AirBag Suspension?

JipJopJones

JipJopJones

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1979 Cressida Wagon, 1981 Corolla Hardtop
I know pretty much nothing about putting airbags on a car, although I'm thinking I might want to do it sometime in the forseeable future.

Can anyone tell me what it takes to put bags on a car with rear leafs? I've heard that it can be more involved than a car with coils. Also, can anyone recommend me some reading on the ins and outs of airbag suspension?
 
What kind of airbags do you have in mind? The kind used to add additional load carrying capacity, or the kind used to make the suspension height adjustable? They are two different systems.
 
Height adjustable.

I'd like to put bags on my Rambler... maybe.
 
If it is for a road car, UAS (UniversalAirSuspension) are the place to go. If you want something better than that, you can go to a cup kit instead. But they are A LOT more. Air = $2-2,500 for a basic kit. Cup = about $6,000.
 
JipJopJones said:
Height adjustable.

I'd like to put bags on my Rambler... maybe.
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Can't help you on these, other than that I have heard this type of system can be unreliable, and Firestone is apparently thought to be the best manufacturer of the bags themselves. :dunno:
 
I've seen them up close and personal just once and talked to the owner. Basically the bags replaced the springs on his MkIV Golf. Not that that helps you since you mentioned leaf springs, although I'm sure the concept has to be similar. His setup was pretty darn expensive iirc but definitely cool.
 
From what little I've heard, replacing coils is quite easy, it's pretty much just a swap in/out kind of ordeal. Where as leafs can be a bit more involved.
 
Hijacking for a sec...

Are aftermarket air suspension systems better than OEM ones? Like for a Lincoln Town Car or Mark VIII for example...
 
They're also both cars I like but wouldn't own because of that reason.
 
You would need to either run a mono-leaf setup to locate the axle and the air bag to take up the slack. It won't get you very low, but low enough. The other option is to do like the mini-truck guys and replace the leaf setup with a multi link system and use the bags as the only spring.
 
I don't how things are in your part of Canadia, but in some US states air suspensions are illegal on cars that didn't come that way from the factory.
 
73GMCSprint said:
I don't how things are in your part of Canadia, but in some US states air suspensions are illegal on cars that didn't come that way from the factory.
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Really? What dumbass states do that?

I mean we have next to zero types of inspections for cars here (compared to say the UK) so I'm surprised that they would target something like bags.
 
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I'll bet it has to do with modifying suspension. You also have to think if a bag goes down on one of these vehicles, while driving, the body/frame may contact the pavement and cause it to be difficult to drive safely. The irony of that is not lost on me however, since they want the body/frame/drag block to contact the pavement to throw sparks.
 
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LeVeL said:
Most likely yes, since the OEM ones you mentioned are prone to failing. Hence all the sagging old Lincolns you see :lol:
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At least with the Mark VIII, the OEM air struts are good for about 100,000 miles. All the sagging Lincolns are usually people who bought the car cheap and can't afford to fix them. It can easily cost over $1000 to have a shop fix a sagging suspension and the cars are barely worth that much anymore.

I don't know about the Town Car, but in the Mark VIII world, OEM airbag/struts assemblies for the front are considered vastly superior to the only aftermarket option (Arnott). My experience backs it up, unfortunantly the OEM parts are also much more expensive. Rear air bags rarely leak (mine have 206k on them and are OK) and OEM parts are still fairly cheap, so I would stick with them.
 
73GMCSprint said:
I don't how things are in your part of Canadia, but in some US states air suspensions are illegal on cars that didn't come that way from the factory.
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I have no idea if it's legal or not... but we don't have yearly inspections here and I've seen plenty of bagged cars, so all I'd have to worry about is a cop with a bad attitude and a VI. The front bumper on my Jeep isn't exactly legal either, but I've never been harassed for it.

The way I see it, as long as it's installed correctly/safely and it's not hurting anyone, who's to tell me otherwise... :)
 
Viper007Bond said:
Really? What dumbass states do that?

I mean we have next to zero types of inspections for cars here (compared to say the UK) so I'm surprised that they would target something like bags.
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Utah, for one. Supplemental airbags are OK, but air or hydraulic suspension replacing something that wasn't from the factory is illegal.
 
Here is a V90 on airbags

http-__makeagifcom_media_8-20-2012_y8pSi9.gif


However, the rear suspension may or may not collapse at any point. The rear springs are home made from fiberglass...
 
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