How to stiffen up my suspension? Smaller Lines?

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integraoligist said:



It's all on a '97 Acura Integra 2-door!

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there is your problem...

air cylinders were built as a joke. i know, im pretty sure i started it. the SMC rep came by our shop one day and said you have any use for these? as far as we know i built the first air cylinder kit on a civic.

anyways, fast forward, they suck. there is really no use for them on an automotive set up except for raising and lowering a bed maybe..

do yourself a huge favor and put hydraulics on your ride with accumulators. that is about the only single best way to have your cake and eat it too..

Ya id ditch the cylinders altho Im not sure how youre getting a soft, bouncy ride with cylinders, typically they ride stiff as shit! The easiest thing to do is switch it over to a strut setup, like something from Airlift.

wtf, I came here 5 years ago and everyone was hyping up the cans.... this is where I got all the info and specs to do it.

Yes, the front of the car is super bouncy... why wouldnt it be bouncy because of the cans? I was use to a sport syspension where it's so damn stiff you can feel everything.

My normal ride height (which is 4" out of the 8" swing) is 120 in front and 80 in rear, far away from 200.

If it's 100 front and 75 in rear, if I hit a small bump it slams the cans... if it's 130 up front and 90 in the rear, it slams the cans off the top (as in the can extend all the way).

Whats the diameter of the air cylinders?

I believe they are 6" in the front and 4" in the rear.

replace with air struts, air lift makes bolt on replacement and has dials on it for ride stiffness

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rodandtruckdesign said:

where are your valves located? are they closer to the bags or the tank?.....try moving valves (fill and dump) closer to the bags...this will stiffen up things a little... the air in the lines is also compressing when the bag compresses with suspension movement...you get the valves closer to the bag means less air compressed by the bags..hence stiffer action..and run a good set of valved shocks....hope this helps

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aka air displacement, this helps tremendously.....depending on this is how much the air can compress and expand causing the truck to "float" up and down" but like david said, the right shocks do the trick with the correct air displacement from what i've learned.

Ok, the the best route (without buying bags and Shocks) would be to move the Fill/Dump valves to right on top of the cylinders...
Is there a reducer that goes from 1/2" lines to 1/8"?

I'm thinking connect the can (1/2" outlet) to a reducer to 1/8", then another reducer from 1/8" to 1/2" which connects directly to the fill/dump valves.

That should make the fill/dump nice and slow and still have the limited amount of air in the system, it would basically be compressing just the air in the cylinder and thats it. Seeing as though I have long 1/2" lines it should cut down the bounciness by at least 50%, right?

Only other problem I can see is the 1/4" lines I have running from the gauges to the cylinders, those also hold a good amount of air, is there anything I can do about them other then changing out the lines to 1/8"?

Edited: 10/13/2011 4:19:12 PM by rodandtruckdesign

double post...sorry guys

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integraoligist said:

Only other problem I can see is the 1/4" lines I have running from the gauges to the cylinders, those also hold a good amount of air, is there anything I can do about them other then changing out the lines to 1/8"?

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you could just get rid of the mechanical gauges and install digital pressure gauges....no lines...just mount sender near the valves...

maybe run a 'slow=down' valve in the 1/4 in line....it would keep air from moving too quickly to gauge...mount as close to valves as possible