Keep my air ride or sell and go coil-overs?

[Wall]

I'm in the process of building my car and bought a used Ridetech air ride setup a while back. Now I found out the rear shockwaves are too short for car my car (67 Firebird with Ridetech 4-link).

So now I will have to buy longer shockwaves for the rear or sell the whole setup and just go with coilovers. I've always wanted air ride but I'm getting tired of spending money on this project and just want to get it running & driving.

My goal for the car is to have a relativity comfortable driver, no plans for any type of racing.

Is air ride going to be worth the trouble or should I just sell it and go with Ridetech coil-overs?

[csouth]

With the a Air Ride setup being used when you purchased it, you may see less money than what you purchased it for. If all you need is 2 new shockwaves, I'd grab those and move forward.

[bret]

I'm in the process of building my car and bought a used Ridetech air ride setup a while back. Now I found out the rear shockwaves are too short for car my car (67 Firebird with Ridetech 4-link).

So now I will have to buy longer shockwaves for the rear or sell the whole setup and just go with coilovers. I've always wanted air ride but I'm getting tired of spending money on this project and just want to get it running & driving.

My goal for the car is to have a relativity comfortable driver, no plans for any type of racing.

Is air ride going to be worth the trouble or should I just sell it and go with Ridetech coil-overs?

What length are your rear Shockwaves?

[robeffy]

I am not a fan of Air Ride type suspensions. The air pressure changes the spring rates, in my opinion.

If so, how do ever know how the car will handle, if the spring rates change every time you adjust the ride height? Its possible that the change will be unnoticeable, I would look into the effect of air pressure and handling.

With coil overs, you can change things and know where you are, need more spring? More shock? It seems easy to tune it.

[Wall]

What length are your rear Shockwaves?


Bret, when I posted this I thought they were only 3in stroke which I got from measuring compressed and extended lengths.

But these shockwaves had the cans over the bags and I found out the bag was getting wadded up and keeping shocks from compressing all the way.

I was able to remove the cans and roll the bags down, then I measured approx 4.25in stroke. So not as bad as I thought.

These are the Titanium series remote reservoir (AFCO) shockwaves with internal height sensors.

[Rod]

great question Wall, if you already have the system and want a great riding car, stick with the shockwaves, it is a great ride that can adjust to car loads and still keep a cool ride height and smooth ride.....for my own company I am looking for a shop truck and IT WILL BE AIRRIDE EQUIPPED, by far the best towing and cruiser riding suspension I have ever used, just my two cents


I'm in the process of building my car and bought a used Ridetech air ride setup a while back. Now I found out the rear shockwaves are too short for car my car (67 Firebird with Ridetech 4-link).

So now I will have to buy longer shockwaves for the rear or sell the whole setup and just go with coilovers. I've always wanted air ride but I'm getting tired of spending money on this project and just want to get it running & driving.

My goal for the car is to have a relativity comfortable driver, no plans for any type of racing.

Is air ride going to be worth the trouble or should I just sell it and go with Ridetech coil-overs?

[Wall]

great question Wall, if you already have the system and want a great riding car, stick with the shockwaves, it is a great ride that can adjust to car loads and still keep a cool ride height and smooth ride.....for my own company I am looking for a shop truck and IT WILL BE AIRRIDE EQUIPPED, by far the best towing and cruiser riding suspension I have ever used, just my two cents

Thanks Rod, good info! The more I think about it the more I think I would regret getting rid of it. Air ride has been on my wish list for as long as I've had my car so I need to at least try it out.

[MonzaRacer]

I am not a fan of Air Ride type suspensions. The air pressure changes the spring rates, in my opinion.

If so, how do ever know how the car will handle, if the spring rates change every time you adjust the ride height? Its possible that the change will be unnoticeable, I would look into the effect of air pressure and handling.

With coil overs, you can change things and know where you are, need more spring? More shock? It seems easy to tune it.

ACTUALLY, the way you setup airvride is , from my experience, run the springs up high, then keep dropping till ride height is set. Note that, then if you think you need to stiffen or lighten the spring rate you can drop or raise a few lbs to adjust for driving conditions. This would be your ride heigh/alignment setting. Lower pressures equal less load cap, and height. Add weight or need to stiffen up a corner add few lbs. Most generally your preferred height pressure is sufficient to handle near perfect and all that needs happen is tune adjustments (shock) or sway bar. I had rear cool ride on my 71 Monte, I set one side at 70 and other at 65-68. Used Monroe Sensa-tracs and car was awesome in corners and curves. VERY limited body rol, great traction, and when i decided to carry bunch of chevy blocks and heads in trunk, I did. Added about 15 lbs to both sides and car was awesome, I swear if i had put drag tires/slicks on the car would have pulled front end. It road like a dream. My 78 C10 was handing as good or beatter than a modded 01 Camaro on a twisty state road from Bloomfield to Solsberry. He could not pull away from me , much, but I could always overhaul him in straights. And my tires were 255/70/15 & 30x950x15.
Great thing about air springs is as the car rolls and loads outside spring it doesnt roll over, it just rolls and sets. But understanding that air can and will , with proper setup, spank on steel springs.
To say I love air ride is understatement. I watched big name suspension maker call air ride a fair ground cruiser, lowrider only application, and thought " well wonder what Bret thinks about that and next outing in magazines Ridetech equipped cars stayed with or spanked steel springs, come forward over 10 yrs and Ridetech has gotten better than ever.