Page 17 - Issue 37

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

QUICK TERMINOLOGY
Ride height: Height at which you will most commonly
be driving the vehicle
Aired up: Bags fi lled all the way up with air
(To PSI rating on the bag)
Aired out: Bags completely empty of air (Collapsed)
Travel: Amount of movement from the “aired up” to
“aired out” position (Airbag selection & suspension
setup determines this amount)
Bag Placement & Mounting:
Decide your primary use for the vehicle. You can
position the airbags for maximum lifting strength
or for maximum travel; you generally cannot have
both. There are 2 commonly used methods:
0 Bag directly over axle: offers the most
strength, but least amount of travel. Best for
weight or towing
0 Bag on bar: Bag is mounted on a bar attached
to the axle (acts as a lever), most lift, but least
strength. Best for light vehicles
Tinman’s Tip: Bags MUST collapse straight in the
aired-out position. They can & often will be at an
angle when infl ated.

Ride Height:
Ride height is generally set about 4” off the lowest
point in your travel. As a rule I generally say anywhere
between a 40-80psi ride height results in the best
overall ride quality, but that is a matter of opinion.
The higher the air pressure, the stiffer it will ride. Pick
a ride height, stick with it & build around that height.
Tinman’s Tip: Using spacers, tack-weld the axle
at the ride height position and work around that the
entire time. Do not use a hydraulic jack to keep axle
in position; I have seen many times where people
leave the jacks under their rear end all night/weekend
and it “drops” a little without them noticing- messing
up their geometry, pinion angle, etc.

Alignment Concepts:
Alignment is the fi nal step of completing your
setup. While you must consider these factors the
whole way through, fi ne adjustment in tie rods/
rod ends allow for addressing small preferences
or changes here. In general your suspension
components should have the least amount of
binding possible at your “Ride-height.”

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