Air suspension mods

driller

El Presidente
Staff member
Has anyone ever modded the air suspension to be able to 'fine tune' the suspension front to rear AND side to side? Is there any way to monitor air pressure at the individual air bags? ::roll::
 
RE: Air suspension mods

I dont know of any to guage the air pressure, but you can adjust the side to side leveling with the front height sensors.
 
RE: Air suspension mods

If you look at my sig pic, you see what I'm trying to accomplish. I figure I have a lot of suspension issues to tackle, but one good tool in my mind would be to utilize the air suspension to help with the launch of the car as well as bushings, shocks, braces and the like.

I've sensor lowered my '93. So if I adjust the front right 1/2" higher, the rear will respond likewise?

EDIT: For those that have the infamous Kale mod, is independant control of each corner possible?
 
RE: Air suspension mods

I thought of this a while back watching other peoples launches. Your pic illustrates it perfect. If there was a way to increase the air pressure to the right rear only i think it would plant the rear end that much better to not take weight off the other side. The sensor would have to act very quickly when the car slams down to compensate the extra air needed in that bag to keep level. Or it could be simply a switch you flick at the track that would run a higher pressure in that bag only, which would require a separate line to it from the pump. Then when you hit the switch when you left the track, it would revert back to its stock settings and close down the high air side and get its air from the stock lowpressure side that the other three bags are using.
I think its doable, but that rear right needs its own regulator and solenoid with two lines going into it. The factory regular pressure line all 4 bags run on and also a "high pressure" line that is on only when you hit the switch to preload it for the twist and shock of launch when the rear slams down. maybee we can get Bluecollar to make us a regulator with 5 air line outputs instead of 4 factory ones with a potientiometer on the 5th line that we can "tune" how much preload we put on the high pressure line going to the right rear?. :eek: Or for that matter put a click switch like the high end shock absorbers use for preload for both lines going to the rear. Then you can do negatives in air pressure if you want on the left side. And a positive higher pressure on the right. Then well all be happy and breaking halfshafts with slicks!!!! }(

1995 DK Blue Lincoln Mark VIII
1998 DK Blue Chevrolet 1500 P/U
2004 BLACK/Silver HONDA CBR 600RR
 
RE: Air suspension mods

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... Or it could be simply a switch you flick at the track that would run a higher pressure in that bag only, which would require a separate line to it from the pump. Then when you hit the switch when you left the track, it would revert back to its stock settings and close down the high air side and get its air from the stock lowpressure side that the other three bags are using. I think its doable, but that rear right needs its own regulator and solenoid with two lines going into it. The factory regular pressure line all 4 bags run on and also a "high pressure" line that is on only when you hit the switch to preload it for the twist and shock of launch when the rear slams down.
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Same as I was thinking. A 3-way solenoid with a separate tunable system for the track. Looking at aftermarket air ride controller setups, you can program each corner to a preset. The trick would be dealing with the solenoids on the factory bags. You could use the stock height sensor setup for the road and switch to the pressure sensor setup for the track. Similar in concept to the cooling fan over-ride I have for the track.
 
RE: Air suspension mods

Mine is set up so that i can individually control each wheel. You could tap into the system and install gauges if you wanted to, in order to fine tune. You could install one gauge and get a reading from each corner by opening the wheel solenoid but not the vent solenoid.

http://www.mark8.org/users/sleeper/solenoid_mod_1.3.jpg

This gives you a switch for each wheel, push it one way it goes up, push it the other it goes down.

For what you want, you could set it up with 4 switches and 2 buttons. The switches would open the solenoids at each bag, one button would activate the vent solenoid and another would activate the compressor. You wouldn't even need any diodes or relays to do it that way. Then you just need to add a pressure gauge to the system somewhere. If you have a spider valve you could probably attach a pressure gauge to the schraeder valve on that. Or attach a transducer and wire up a gauge inside the car.
 
RE: Air suspension mods

Hmmmm... very interesting. BTW, I thought about your setup but hadn't gotten around to searching for it yet. So thanks for the refresher. :)

OK, so you've demonstrated you can control each corner individually. As for the pressure guage, I have a spyder valve yet to be installed, I'll have to look at it and investigate it further. There are remote transducer/gauge setups that could easily be utilized.

From looking at Kale's fastbag rigging, it appears possible to rig up a transducer on each bag? One port for the fill/vent line and one port for the pressure transducer? If so, a guage such as this...

http://www.dakotadigital.com/cartimages/prd_zm_386.jpg
could be used! ;)
 
RE: Air suspension mods

it could be used. that would be cool, you could see the pressures in the rear jump when you hit the gas.

but that's a lot more work to install than what i suggested.
 
RE: Air suspension mods

I agree, but I would think for optimum trim adjustment you're going to eventually need a digital controller with a memory function. You could then totally bypass the stock ride height system for a pressure control system.

A low cost start would definitely be the spyder valve version you suggested. For a little over $100, you could have this...

http://www.dakotadigital.com/cartimages/prd_zm_390.jpg

What pressure range do I need? 0-150psi? 0-400psi?
 
RE: Air suspension mods

i couldn't tell you what pressure to use.

to find out, install the spyder valve, take a wire and jump 12 volts to one of the pins 14-17 (figure out which ones are for the front and do those, the pressure will be higher). Then use a normal tire pressure gauge on the spyder valve.
 
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