My new four-linked and air bag rear end

15169 Views 55 Replies 24 Participants Last post by Rvn4me, Nov 29, 2016

WhippledHD

Discussion Starter · Jan 29, 2007

5

OK here's a few bad pics of the new four link I fabbed up for the rear of my truck. In a never ending quest to get the truck to ride smooth down the freeway I went a little crazy. Bags are 10,000lb 8" firestone bags rated to 300 PSI. Joints are Currie joints, 1 3/4" x 1.4" wall tubing for the links. Parrallel four link with panhard bar.

I took pics of the install but my camera is acting up. I took this real quick this morning just to get some pics up. I'll get better pics when I can.

I still need to install the compressor, tank, and Air Ride system. Also I want to hard pipe the air feed lines and use some braided steel lines to mirror the break lines and clean up the rear axle a little. That will be next weekends project.

So far no weird handling issues, rides is good...but I need to get the rear shocks re-valved to work with the bags. I don't think I'm going to need a rear sway bar either, no body roll...at least no more than the leaf spring set-up.

I'll keep updating the picks as I finish up and fine tune the system.

I also have a set of lifted Deaver springs for sale now

Made for a 6" lift.

Chris

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WhippledHD

Discussion Starter · #2 · Jan 29, 2007

Here's my original thread leading up to the four link.

http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124514

moore87

· #3 · Jan 29, 2007

Wow that is nice. How much travel do those bags have? seems like that might pose a problem with too much downtravel/articulation.

Looks like I am going to have a new project on my hands

WhippledHD

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 29, 2007

moore87;1558068; said:
Wow that is nice. How much travel do those bags have? seems like that might pose a problem with too much downtravel/articulation.

Looks like I am going to have a new project on my hands

Thanks. Bags are rated for 3" to 11" right now they are at about 6 1/2" so that gives me a little room. I'm going to add some limit straps just in case.

B-rad

· #5 · Jan 29, 2007

that is great!!! i didnt realize you were eliminating the springs. i need a track bar like that.

WhippledHD

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 29, 2007

Trying to get pics into my garage....any idea how to do it?

carhauler

· #7 · Jan 29, 2007

WhippledHD , Really Nice job!! If you want a better ride a Rolling Lobe type bag rides much better and will handle just as much wieght. Both goodyear and Firestone make them. A double convouluted will not have the travel while inflated. You may know all of this looking at your work this is not your first time. Bet it was a ton less $$ than Kelderman. Are you gong to do a front?

Nick.V70

· #8 · Jan 29, 2007

WhippledHD,

Great job....looks very nice.:thumb:

Nor-Cal Nick

WhippledHD

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 29, 2007

carhauler;1558173; said:
WhippledHD , Really Nice job!! If you want a better ride a Rolling Lobe type bag rides much better and will handle just as much wieght. Both goodyear and Firestone make them. A double convouluted will not have the travel while inflated. You may know all of this looking at your work this is not your first time. Bet it was a ton less $$ than Kelderman. Are you gong to do a front?

Thanks everyone. I went with the double convoluted for space reasons but may end up switching. I'm not familiar with the rolling lobe bags, are they similar to the reversable sleeve type bag?

I've got about $1500-$1800 into the whole set-up and most of that was the Air Ride Technologies Level Pro controller.

DURAtotheMAX

· #10 · Jan 29, 2007

looks good! How does all of the geometry work out? What made you decide to use the dimensions that you did? Is that short-ish panhard going to do anything funky with travel?

WhippledHD

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jan 29, 2007

DURAtotheMAX;1558307; said:
looks good! How does all of the geometry work out? What made you decide to use the dimensions that you did? Is that short-ish panhard going to do anything funky with travel?

Geometry worked out better than I had hoped. No squat or stick bugging under hard accel or breaking. Panhard bar looks shorter than it is because of the joints but we got it almost perfectly level at ride hide and saw nothing funny when we cycled it through it's full range. The side to side movement was only 1/4"...as far as we could tell with a plumb bob.

As far as lenght's I new I wanted to use the stock front spring mount as the upper links mount. From there I used some basic four link rules...like upper link close to 70% of the lower link, shoot for 8" to 11" between links, etc.....The lower link mounts to the frame just sort of fit nicely against the frame there and the math works so we went with it. Again for not doing a more indepth analysis...it turned out great. I thought for sure I was going to need a rear sway bar but so far there is less body roll that with the Deaver leaf springs.

I still need to get the ride quality were I want it....It's kind of all over the place right now....the rough freeways don't to the bouncy bouncy but I can feel small sharp bumps that I couldn't before...I think getting the shocks dialed in is the key now.

I still have a lot of work to do but I wanted to at least get the picks of the main part up.

Thanks again for the kind words so far....this is my first Air Ride set-up so I've got some learning to do on shock set-up now.

Chris

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GMCJOE

· #12 · Jan 29, 2007

Sikkkkk Setup WhippledHD! You did an awesome job on that air bag setup.

You know what man, you should mass produce a few of those kits once you get them dialed in. Then you could sell the kits to all of us on Diesel Place, instead of having to pay so much $$$ to kelderman airride.

Im sure many of us would buy your air bag kit over the kelderman kit!

Just an idea...

WhippledHD

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jan 29, 2007

GMCJOE;1558501; said:
Sikkkkk Setup WhippledHD! You did an awesome job on that air bag setup.

You know what man, you should mass produce a few of those kits once you get them dialed in. Then you could sell the kits to all of us on Diesel Place, instead of having to pay so much $$$ to kelderman airride.

Im sure many of us would buy your air bag kit over the kelderman kit!

Just an idea...

I kept all the bracket templates we made......thank god I had a full machine shop on hand to help out or I'd still be working on them with the Plasma cutter and grinder....

We joked about making this a "kit" with more of a bolt on install but we all have regular jobs and families and after the long weekend we were all toast. I don't think I'm gonna get any help from my buddies for awhile

.

But thank you all for the kind words....I've been kicking around this idea for awhile and it finally came together.

I just talked with Brett King and I'm going to play with the nitrogen pressure on the shocks to see what I can come up with. Also as soon as I get the controller installed...Brett wants to go for a ride and help me dial in the valving.....I knew that they were really good guys down there at King and they're proving it again to me.

Thanks again,

Chris

carhauler

· #14 · Jan 29, 2007

WhippledHD , Here is a link to some data for Rolling lobe type bag, this is basicly the same as reverseable sleeve ,We have always tried to order the semi trucks with the rolling lobe bag to get the best ride , they also have a "sweet spot" in ride hieght that is critical , I have had a truck towed and the leval valve messed with and the ride went so bad you would think it was welded solid just from the ride hieght being 1 or 2 inches off . if you look at how the 2 styles work you can see why one will ride better. Click on the part numbers all the way to the right and it will give dimensions and working limits and this is a small sample. GMCJOE is right you might have a new calling.

http://www.goodyearindustrialproducts.com/airsprings/engineering.html

WhippledHD

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jan 30, 2007

carhauler;1558578; said:
WhippledHD , Here is a link to some data for Rolling lobe type bag, this is basicly the same as reverseable sleeve ,We have always tried to order the semi trucks with the rolling lobe bag to get the best ride , they also have a "sweet spot" in ride hieght that is critical , I have had a truck towed and the leval valve messed with and the ride went so bad you would think it was welded solid just from the ride hieght being 1 or 2 inches off . if you look at how the 2 styles work you can see why one will ride better. Click on the part numbers all the way to the right and it will give dimensions and working limits and this is a small sample. GMCJOE is right you might have a new calling.

http://www.goodyearindustrialproducts.com/airsprings/engineering.html

Thanks for the link.....I just got off the phone with Firestone....you got me thinking....

They agree the rolling sleeve design rides better but for the same load capacity I would need a pretty big bag.....and I don't have the room. They said the bags I have should ride pretty well. I also called a few shops that specialize in air ride suspension set-ups and all of them said I should be riding really smooth, especially with only 35 to 40 lbs in the bags which is what I have to reach ride height, so the problem is most likely the nitrogen charge on the King shocks. Talking with Brett King...the nitrogen is there to control the piston in the remote reservoirs to control oil cavitation in the shock....the nitrogen is normally set at 150 PSI so right now I am probably feeling mostly the shock and not the airbags.....I'll lower the Nitrogen in 10lb incriments and see how it affects the ride...I'll still probably need to revalve the rear shocks since an air bag reacts a lot different than a metal spring. Good news is that everyone I talked with and sent pictures to agree that I should really be able to dial in a "Cadilac" like ride with this set-up, just a balance between the rears and front now.

I don't have any plans so far to bag the front but I have the ability in the contoller just in case I really get crazy with this thing...good thing I got the 100k mile warranty on the truck...looks like I'm gonna be keeping this one awhile

Thanks again for the info and I'll keep you guys updated. First thing first I need to finish installing the compressor tank and controller.

Chris

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MAX4X4

· #16 · Jan 30, 2007

Looks good!
Are you sure the weight carrying capacity is ok with the bags sitting on this plate and welds?

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WhippledHD

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jan 30, 2007 (Edited)

MAX4X4;1558678; said:
Looks good!
Are you sure the weight carrying capacity is ok with the bags sitting on this plate and welds?

I fell pretty good about it......pic doesn't show the full welds. It's 5/16" plate....we were going to add some gussets to that side like the oposite side but ran out of time....now that I look at it again...I'll probably add another gusset plate or two in there similar to the other side. That's definitely the week point right now.

Chris

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Duramaxed06

· #18 · Jan 30, 2007

Keep those templates, I may need them someday.

WhippledHD

Discussion Starter · #19 · Jan 30, 2007

Duramaxed06;1558778; said:
Keep those templates, I may need them someday.

No problem.

WhippledHD

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jan 30, 2007

Deaver's are sold. Thanks.

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