Finally installing these old prototype airsprings

[billcu]

I would expect them to fill up faster since they look like they far less air volume. Is that the case? At the same time I would think they may have a rougher ride due to less air, but maybe the air volume has nothing to do with ride feel.

Yes, they do fill faster, but I'm not sure about the rougher ride, I think they're a little softer, but I'm still checking them out.

I sealed up a fitting leak and drove it to work Monday and Tuesday.
It seems to ride great, but it's a bit bouncy on dips and bumps.
It's less bouncy with more air/height.

Luckily, the Asham module lets me adjust the rear to stay at stock height while I check out the ride in the front with different heights. :thumbsup:

The lower bolt hole of the assembly at the lower control arm needs to be located higher, to let the airspring inflate more per height. I'll be drilling some new holes.:cool-blue:

I've been driving with the front end about an inch higher than the rear, that seems to be the best amount of air, but there is still some bounce.

Here's a photo of the car slammed in the front. You can see the bolt hole needs to be raised to get the front lower. It is bottomed out at a height that just looks lowered, not good for Michigan roads.

The second photo shows that I have plenty of room for the new hole.:thumbsup:

 

[tixer]

that's some serious steel on that bracket..

 

[billcu]

I've been driving on these for a while now, and comparing the ride with my stock air ride cars, the green 94, and the white 97.

These prototypes do ride much softer, at the cost of a bouncy ride on rough roads.

I'm getting a bit used to it, on some real rough MI roads, it's nice to have a softer ride sometimes.

They do have a very slow leak, they will slam after about 2 days. That's really not a problem though, as they pump up much faster than the stock springs. :thumbsup:

I think these are made to slam anyway, with a fast bag set up.
Now I'm thinking about an air tank in the trunk for laughs.

I haven't drilled the new holes in them yet, that's next.

 

[billcu]

I'm curious why this bouncy ride is such a problem with aftermarket spring/shocks for the Mark VIII.

I'm wondering if the original rolling lobe design of the airspring adds more shock damping to the system?

We might just be spoiled with a great original ride.

One more thing I did notice about these prototypes, the front end of the car doesn't pop up when you nail it, like the stock units always do.

Maybe the stock units are bouncy on the way up, and the aftermarkets are bouncy on the way down?

 

[beerdog]

Rolling lobe design? Please explain.

 

[billcu]

Here's a pretty good article about air spring types:

http://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/mechanical_components/springs/air_springs

 

[billcu]

Here's a video showing the airsprings inflating from slammed to 8 bars out of 10 on the Asham display.

This is about the height where I've been driving it, although I've been experimenting with driving it with less air, and it seems to ride the same, as long as it isn't too low to bottom out.

https://youtu.be/kZYkFbErvAE

 

[driller]

That's many times faster than any of my Mark VIII's with stock air bags. :thumbsup:

 

[billcu]

Yes, they're a lot faster pumping up than the stock airsprings. It's very noticeable when daily driving, the front pops up, the rear pops up, and it's done. It's got to be better for the compressor. :thumbsup:

I actually had to swap out the compressor in my Green Mark VIII tonight, I've been watching the black prototype so much, I almost forgot how slow the stock springs inflate.

Here's the site that sells the springs now, I think they're the same. I'm going to ask them about the adaptor kit they have.

http://www.airbagit.com/product-p/bag-ocs-linc-x89.htm

 

[driller]

I hope for $75, the "adapter kit" includes new solenoids.

 

[enriquei]

How do you like the ride compared to stock?

 

[billcu]

The ride is much softer over bumps at the cost of being bouncy. If it wasn't bouncy, I'd like these better than stock, but until I can stop the bouncing, I like the stock ride better.

I was thinking that the non pivoting bushing upper control arms might limit the bouncing with these. That might also be a factor with the bouncy coil spring conversion kits, as T birds don't use the pivoting bushings and no one complains about T birds being bouncy.

 

[billcu]

I hope for $75, the "adapter kit" includes new solenoids.

I called them up, the technician told me they were adaptors for the sensors. I tried to explain that the sensors mount to the upper control arm and didn't need adaptors, but he didn't want to hear that. I asked him to send me pictures of the adaptors and any documentation he had, he sent me nothing.

 

[billcu]

I drilled new mounting holes above the original holes to allow the air springs to be inflated more at regular height.

 

[beerdog]

So what do you think soo far?

 

[billcu]

I haven't driven it much like this yet, I'll be driving it to work tomorrow, I'll check it out more then.

 

[billcu]

I drove it about a hundred miles today, at stock height, expressway and around town, it rides much better like this.

It does ride smoother over bumps, but it's still got a little more bounce than the stock air springs, I guess that's the tradeoff.

The bounce is only on larger bumps, and at least it doesn't keep bouncing like worn out shocks on an old Chevy.

 

[enriquei]

Any update? Where could one get a set of these springs?

 

[billcu]

They worked fine until I put the car away for the winter.

Check out post 29-33, I posted a site where these (or similar) airsprings are available.

 

[enriquei]

They worked fine until I put the car away for the winter.

Check out post 29-33, I posted a site where these (or similar) airsprings are available.

Thanks. So ~$400 ea? Yeesh. Will have to take a look though. Maybe there's a way to ease the rebound (stiffer shock inside or adding a secondary shock?)