Kevin, could you explain it better to me! Im not sure what you mean with further out on the 4 link bars? Thanks!!!!!

 

i would like to know what was ment about mounting the air bag. i would like to mount mine behind the axle inside the frame rail it seam i joined just in time to have you all talking about what im trying to dream up. want to keep bed fuctional but may not happen is there spell check

 

These are reference pictures...

Like this......?


...and another......


Don't forget to leave room for your gas shocks...


Gotta have a plan...

 

<a href="http://s919.photobucket.com/albums/ad37/rtcalabrojr/?action=view&current=001-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad37/rtcalabrojr/001-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Heres what i have to work with? Im stuck with where to put the bags! I did end up with a decent c-notch, so the frame sits lower. I just need some help here guys!!

 

? Is that rear bar for the gas tank?..If not or if you have room move it back and rear mount off the axle.look at suicide doors rear bag axle mounts..Or is the notch tall enough to put them on the top of the axle?

 

mine sit outside the frame, under the edge of the bed.. remember the bed base is 49inches wide, so it hangs over quite a bit.. mine are in front of the axle..

pic of my setup here.. the bags are where the 2x4's are in this pic (on its way to the welder)


sam

 

Still not getting anywhere!!! Im just stuck!! They say i need 8" dia. for the bag and add an inch for clearance around it. So i have a plate that bolts to the airbag. There is a single bolt in the center that holds in in place. I was wondering, if you look in my pic above that i could use my bracket i have already witha twist. The driver side is good, no fitment issue there. The pass side is my enemy! The bracket is the same size as the bottom of the bag in dia. The two outside rails would weld to the axle tube. I dont have the room for the bracket to weld up the way it is now. If i was to say cut back the one side of the mount that would be welded and add one that is almost to the center of the bracket than to the axle tube. Would it really matter that the bottom of the bag only has say half the plate under it supported? Lose ya yet??? <a href="http://s919.photobucket.com/albums/ad37/rtcalabrojr/?action=view&current=321.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad37/rtcalabrojr/321.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

That would work fine..you could add a gusset on the bottom from the center plate out, just to make sure..good luck

 

I know some are just going to say I'm a naysayer, But I really don't think it is going to work mounting the bags that far inboard. Look at it this way: what would you say if someone posted a pic of their chassis with a set of coils or leaf springs mounted that far inboard? Springs are springs metal or rubber. I'd suggest mounting them off the back of the 4 link brackets outside the frame and behind the axle.

 

Ax I dont think you're a nay sayer, I think you have a interesting and different perspective given your racing experience.

If Roger is going to be racing the truck in scca or in some sort of closed corse road track then yes, I would agree completely, move those springs out as far as you can get them. An inboard mounted spring in that scenario is not ideal.

I cant infer that I know what hes going to do with the truck but if its anything like what most of us will do or do do, its probably just blvd cruising, run to work a couple days a week in the summer and some long distance trips here and there. I think this setup he just proposed is fine and will work great. Though I would mount the shocks out there nearest to the wheels I could. That will be a much easier job to do as well...

As a point of reff, my bags are mounted on top of my lower four link bars and the bars are inside the frame rail. My lower bag plates are offset towards the driveshaft and gusseted back to the lower bar. She rides great and even handles pretty good.... If I need to take a corner faster than I should, I just air down one side of the truck and make it lean into the corners, though this is extremely rare as I am typically not in any kind of hurry when driving the toys!

 

I'm not talking from my racing experience here, but rather my basic engineering and physics background and common sense. Let's take it to the extreme to better visualize and understand what will happen, and put one airbag (or coil spring so you don't think I am just picking on 'bags) right over the center of the rear axle. If all bumps and undulations were equal height and perpendicular to the direction of travel like a set of RR tracks, the rear axle would move straight up and down and the spring would work just fine. The problem develops because in the real world the rear wheels move up and down independent of each other because most bumps and undulations are not equal under each wheel and the body rolls as you go around a corner pushing down one wheel and lifting the other. Now instead of the rear axle moving up and down, it is rocking like a teeter totter, the center of the rear end is moving up and down little to not at all. The spring is no longer acting as a spring, but rather becomes a very wobbly pivot and instead of compressing it bends into a "( "shape. If it curves enough it pops right out sideways, or at least it stretches on one side and squishes on the other while rocking back and forth, producing no spring action. It more resembles the motion of an un-canned cylinder of cranberry jelly standing on end if you rock the plate. If you use 2 springs or bags 1/2 way between the axle centerline and the wheels, you get some spring action, and some cranberry jelly wiggle. If you try to correct it by mounting the shocks outboard, you are attempting to use the shocks as springs which won't work unless they are coilovers.

 

These pics are from a VW forum I frequent. Hope they give you an idea.

 

well this is what ive done! Now that was simple!!LOL now off to install the tops!! Wish me luck!<a href="http://s919.photobucket.com/albums/ad37/rtcalabrojr/?action=view&current=003-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad37/rtcalabrojr/003-3.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

i think i will use a light set of coilovers on the outside. as i will be towing my bass boat around iowa. should say the east side. toungue weight is aprox 350 lb or more. if i never towed anything i would just leave it alone. the shocks only need to travel 6" will you be able to use your step to hold the top of air bag. my axle hugged the front of the step. your cool flames are facing the wrong way. no chance of putting on back side. every one has different idea's gas tank takes up space thinking of rasing my floor to top of step. to mount tank in front of axle

 

If the coil isnt mounted directly over the wheel's centerline, and I have never seen a vehicle setup as such, the coil will undulate as you describe in your example. The closer the center of that coil is to the centerline of the wheel, the less undulation it will go through. Conversly, it is common sense that the closer the springs get to the center of the axle the more "cranberry dance" its going to do.

That being said, nobody is talking about mounting the bags in the center of the vehicle, and rarely is that done (Pro-Street applications being the exception). I will also point out that with the bags fully inflated at close to max psi there will be significantly less movement in the bag (cranberry dance) than any coil spring you would encounter mounted as close to the wheel's centerline as possible.

Everyone has to make up their own mind, design the suspension for thier own needs and put in thier own research time. Its your ride, do with it as you will. That being said, my bagged truck has more suspension under it to tow and haul loads with than the axle and engine has the capability to handle without failure. My rear axle will fail LONG LONG LONG before the suspension gives up the ghost! 350lbs on the tongue is nothing as long as the load as it is transfered to the rear axle doesn't physically fail that axle.