Air Ride. How low with stock inner fenders ?

[72MARIO]

I am strongly considering a air ride system But I am just wondering how low can I go with my stock inner fenders ? I have a leaf rear and I paln on a C notch. Also If anyone could go over the whole Air Ride system basics that would be great I am kinda new to the whole Air thing. Oh I will be running 17" TT2's If that matters.

Thanks.

[SCOTI]

My 68 is static dropped 6/8. As it currently sits, the front tires (w/27.5"H tires) will buzz the inner fenderwell tops on big dips @ speed. My bumpstops limit most interference so it's only on 'big' dips that I worry.

That being said, I have less than 2" to the tops of the front fenderwell (I can't get a small section of 2x4 wood on top of the tire) so if you were @ a show you couldn't drop it any more than that w/o modifying the fenderwells.

The rear of mine is bagged. Currently it hits the bedfloor just above the rear end when I'm just putting around town (not loaded down & w/29"H tires) & hit the same size dips. When I tow my trailer, I have enough air in the system to allow more clearance so that's never a problem. So the rear will hit the bedfloor before hitting the tops of the rear tubs (a taller tire will have less clearance though). To get any lower you'll need to cut a hole in the floor above the rear centersection.

[N2TRUX]

I know it's not a 67-72 truck but my 77 is about as low as you can go without modding the fenderliners. It has custom built bump stops to allow it to roll when aired out. The tires are 245/40/20's which calcualtes to 27.7x inches tall.


More pics in my sig.....

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Damn N2TRUX THAT IS A SWEET RIDE..

[72MARIO]

Do you have any pics of your 68 ? Is the Air set up in the rear a leaf/Air combo ? I dont want to cut the floor in the box for the pumpkin clearence. I would end up laying body if I was to go that far and that would mean that this project would never get finished. So Basically what I want is for shows I could air it out and lay real low then when I am ready to go I could air it up to a decent ride height. I am still trying to figure out this whole Air Ride system out.

Thanks for the help.

[72MARIO]

N2TRUX Man that truck is sweet !

How did you Bag the back of your truck ? I have a leaf setup which would be kinda like your's. Any pics ?

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by 72MARIO

......So Basically what I want is for shows I could air it out and lay real low then when I am ready to go I could air it up to a decent ride height.....

I know you meant this for Scoti, but since he isn't here maybe I can help.

You don't have to cut your bed if you go with a mild C-notch. I'm assuming your 72 is a leaf spring rear.If so, you can get the pumpkin within about 1" from the bottom of the bed. with a small notch.

Yes, you can air it out for shows, then lift it to normal ride height for driving. If you like them low but don't want to worry about dips in the road, air suspension is the way to go. It's the only way to get the best of both worlds....

FRENCHBLUE72, 72MARIO- Thanks for the compliments

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by 72MARIO

N2TRUX.....How did you Bag the back of your truck ? I have a leaf setup which would be kinda like your's. Any pics ?

Ok we are dealing with the same issues then. Take a look at the link in my sig above. It has the pics toward the end of the album.

We removed all the leafs from the spring pack and left the top two. Then an Air Ride Tech "over leaf" kit was used. This is the most simple solution we could come up with and not cut the bed out....

[72MARIO]

Cool I found some info on the ART system it looks good. WHat should I be expecting to spend on a complete system ? I already have the spindles and drop shackle.

[N2TRUX]

It's best to buy a complete kit, but I'll break the components down for you since Air Ride doesn't offer the over leaf system as part of a kit....

Front-
ARF11800 63-87C10 ft airspring/bracket
Price: $524.00

Rear-
ARR21800 63-72 C10 rear system
Price: $399.00

You will need to decide what compressor, valves, and tanks you want to run too. Spend some time on the Air Ride site and you will get a better understanding of what you need....

[kxmotox247]

Here's a diagram that you might find helpful. I can't remember where I got it from.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by kxmotox247

Here's a diagram that you might find helpful. I can't remember where I got it from.

That is an awesome pic. So many times people want an explaination of how a system works. Now all I need to do is show that pic.

72MARIO that is whats called a "2 way" system. It only controls front and rear. While that will work, what you really want is a "4 way" system. It's the same as shown above but has four more valves. A 4 way system allows you to control the air to each corner. This prevents a heavier corner from sitting lower, and prevents side to side air transfer when cornering....

Here are my "Big Red" valves. There are a total of 8 valves, and 4 pressure switches....

[rigo]

here's my 68....built my own cups and brackets...no c-notch in the rear...stock inner fender wells up front...you can fully drive it, turn and all with it like this...only thing is I have long headers...and they will scrape on most any dip....i put an 1.5" spacers under the bags at the back so it will sit with a bit of a rake when aired out...hope this helps with your decision some...oh yeah, tire size are 15/275/60's all the way around

rigo

[Slammed67]

For reference, pictured below........ no inner fenders, rear bolt-in c-notch (rubber snubber removed from c-notch), and bed floor raised 1.5". With inner fenders installed you'd loose about 1.5"-2" of front end drop. Tires are approx. 27" tall.

I've got some diagrams drawn up for various air ride system configurations. Let me know what kind of system you are thinking about using and I can post a pic.

[68w/sbc406]

Originally Posted by rigo

here's my 68....built my own cups and brackets...

do you have pictures of the brackets??? looking to make some of my own

[rigo]

the top is just 1/4" plate bolted to the top crossmember...the bottom is 5" Dia. 1/4" pipe thats cut at a slight angle to sit level in the bottom arm at ride height...hope this helps...

[68w/sbc406]

thanks. do you have no problems with the bag moving around since the top is bolted in place?

[XXL]

Originally Posted by Slammed67

For reference, pictured below........ no inner fenders, rear bolt-in c-notch (rubber snubber removed from c-notch), and bed floor raised 1.5". With inner fenders installed you'd loose about 1.5"-2" of front end drop. Tires are approx. 27" tall.

Wow! I never realized your truck was so tall

[72MARIO]

I am not too sure what kind of system I want/need. I think I am going with the Air over leaf system in the rear get another full 5 " dearch and leave all of the springs in the pack.I don't want all of the work involved with a 4 link and the added cost. I think I will Notch it I did some measurements and I could use the extra couple of inches. I hope I will be able to hook up oky after doing the bags in the rear. And for the front I am very unsure how or where to start. I would like to learn about these systems so I can put together my own system. I also dont want to get too crazy with how low it can go then stuff starts to get crazy. I also plan on using it for towing a bit possibly a tent trailer to a Car on a trailer.

Slammed could you post all of the diagram you have ? that would be great.

[GreyHoundSteve]

Ive been reading "bag" threads all day looking for some solid info on these sytems and this is the most helpful to me so far.

One question i have is if i went with a full bag system front and rear how low could i go (from stock) without making any mods to the frame (such as notching)? I know you can go 2.5 lower in front with spindles (which i'll do) and you will have to relocate the shocks in the rear and add an adjustable panhard bar but how much drop can i get from a full bag system without modifing the frame or worring about it bottoming out?