I've been giving some thought to building a truck with an airbag set up. Question is: How feasible is it while maintaining the I-beam suspension? I know on the wishbone set-up its nearly plug and play. I have little/no experience with air susp. but I like the novelty of it. Does anyone have any experience with this or have any pictures, thoughts, etc?

 

When you say "I-beam suspension" are you talking about the Twin I-beam suspension?


When I-beam suspension is said I think the old straight axle & leaf springs.
If you meant the twin I-beam you should say that so we are all on the same page.


Now just like adding a lift kit to the 4x4 trucks with the same type of setup you will have the same issues lowering the twin beam.
Raising or lowering the truck more than (could be less also)3 inches the alinement gets throne way off.


I would say if you want to bag it first do a CV suspension swap and bag the CV part.
Dave ----

 

Yes, twin I-beams, 80-86 specifically. I know the camber is set just so on these suspensions so any tweaks will result in tire wear issues. I didn’t know if an air suspension has a particular “stock” setting so it can be returned to and driven at a particular height

 

I have not dealt with bags but I don't see why you can't add limit switches to stop it where you want it but why bag it if you can only drive it at 1 height?
Dave - - - -

 

Would you like the look of a twin-I beam suspension when you let it down on the ground? The top of the tires would be tucked in approaching a 45 degree angle. You have to remember the beams pivot about on one single mounting point in the center, so they travel in a arc.

The old swing arm volkswagons have the same type of suspension as the twin i beam in the rear. Here's what it looks like dropped on the ground.

 

To use a bag set up (on any twin I beam for that matter) i Could see drop beams giving greater range of motion but that’s still only 1 ride height (right?) the only other alternative is the crown Vic swap, but that’s pretty major surgery

 

Dropped beams would not give a greater range of motion. All they do is change the "sweet spot" you are talking about where normal ride height is. In other words, stock beams need to be near stock height to get good tire wear. Dropped beams will drop the ride height of the truck and still have normal tire wear. But when a dropped beam is dropped radically to the ground, it is still going to travel in a arc and tuck the tires.

P.S. Even a crown vic suspension dropped is going to tuck the tires some. That is the way it's designed, short arm on the top, long arm on the bottom.

 

Can I lower and bag my 66 F100 twin Ibeam with the stock Ibeams?

 

As was discussed in the old thread above, lowering with the stock I-beams, whether done with airbags or anything else, will give you negative camber (tops of tires will lean in). You can maybe adjust a LITTLE of this out in an alignment job, but not much.

To adjust more out you either need to bend the I-beams (used to be a more common fix, not sure who would touch it now) or get aftermarket drop beams that are set up for correct camber with a drop.

But any of this will just allow you to correct the camber for a specific ride height. If you are looking to be able to change the ride height you won't be able to have correct camber most of the range.

 

Like was said in the previous post, pretty much no. The swap people use on your truck are the front crossmembers from a 2003-up crown vic. They almost bolt in to the older trucks like yours.