FRONT: - RideTech.com

FROM BARE
TO BAGGED
FRONT:
To outfit the front, we chose Air Ride
Technologies’ ’59-’64 Chevrolet Front
ShockWave kit, which includes StrongArm tubular upper and lower control
arms and their ShockWave adjustable air spring/shock combination, which
features the shock absorber inside of the air spring. The kit comes com-
plete with everything from the required bushings to ball joints and the necessary instructions to complete the bolt-on installation. To further increase
the handling potential, we also chose to outfit our subject Impala with an
Air Ride Technologies MuscleBar front anti-sway bar. The MuscleBar will
help eliminate unwanted body roll, which is common with these cars.
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The X-frame from this Chevrolet Impala was carried into our shop bare,
wearing nothing more than a layer of black powdercoat. Before starting,
we set the frame at the approximate finished ride height.
The StrongArm setup consists of both upper and lower tubular control
arms, and incorporate the ShockWave air spring/shock absorber combination inside. They are bolt-in replacements for the factory components.
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Air Ride Technologies includes new cross shafts with their StrongArm tubular lower control arms, which were designed to mount in their original location, making installation simple.
Unlike the lower arms, you have to reuse the original cross shafts for the
upper arms. To make them fit, we had to grind off the extra material
around one of the bolt holes. The instructions are clear on how to do this.
FITTING A ’59-’64 CHEVROLET X-FRAME WITH AIR SUSPENSION
BY ERIC ANDERSON
While staring at a bare frame can be intimidating, having the
opportunity to commence a “frame-up” project was something
we were excited to do. Our task was to outfit our subject 1961
Chevrolet with the most recent and innovative air suspension components available from Air Ride Technologies, and to soak up as much
knowledge about air suspensions as we could handle.
While such a pared down project is scary for many, it serves as a fantastic tool to
teach and learn from, as it offers great access to each component.
We chose this kit from Air Ride Technologies due to its completeness and because
it’s truly a bolt-on installation. Long-term plans for this chassis include wearing a
’62 Impala body as a part of a fully capable street machine, which will see occasional track time (both at the dragstrip
and on the road course). There
may even be a date with the
Silver State Challenge (see
page 48) in store.
While we’re not opposed
to fabricating parts, the
ease of the installation,
teamed with the exceptional performance and
ultra-low stance potential is why these kits
have become so popular.
Follow along over
the next few pages as we
dress this bare ’61 Chevrolet
X-frame with an air suspension system
that is sure to provide the ride comfort,
handling performance, and parking lot
prowess that Air Ride Technologies’ air
suspension systems have become so well
known for.
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STREET THUNDER
05
06
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We installed the supplied bushing in the
upper StrongArm after applying a bit of grease
to make the installation easier.
With the StrongArm secured in a bench vise,
we used an appropriately-sized socket and
hammer to press the bushing into the arm.
Before installing the upper control arm, we
installed the upper shock absorber bushing
and tightened the ShockWave into place.
STREET THUNDER
43
08
09
After installing the now-modified stock cross shaft and completing the rest of the upper StrongArm
assembly, we fastened it to the frame in the original mounting location.
The lower StrongArm came with a ball joint
pre-installed, however the upper arm did
not. We installed the ball joint as well as the
supplied grease fitting in the arm.
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High performance, aftermarket disc brakes
will soon replace the old drum brakes, but
we reinstalled the stock pieces for now.
With the upper and lower StrongArms on the
frame, we turned our attention to the front
anti-sway bar. We attached the provided
bushing to the frame using the original antisway bar mounting holes.
After mounting it to the frame, we connected
the anti-sway bar end links to the lower
StrongArm anti-sway bar mounting plate.
REAR:
Wanting the ultimate in air suspension performance for this ’61 Impala, we chose the
Air Ride Technologies CoolRide kit for ’59-’64 Chevrolet Impalas (below),
which includes a StrongArm tubular upper control arm and pair of
StrongArm lower control arms, as well as an adjustable Panhard bar, air
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springs, spring sleeves, and adjustable shocks. Similar to what we chose
for the front, we elected to install a MuscleBar anti-sway bar in the rear
as well, for the greatest handling ability. Considering rear anti-sway bars
were not installed on these cars from the factory, the handling improvement should be instantly noticeable as soon as this Impala hits the road.
16
With the rear axle located by the upper control arm, we installed the StrongArm lower
control arm in the original location.
Prior to installation, we bolted the air spring to the spring
sleeve, installed the 6-inch mounting stud, and made sure
the air fitting was aimed towards the hole in the sleeve.
We attached the air spring to the StrongArm lower
control arm and then pushed the stud through the 7/16inch hole. Before fastening the spring sleeve to the frame,
we located it using the provided bumpstop.
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After replacing the original Panhard bar stud
on the axle housing with the new one
(included in the kit,) we bolted the new,
adjustable Panhard bar into place.
Before drilling the anti-sway bar mounting
holes, we made sure the frame was level and
that the bracket placement would allow the
end links to reach both the front and rear
positions on the anti-sway bar.
With the holes drilled, we bolted the bracket
to the frame using the supplied bolt plate.
We tightened the frame mount, then tightened the axle mounts to finish the
StrongArm rear anti-sway bar installation.
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After installing the control arms, Panhard
bar, and anti-sway bar, the only thing left
was the adjustable QA1 shocks. The new
units bolted into the stock shock location.
Installation of the CoolRide rear suspension kit is complete! We’re confident that once the car is finished, it will perform far better than before. The only thing left is to plumb and wire the car.
14
After positioning the rear axle, we leveled the
frame, and then installed the upper control
arm. The original stamped steel piece pales in
comparison to the rigid, tubular StrongArm.
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15
STREET THUNDER
STREET THUNDER
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Behind all of the tubular suspension
components and high-tech air springs is
Air Ride Technologies’ RidePro e system. The RidePro e kit arrived complete
with a 5-gallon air tank, 4-way RidePro
air valve assembly (pressure solenoids),
two air compressors, the necessary pres-
CONTROL MODULE
sure sensors, all wiring and air fittings,
and an in-car RidePro e control module.
Considering this Impala is currently
without a body, we chose to layout all of
the plumbing and wiring in the back of
the car. Once the car is finished, the
The pressure solenoid assembly looked like a
headache waiting to happen, but it was anything but.
All we needed to do was determine which solenoids
controled each air spring. We used masking tape to
label each solenoid, which saved us from having to
remember where each pair of wires belonged.
FRONT AIR SPRINGS
L
R
REAR AIR SPRINGS
L
R
components will end up in their appropriate places, but for now, we set everything up in the “trunk.”
To understand how this all works,
you first need to understand what each
component is responsible for. Using the
diagram on the left, we can trace an incar input of whether to raise or lower
the car through the entire system.
From the cabin of the vehicle, using
the control module, an air pressure is
selected for each corner. Once a pressure
has been chosen, the signal travels to the
RidePro e computer, which sends the
request to the RidePro pressure solenoids. The solenoids then either send air
to the air springs to inflate them or bleed
pressure from the air springs to deflate
them. The two air compressors are used
COMPUTER
In order for the in-car RidePro e control
module to display the pressure at each corner, lines from the air valve assembly lead to
pressure sensors that transmit the information to the controller. All it takes to install the
DOT-approved air lines is to push in the
orange part of the air fitting and then feed
the line in until it stops; release the orange
fitting and the line is ready to go. Simple!
PRESSURE SOLENOIDS
PRESSURE
SENDING
UNITS
BATTERY
AIR TANK
PRESSURE SWITCH
RELAY
KEY HOT
The larger diameter air lines (running to and
from the tank) attached similarly to the
smaller lines (leading to the pressure sensors,) except instead of orange the fittings
are black in color. We made sure to use an
adequate amount of thread sealant on the
air fittings to prevent any potential air leaks.
AIR COMPRESSORS
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STREET THUNDER
STREET THUNDER
to fill the 5-gallon air tank, which feeds
air to the pressure solenoids.
In order for the in-car control module
to know the pressure in each air spring,
pressure sensors are used in conjunction
with the pressure solenoids. In other
words, the in-car control module represents the gauge faces while the the sensors
are the gauges themselves.
Installation of the kit was very straight
forward and with a little attention paid to
cutting the air lines straight and making
sure to run the lines away from anything
potentially harmful, this ’61 Impala
should withstand years of cruising, track
driving, and laying frame in a parking lot. What more can you ask for? NSMC
SOURCE
PLUMBING
& WIRING:
Ai r R i de Techn olo gies, I nc.
350 South St. Charles Street
Jasper, IN 47546
NSMC
(812) 482-2932
www.ridetech.com