Riles

iTrader: (1)

Does anybody use air helper springs? When I search, I see a few peopole ask about them, but very little is said.

I'm building the evoluzione kit, and it needs be dropped very far. I already have around a 1.8 inch drop using lowering springs, and the car needs to go at least another 2 inches, maybe 3. Obviously, I am concerned about speed bumps and driveway entrances.

So, in my mind- I have two choices:
1. A full airbag setup
2. Cut springs (or custom wound shorter springs) and front helper bags, just to raise the front when I need to clear a bump.

I was first leaning towards the airbag setup, but due to the cost and complexity, I just started considering the helper springs. I still want to be able to drag race, so I want a good rear suspension for hooking up (probably not the air ride).

Does anybody have experience with the air helper springs? I'd like to know if they would work to raise my front end a few iches for a period of maybe 30 seconds total, so that I can manuever around speed bumps, but still preserve the ride of a metal spring suspension for the rest of the trip.

Riles

iTrader: (1)

Actually, these things are pretty cheap, so I'll give them a shot. If they don't work for the front, I would have to buy an air ride setup anyway, and I'll just move the bags to the rear to help stiffen things up in drag racing.

It may seem ghetto to only do the front for air suspension, but I really need to drop the car far (3 or so inches), but like I said earlier, I need to be able to drag race. So, air up front and coils in back seems to make sense to me.

But, hopefully it'll be coils in the front and back, and air where I see fit.

*Remember- the air isn't for performance or looks, its just to get over speed bumps and into driveways/garages. I don't car if I scrape my tail pipes, as long as I don't scrape the paint.

BMmonteSS

You're going to have so little suspension travel at that height staying with coil springs isn't really going to gain you anything.

You are also going to have to majorly modify your bump stops and fender wells to run this low.

Riles

iTrader: (1)

I was worrying about that too- once its dropped that far, there won't be very much spring left anyway. The kit is designed for drop spindles, although they make no mention of what to do about the rear.

I'm friggen stuck. The wheel gap looks rediculous, even with the eibach springs. I might just have to go with a full air suspension in the front, but I'll still have the same problem- I'll still have a very short travel.

I just don't like the fact that dropped spindles are 100 bucks more than air suspension, and don't offer any help over speed bumps.

I've heard mention of cutting the perches on the rear axle and re-welding them lower. This would preserve the travel while lowering the rear.

Any ideas would be appreciated. Here is a quick outline of the problem:

- the kit is designed for dropped spindles and lowering springs
- nothing is mentioned about lowering the rear to match

since the spindles do 2", and the springs do between 1.5 and 2", the overall drop is between 3" and 4". Although, the entire car is now fiberglass instead of metal, so the springs would probably be more like a 1" drop.

compuwiz1937

iTrader: (17)

There was a thing about that on Horsepower TV a while back about an event Air Ride had and they got a late model Camaro and had some drivers take it around the track and then the swapped out the stock suspension to Air Ride and the difference was night and day. I wanted to get the Air Ride setup but I really didn't want to have to cut the spring pockets in the front to fit the bags in there and I don't have any room for the compressor, tank, and solenoids.

Riles

iTrader: (1)

I guess my big worry is that drag racing suspension and road racing suspension are two different beasts. I want to be able to hook the rears up and go- I'm not really concerned about the handling, and I am convinced that air suspension is at least as good as stock for cornering and such (probably much better).

My other problem is that I don't really have room in my budget for both the front and the back. I still have to pay for a great paint job, the rest of the suspension stuff, a completely new interior, standalone aftermarket fuel injection, and hopefully a turbo. I've got alot more to spend on the car, and originally only budgeted $400 for the suspension, since I thought spindles were still available (and got free lowering springs with the car).

compuwiz1937

iTrader: (17)

Nevermind.