Full air ride stock height

[tsetsaf]

Received a question from a member regarding my stock height full air ride 71 c20. Figured others may want to see the trick so here you go... to run full air suspension you do not need to notch your frame nor slam the truck. You can run on air with pretty much the stock components with some minor alterations; the biggest being the placement of air bags where the springs once sat.

Fronts are straight forward and there are a number of kits. The one we bought provided a bolt on steel mounting plate for the upper a arm, bag bolts right in place. At stock height with a vortec 5.3 (iron block aluminum heads) the bags are at about 60psi.

Rears are a little bit more tricky. You use the stock spring mounting points and even the botton through the truck arm bolt to hold the bag in place. On top of the bag you add a "can" or spacer to fill up the gap. Mine is about 5-6" in height. This reduces the amount of air required allowing a smoother ride. The tricky part here is the top perch; you need to fab a catch to hold the top of the bag in place otherwise it can pop out of socket (happened to me). Just finished our catch using steel plate we made a 1" cylindrical drop down that the can slides over when inflated (kind of like a sleeve). The catch is bolted to the frame with a hollowed out 5/8 grade 8 bolt that doubles as a guide for the airline. Adding just a few psi pressures the bag enough to slide the can up and over the catch. At stock height the rear end is at 50psi.

Overall the truck rides amazingly well. We installed an auto level from Dakota Digital and custom plumbed with 1/4 dot airline and ptf fittings. Learn from my mistake and only buy the highend fittings from a diesel truck place (air brakes) or a hydraulic supply shop. We went through 3x about 25 warranty replaced fittings from airbagit and all I can say is "wow". Do not know how they can stay in business selling the junk they do.

For a stock ride height truck the only real difference is in the spacers. Here are pics of my rear... wait I mean my trucks rear.

[k2rm]

Thanks a lot for the pictures! This is next on my to do list so I am sure I will come back with more question.

[jhama78]

how about a pic of it at ride height and aired out just for reference? Approximately how much drop do you get when the bags are empty? Thanks for the info!

[Tx Firefighter]

Your truck looks worthy of a build thread of its own. I see rear disc brakes. And air ride...sounds like you built a trick truck.