Air suspension on a front solid axle
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[edit] Basic information
This article intends to describe the means and options of running air bags on the front of a solid axle car. A dropped axle will be described but any non independant front suspension should be applicable.
Due to the availability Ford axles will be the main focus. Other axles are certianly useable, but more design work will be needed.
Independant suspensions will not be discussed, take it elsewhere.
[edit] Why Air
Air is arguably the best spring material for a vehicle. It is frictionless, lightweight and easy to come by. An air spring allows the ride height to remain constant with varying loads, so if your 95 lb wife ( just pretend ) is driving by herself the car will ride just as nicely as when you have your tubby old but in the drivers seat and 3 of your over eater anomoyous buddies squeezed into the poor car.
A steel sprung car would be designed for a specific load and the little wifey would have a rock hard ride and you buddies would be causing the bumper to drag, and not in a good way.
[edit] Is it really necessary
The front of the car, especially a streetrod, is the most stable and sees the least variation in load. The rear sees the greatest variation. It's even worse if you have a rumble seat or too many doors. Still having air on the front is a no compromise solution.
[edit] Requirements
You'll need beer, an axle, a car to mount it on, some air bags, probably some other stuff too.
[edit] Solutions
[edit] Crossmember bags
This is the cleanest solution. The front crossmember hides two air bags and two bars that replace the transverse spring. The bags push down on the bars, lifting the car.
[edit] Torsion bars with bags
Not really torsion bars as they are not meant to twist, but they look like torsion bars. They also replace the transverse spring with a solid actuator. The difference is the actuator is acted on my the 'torsion' rod which is twisted by the air bag. The air bag is mounted aft of the front crossmember and can be hidden under the cars body.
[edit] Air over shocks
AKA Shockwave. These replace the shock absorber with an airbag/shock assembly. The shock uses the stock or fabcicated shock mount and there is concern of over stressing the mount and imparted twist to the axle due to the one sided mounting of the shock.
