Designing for Ultimate Ride Comfort: Please help with part and suspension selection..

[newproject]

Hi.

I would like to make the ultimate in comfort for a suspension. Im assuming air is the way to go, and would like some assistance on how to choose the correct airbag selection. I am very preliminary in design, so I can make the front or rear suspension any style of my liking...i.e. trailing arm, swing arm, a-arm, leaf haha, etc...

Please let me know your ideas and thoughts. I will share any more info to assist with my goal as needed.

thinking of using small diameter with medium sidewall tires. 14 or 16" wheels, I was thinking smaller like 12" wheels, but there are no widths wide enough for my needs

weight will be in the 2000 t 2400lb. range hopefully.

thanks guys!

[darren@ridetech.com]

Yes, if you want the best ride air suspension is definitly the way to go. Give us some more specifics on the car. We convert most any suspension to air.... First we need to determine what the car will be used for to decide which suspension design will be best for that car. Will it see any track time or is this strictly a street car? Live axle in the rear or are you considering IRS? Will you be doing the front as well? Full frame or unibody?

[newproject]

Hello Darrin,

I may not have stated, but it is currently in the design / research stages, just as a side note.

-This will be strictly a street car.
-It will be independent rear.
-The car will have full air ride suspension.
-It is considered a full frame vehicle. Body, placed on chassis.

The only reason I was thinking of running trailing link rear, is the phantom runs it, and having ridden in one, and seen how it absorbs bumps on the exterior as well, it is quite amazing, and entertaining to see. The giant wheel just sucks up into the body, while the body stays flat. I understand the car weighs about 4000lbs. more than my car would be though...

Another consideration I just thought of was that I would like to have the electric air pump run the least as possible. I know for ride height/load adjustment it is necessary, but when driving does pressure need to be raised, lowered?

An accumulator / air storage tank can be used, up to a decent size, as space it less important to me, than the pump running and using some power momentarily.


Thank you for your kind response.

[newproject]

Any more info on this matter?

Perhaps some websites to do further reading on?

I would like to eventually use your products if suitable, just need a bit more research in total.

[darren@ridetech.com]

We have done some work with a few different IRS, mainly the C-4, C-5 vette stuff. We have also done some work with aftermarkets IRS, like the Heidts, Kugel, etc. (Similar to the Jaguar stuff). Got any pics of this Phantom suspension?

[newproject]

No phantom pictures I can find, until I manage to get under one in a month or so.

These are similar design suspensions from lexus, and bmw. Tell me what you think of them.

I would have have the lower subframe isolated with bushings, and would attempt to isolate the top as well, this will further reduce nvh.

[britt@ridetech.com]

Compressor run time:
All of our kits utilize a storage tank of some size (dependent upon vehicle weight and suspension type). The tank is always held at 150psi. The compressor begins refilling the tank at 135psi. It takes, on average, 56 seconds to fill a 3 gallon tank from 135 to 150psi with a single Thomas 327 compressor.
So long as you are not adjusting the air pressure while driving the compressor will not turn on as the tank is not being depleted.
The electronic control systems get the vehicle to the correct pressure, spring rate, and vehicle height within 6-8 seconds then disengage until it is asked to do something else. You have manual control of the system at all times but you also have 3 presets. The presets can be set wherever you'd like, but normally they are Low, Ride, and High.

Suspension Design:
We have not build a system like the ones you have listed as there is not enough room in a Muscle Car for it all to fit. However, this does not mean that it cannot be done.

For the lowest NVH everything should be mounted with rubber. No solid mounts, no poly, just rubber.

When you have decided on a design let us know and we'll see if we can fit air springs in your application. In the images you have listed above you'll most likely be limited to a bag and separate shock design as there is little room available.