What about bags?

[low&slow]

So I got this idea about running bags up front only on my 69 c10 for adjustable ride height. My original plan was to have a track only truck, but I had an idea of making it street worthy too. Is it possible to run bags at the drag strip?
Only problem I can think of is that my truck might just lift the wheels off the ground and when it lands, it may just blow the bags out.
Anyone see a problem with it?

[Marv D]

I think there is probably a good reason you don't see air bag suspension at the track. Blowing the bags I don't think would be an issue, it's the lack of stored energy would be pretty counterproductive at the track IMO.

[low&slow]

What do you mean by stored energy?

[tinydb84]

Originally Posted by low&slow

What do you mean by stored energy?

It has to do with weight transfer from front to rear. Someone will chime in with more info but this is a good read regardless:

https://www.cachassisworks.com/Attac...1-226_drag.pdf

Edit: Look at page 5

[Marv D]

In simple terms,, a 1500 pound load on a front suspension spring, has 1500 pounds of 'lift' wanting to be released as the leverage of the tire / torque removes that weight.
It wants to 'help' the leverage of the suspensin take the weight off the front, and put it onto the rear.

[Marv D]

Oh,, and a spring will have a LONG travel to release that 1500 pounds, where a air bag will only have a very few inches of travel to release all of it's 'stored energy'

That make sense?

[low&slow]

So you're saying that by having bags in the front, there is less energy being stored than there is with springs/shocks resulting into less front end lift also resulting into less weight being put on the rear end for a loss of traction?

I think I'm beginning to understand. So for a shock that has a lot of travel, the front end weight will lift higher putting more weight on the rear rather than having a bag and only a little travel for not very much weight transfer?

[tinydb84]

Originally Posted by low&slow

So you're saying that by having bags in the front, there is less energy being stored than there is with springs/shocks resulting into less front end lift also resulting into less weight being put on the rear end for a loss of traction?

I think I'm beginning to understand. So for a shock that has a lot of travel, the front end weight will lift higher putting more weight on the rear rather than having a bag and only a little travel for not very much weight transfer?

1. Yes

2. I assume you mean spring? Yes, typically you need a softer (as it will be longer) spring to maintain a good ride height

[low&slow]

Yes I meant spring. Makes sense for why there isn't bags at the track.

What about those adjustable springs. Wouldn't I be able to set them up for track use and then for the street, turn them a little and lower the front of the truck? Or vise versa?

[tinydb84]

Adjustable springs? as in coilovers? yes but there arent really coilovers for our trucks unless you do a porterbuilt/scotts/etc set up

[Marv D]

Here's a picture to do the 1000 word thing.. A full tilt drag race front suspension/spring (and this is just a 2600 pound car) look at the length of the spring to hold up a very light car. I put travel limiters on it to limit the rise and try the limit the wheelstands.





Where an airbag has a whopping ,,, what 3" maximum travel to unload ALL of it's support.

You commonly find airbags in the right rear coil spring as a chassis tuning aide to help plant both tires evenly. But as a suspension... there better left to the slammed street crowd

just imo

[regan wilson]

Marv that was a good post. Now give us some launch pics like the one in your YB avatar. The Chebby Too is cool!

[Marv D]

Lol., here's the 'airtime' video that avatar photo came from I think.. she used to get up on the tire just a bit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BDdg...ature=youtu.be

Man that is SOOOooooo hard on parts!
Sparks was a few gouges in the oil pan and header extensions. I had to try and stand the tires back up straight in the stock Chevy II front suspension after every race. (Hence the AJE strut front clip added in the pic above)

[low&slow]

Not sure if any of you have seen this thread, but I've been reading through it and gave me an idea for the adjustable coil overs up front. You guys think it will work for racing purposes?

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=266485

[tinydb84]

Anything can work with enough fab. Do you need to make adjustments? Are you planning on driving it on the street and need to preform really well at the track? It seems like a lot of work to me. You can also buy new springs that are longer and softer that will do the job and ride decently on the street.

[low&slow]

Originally Posted by tinydb84

Anything can work with enough fab. Do you need to make adjustments? Are you planning on driving it on the street and need to preform really well at the track? It seems like a lot of work to me. You can also buy new springs that are longer and softer that will do the job and ride decently on the street.

Do I need to make adjustments, No not necessarily. Only adjustments I'd make is at the track. As for street driving, I may do that occasionally to shows, local cruise, or parade. I'm not concerned about how well it is on the street. I was just thinking that for street use I could some how lower the front a bit for looks and then at the track pick the front back up a bit so all the weight isn't so low to the ground in the front. I was thinking that if the front is lower than the rear at the track, then it'd take longer for the weight to transfer to the rear than if the truck was a little more level. If any of my jumbled mind makes sense.

[low&slow]

Any more input?

[Wasted Income]

My street truck ran high 11s on bags all the way around. How fast are you planning to go?

[low&slow]

I want to get into mid 10's at the fasted, but I want to lift the front wheels off too just a little bit if possible with zero fiberglass