Pros and Cons of Convoluted vs Rolling Sleeve airbags?

[sharp67]

I am trying to understand the differences and the pros and cons of the different types of airbags. Convoluted, Rolling Sleeve, and Taper. My application is my towing rig a 1986 chevy c30 1 ton crewcab dually. rear. I would like to maintain my leaves for axle locating only. Im also interested in the differences and how they would affect a application on the rear of my 67 Camaro.

[marolf101x]

In general:

Double Convoluted:
-shorter stroke
-higher spring rate
-higher load capacity
-larger diameter

Rolling Sleeve:
-longer stroke
-lower spring rate
-lower load capacity
-smaller diameter

Tapered Sleeve:
-same as rolling sleeve

Now, if you look at our site, you'll notice our dually kits have a very large rolling sleeve air spring in the rear. I stated earlier that the double convoluted air spring offered higher load capacity. . .well, in a comparable size it would. But the rolling sleeve used under the Dually is quite large.

Basically, you want to look at how much weight you are lifting, and how much suspension stroke you have. That will determine what type of air spring you will use.

If you need specific help, call us up. We've worked with more air springs than most.

Here's a quick explanation by Firestone:
http://fsip.it/pdfs/newsrelease/MI-May-07-Firestone.pdf

This is an oldie, but a goodie (though it is quite dry reading unless you really want to understand air springs):
http://firestoneindustrial.com/pdfs/OE/AirideDG.pdf

[bret]

To add to Britt's explanation...

A double convoluted airspring has a very progressive spring rate...it gets incrementally stiffer the farther it is compressed. A convoluted airspring might take, say, 400lbs to compress 1 inch, 850lbs to compress 2 inches, 1350 to compress 3 inches, etc. This progression, coupled with the ability to adjust the load capacity and spring rate via air pressure, can be a very powerful tool. At the same time a rookie can adjust it into misery. A convoluted airpsring is more sensitive to the installed or intended ride height of the airpsring than a sleeve style airspring.
A sleeve style airspring has a much more linear spring rate...meaning that it might take 200lbs to compress it 1 inch, 400lbs to compress 2 inches, 600 lbs to compress 3 inches, etc. [Keep in mind these are all arbitrary numbers for demonstration purposes only] A sleeve style airspring is more tolorant of a wide variety of ride heights. Also, with a sleeve style airspring, the linearity or the progressiveness can be manipulated by the profile of the lower piston [the part that the sleeve rolls down over]. With a convoluted airspring the only way to affect the progression is by changing the bias angle of the fabric during manufacture.

That is why you will be seeing more sleeve style airsprings from us in the future. Its not that one is "better" than the other...it's just that the sleeve airspring is more "tunable" by us here at the factory.

Hope this helped more than harmed!

[bret]

BTW...use a 4-5 inch diameter rolling sleeve airpsring on the back of your Camaro. We have them in a ShockWave configuration or as a stand alone airpsring that would need a separate shock absorber.

[sharp67]

So its an 86 chevy c 30 crewcab dually. I see that there are some prefabed systems but id rather put the money in the Camaro. What I am trying to accomplish is Lower the rear a little, soften the ride when not towing, maintain 1 ton capacity or so. My thought is pulling a leaf or two and leaving the rest for locating the rear, maintain sway stability. Then mount some bags over the axel or just behind the axel. locating the bag mounting and the bag specification are my key concerns. With my goal of keeping it soft but maintaing load capability, Top of axel? or just behind? Convoluted, or the rolling sleeve? piston profile? any bag recomendation? larger dia? smaller dia? I like the idea of progressive. If I change the psi from loaded to unloaded can I control the harshness? If I need to call for all this, let me know and I will.

Thanks,

Jay.

[marolf101x]

The easiest way to accomplish your goal for the truck is to purchase a kit for that vehicle. Firestone RideRite kit Part# 2071
This is a general kit, but we've used them in the past for simple installs and they work great.
The kit has the double convoluted bag that can lift 2140lbs at 100psi each. The limiting factor with the double convoluted is travel, but since you are keeping the leafs travel is usually not an issue.

You can find kits here:
http://www.firestoneindustrial.com/riderite/rrkit/

Here are the instructions for your reference:
http://www.firestoneindustrial.com/pdfs/RR/installation/2071.pdf

You can control that system with a simple schrader valve (like old air shocks) or you can use any of our manual systems to adjust air spring pressure from the cab of the truck.

Kit with overload compressor (small compressor, no tank):
http://www.ridetech.com/shop/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=6467

Kit with larger compressor and storage tank:
http://www.ridetech.com/shop/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=6461

When you get around to the Camaro let us know and we can set you up with everything needed to make that car scream:
http://www.ridetech.com/shop/index.php?dispatch=categories.view&category_id=1898&subcats=Y&features_hash=V39

[Tony@AirRideTech]

Depending on how you are planning on lowering the truck the bolt on Firestone kits may not be the ticket for you though, I would think that an ideal situation for what you are planning on doing would be to drop the truck, Use our F9100 Tapered sleeve airsprings, our A497 weld on axle drop bracket, A002F weld on upper bracket... take a couple of the shortest leaves out of the pack and use the airspring to bring you back to ride height.
The F9100 is a great spring for an application like this. In a set up like this the airpsring and the leaf pack are working together to maintain the 1 ton capabilities... The ultimate way to go would be to bolt our AirBar in the back with the F9100 Rolling Lobe springs... Ive got this set up on the back of my 85 Crew Cab and I love it.

Tony....