Airbags over leafs?

[lowenbrau]

I constantly struggle to find the middle ground between a rig that flexes well enough to be an effective off-road daytripper while maintaining enough capacity to get over loaded for expedition. I've run Rubithon and Alaska with the tail dragging and I'm looking for the solution. A couple of my pals are having good luck with airbags and four links but heim joints won't survive the Alaska highway though Jonny joints probably will. I'm wondering if I can yank all but the main and military wrap leaves and use a bag to hold up the weight. I'll need a track bar to control wrap and I've already got a sway bar ready to install.

The vehicle is a BJ74, sprung over on flat leafs, on 60 series Full floaters.

Comments?

 

[Scott Brady]

Congrats on owning a very cool machine!

I would recommend running a medium rated spring set, and then use the airbags to accomodate the extreme loads. Converting to multi-link or only using 2-3 leaves with linkage will likely prove unreliable (as you mention).

I am considering a similar approach with my Tacoma.

 

[Brian McVickers]

Here is a product made by the Air Lift Company

I have been looking into it a bit while considering what to do in the long term. I have a self leveling air suspension in the rear now but would like to eventually convert to coil springs for the mechanical durability. I really like the self leveling features for dealing with loads so I am looking into conjoining the best of both worlds.


This one is to be used with leafs
http://www.airliftcompany.com/new-index/Frameset.htm

This one is to be used with coils
http://www.airliftcompany.com/new-index/Frameset.htm

Here is a jeep that used them with coils
http://homepage.mac.com/rv6a/Airlift.html

 

[goodtimes]

Appropriately sized heim joints, on a link that has a low angle (relative to the ground) will last a long, long time. As link angle increases, service life decreases due to them having to put up with more shock loads. Johnny joints are OK, but I prefer the Rubicon Express cartridge joints because they have a threaded plate on one side to allow adjustment when/if the joint wears. Poison Spider Customs also sells a "boulder bushing" which is a nice alternative to heim joints for vehicles that dont need the high angular offset allowed by heims (I will likely be using these on at least on end of my links when I rework the suspension on it). These bushings thread directly into the link just like heims, but, as the name implies, there is a bushing at the end instead of a shperical bearing.

But all that aside, you would still end up running an airbag or air shocks to compensate for the load regardless of wether you decide to go with links or stay with leafs. So what is the advantage of changing to a linked set up. (there are a couple that come to mind.....but they really depend on what you are trying to do with the vehicle...).

 

[Ron B]

Hi guys,
here's something I came accross...called airocks. Sorry if this is a re-post.

http://www.offroadonly.com/products/suspension/airock/

this is something I've been researching for my hummer for a while. ORO also makes the X-Line synthetic rope which is nice.

Ron B

 

[flyingwil]

Thinking about it more, I wonder what the availability is for a replacement airbag when out of the country? It could be a major downfall to bags.

 

[Brian McVickers]

One of the nice things about that sort of setup is that you are not completely reliant on the airbags. If one was to go and you could not replace you would still be able to get by on the coils or leafs although with less performance than your original setup.

The other nice thing is that the bags and their comonents are fairly compact to cary a spare.

 

[Ron B]

looks like those are sleeved bags...I was thinking of using the bellows style (double or triple bellows). When deflated they are small and light, pretty easy to change. They are as thick as a tire sidewall so the chances of blowing one is...?

My mechanic has had them on his humvee for a year and not blown one yet. I'm sold, but need to work out an alternate place to mount the shocks (4 wheel independant). Trying to do bolt-on as much as possible so I'm not cutting/hacking my truck too much (incase I ever want to put it back).

Ron B