Well I finally had time to get my air ride installed on the truck and I am very pleased with how it has improved the ride!
I got all the parts and pieces from work, the bags came off a garbage truck tag axle and all the brackets and mounts I made in the machine shop.

Here is a side view the bags will support 3500 lbs each at 100 psi
(It rides smooth and level with 2.5 lbs of air in them!)

The bags are mounted on a new cross member that I made out of 1/2 inch thick steel to replace the the original.

I ran 3/8 air lines from the bags to a schrader valve and gauge to air up the bags until I get the on board air system sorted out.

The rear part of the bag system mounts to the hitch and pivots on 1 inch hardened pins with grease fittings.

I will hopefully get more pics if the weather doesn't get any worse.

Any questions or comment are more than welcome.

Thanks Curtis

 

Wait. i dont understand. does it still have leaf springs? or is it more like 4 link suspension now?

 

It's basically a copy(not knocking it at all!) of the older Kelderman setup. The rear of the springs ride against the air bag(s).

Nice work Chuck!

 

Well...I would like to see a few more pics of the shackle mounted to the new frame work for the air bags before i give my full opinion...not that it matters much..lol Something just looks a little weak right there to me... But a few more pics might help.. the two strap plates should be boxed or something... to me, that just looks weak when it see's a side load..

 

Thanks guys It looks alot like the Kelderman setup because there are a few of them around here for me to inspect.

the straps on mine are 1/4 inch steel and the ones on the 2 Kelderman setups that I measured were 3/16 and I will probably box them in or reinforce them in some way this was just for proof of concept.

It will also need a rear sway bar to control body roll I haven't figured out that little detail yet!

I will try to get more pics tomorrow.

Thanks for the input everyone. Curtis

 

Also, on the straps... I would make those fixed to the air ride bracketry...Where the shackle bolts to the straps... That should be a fixed point... Do you get where I'm coming from?? So, what I would do is, get rid of the straps and make yourself a nice fixed bracket that accepts the shackle bolt that is welded to the frame of the air ride..

 

I would redo the bag lower mounting bar. That looks like 1.5" angle you used. It will bend if you throw much of a load on the truck.

Here is a pic of the orginal kelderman single bag setup.

 

Im not understanding how this setup works... Can somebody post a larger picture of the whole suspension? Please? Thanks!

 

i want to know where you keep your spare tire now?

 

I like the set up, I was wondering if kelderman makes a dual bag set up for the first gens?

 

big the pic I posted is how it mounts under the truck. The bar under the air bag has brackets on the end. Your rear spring shackles hook into those brackets. The upper bag mounting is bolted to the frame. Then the lower bar just pivots and lets the air bag support the truck.

With the single bag if your hauling heavy you air down and let the system bottom out. Then your back using the orginal springing.

Kelderman does make a dual bag for the 1st gens. There is a member here with one.

It wasn't an option with my truck. The dual bag uses a large square box tube that serves as the main beam. It would have interfered with the rear of my flatbed.

http://www.keldermanairride.com/

 

Philip, I have the same setup you do and am wondering why you would air down with a heavy load? Without air in the bag my truck squats something terrible with a large load. All aired up, it is about level wih 2 tons, is very stable and rides really nice. I also have a double convolute bag but I don't know anything about the various bag shapes. Good job on the home brewed air ride Chuck64, post more pics when you can.

 

Thats what kelderman told the owners when these were first produced. I know a guy that installed one on a 4 month old 92 model.

I think kelderman was concerned about the single center mounted bag and possible pivoting issues with a noncentered load.

 

with the shackles not solid mounted to the frame anymore what keeps the axle centered? Looks like you would need a panhard bar. I bet with the leafs and airbags both the rear suspension is really smooth now. Like a caddy

 

The lower bag mount is made with 2x3x1/4 angle and I don't do any really heavy hauling. I used 2 bags because 1. they were available and, 2. I was worried about stability with one center mounted bag.

When I bought the truck the spare was mounted under the truck. When I tried to take the spare out to to the conversion the hardware holding it in was so rusty I had to cut it off with a torch! (good thing I never got a flat since it also doesn't have a jack anymore either.) now the spare resides in what is left of the bed after installing the fuel tanks and stack.

Kelderman does make a two bag setup I drove down to Oskaloosa one day to see them and couldn't see paying that much for something I can make a lot cheaper.

I am also working on a better shackle attachment design that uses 3/8" wall tubing.

Thanks for all the input
Curtis