The total air suspension is very similar to Coils except that it doesn't
appear to have the High Rebound or over shoot the coil has... and the shock
was formally in the middle of the coil so it is being remounted aft of the
Coil spring on the A frames..
the whole deal is that the car is a sub frame unibody car and the front end
can't go any lower and the sheet metal must remain in the original location
for the Altered Class... The spindle Idea was my first.. except that it
didn't give you any additional travel.. or adjustably... and the air bags
allow the car to raise up back to or above normal ride height... about a
total of 7 inches travel as aposed to the 6" advertised..
Awesome system.. and the thing really is a pain to install.. had to modify
a ton of stuff to make it happen... The Kit is well engineered my Air Ride
suspensions and the instructions are excellent... no complaints... just
work...
Big Rigs have been using this for years and My Brother in law's company
just introduced the Air Ride for early street rods.. that is how I came to
know the system... I checked it out at the street rod nationals last
summer...
all of this will come out of the Camaro when I build the Healey... I am
really about testing systems here... all in preparation for the Bugeye...
Keith Turk
Austin Healey 100 / Bugeye / Box Sprite / Bonneville Land Speed Racer
Camaro ( D Gas Altered )
----------
> From: Chuck Rothfuss <crothfuss@coastalnet.com>
> To: Keith Turk <kturk@ala.net>; land-speed@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Air Ride suspensions
> Date: Saturday, January 30, 1999 9:05 PM
>
> Keith,
>
> I have several odd sources of bump stops if you can't find any you
like.
> I have a few more question about these air bags too.
>
> Will they do more to work with the shocks in controlling the
suspension?
> For example, if you hit a bump (at Maxton?) and the suspension compressed
> enough to slam into the snubbers. Will the rebound be the same as with a
> conventional coil spring, or will the bag just return to it's original
shape
> and allow the shock to dampen the bounce? Will you have to change shocks
to
> work with the bags?
>
> I guess I'd really have to see the car with the air bags installed. It
> all sounds like a lot of work, and leaves you with very limited travel.
> Maybe it's time to change the whole front suspension, reverse the
spindles
> or channel the body if you want it closer to the ground.
>
> I got my first issue of Bonneville Racing News today. Very interesting
> reading, and well worth the subscription price. I'm hoping the "Thunder
> Down Under" video is available soon. While I'm stuck in bed next week
after
> surgery on my foot (maybe it'll make me faster) I was looking forward to
> watching it, over and over...
>
> Chuck "can still drive with one foot" Rothfuss
> ECTA
> Pole Cat Hollow, NC
>
>
>
> At 09:55 PM 1/30/99 -0800, you wrote:
> >Well so far so good the car raises and lowers all on it's own.... with a
> >little assist from the air compressor... now on to the rear of the car..
> >the front bags are done and they work like stink... if pushing on a
fender
> >is any indication... these should be a Big improvement....
> >
> >I need to find a quality bump stop though... the lower A frame is right
at
> >the frame when the bags are deflated and the chassis cross member
actually
> >sits on the Ground... so a normal bump stop is in order to give it the
one
> >inch clearance while all of the air is out of them... we installed them
so
> >there would be air pressure in them at ride height.. Mandatory for
making
> >them live..
> >
> >This has been a really interesting solution.... as far as I can tell it
is
> >going to meet all of my original goals....
> >
> >now for the real decisions like the mini air compressor and the spare
> >battery.. to power all the electrical systems not important to the race
on
> >the track... like starting and so on.. ought to be an interesting day
> >tomorrow....
> >
> >Keith Turk
> >Austin Healey 100 / Bugeye / Box Sprite / Bonneville Land Speed Racer
> >Camaro ( D Gas Altered )
> >
> >----------
> >> From: Keith Turk <kturk@ala.net>
> >> To: land-speed@autox.team.net
> >> Subject: Air Ride suspensions
> >> Date: Friday, January 29, 1999 9:23 PM
> >>
> >> Lets start with my reasons for running an air ride suspension in the
> >first
> >> place...
> >>
> >> A. for a car to go fast It makes sense that the front end be as low as
> >> possible to keep the air out from under it..
> >>
> >> B. with the change in rear tire altitude to aid in final gear
selections
> >I
> >> wanted to keep the body at the correct rake or angle... The best
> >knowledge
> >> I have says that about 3 degrees of rake is close...
> >>
> >> C. Loading this pig on a trailer is about a two day job...
> >>
> >> D. I wanted a quality set of headers that I didn't donate to the
Concrete
> >> at Maxton... the Track is great but a car that is this low... doesn't
> >fair
> >> well on the return road or the cut off to the starting line..
> >>
> >> E. I wanted to have the car up to work on it in the pits.
> >>
> >> All this having been said the air bags from Air Ride suspensions got
here
> >> today and I started to work on it... the front left bag is sitting in
its
> >> well and totally replaces the original coil spring. the installation
> >seems
> >> pretty straight forward so far and I am looking forward to hoisting it
up
> >> the first time with air.. Range of travel adjustments can be made
during
> >> this installation... but the front are pretty much limited to about 6"
> >and
> >> the back is limited to 5"
> >>
> >> The final Racing altitude is where the front suspension has to be
aliened
> >> and must be maintained while the car is on the course... But the Ride
> >back
> >> to the pits will be at altitude to prevent from scraping the headers
and
> >> cross members off the car..
> >>
> >> The Air source for this system has yet to be determined... I didn't
order
> >> the on board compressor yet as I wasn't sure it was a mandatory
> >> requirement... we'll see
> >>
> >> Keith Turk
> >> Austin Healey 100 / Bugeye / Box Sprite / Bonneville Land Speed
Racer
> >> Camaro ( D Gas Altered )
> >
> >
> >
>
|