Growing up doesn't have to suck

[Fless]

Don't worry, I have new shocks on deck for when I drop it. Also working on a possible repurposing of the Auto-Level system.

A classic tease....

 

[iamdub]

Do tell...

Nothing extraordinary. Just getting a new compressor assembly and connecting it to Airlift bags instead of the air shocks. I have the short (Nissan Pathfinder?) Airlift bags to fit lowering coils. I'll have to play with the ride height sensor links to fine-tune the balance of lift at start-up with increased spring rate.

 

[iamdub]

Nice!

Thank ya! It's SOMETHING, right?!

You know how it goes, though. Now I'm plotting on installing those Belltech alignment cams- just doing the little not-so-fun things so I can focus on the big stuff and have it all completed sooner. I'm glad I've already knocked out the bump stop removal!

 

[kbuskill]

Nothing extraordinary. Just getting a new compressor assembly and connecting it to Airlift bags instead of the air shocks. I have the short (Nissan Pathfinder?) Airlift bags to fit lowering coils. I'll have to play with the ride height sensor links to fine-tune the balance of lift at start-up with increased spring rate.

I am curious how this will work out... I have considered it before myself but was afraid I would blow the bags because they aren't rated beyond 35-50 psi.

The factory auto leveling compressor is capable of up to 150 psi according to the techs I talked to at Arnott.

I have been thinking about adding a second set of shocks to the rear end of the Burb.

The reason being is I don't want to lose the auto leveling feature for the times when I hook up to a trailer or load the truck up with luggage and kids for family vacations...

BUT...

I really want to add the Rancho 9 way adjustable shocks to the rear to take the bucking bronco effect when I go over repetitive bumps like on certain bridges.

I hate how the rear end bounces like an old hoopty with worn out shocks.

Ideally I would like to buy the Rancho shocks with the air bladders already on them like the Arnotts and factory shocks... but that is not an option so my second thought was to just add the Ranchos and keep the air shocks I currently have.

I have already found a set of Ranchos that will fit the rear for my lowered application. They are actually for the front end of an older Suburban so the dampening should be good for a heavy truck but they are essentially the same length as the Belltech drop shocks for the rear of my truck with the 6" drop.

I have also considered removing the rear springs altogether and installing the Trailblazer SS air bags and hooking them to the auto leveling compressor to keep the adjustability and then running the Rancho 9 way adjustable shocks to keep the bouncing to a minimum... so many choices... lol

 

[Rocket Man]

Thank ya! It's SOMETHING, right?!

You know how it goes, though. Now I'm plotting on installing those Belltech alignment cams- just doing the little not-so-fun things so I can focus on the big stuff and have it all completed sooner. I'm glad I've already knocked out the bump stop removal!

Rear bump stops as in free travel mod?

 

[Rocket Man]

I am curious how this will work out... I have considered it before myself but was afraid I would blow the bags because they aren't rated beyond 35-50 psi.

The factory auto leveling compressor is capable of up to 150 psi according to the techs I talked to at Arnott.

I have been thinking about adding a second set of shocks to the rear end of the Burb.

The reason being is I don't want to lose the auto leveling feature for the times when I hook up to a trailer or load the truck up with luggage and kids for family vacations...

BUT...

I really want to add the Rancho 9 way adjustable shocks to the rear to take the bucking bronco effect when I go over repetitive bumps like on certain bridges.

I hate how the rear end bounces like an old hoopty with worn out shocks.

Ideally I would like to buy the Rancho shocks with the air bladders already on them like the Arnotts and factory shocks... but that is not an option so my second thought was to just add the Ranchos and keep the air shocks I currently have.

I have already found a set of Ranchos that will fit the rear for my lowered application. They are actually for the front end of an older Suburban so the dampening should be good for a heavy truck but they are essentially the same length as the Belltech drop shocks for the rear of my truck with the 6" drop.

I have also considered removing the rear springs altogether and installing the Trailblazer SS air bags and hooking them to the auto leveling compressor to keep the adjustability and then running the Rancho 9 way adjustable shocks to keep the bouncing to a minimum... so many choices... lol

Oh boy here we go....

 

[kbuskill]

Oh boy here we go....

Is the pop corn because you are waiting to see a dual rear shock mod?... if so you may need a bigger bag of pop corn as it may be a while before I get there... although I do have a pretty good idea as to how I would do it.

 

[kbuskill]

I have the lower shock relocation brackets that the current air shock uses along with the factory upper mount.

My thought was to install the lower mount of the Rancho shock into the stock lower location and then either fab up another upper mount or possibly just drill a hole in the frame in front of the factory upper mount and insert a grade 8 bolt through it and the upper shock. I had also considered buying a second set of the lower shock mounts and seeing if I could invert them and use them up top protruding forward out of the factory upper mount.

Excuse the quick and dirty rudimentary drawing... but something kinda like this...


This way the shocks are in line with each other front to back rather than side by side which would interfere with tire clearance etc.

Sorry to jack your thread Dub... just throwing out ideas.

 

[iamdub]

Rear bump stops as in free travel mod?

Yup. Did it a few months ago just cuz I already had the wheels off for some reason and was in a mood to take a grinder to my ride.

 

[iamdub]

I am curious how this will work out... I have considered it before myself but was afraid I would blow the bags because they aren't rated beyond 35-50 psi.

The factory auto leveling compressor is capable of up to 150 psi according to the techs I talked to at Arnott.

I have been thinking about adding a second set of shocks to the rear end of the Burb.

The reason being is I don't want to lose the auto leveling feature for the times when I hook up to a trailer or load the truck up with luggage and kids for family vacations...

BUT...

I really want to add the Rancho 9 way adjustable shocks to the rear to take the bucking bronco effect when I go over repetitive bumps like on certain bridges.

I hate how the rear end bounces like an old hoopty with worn out shocks.

Ideally I would like to buy the Rancho shocks with the air bladders already on them like the Arnotts and factory shocks... but that is not an option so my second thought was to just add the Ranchos and keep the air shocks I currently have.

I have already found a set of Ranchos that will fit the rear for my lowered application. They are actually for the front end of an older Suburban so the dampening should be good for a heavy truck but they are essentially the same length as the Belltech drop shocks for the rear of my truck with the 6" drop.

I have also considered removing the rear springs altogether and installing the Trailblazer SS air bags and hooking them to the auto leveling compressor to keep the adjustability and then running the Rancho 9 way adjustable shocks to keep the bouncing to a minimum... so many choices... lol

I don't see air bags helping much with your issue of oscillation. They're springs, just like coils, so they can squish and unsquish just the same. You need damping, so shock absorption should be your focus.

I've been pondering the PSI thing lately. The way I'm currently thinking, Airlift makes a bag that is inflated to lift and level a loaded vehicle, and does so with a max of 35PSI. I don't know what PSI the factory air sleeves get to lift the Tahoe. I've read that the compressor is capable of 135+PSI, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's gonna push that amount of pressure into the air sleeves. The system is triggered by position sensors and not PSI, so that's the savior here. I think it's simply that the Airlift bags are multiple times bigger than the air sleeves, so they can lift with a lower pressure, but just require more volume.

So, the compressor may actually work about the same or less amount. It'll run a little longer trying to fill a larger volume, but it's only gonna need to pump them up to ~35PSI (probably as a near-max, too) to get the same amount of lift that the smaller sleeve bags do but at a much higher PSI.

Unless I hear something that stops me in my tracks, I'm just gonna go for it and see what happens. I'm currently shopping replacement compressors and hope to have one ordered for this weekend.