Airbag Suspension

Airbag Suspension
Chevy350 CJ7

Chevy350 CJ7

Jeeper
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Location
Simi Valley, CA
Vehicle(s)
1982 CJ-7, Chevy 350, TH400, Reverse 2 1/2" shackles, 33 BFG Muds, Ford 9" with Detroit Locker, Front Diff - Powerlock, EMU YJ Springs, custom roll cage, herculiner interior.
Anyone seen CJ's running airbags? I've seen this setup on TJ's , but was wondering if anyone knows otherwise.
 
Used for suspension around rocks to make sure you're body is clear and to aid body role. Also, will give the Jeep extra suspension lift when needed, but can be lowered for highway use. The video attached is the idea.

YouTube - Air bags
 
I met a guy who did one about 15 years ago at Moab on a flattie. He could tilt his jeep on off camber hills. It worked well but his actual quality of fabrication was very questionable. He cut his leaf springs in half and used them as lower control arms.
 
I was actually afraid to read this thread.

But I've seen it used in conjunction with leaf springs,
but I've never seen a viable setup, something I'd recommend.
The abuse of serious offroading is just to much for bags, one
broken tree limb in the wrong area and your limping home.

I'd say more trouble than benefit but then again I like being proven wrong.
 
BrockGrimes said:
I was actually afraid to read this thread.

But I've seen it used in conjunction with leaf springs,
but I've never seen a viable setup, something I'd recommend.
The abuse of serious offroading is just to much for bags, one
broken tree limb in the wrong area and your limping home.

I'd say more trouble than benefit but then again I like being proven wrong.
Click to expand...

Probably be good for true rock crawling, but you would have to be careful with regular off-roading. I heard of one TJ with this setup. He was towing it behind his diesel pusher and forget to lower the airbags. The higher camber angle made the wheel push outwards. He never knew it until he stopped. Basically drug his Jeep for 100 miles. The tires had no tread left by the time he stopped.
 
the logical progression would be hydraulics??
Still seems like it would eliminate any "suspension" you may have with the spring arangement we curently use. It could be cool for crawling but I don't see driving it home.
 
they tried to sell that airbag system to the TJ crowd really hard, but it never caught on. It is expensive and does not give back the return per dollar as the coil does. Look at systems that use it, like Land Rover, not a rock crawler at all. Just a expensive toy. I know of 2 guys whoo put it on TJs, one took it off as it inhibited articulation, the other sold his jeep and bought an FJ Cruiser.
 
Thanks BajaEdition.
 
Air bags and Hydralics work different than a shock absorber. A shock dampens the movement. ot does not limit it or make it more. when we add Hydraulics to a system we are talking about rams, not shocks, they are just devices like the ones that run a backhoe. Airbags, while able to bounce a bit, are basicly jst rams to raise and level a platform with a bit of bounce in them.
Nither a ram or bag system will allow a great deal of movement. When we raise a Jeep we are looking for 2 things, first to get clearance under our axles so we can go over stuff, and second to be able to use the full range of the new amount of travel that space has created over the axle. If we use airbags, we have to be able to fill and release automatically as the axle moves, it has not ever been done. All Bag systems do is raise, and create a big bag under there that needs to be deflated to use the articulation, and when that happens you lose both lift and articulation.
So the system looks trick, but sucks on trail as you need to manage the system for every bump and obstacle you come to. You will be aperating the bags more than steering.
 
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