bags to mount to after figuring out the proper bag height. Factory shock mounts could be retained.

If it's an spring over design, I think it might keep the ride height close to what it is now, if not slightly lower. Which I actually wouldn't mind so that the truck would sit level.

Being made from a square tube and bolted to the front spring hanger, would it also keep axle wrap to a minimum??
 
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Here's a kit, while fairly expensive at $3400, that looks to be along the same lines. Made by Auto Flex Suspensions, it utilizes the factory spring hangers. Unfortunately, they only offer them for Dodge trucks as old as '95. Being in Canada, I'll bet they've seen their share of 1st gens. I think they should grab one and start working on a kit! Maybe an email would get the ball rolling? I would even offer to help with some dimensions if needed.

http://www.autoflexsuspensions.com/autoflex/buy/

AutoFlex_main.jpg


AutoFlex_reverse.jpg
 
You'll have a lot of anti-squat and brake dive with that setup. And you won't have much for axle articulation. Granted, the last might not be much if any concern, but typically your rear axle is the one that is gonna articulate more than the front.
 
That term you're looking for is not mono leaf. That set up is a trailing arm suspension. That's also what many big rigs run.
 
If it were me, I'd have a soft ride Deaver pack made using 63" rear Chevy style springs, and do the 63" spring conversion. You should be able to find plenty of info if you google it, but if not, I can walk you through how I did mine.

This gives MUCH better ride, good stability, and I have a solid 13.5" travel with my cheapo springs.

If you need super heavy carrying capacity, a LT set of bags would be a pretty easy fab to add to the springs...since the springs do all the locating.

--Eric
 
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