G
Guest
·I finally got around to installing some Airlift 1000's PN 60786 $72.90 shipped from Summit
The car sits perfect when empty, but any time I put a load in, the rear starts sagging. This is one of those mods I should have done when I got the car.
I put the car up on stands so that the axle was hanging.
The hardest part was installing the heat shields on the exhaust pipe. That was not all that difficult, just a bit of a pain working under the car flat on my back. If I could have put it on a lift, it would have been a cinch. I installed them toward the upper part of the pipe, angled toward the spring and bent the top corner of the shields back to clear the shock.
I uncapped the air bags and stepped on them to get most of the air out and then capped them. They slipped in between the coils without too much difficulty and then I just worked them in until they were enclosed inside the spring. After uncapping, they filled back up with air, needing a little massaging to get them to reinflate. I then slipped the little isolator pad in.
I took the line and cut it at the 1/2 way point, then put a clamp on each one about an inch from the end. I then slipped each line over the barb fitting on each bag. That required a bit of massaging. Then I put the clamp over the barb fitting.
Figuring out where to run the line was the next issue. I decided to zip-tie it to the e-brake cable and then run it up to the top of the heat shield on the gas tank and then routed it over the tank back to the filler neck. I then zip-tied the line to the heat shield leaving slack for it to move with the axle.
I ran the line to the filler neck and zip tied it there.
I have the line ends terminated with the shraeder valves and the system holds air fine, but I have not decided on my exact mounting option yet.
I will either drill some holes for the shraeder valves in the bracket, or I'll get some body washers and use the two existing holes by sandwiching the bracket with the body washers and some rubber gasket.
I lowered the car and then filled them up to 35 PSI as per instructions. This morning they were at 33 which is normal according to the instructions for a new install.
I lowered it to 10 PSI and drove to work. It was way firm. I stopped and dropped it to 5 and it was like the bags were not there.
I'll be hauling a 2000 Lb trailer this weekend so I'll see how it handles that.
FYI, the part numbers for stock Caprice springs are 60755 and for Hotchkis are 60763
The car sits perfect when empty, but any time I put a load in, the rear starts sagging. This is one of those mods I should have done when I got the car.
I put the car up on stands so that the axle was hanging.
The hardest part was installing the heat shields on the exhaust pipe. That was not all that difficult, just a bit of a pain working under the car flat on my back. If I could have put it on a lift, it would have been a cinch. I installed them toward the upper part of the pipe, angled toward the spring and bent the top corner of the shields back to clear the shock.
I uncapped the air bags and stepped on them to get most of the air out and then capped them. They slipped in between the coils without too much difficulty and then I just worked them in until they were enclosed inside the spring. After uncapping, they filled back up with air, needing a little massaging to get them to reinflate. I then slipped the little isolator pad in.
I took the line and cut it at the 1/2 way point, then put a clamp on each one about an inch from the end. I then slipped each line over the barb fitting on each bag. That required a bit of massaging. Then I put the clamp over the barb fitting.
Figuring out where to run the line was the next issue. I decided to zip-tie it to the e-brake cable and then run it up to the top of the heat shield on the gas tank and then routed it over the tank back to the filler neck. I then zip-tied the line to the heat shield leaving slack for it to move with the axle.
I ran the line to the filler neck and zip tied it there.
I have the line ends terminated with the shraeder valves and the system holds air fine, but I have not decided on my exact mounting option yet.
I will either drill some holes for the shraeder valves in the bracket, or I'll get some body washers and use the two existing holes by sandwiching the bracket with the body washers and some rubber gasket.
I lowered the car and then filled them up to 35 PSI as per instructions. This morning they were at 33 which is normal according to the instructions for a new install.
I lowered it to 10 PSI and drove to work. It was way firm. I stopped and dropped it to 5 and it was like the bags were not there.
I'll be hauling a 2000 Lb trailer this weekend so I'll see how it handles that.
FYI, the part numbers for stock Caprice springs are 60755 and for Hotchkis are 60763
