The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Air ride suspension

I am at the point of changing out the whole suspension of my truck. It rides pretty good for a leaf spring, straight axle truck, but after 270 miles of rough Kansas and Missouri rodes this past weekend, I am ready to throw in the towel. I hate to be like all the street rods and install a Mustage 2 front clip, so what else is out there?

It rides like the front springs are way to stiff for the weight. I have removed three of the smallest ones, have Teflon liners, and all new bushings and mounts. These are as good as they get, the springs are two years old from Benz springs company. There is just no give to them when hitting bumps, concrete highway slabs about beat you death after four or five miles of them!

I am going to change out the shocks before I truly decide on a major change, but I am starting to look for ideas.

I would like air ride on a straight axle but can't come up with a way to do it. Has anyone ever seen this done safely?

What are my choices?

Joe

Joe....I'm sure if your axle was bottoming out you would see evidence on the bumpstops,but is it possible your shocks are?
I had a problem a few years back with a lowered car,turns out the supension was fine,it was the shocks reaching the end of their travel before the suspension was at full compression.....
Just thought I'd throw this one in before you start splashing the cash.

I know there are solutions for the rear,using a light monoleaf and an airbag,but don't know if this could be adapted to work on the front.

If you are only half decent on fab work, it should be a simple Job. I know I had it easy on installing them in place of coil springs but I would think you would find it easy.

I've had people tell me that the airbag 'ride' is harsh and have removed them for that reason. I've installed a C4 'vette front end on my street rod and is very smooth. Downside is very few options for ride height. Cost $500.00 on eBay. Here's a trick to see if your shocks are bottoming out. With the car at ride height, tighten a plastic wire tie on the shaft where it goes into the shock body. Take it for a ride over a rough road then see how far the wire tie has moved up the shaft.

Shock are my main concern now. I have a road close to the house thats pretty rough. I plan to remove the front shocks and test drive it. Its a 30 mph road so it should be OK for a test. If its way different then with shocks, I will go shock hunting, or if its about the same I can figure its the spring rate thats to high. The late model 250 is lighter then the OEM 216 was, so the springs could very well way to stiff.

I would hunt down a truck with M2 or air ride and try to get a ride before really committing to one or the other. Right now I am doing my home work so to speak so if it comes down to changes I will know what I am doing.

Joe

If you want to keep the straight axle and soften the ride up, best thing I can suggest is talk to a spring shop. You can get the monoleaf front springs, but if you don't want the 3" lowered height they are designed for, have the spring shop recurve them for that 3" height back. Should be cheap and easy to do.

I am thinking of that myself. I have a rock-hard 3/4 ton, but keeping the straight axle wouldn't bother me so much if I can change two things, the harsh ride and the stock steering. Fix those two things and my complaints about my truck are over.
I mean, look what all the street rodders do. There are different options that still allow you to keep the straight front axle. I suggest looking into Speedway Motors for some options.

Fiberglass Vette springs are a dang good idea, actually. Glad you mentioned it. I have a 330 lb/in fiberglass rear spring in my Corvette and it rights VERY well for a leaf spring car. Also handles very well. Now that you mention it, I bet I could think of a way to convert my truck to a transverse Corvette fiberglass spring. Or even two Vette springs in the stock locations, if they're very light springs. Thanks for the idea.

In the past 70 years engineers have learned that ride can be improved by using less leaves. This does not mean removing leaves from an exiting stack. That will make it worse. A 3 leaf spring with thicker leaves engineered from the ground up will improve the ride a lot. And good shocks are a must. Air ride has been tried on front ends with I beam many times, but it was never very successful because of the side to side sway. Air on the rear axle is very doable.

There are air ride kits available for the coil spring ford and Dodge 4x4s with the coil spring front axle. Those are made more for rediculously high lifts on them, but checking those out might help you get an idea on how to set them up. I would think something along the lines of the compact Jeep Cherokee 2wd suspension would work well with airbags. It's a 4 link system with a Panhard rod and cross steering.

After my test drive today with out shocks, I believe the springs are still a bit stiff, but the shocks are to long. They have only 1.5" travel before hitting bottom. I am now shopping for shorter shocks and heading o the spring shop for advice. I would think remove a few more leafs might help if you could control the bounce with good shocks.

I will let you know what the spring shop thinks, they have been in the same building since 1927!

Joe

Joe,I think you've just confirmed my suspicions about the shocks.

Personally I would try and get Gas shocks as they will dampen the 'bounce' a bit better.

I hope you get the problem sorted.....Keep us posted.

I am surprised you didnt suspect the shocks sooner. I had a friend who lowered his 39 Chev complain about the ride. My first question was "did you check shock travel?".

It just didn't dawn on me to check them, I only lower it 1 or 2 inches and that was a little here and there over a few years. Just wasn't thinking I guess!

I was at the spring shop today and learned a few things.

1) never ever, remove the second longest leaf, its a back up to the main leaf,

2) remove every other leaf starting with removing #3,

3) the lower short ones are support for really heavy loads and don't do much for ride quality.

and #4) keep them clamped together for support but not so tight you bind them up.

So I am removing and replacing leafs for a total of five out the original 8. I am using the shortest (#8) only for a spacer.

Once the springs are back in place I will do something about the shocks and/or mounts. Finding really short stud mount shocks is pretty hard. Going longer by moving the top mount will really increase the number of shock that will fit.

Joe

Just FYI Gas Shocks Do nothing to Dampen The Ride .

The Gas Is Used To Keep the Oil In the Shocks from Foaming Airation in the Oil Will cause poor dampining.

Also Shocks Do not Determine ride hieght Or Give Extra Lift or Support to the Vehicals Suspension.

Hope that helps

Unless they're air shocks or overloads.

Very true!

I have the springs back in place. I used the main leaf, #2, #4, and #6 leaf. I left out the #8 since I wanted the front just a bit lower. I haven't driven it since I have no shocks, but bouncing the front, I can tell its way softer. It will actually bounce like a coil spring set up. It would never do that before. I have shocks ordered, so I will know next week weather its better or not.

I may look in to the rear springs while waiting for the shocks. I don't remember what I put under there.

Joe