[L0sT]

I currently have an Air-Bag suspension on my xB. I am thinking of putting sway-bars in the rear. As I think about it, it seems that if I do put them on they may end up putting more pressure on the bags while making sharp turns, thus causing the potential of one of them bursting. Now this is just me, like usual, mulling over every possibile problem before doing anything. I could be 100% incorrect but it just seems that this may happenif If put sway bars.

Does anyone know or have any info about this. Even if it's just an opinion, I would def appreciate it.

 

[Resolve]

I dont really know but dont see why would make difference sway bar should help reduce body roll and all when cornering.. so my thinking is if keeps body roll down it keeps the extra weight from being shifted onto the bags when cornering and by not havign the extra weight shifted to the bag should actually be better for bag than without rear sway... Does that make sense..

AGAIN NOT SURE JUST MY HYPOTHESIS ON WHAT WOULD HAPPEN... SO PLEASE SEEK PROFESSIONAL ANSWER and be kind enough to let the rest of us know what you find out.

 

[L0sT]

I dont really know but dont see why would make difference sway bar should help reduce body roll and all when cornering.. so my thinking is if keeps body roll down it keeps the extra weight from being shifted onto the bags when cornering and by not havign the extra weight shifted to the bag should actually be better for bag than without rear sway... Does that make sense..

AGAIN NOT SURE JUST MY HYPOTHESIS ON WHAT WOULD HAPPEN... SO PLEASE SEEK PROFESSIONAL ANSWER and be kind enough to let the rest of us know what you find out.

That's what I am curious about. Cause if what you say is true than it's a must for my set-up. Thanks for the input!

 

[squirrel]

When cornering in any car, the weight of the car will shift to the outside tires. So, when turning left, the right side becomes weighted, and the left, unweighted. I don't know squat about air bags and how they work, but if they are anything like springs, I would at least get the Progress rear bar.

 

[DTRAIN619]

Is there some type of check valve that would not allow the air to transfer from one side to the other when turning?

 

[Resolve]

Is there some type of check valve that would not allow the air to transfer from one side to the other when turning?

I dont think L0sT is talking about air transferring from one side to other and causing issue but more like

Example:

When balloon filled with air and you are holding in your hands your can only try to squeeze your hands together so much before ballon pops..

substitute hands for upper and lower bag brakets and the squeezing together the weight of vehicle being trnasferred during cornering.. so L0sT wants to know if adding rear sway bar will increase the pressure when corning there by causing better chance of bag blow out..

does that sound about right.

 

[L0sT]

Great responses... keep these thoughts coming.. they will help me in my line of questioning when I call Air-Lift Co.

Thanks!




I will also post their response for future reference in case anyone in the future needs the info.

 

[DTRAIN619]

I dont think L0sT is talking about air transferring from one side to other and causing issue but more like

Example:

When balloon filled with air and you are holding in your hands your can only try to squeeze your hands together so much before ballon pops..

substitute hands for upper and lower bag brakets and the squeezing together the weight of vehicle being trnasferred during cornering.. so L0sT wants to know if adding rear sway bar will increase the pressure when corning there by causing better chance of bag blow out..

does that sound about right.

Yeah, that's crystal for me, thanks. I have friends with hydraulics, and this was always a problem 'til some came up with a check valve. Guess I better take "Air-ride 101" if I ever hope to run a set-up!

 

[L0sT]

I dont think L0sT is talking about air transferring from one side to other and causing issue but more like

Example:

When balloon filled with air and you are holding in your hands your can only try to squeeze your hands together so much before ballon pops..

substitute hands for upper and lower bag brakets and the squeezing together the weight of vehicle being trnasferred during cornering.. so L0sT wants to know if adding rear sway bar will increase the pressure when corning there by causing better chance of bag blow out..

does that sound about right.

That is absolutely what I am talking about Resolve.

But the response that dtrain gave does raise issue. My system is managed digitally and provides me with pressure reading for each bag. The front bags are hooked up to the same manifold and the rear bags are hooked up to the same manifold. When I adjust one bag (for example front left) it affects the other bag connected to the same manifold (Front Right). Now that just may be caused by the weight of the vehicle or the sensitivity of the electronic guage (of which I always thought was the case) but if it is somehow caused by some transfer of air then that opens up a whole new thought process. This is something I need to know. Again thanks for the help.

 

[Resolve]

dont the selinoids you use for pumping already have like a built in check valve so air can flow through when you hit switch to raise pressure in back and not flow back through when not hitting switch so bag does not deflate.

maybe you can explain how you have set up and we can try and help more about concern of air transfer between bags..

but i know what Dtrain is talking about with hydralics you can get check valves so flow will pump fluid one way and keeps fluid from flowing back through when you stop pumping it.

 

[Resolve]

does your set up look something like this as far as switch and pump

 

[Resolve]

or do you have just one fill and one dump for the back

or 1 pump; 2 dumps

 

[L0sT]

Unfortunately I am not that well educated about air systems.

The switches are a electronic. All the bags can be operated separately as well as all together.

 

[Resolve]

sory about questions..

do you know if you have 8 selinoids.. i would think you do since you can control each bag independently.. 2 selinoids per bag.. one for pumping and one for dumping..

if that is the case then you shouldnt have a problem with air switching between bags.

 

[L0sT]

No need to be sorry my friend... it's all good..

Each manifold has 4 selenoids so yeah eight.

I see what you mean now about figuring out how many selenoids it has. To find out if transferring air would happen "mechanically" due to the set-up. The thing is that since it is digital, depending how they set it up, more than one thing can go on even by pressing 1 button. For instance it also has a programmable "Ride Height" I press 1 button and the system will self adjust to the programmed air per bag that iI set, heck i don't even have to touch the button. If I drop her on the floor and turn off the engine, once I turn the engine back on it will auto adjust to ride height without touching a button. LOL, wife learned the hard way and got hit in the head for turning the engine on while standing outside the vehicle. The system uses half inch lines and literally shoots up (on a full tank ) or down in about 1 second.

Never know how they set this thing electronically so its at least a question to ask.

 

[Resolve]

ok then the air transfer between bags .. like during cornering... should not happen..

so each bag would have one selinoid to pump and one to dump.. so when air goes through pump selinoid into the bag it can not go back through the pump selinoid to escape the bag so only way air could leave bag is through dump selinoid (which is probablt connected to air line by a t fitting in between the pump selinoid and the air bag) and that would just be selinoid to let air out into the environment if you hit switch would have nothing to do with the separate bag..

hope that helps

 

[L0sT]

Great!!!! Thanks... Believe me it helps .. I better understand my set-up process.

Gonna see if there are any more responses over the weekend . then call the company Mon or tues for sway bar advice.

 

[Resolve]

no problem.. not sure of your exact set up but should be something like i described.. but glad i could help.

 

[DTRAIN619]

Thanks for the "education", guys! I have a better understanding of the whole air-ride thing. I'll be watching this thread for sure!

 

[clear bra guy]

we had air and sway bars on the green car no problems