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Author Topic: front air springs  (Read 7285 times)

Offline bobcooter

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front air springs
« on: January 17, 2010, 11:03:06 am »
Has anyone used the AirLift air springs on the front of their truck? It bought a set for my 79 C-20 2WD just to level the front end (it sags just a little on the passenger side) and maybe raise the front end just a little bit. The problem is, you are supposed to squeeze the air out of them and put the cap on. Then fold them like a hotdog bun and stick them up into the coil spring through the hole in the bottom of the A-arm. Sounded simple enough. The directions said the whole job should take around an hour. I was really pumped!
  Yesterday was my second appempt and they are still in the box. I can't get them to go through the hole. Yesterday I decided I would slip them through the gaps in the coils. Not happening. I'm a pretty big ole boy but I'm starting to feel kind of wimpy on this one. Any advice?
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'79 C-20, 350/400, 3:73 gears, 9 leafs and a headache rack
Favorite Quote, "Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement."

Offline Captkaos

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Re: front air springs
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2010, 01:02:43 pm »
Are you lifting the load off the suspension when you are putting them in?  I would think you would have to put them between the coils on our trucks though.
I haven't ever used them on the front of something though.
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Offline bobcooter

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Re: front air springs
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2010, 01:25:15 pm »
Yeah, I disconnected the sway bar, removed the shocks and had it jacked up from the crossmemeber. The wheels were hanging as low as possible. Those bags/cylinders are thicker than you think. When I tried to go in from the bottom I could get  :-\it about halfway in and then the bottom end is just too much to stuff in the hole. I'm tempted to open the hole in the bottom of the A-arm a little bit but I know that's a bad idea...  :(
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'79 C-20, 350/400, 3:73 gears, 9 leafs and a headache rack
Favorite Quote, "Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement."

Offline 78 Chevyrado

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Re: front air springs
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2010, 06:05:19 pm »
If you can get the front end jacked up high enough just pull the coil springs out to get it inside.

When I redid my front end I couldn't find a spring compressor that would work on the front coils so I put a safety chain through the coils and unbolted the lower control arm from the spindle and slowly let the arm down to free the coil.  You have to put the truck on jackstands on the frame and put the tip of the lower control arm in the jacks pad and lower it gently.  a bottle jack will NOT work at all.  Turns out you really don't need a spring compressor at all.  The tension came off the springs before it got to where the coil could have popped out and I just took it out no problem.  when I put it back together, I just positioned it and jacked the arm back into position and bolted it back up.  It went in and out like butter.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2010, 06:08:00 pm by 78 Chevyrado »
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Kenny

1978 C-20, 350/400, 3.73, Graystone Metallic, Raceline Renegade 8 Wheels - 18x8.5, 275/70R18 BFG KO's

Offline bobcooter

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Re: front air springs
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2010, 07:31:26 pm »
Thanks. That's good to know. I was kind of scared to fool with the coil springs because I've heard some horror stories about them flying out. I believe that's what I'll have to do to get them in.
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'79 C-20, 350/400, 3:73 gears, 9 leafs and a headache rack
Favorite Quote, "Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement."

Offline VileZambonie

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Re: front air springs
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2010, 08:34:49 pm »
Why don't you tell us what you bought? Brand, part number? Usually the lean is due to fatigued leaf springs.
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Offline bobcooter

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Re: front air springs
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2010, 03:58:34 pm »
Yeah, They're called AirLift 1000. PN 81650. You can get them from a lot of places. I got mine from Summit. A fatigued leaf spring will make the front lean? The back of the truck looks pretty good. I'll check again... Thanks.
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'79 C-20, 350/400, 3:73 gears, 9 leafs and a headache rack
Favorite Quote, "Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement."

Offline VileZambonie

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Re: front air springs
« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2010, 04:17:12 pm »
It sure will.... Jack up the side that's leaning in the back a little bit and see if it evens out the front.

Did you mean 81560?
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74 GMC, 75 K5, 84 GMC, 85 K20, 86 k20, 79 K10

Offline VileZambonie

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Re: front air springs
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2010, 04:19:32 pm »
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74 GMC, 75 K5, 84 GMC, 85 K20, 86 k20, 79 K10

Offline 78 Chevyrado

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Re: front air springs
« Reply #9 on: January 18, 2010, 04:46:28 pm »
Don't think i said this...   Anytime you remove a coil spring, make sure to put a safety chain around it.  In other words, loop a chain around the spring and around the frame/crossmember, then if it does fly out, the chain will stop it.  I just used a heavy bolt and some washers to connect the ends together.
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Kenny

1978 C-20, 350/400, 3.73, Graystone Metallic, Raceline Renegade 8 Wheels - 18x8.5, 275/70R18 BFG KO's

Offline bobcooter

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Re: front air springs
« Reply #10 on: January 19, 2010, 06:47:39 am »
Quote from: VileZambonie on January 18, 2010, 04:17:12 pm
It sure will.... Jack up the side that's leaning in the back a little bit and see if it evens out the front.

Did you mean 81560?
Yeah sorry. I'll try the jack thing this weekend. Thanks.
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'79 C-20, 350/400, 3:73 gears, 9 leafs and a headache rack
Favorite Quote, "Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement."

Offline bobcooter

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Re: front air springs
« Reply #11 on: January 19, 2010, 06:52:51 am »
Quote from: 78 Chevyrado on January 18, 2010, 04:46:28 pm
Don't think i said this...   Anytime you remove a coil spring, make sure to put a safety chain around it.  In other words, loop a chain around the spring and around the frame/crossmember, then if it does fly out, the chain will stop it.  I just used a heavy bolt and some washers to connect the ends together.
Chevyrado, You had mentioned it earlier but thanks for the reminder and the tip on how to secure it. I've worked on some pretty big valve actuators offshore. Air pressure to open, spring to close. Some people don't realize how much stored energy is in a good sized spring. They demand respect!
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'79 C-20, 350/400, 3:73 gears, 9 leafs and a headache rack
Favorite Quote, "Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement."
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