Air ride pressures question

[kev2809]

Truck has air bags on all 4 corners, little larrys manual valves, no sway bar. now, i know a sway bar will obviously help, but ive noticed - i will air up my truck to ride height in my driveway..i set mine to 80 in the front and about 35-40 in the rear. no its not level front to back but i kinda like the rake. but ive pulled into parking lights and its considerably noticeable that the truck is leaning to one side, even though the gauges still read 80/40. is this normal? it also fluctuates a lot while turning but im pretty confident a sway bar will help that.

[HO455]

I had a similar system on my Burban for awhile. It doesn't take much pressure to make one side higher than the other especially without a sway bar. A couple pounds may be noticeable. Guage calibration can play a part too. On my rear bags the drivers side is at 32 psi but the passenger side is at 28 psi. I'm fairly sure most of the difference is from the guages not bags.

Do you have Larry's 4 valve set up?

Grab a 1 1/4 sway bar from the wrecking yard. 67 to 92 Suburbans. The pickups are the same but only to 89 or so. I paid like $40 for mine.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by HO455

I had a similar system on my Burban for awhile. It doesn't take much pressure to make one side higher than the other especially without a sway bar. A couple pounds may be noticeable. Guage calibration can play a part too. On my rear bags the drivers side is at 32 psi but the passenger side is at 28 psi. I'm fairly sure most of the difference is from the guages not bags.

Do you have Larry's 4 valve set up?

Grab a 1 1/4 sway bar from the wrecking yard. 67 to 92 Suburbans. The pickups are the same but only to 89 or so. I paid like $40 for mine.

I 100% agree w/this.

Air the vehicle up & use a tape measure to dial in the heights to keep everything square (measure @ the axle centerline for each corner). You'll likely find the need to add/subtract to keep things 'square' side to side (front & back). Another thing is 80(F)/40(R) pressures/heights in 40° temps is not the same as when it's 90° outside. That's another variable you get used to for the seasons.

[kev2809]

good points guys, im in the process of getting the sway bars on, bought the brackets here off the forum and have been lazy looking for the bar. also mounting the control arm side is going to be a problem. my LCAs are plated underneath making it harder to mount the brackets.

yes im running these valves, love em too. they are pretty quick even with 3/8" lines. but anywho, sounds like getting sway bars on will be a priority

[3drburb]

If or when you get the sway bar, keep in mind that it may need to be trimmed and rounded off on the ends, so it doesn't rub and pop the bags.

[kev2809]

Originally Posted by 3drburb

If or when you get the sway bar, keep in mind that it may need to be trimmed and rounded off on the ends, so it doesn't rub and pop the bags.

good point, i think i seen that issue pop up when i was researching the bars. i know im going to have be creative mounting them, little trimming shouldnt be a problem

[HO455]

As the bar slides in the end mount bushings be sure to check the clearance to the bags on both sides, dropped, at ride height, and fully aired up.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by HO455

As the bar slides in the end mount bushings be sure to check the clearance to the bags on both sides, dropped, at ride height, and fully aired up.

Also..... If your a-arms have been modified to the point where you'll have to tweak things, consider using an aftermarket bar w/different end-link arrangement vs how the OE GM bars were mounted into your decision tree.

[kev2809]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

Also..... If your a-arms have been modified to the point where you'll have to tweak things, consider using an aftermarket bar w/different end-link arrangement vs how the OE GM bars were mounted into your decision tree.

ya, im looking around now trying to see what others have done using plated lowers. not finding much luck and these factory brackets i bought earlier in the year might not work out. any suggestions scoti?

[kev2809]

I was looking into this kit..it's not too pricey and my plan was to mount it the same but replace the end link bolt with one that is longer to go all the way through bottom of the LCA

https://www.ebay.com/itm/28410760368...mis&media=COPY


also this one by POL..it comes with angled brackets that would bolt to the side of an LCA, in ny case the tab would have to be welded

https://www.ebay.com/itm/16124753050...mis&media=COPY

[HO455]

The link goes to how I modified my factory lower arms. Starting at post 237.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...698377&page=10

I also modified the front mounts which made the bar end more level and moved the ends away from the bags. Scroll to post 178 in this link for more information on sway bar installation.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=698377&page=8

I'm not sure where you are in the process but I'm no long using the lower control arms I modified if your interested.

[kev2809]

i like what you did on those LCA's, im thinking i might have to do something similar that will involve welding. if i move the the front swaybar towards the front of the front the truck, wouldnt that let me mount the end links on the side of the LCAs? like that 2nd ebay i link i posted above?

[HO455]

You may not have to move it. If they are supplying those bits of angle as shown those may mount to the side of the control arm. Meaning that the bar may have shorter arms than a factory bar thus no need to move the front mounts. I would ask them for some installation instructions before purchasing a bar.

[kev2809]

this is from the POL website

[HO455]

Certainly looks like you could bolt those bits of angle to a factory lower control arm to me.

[kev2809]

yup, thats what i was thinking, even weld them on if i have to. maybe that is the one i will try, i dont really see why it wouldnt work.