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xx_ED_xx
07-22-2011, 04:18 AM
Man it is like pulling teef trying to get info on the subject. I can find plenty of forums showing you how to do it the wrong way.

So here is my question and mebbe I can get some answers.

I have an 04 Silverado 1500 std cab short bed. I bought ride tech's 4 link for the rear and ride tech's front setup as well. I currently have just the rear setup on with some wierd paddle valve system controlling each side. At the moment because I am assuming driver placement and gas tank placement I have to pretty much run double the air on the driver side compared to pass side to keep truck level. In the immediate future I plan on moving the gas tank centered behind the rear axle to help with weight distribution. And free up a spot for my other turbo and piping.

The truck has the boat anchor 8.1 bbc in the front with a 6 speed. Battery been relocated to pass rear area behind tire. Kinda like a viper but on the other side. The compressor and tank is behind driver tire.

So from what I understand. I need a valve/manifold for each corner? And some kind of controller? Line size helps with speed of height adjustments. I intially want to drag race and do flying mile in the truck. I also need info about shock setup. I mentioned wanting DBL adjustable for the rear and some one said since you have bags it isnt as critical. I am no suspension expert. But I think it still would be. Correct me if I am wrong...

Feel free to post advice before i waste any more money on parts I would like to figure out How to do this right the first time.

Thanks

wellis77
07-22-2011, 04:52 AM
I can't answer your question for you because I don't haven't installed my stuff yet. I encourage you though to put your questions on Ride Tech's forum, http://www.ridetech.com/forum/. Never hurts to go to the source.

dontlifttoshift
07-22-2011, 06:01 AM
I mentioned wanting DBL adjustable for the rear and some one said since you have bags it isnt as critical. I am no suspension expert. But I think it still would be. Correct me if I am wrong...

Thanks

Real quick, since you have bags, shocks ARE critical. Bags (air springs) are progressive and rebound at different rates than they compress so it is extremely important that you control those springs with a quality adjustable shock.

bret
07-22-2011, 06:25 AM
No way do I want to blow you off to a website for ALL your questions...but this is a good place to start. http://www.ridetech.com/info/

Read through that and either call or email us...or post questions here. There is nothing about an air suspension that we cannot answer.

Real quick:

* Shocks are at least as important with an air suspension as a traditional suspension. If you are planning on actively racing the vehicle a good double adjustable shock will be quite helpful
* Any air suspension vehicle needs to have a 4 way controller...one solenoid set for each airspring. The reason is that when cornering, the loaded [or compressed] airpsring will try to fill the unleaded airspring through the airlines if there is not an airvalve solenoid to stop it. A 4 way system will also allow you to compensate for uneven weight from side to side, and allow you to tune the vehicle suspension by applying more force to an individual airspring.
* If you have more than about 20 psi differential from side to side, something is binding in the suspension. Your vehicle is not that much heavier on one side. A trick is to loosen all the control arm and 4 link bolts and run the truck up and down a couple times. Then with the truck at its highway ride height, retighten those bolts. BUT...there is not reason to overtighten. That will only lock everything up. Just snug the nylock nuts enough to keep them from loosening. [you do have nylock nuts, right?]

You can mae that truck a real scorcher...some time and thought are all it really takes. Good luck!

xx_ED_xx
07-22-2011, 08:33 AM
Ok, I have actually called ride tech and a few others, mebbe I am not talking to the right people when i call. I called another air ride place and talked to someone and they were like whats your name and number we will call you back and then never heard from them. I dont think I should have to beat down anyones door to give them my money.

Also speaks volumes about customer service after the fact.

Ok so solenoids/valves? What do i need? Controller I want something a little custom I want these 4 switches and mebbe a few others on my steering wheel to control it. For example the top 4 for all four corners. and mebbe one switch to dump them all at once if held. Is there a controller I can wire up to do something like that?

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

marolf101x
07-22-2011, 09:35 AM
Anyone who knows the Silverado steering wheel better than I please jump in and correct me if I am wrong.
Steering Wheel Buttons:
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you will likely not be able to use the buttons on the steering wheel. All newer GM vehicles communicate on a network. So the buttons on the steering wheel go to a microprocessor. The "chip" changes the button press to an address and an instruction (so, "I'm the volume button and the user wants the volume to go up", for example). The body control module receives this message, and sends it to the radio, and the volume goes up.
The buttons do not have individual wires that you can use for inflate/deflate.
The GM network is not accessible by any control system that I know of.

Valves:
You want a 4-way system. This type of system has one inflate and one deflate valve per air spring. This allows you to control each air spring independently. As has been stated previously you DO NOT want to tie air springs together as ride quality and handling performance are dramatically diminished.
Here's a link to our valves:
http://www.ridetech.com/store/suspension-components/components-hardware/compressor-system-components/valve-bodies/ridepro-4-way-solenoid-block.html

Control System:
Our e3 system is a fully computer controlled system that provides you with full manual control at any time as well as 3 presets (typically "low", "ride", and "high").
For optimum performance you will want to use the LevelPro e3 as it uses both level sensors and pressure sensors to make sure the vehicle is at the proper ride hieing as well as the proper spring rate.
If you want to hide the control panel that's fine by us. Once set up you can have the truck automatically raise to ride height when you start the vehicle. You can then deflate the vehicle as you walk away with the optional remote control key fobs. So if you don't like a display in plain sight you can hide it and forget it.
Here's a link to the e3 page:
http://www.ridetech.com/store/suspension-components/components-hardware/compressor-system-components/ridepro-e3-and-levelpro-components/ridepro-e3-control-system.html

xx_ED_xx
07-22-2011, 01:54 PM
Not a hundred percent sure on that because i have to buy a clock spring with the contacts in it for this wheel.

Do you guys sell seperate valves instead all in one combo. Instead of having the line all the way to the bag from where the assy is mounted pressurized. Then I can just have a short section by each wheel.

Is that the only controller you sell? Do you have a laptop or computer interface type.

xx_ED_xx
07-22-2011, 02:03 PM
Yup verified many more wires coming out of the clock spring for the steering wheel that i have.

marolf101x
07-22-2011, 04:43 PM
Steering Wheel:
Yeah, I looked up pics of the clock spring, and it has a bunch of wires. But to get that wheel to work in a non-equipped truck takes a bunch of re-programming by a dealership, which tells me it's talking to the body control module. My guess is that there are only a few contacts in the clock spring, meaning the wheel talks to the BCM through a two wire "network".
Maybe a Chevy tech will chime in. If it does have individual wires for each button there is no reason you can't make it control each valve.

Valves:
We offer valves that control two air springs or four air springs (not each individual air spring at each wheel). Even if you were able to place a valve at each wheel you still have a pressurized line going from the tank to the valves. If this line were to become damaged your air spring would still deflate as the air spring will bleed pressure back to the tank if the tank pressure ever goes 50psi below the air spring pressure (we use the tank pressure to help keep the valve closed.)

Control System:
The e3 can communicate with a PC (this is how we program it and whatnot) but you have to build the interface that allows the PC to speak the same language as the e3. I've spoken to a few car PC manufacturers about integrating the e3 with the PC in the vehicle, and even given them the information on how to do so, but none have completed it to date.

xx_ED_xx
07-22-2011, 05:38 PM
Ok after my phone going stupid.... Let me retype my response.
Yeah I pulled up the wiring diagram. Since I used to work at GM.
Yeah i looked at the diagram. Looks like if it seesa certain resistance so guess that throws that idea out the window.
I was debating putting one of those micro pc's in the dash and moving the radio and ac controller.

Anyhow good to know about your valves. Not sure I like that setting means my rr wheel valve will always be open.

Is that the standard for valves?

I am sure the front will be another story. 780 pound bbc

Eric Howell
07-22-2011, 06:09 PM
pressurized line going from the tank to the valves. If this line were to become damaged your air spring would still deflate as the air spring will bleed pressure back to the tank if the tank pressure ever goes 50psi below the air spring pressure (we use the tank pressure to help keep the valve closed.)Check valves= problem solved. I thought everyone ran these now.
http://qualityairride.com/catalog/air-management/check-valves

marolf101x
07-22-2011, 06:30 PM
If you have a proper system you don't need check valves. I think of check valves like battery cut off switches. . .you only have one if there is a problem. Fix the problem and there is no need for either. (just my personal opinion, i apologize if you run a battery cut off switch in anything other than a true race car where the use of one is mandated.)

You stated:
"Not sure I like that setting means my rr wheel valve will always be open."
How do you mean by this? If you have our system you will never run over 150psi in any air spring (we design with an air spring pressure of 115psi max).

Please explain and we will get everything figured out.

ROBS6T8
07-22-2011, 09:15 PM
Hey Bret, I'm assuming you didn't get the email I sent you a couple months ago. It was in regards to Foose's Overhaulin 4 door Nova. It belongs to a co-worker and rides real stiff, even on the softest setting. I sent it through here and not my normal email. If you can help let me know and I will try again. Thank you.

marolf101x
07-23-2011, 05:01 AM
Rob,

Stiff sounds like too much spring rate which is stiff, or not enough spring rate so the car bottoms out and feels stiff. Make sure your coworker has the car set at the proper air spring height when at ride height (not necessarily what looks best). 90% of the ride quality issues we find are due to an uninformed customer setting the vehicle at an incorrect ride height.

ROBS6T8
07-23-2011, 05:30 AM
Thanks Britt. I would assume that they would have done everything "proper" on the show. I know he told me a guy in Fresno was in charge of fine tuning it for him. That guy told him he could take it off and go with something else. It sounds as though he wanted it for himself!
I believe there are three different settings and all three were stiff. I have yet to ride in the car because of electrical issues and battery drain! Maybe he's used to these daily drivers! lol But from what I've read, people haven't complained about AirRide being stiff.
I appreciate the help. I'll try to get some more info and let you know.

marolf101x
07-23-2011, 05:40 AM
If I remember correctly the parts used on the show are our off the shelf front kit and rear AirBar; nothing special. So getting everything installed correctly would have been easy as we would have installed it on the show.

If the presets were all set incorrectly the ride quality will suffer.
If the shocks settings are set incorrectly the ride quality will suffer.

Here's the easiest way to do this:
lower the car to the ground.
raise it up 2.5-3 inches (don't pay too much attention to the pressures at this point, we'll get back to those later)
turn ALL the adjustment knobs counterlcockwise as far as they will go
drive the car. . . how's it feel

let me know when this is done and we'll go from there. There are so many things that affect ride quality it takes a little time to go through it all. Dumb little things like having the 4-link bars bolted on too tight all add up in the end.

xx_ED_xx
07-23-2011, 08:11 AM
I run 40 pounds in the RR bag so if your valve needs 50 psi to stay closed then it would always be open. Correct?

I drive my truck, sometimes harder then I should. And I want to be able to keep the system aired up even if i drain the compressor and take the air supply lines off the truck. Texas has this crappy way of fixing the roads. They put tar down then this gravel crap. Then an hour later you are driving on it. I got gravel with tar stuck to various place on the bottom of my truck. Road hazard or something comes up I dont want my whole system down due to one thing.

marolf101x
07-23-2011, 03:07 PM
You misunderstood about the pressures:
If the pressure in the air spring is 50psi greater than the pressure in the tank the air spring will bleed air back to the tank.

So if you have 40psi in the rear air spring, and 150psi in the tank the air spring stays at 40psi.
If you have 40psi in the rear air spring and you have 0psi in the tank the air spring stays at 40psi.
If you have 100psi in the rear air spring and 40psi in the tank, the air spring will deflate to 90psi.
Make sense?

xx_ED_xx
07-23-2011, 03:23 PM
Alright, I would still like the valve to hold pressure regardless of what is pushing it

marolf101x
07-23-2011, 04:35 PM
Simple enough. . .put a check valve between the tank and the valves closest to the tank. The pressure in the line between the two will keep the valve closed as ~150psi will be held in the line.

ROBS6T8
07-24-2011, 07:43 AM
Hey Britt, thanks again for the help. Funny you bring up the 4 link. He did mention something about the bushings being blown out! I'll try to get over there soon.

ROBS6T8
07-25-2011, 12:31 PM
Britt, I spoke with him and yes the bushings are blown out! They tried to remove them but they were too tight with the small wrench they were using. I told them i'd go over there with a breaker bar!