First couple of questions,

I think I will be going hard line, with the all the kit in the spare wheel well (5 gall tank and valves etc) and running an EDC.  These are the bags I plan on using.
https://www.universalairsuspension.com/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=29&osCsid=6034901275cc4f6afadfc17a04e8a06f

Airbags Slam Specialties - Slam Specialties XS 600 PSI Dual Port
Given that my car is approx 2310 lbs up front and 1540 lbs at the rear are they capable of handling the weight?

Also, is there a way to work out how to get the right ride height with the right ride quality?  What I want to be able to do is have the handling I have at the a slightly lower height than it is now, lower it for greater ride comfort and looks, drop it when I park up and be able to raise it a bit to get over kerbs and speed bumps.  Is there a way to work out what pressure will see the bags give what lift.  The front isn't to much of an issue cause I'll have adjustable struts up front.  But the back will require me to fabricate mounts to fit the bags in where the springs go.  I really only want to do that once.  Any ideas?

Cheers

Mike

There are people who say they could calculate this out for ya, but in the end it's going to be hard to nail it down to anything exact.  Normally, the process of getting bag kits tweaked for maximum effectiveness just comes from trial and error over the years.  To really calculate your situation, you'd need to know what the bracketry is going to look like in your set up.  If the plates change angle throughout the suspension travel, you'll never be spot on with number crunching.

Those bags are more than enough for your vehicle.  Do you plan on the car moving up and down fast?  If not, dual ports aren't really necessary.

98SS

Thanks for your reply.  I will go with the cheaper single bags then.  I ain't gonna be making this thing hop! 

As this is my first project can you tell me, given the weight of the car, will my bags reach max length long before the reach max pressure. e.g if I go for the Uni Air suspension AirHouse bag
https://www.universalairsuspension.com/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=31&osCsid=c4aa7ff1f517331317650a9192ebcc40
will it reach 7" extension before it hits 150PSI?

Are there any good technical articles on air bags around please?
Thanks for your help.

Mike

Your car is a little heavier than an S10.  But not so much that 2600lb bags wouldn't work.  Slam RE7s or their equivalent should be fine.

The question about reaching max height before max pressure depends on the set up.  If the bags were mounted in BOA (bag-over-axle) style where the bag gets 1:1 lift ratio, you would have a higher pressure at your highest ride height than if you had a levered set up like a truck does with bags on bars in a 4 link set up.

In short, I'd need to be much more familiar with the suspension in your car to really address that.

Thanks for reply,
The spring acts on the lower wishbone.  See Pic:

Does this help?

Mike

Thanks Mike.  That looks like you'll pretty much get 1:1 lift on that.  My concern would be whether or not you can fit a 2600lb bag in there.  The Slam RE7s have a diameter of about 7 inches, and you want about an inch of clearance all the way around the bag.  You'll have to do some measuring to see what size bag you can fit in that space.   If you can't get the 7 inch bag and have to drop down to a RE6 or it's equivalent, then reaching max height before max pressure might be of some concern.  I stress the word "might", though.   If it is a concern to you, you could opt for a bag rated for a higher pressure, like the HE6 which is 400psi.
If you have room for the RE7s, you'll be fine with the R series.  The larger the diameter bag you can get, the lower the pressure will be at all heights and resultingly the smoother the ride.


On a side note, where are the lug bolts?  They look like they are sheared off or something.   

Righto! 

Wheels coming off tomorrow and I'll measure up.
Thanks for your help.

Mike

Well  the wheels didn't come off tomorrow.  It has rained here almost constantly and the wife's car rulz in the garage!

The cars uses bolts not nuts so the disc and bell spin when the wheel is off!

N E way managed it today and here are the measurements I took:

Car only;
Front Suspension Compressed
Spring diameter =5 ¼ in
Spring length = 9 ½ in
Clearance = ¼ in

Front Suspension Uncompressed
Spring length=11 ½ in
Strut diameter = 1 ¾ in

Rear Suspension Compressed
Spring diameter = 4 11/16 in @ center.  Bottom coil = 2 7/8 in (see photo)
Length = 8in


Rear Suspension Uncompressed
Length = 10 in
Clearance = 1in

So back to my question.

Starting at the rear, it looks fairly straight forward from a fabrication point of view.  But how long do I make the adapters that will go between bag and mounting points?  Can I make the top adapter the longer so that I can put my air connection there?  The thought process behind that is that there will be no flexing of the air hose joints.  Could even hard line it maybe?

I want the ride I have now at about an inch lower and being able to lift a further 2 inches would be cool.


At the front I have a similar problem with an added snag.  One of the bolts on the steering arm is ½ inch away from the spring near the top.  If I could put an adapter up there and space the bag lower so that the bottom of the bag sits on the existing lower spring plate I reckon I could get away with it.  Once more the air supply could come in at the top (hard line again?).  It's just a matter of how long to make the adapter so I get the ride I have now at about an inch lower and being able to lift a further 2 inches.

All help greatly appreciated and once I start I'll give you the exclusive on your side of the pond. 

Mike