I found this pic of Hillaholic's conversion. This is actually MadMike's buggy...My bad.

I plan to make my own utilizing some 1" chromoly heims from another project. I plan to make a double spring plate design using 3/8" plate. The question is, what type of steel is best for this application? If the steel is too soft the holes will elongate. Too hard will work harden & crack over time.

I plan to run Firestone 2600# air springs out back. I want to run a separate 2 gallon air tank to each bag. Is 2 gallons enough or can I go even smaller? Maybe 1/2 or 1 gallon per bag?

If I am running air bags without torsion bars do I need coil over shocks? I have searched the forum for these answers but came up empty. I assume the bags & coil overs would be too much together.

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That looks like madmike's setup, he should be able to answer what he used for the steel on that. I run slam specialties re-6 bags with nothing else but a set of procomp shocks. I am going to add on a set of kyb gasajust shocks, so it isn't so bouncy. You will not need any other sort of spring besides the airbag, and I don't run any tank, just schrader valves in each bag.

I really like that double shear set up,,,I am in the process of making mine double shear too but elcheapo. I like a compressor with small tank,,what ever fits,,,it is nice to be able to air up tires or change the pressure in the bags with ease.

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If your clutch ain't slippin,, you probably got it adjusted right!!!!!

Yea that’s not mine. I just used double spring plates and poly bushings with no torsion bars.

hey firebug, when you took the plates off were there bent bad? they looked jaked up at d&k. Rick

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Air cooled forever,i hate rusty tools!!!!!!!

My bad....I was viewing a thread on air bag suspensions & you were replying to a post by MadMike who originally posted the pic. Good thing I didnt PM you with a bunch of questions.....

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The plate was not bent too bad,,I hit it a few licks with a bfh and got it straitend up. today I am gonna make a double shear hickey. I would have never noticed it if you hadn't pointed it out to me at the hill climb.

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If your clutch ain't slippin,, you probably got it adjusted right!!!!!

thats is a very nice set-up but you can take out the trosion and it works fine and is alot ceaper but i would recommend dual spring plates and good bushings as already said.... as far as bags and coilovers kinda pointless, if you have the money to buy good coilovers you wouldnt need the bags...
i have my bags tied together with a schrader and gauge wiuth a tank and valve to air up or down bags. i run fox shocks and my ride is very nice....try to get ur bags as close to the wheels as possible, you can run less psi and you will lose alot of the bounce that ppl get with the airbags...

Here are some pics of my elcheapo spring plate set up,,,

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If your clutch ain't slippin,, you probably got it adjusted right!!!!!

Firebug, take a closer look at MYset up. It was designed to be just like the inboard pivot. The outer plate retains the head of the socket head bolt that passes through it. The way your doing it, the only way to tighten the heim up is to bend the outer section. If you make the gap too tight you'll have a hell of a time getting things together.

My air ride is a static system, set it and forget it. I have two small medical oxygen cylinders as expansion tanks, the size of the tank should be the same as or larger than volume of the bag it's hooked to.

I would, as always, suggest going with the biggest bags you can fit in. The larger the capicity of the bag the less air pressure it takes to maintain your desired ride height. The less air pressure, the smoother the ride. There is no need for additional springs.

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Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.
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Mike I like yours better,,I just did what I could with what I have to work with, ,,where did you get that device

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If your clutch ain't slippin,, you probably got it adjusted right!!!!!

The car is 100% home built. If it was possible for me to make it, I made it.

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Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.
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Thanks for the pics guys. That answers a ton of questions I had. I definitely want a double shear pivot & I am going with double spring plates. I love to jump & I have torn up a lot of singles. I launched my short purple rail off the top of the last dune at Silverlake 6 years ago & landed 2/3 of the way down. The impact tore the holes out of a pair of SAW plates. It also bent my right front wheel, the spindle & the arm the tie rod bolts to. SAND IS NOT SOFT! When you fall 40 feet you are bound to break stuff even when landing on a slope. NO Ill never do it again & yes I was sore from the impact & the belts. I wish I had video of that stupid move.

I think Ill run a 1/2 gallon expansion tank for each bag & maybe a 2 gallon main tank tied to the expansion tanks with shut off valves at each end. The photos of Mikes rail answered the bumpstop question. I will check if I can fit bigger bags during mock up.

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Most bags have built in bump stops too. I did not do it but you could put a tank like firefighters or scuba divers use and put a couple thousand psi in them and last a long time airing up tires and raising the buggy after lowering it. but you would have to have access to special compressor to fill the tank and a special regulator. but some of the crawler guys do it. good luck

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If your clutch ain't slippin,, you probably got it adjusted right!!!!!

most of the crawler guys i know use co2 because the liquid turns to gas and makes more air as it is used if that makes sense and yes it does require a special regulator but about any welding shop that fills oxygen,argon,acetylene, and so on can fill the co2 bottles and u can use one from a fountain drink machine but i think you have to change the valve

also i may be wrong but i dont think that a scuba tank would have enough volume to last long especially airing up tires even with a couple thousand psi because the preassure would drop really fast but i could be wrong jm2cts

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Just Stand On It!!!!

Chris

The paintball guys use scuba tanks filled with nitrogen to shoot all day. The biggest issue I can see with nitrogen is the added weight. Liquid nitrogen is 7 lbs. per gallon. Scuba tanks can hold 4 to 6 gallons of liquid depending on size. Thats an extra 35 to 50 lbs. to carry around. Since I am going to run propane I have to carry around a 70 lb. full tank as a spare. Thats on top of the 70 lb. tank feeding the motor. A 10 gallon gasoline tank full is right about 70 lbs. so thats a wash. I am looking into composite tanks that are 20 lbs. lighter which will negate most of the weight penalty of the second tank. I found a 2 gal. aluminum 250 psi air tank that weighs 2 lbs. This should provide enough air to adjust my bags in the woods without adding too much weight.

I have a set of lightweight nylon wide 5 beadlocks for my V treads which still need cut to shave weight.

This should make up for the heavier Pinto engine,
BTW....I need to track down a set of 4 bolt VW to wide 5 adapters.

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