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Re: Air Ride suspensions

To: "Keith Turk" <kturk@ala.net>, land-speed@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Air Ride suspensions
From: Chuck Rothfuss <crothfuss@coastalnet.com>
Date: Sun, 31 Jan 1999 00:05:53 -0500
Keith,

  I have several odd sources of bump stops if you can't find any you like.
I have a few more question about these air bags too.

  Will they do more to work with the shocks in controlling the suspension?
For example, if you hit a bump (at Maxton?) and the suspension compressed
enough to slam into the snubbers.  Will the rebound be the same as with a
conventional coil spring, or will the bag just return to it's original shape
and allow the shock to dampen the bounce?  Will you have to change shocks to
work with the bags?  

  I guess I'd really have to see the car with the air bags installed.  It
all sounds like a lot of work, and leaves you with very limited travel.
Maybe it's time to change the whole front suspension, reverse the spindles
or channel the body if you want it closer to the ground.  

  I got my first issue of Bonneville Racing News today.  Very interesting
reading, and well worth the subscription price.  I'm hoping the "Thunder
Down Under" video is available soon.  While I'm stuck in bed next week after
surgery on my foot (maybe it'll make me faster) I was looking forward to
watching it, over and over...

Chuck "can still drive with one foot" Rothfuss
ECTA
Pole Cat Hollow, NC



At 09:55 PM 1/30/99 -0800, you wrote:
>Well so far so good the car raises and lowers all on it's own.... with a
>little assist from the air compressor... now on to the rear of the car..
>the front bags are done and they work like stink... if pushing on a fender
>is any indication... these should be a Big improvement....
>
>I need to find a quality bump stop though... the lower A frame is right at
>the frame when the bags are deflated and the chassis cross member actually
>sits on the Ground... so a normal bump stop is in order to give it the one
>inch clearance while all of the air is out of them... we installed them so
>there would be air pressure in them at ride height.. Mandatory for making
>them live..
>
>This has been a really interesting solution.... as far as I can tell it is
>going to meet all of my original goals.... 
>
>now for the real decisions like the mini air compressor and the spare
>battery.. to power all the electrical systems not important to the race on
>the track... like starting and so on.. ought to be an interesting day
>tomorrow.... 
>
>Keith Turk 
>Austin Healey 100  /  Bugeye / Box Sprite / Bonneville Land Speed Racer
>Camaro ( D Gas Altered )
>
>----------
>> From: Keith Turk <kturk@ala.net>
>> To: land-speed@autox.team.net
>> Subject: Air Ride suspensions
>> Date: Friday, January 29, 1999 9:23 PM
>> 
>> Lets start with my reasons for running an air ride suspension in the
>first
>> place...
>> 
>> A. for a car to go fast It makes sense that the front end be as low as
>> possible to keep the air out from under it.. 
>> 
>> B. with the change in rear tire altitude to aid in final gear selections
>I
>> wanted to keep the body at the correct rake or angle... The best
>knowledge
>> I have says that about 3 degrees of rake is close...
>> 
>> C. Loading this pig on a trailer is about a two day job... 
>> 
>> D. I wanted a quality set of headers that I didn't donate to the Concrete
>> at Maxton... the Track is great but a car that is this low... doesn't
>fair
>> well on the return road or the cut off to the starting line..
>> 
>> E. I wanted to have the car up to work on it in the pits.
>> 
>> All this having been said the air bags from Air Ride suspensions got here
>> today and I started to work on it... the front left bag is sitting in its
>> well and totally replaces the original coil spring.  the installation
>seems
>> pretty straight forward so far and I am looking forward to hoisting it up
>> the first time with air.. Range of travel adjustments can be made during
>> this installation... but the front are pretty much limited to about 6"
>and
>> the back is limited to 5"
>> 
>> The final Racing altitude is where the front suspension has to be aliened
>> and must be maintained while the car is on the course... But the Ride
>back
>> to the pits will be at altitude to prevent from scraping the headers and
>> cross members off the car..
>> 
>> The Air source for this system has yet to be determined... I didn't order
>> the on board compressor yet as I wasn't sure it was a mandatory
>> requirement... we'll see
>> 
>> Keith Turk 
>> Austin Healey 100  /  Bugeye / Box Sprite / Bonneville Land Speed Racer
>> Camaro ( D Gas Altered )
>
>
>


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