Rear shocks and springs

[mikeonb4c]

I think you route them through to a nozzle fitted behind the jack/tool cubby hole in the side door, step Mike.

Aha! I'll be interested also to hear what Dandy has to say about ease of fitting generally. Cost aside, it is a mod. I'd be tempted by as it isn't nice when the old girl bangs her bottom on the road

[bigdaddycain]

I'd be tempted myself, but Marcle leisure informed me that the assistors can get trapped and puncture with lowered springs...And it could raise the ride height!

[mikeonb4c]

And it could raise the ride height!

Nooooooooooooooooooo! Don't go there BDC. You'll be putting a National Trust ticker in your windscreen (like wot I have) before you know it. Harris Tweed jacket from charity shop comes next, plus a pair of stout brown leather shoes. Doesn't bear thinking about

[bigdaddycain]

I very nearly draped a tartan rug on my parcel shelf the other day too,and had an overwhelming compulsion to stand waiting to collect my pension in the snow for two hours!

[dandywarhol]

Fitting time was around a was a couple of hours - I totally removed the springs to fit them rather than try to poke them in situ. I also used TIGERSEAL to attach the plastic discs to the upper and lower spring pans to cushion the airbags.
I used a tee piece and joined both airbags to a common schraeder valve at the extreme rear of the side doorstep - I don't have a side conversion so apart from the driver the vans fairly evenly weight distributed. I should've taken pics but I wanted to get on with the job before the rain came on

Initially I put too much air in - around 30 PSI and the van bounced about a lot. I'm now happy around 14/15 PSI = the van's the same height, the bags are just touching each spring seat when unladen so the main spring is doing the work until you load up or hit a big bump or undulation.

I initially thought the dampers would get a harder time - especially on rebound but as the spring movement is less (because the airbags take some of the load and rubber has a natural damping effect) the damper gets less of a hard time even on long hauls.

There's also less body roll on cornering and definitely MUCH less bottoming of the bumpstops.

I don't know about the bags puncturing with lowered springs Ste - unless they become coilbound - I'd have thought the bumpstops would have ensured that didn't happen. Maybe Marcle were being cautious I know Mountain Goat's punctured but that was due to incorrect fitment IMO

[bigdaddycain]

Aye, the chap i spoke to at marcle was extremely cautious in general. Do ya reckon i'd benefit from a set of these assisters dandy? I have about an inch and a half of travel on the rear suspension before the bumpstops are struck.

Here's an unladen pic....

[mikeonb4c]

Thanks Dandy. Very interesting and I'm very tempted by this mod. Could I ask a couple of questions:

Where did you get / what did you use / how did you seal the T-piece you fitted?

How did you totally remove the springs and was it hard to do?

Any pointers on how to best ensure the bags don't puncture as a resut of being poorly fitted?

Mike

PS - I feel a factsheet coming on!

PPS to BDC as I've just read his latest post. I'd have thought that with so little travel it might be v difficult to get the bag pressure right so that it (1) makes any difference and (2) doesn't send the suspension totally rigid. Just guessing mind.

[bigdaddycain]

PPS to BDC as I've just read his latest post. I'd have thought that with so little travel it might be v difficult to get the bag pressure right so that it (1) makes any difference and (2) doesn't send the suspension totally rigid. Just guessing mind.

The suspension is pretty stiff mike...

[dandywarhol]

Thanks Dandy. Very interesting and I'm very tempted by this mod. Could I ask a couple of questions:

Where did you get / what did you use / how did you seal the T-piece you fitted?

It came with the kit - it seals like a windscreen washer hose tee piece and a couple of clips

How did you totally remove the springs and was it hard to do?

Removed the lower damper mount and spring compressors - pretty easy

Any pointers on how to best ensure the bags don't puncture as a resut of being poorly fitted?

Fit them the right way up , ensure no rough spots on the coils, fit plastic washers at either end as cushions

Mike

PS - I feel a factsheet coming on!

PPS to BDC as I've just read his latest post. I'd have thought that with so little travel it might be v difficult to get the bag pressure right so that it (1) makes any difference and (2) doesn't send the suspension totally rigid. Just guessing mind.

Don't think you'd benefit much without making the rear too hard Ste - the downside to being trendy eh?

Plenty info here

http://www.airliftcompany.com/al1000.html

[waycar8]

(beautiful ??) assistant.

am the one on the right
do they do compatible springs as well or did they just have a compatible shocker?
as mine are bottoming out over big bumps

[MountainGoat]

Any pointers on how to best ensure the bags don't puncture as a resut of being poorly fitted?

Make sure that you adhere to the instructions in the Bongo Fury fact sheet when you fit them. Both types of Air Spring Assisters come from America and the instructions provided refer only to American cars so you will not find any reference to Bongos in them. This problem is compounded by the fact that some American cars require the assisters to be fitted upside down compared to others. The local garage that fitted my first pair of assisters followed the wrong instructions put them on the wrong way up for a Bongo.

Tony

[mikeonb4c]

Excellent - thanks Dandy and MG. We ought to negotiate a bulk deal with Airlift (hmmm - wonder what the £ / $ exchange rate is doing to the price?)

[dandywarhol]

You could try these folks.........

http://www.air-lift.co.uk/products.html

[mikeonb4c]

You could try these folks.........

http://www.air-lift.co.uk/products.html

Doh Why on earth did I think they were an American product?

Thanks again Dandy.

[MountainGoat]

Doh Why on earth did I think they were an American product?

They are an American company Mike. The above is just a British arm or franchise. Check out:

http://www.airliftcompany.com