Guest Anonymous Posted December 7, 2001 Share Posted December 7, 2001 anyone know -how it works -how it handles -good setup -links and manufacter thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 7, 2001 Share Posted December 7, 2001 I've seen them in Rods before, very cool. The bags I saw were made by Goodyear and were pretty heavy duty. The car I saw them installed in had onboard compressor and could drop the car to the weeds and then back up to a good ride height. I just ran across a place the other day that is advertising as 'coming soon' a Air Strut system for imports! I'm not sure whats involved, or if it'll just be current import cars. Due to the way an air spring would have to have a hole in it (like a donut) for the strut to pass through, I'll be interested to see if they do that, or use some modified strut with air suspension built in it. I may send them a mail and find out. Heres the link: http://www.ridetech.com/toc.htm Oh well, thats my .02 on Air springs, I like them and would use them if I had a chance. Be nice to get the Z up in the air for those rough urban roads (i.e. Paved Oxcarts roads) and them drop them so people think it looks 'cool'. As far as spring rates, I'm not sure how that would work,I suspect it would raise as you put more air in it, but then so would the car. It probably isn't for those who want to race and such, but for a driver/cruiser I think it would be cool. Regards, Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted December 8, 2001 Share Posted December 8, 2001 I have read about air-ride suspensions and they claim that it does not hurt handling at all(actually improves it) and it gives you a great feeling ride w/o harshness. I have seen the kits for Hondas, but I have never been in a car with the setup, so I can't comment on anything other than what I have read. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Thurem Posted December 8, 2001 Share Posted December 8, 2001 Citroen in france has had a hydro-pneumatic linked suspension system for decades, in most of their cars. Very cool with airsuspension backed up with linked hydraulic shocks. I don't know much more about it unfortunately. Thure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 8, 2001 Share Posted December 8, 2001 Check out the back of big rigs drive axles, they've used them for billions of miles without a problem. Update: on the 'air strut' I contacted that company I posted about it, and it seems they make a 'universal' strut that you'd have to make mounts to work in your application is what they told me. Well thats well and good, but I don't think it'll work on the backs at all, without serious mod's a 'universal' strut isn't going to hold the wheels up like the Datsun one did, the front perhaps, its not totally different to say a later Mustang or something (different enough not to be a bolt on obviously) but it'll be a 4 out of 5 socket wrench build. Oh well, thats what I was able to find out from them, just thought I'd post the result of the Email. Regards, Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 8, 2001 Share Posted December 8, 2001 I've been in one of these air-ride equipped cars. To be exact, a '96 Honda Civic. It works fine if you're riding on flat pavement but when you encounter a bump or two, or a series of potholes, have you mouthpiece ready. I'd expect the airbags to be able to "absorb" the potholes but they don't, they slammed very hard. Handling becomes bouncy if you're driving the thing hard. I don't know if it was these were inherant drawbacks to all air-ride systems or if it was just the kit that he bought but my opinion thus far is that they're made only for the "cool" factor and not much interested in ride comfort or performance. BTW- My Infiniti has Active Suspension in which the struts are actually hydraulics. A system of G, Yaw and road sensors pick up and depressions in the road and the control the hydraulic actuators so that the car remains as flat and smooth as possible at all times. When doing hard, fast turns body-roll is minimalized as much as possible. You can even program some opposite lean into the turns. This system is just now starting to pop up in some of Mercedes and BMW's top-echelon cars. Wonder if something like this pops up in the aftermarket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted December 9, 2001 Share Posted December 9, 2001 Hrm, maybe they are best for very large or very cars? It would seem like that would be the case--hence the use in street rods like '40 Fords and the like, and also in trucks. Oh well, I'll stick to Tokiko's. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 9, 2001 Share Posted December 9, 2001 You may be right Davy, I've never heard the rod guys complain, most like the ride from what I've heard. It might require a different suspension setup to optimize the ride I donno. Oh well, it would be a nightmare to install and the only benefit is ride height, I guess theres Coil overs for that... (just not from the drivers seat unless you have long long arms... ). Regards, Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruxGNZ Posted December 9, 2001 Share Posted December 9, 2001 There's a guy with a '96 Integra LS with the air ride suspension where I keep my car. The company that did it was from Chicago. They came up here, flatbed his car down there, installed the suspension and brought it back for a little more than $3k. He admits, the ride is horrible, but his car is just for shows, so he doesn't care. Also, the tanks and all the other stuff takes up a lot of space, and when the thing operates, it's pretty loud. I would say, it's not for our cars. !M! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted December 18, 2001 Share Posted December 18, 2001 Air bags are constant rate springs just like regular coil springs. If they are sized and pressurized correctly they can work very well. Unfortunately, all the ones that I have seen are designed more for ride height control than performance. The Mother's 3.8L Supercharged V6 PT Cruiser displayed at the SEMA show had an air bag suspension on it. The night before it was to be shipped off to SEMA they brought it to us at EMI to "fix" the suspension because the car was basically undriveable over 30mph. We had to shim the bag mounts so the car could run low enough pressures and still have some ground clearance. It still handled like poop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted December 19, 2001 Share Posted December 19, 2001 Looks like a nice toy for a poser. I don't even like street rods with it. It takes it again into the realm of cool looks that aren't functional for me. Ride around at a reasonable ride height and get to the show/cruiseplace and "lower" your ride. No thanks, not for me. JMO, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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