RideTech HD four link four your 1 Ton Build

[chase@ridetech]

Heavy duty trucks are the perfect application for an air suspension. The weight load of these truck can vary by several thousand pounds from trailers, people, or other cargo. With a traditional leafspring suspension you are forced to endure a harsh ride quality when unloaded in order to accommodate any anticipated cargo when loaded. With air suspension, however, you can adjust the spring rate via air pressure to be appropriate for any cargo load, light or heavy!

The new HD 4 Link rear suspension will fit a wide variety of heavy trucks. The HD 4 link offers a huge improvement in not only ride quality, but also load capacity and handling performance as well. By virtue of its highly adaptable design and weld-on installation, it will fit a wide range of 1/2 ton to 1 ton trucks.

The HD 4 Link features 1.5" diameter .188" wall DOM tube 4 Link bars, large durable poly bushings, 2" diameter .250" wall tubing bridge, .250" thick plate steel brackets, and Firestone airsprings with a total load capacity of around 7,000lbs.

Popular options for the HD 4 Link include the new RideTech impact forged Monotube shocks, your choice of universal or model specific panhard bar kits, and a variety of compressor and control systems to fit any budget or performance level.

Check them out here:
http://www.ridetech.com/store/universal-hd-4-link.html

[duallyjams]

bought my truck in April 2002

by May 2002 I installed ride tech, the rear is 4 link, different kit but pretty similar, 13yrs later still loving it

[Advanced Design]

Chase, do you have any installed pictures or installation articles you can link us to? Thanks.

[chase@ridetech]

Originally Posted by duallyjams

bought my truck in April 2002
Attachment 1397699
by May 2002 I installed ride tech, the rear is 4 link, different kit but pretty similar, 13yrs later still loving it
Attachment 1397701

Looks good! We have over 300,000 miles on one of our rigs here with the Ridetech HD 4-link

[chase@ridetech]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Chase, do you have any installed pictures or installation articles you can link us to? Thanks.

I will locate some. I don't have any recent videos or articles but I will get some pics together!

[Advanced Design]

Thanks, I might do something with our 88 Dually some day.

[chase@ridetech]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Thanks, I might do something with our 88 Dually some day.

That is a good looking truck, I am planning on doing a square fender crew cab build myself fairly soon

[chase@ridetech]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Thanks, I might do something with our 88 Dually some day.

I do offer a bolt on C30 Panhard bar kit to go with the HD 4 link.

http://www.ridetech.com/store/1973-1...nhard-bar.html

[chase@ridetech]

I do have front kits and a variety of shock options as well!

http://www.ridetech.com/store/1973-1...nt-system.html

[chase@ridetech]

Here are a few pics from one our customers using the Ridetech HD 4 link on his COE

[Advanced Design]

Thanks Chase. The COE looks like a bolt on?..ok I see it is the panhard bar...
Also, just ordered one of your air supply and control packages from one of your dealers for my Burb build.

[duallyjams]

I can honestly say mine tows better with the air ride and rides better.

[Advanced Design]

You have a really nice looking truck James. Did you need to do a notch?

One concern I have with doing this is frame integrity with the heavy loads a dually can take....I know, lot's of them on the roads for many miles and years.

With leaf springs, the forward thrust and vertical load forces are spread over four points on the frame wrere the leaf springs attach as designed by the GM engineers. With the four link, the forward thrust is on two points of the frame where the links attach. The vertical load is supported only at the two points where the bag brackets attach. Doesn't seem as strong as the four leaf spring attaching points.

Yeah, I am over analyzing it. Would be pretty cool to drop this truck. One more thing on the wanna do list.

[chase@ridetech]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Thanks Chase. The COE looks like a bolt on?..ok I see it is the panhard bar...
Also, just ordered one of your air supply and control packages from one of your dealers for my Burb build.

This customer made the upper frame bracket and then welded our bracket to it, in a way making it a bolt-on.

[chase@ridetech]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

You have a really nice looking truck James. Did you need to do a notch?

One concern I have with doing this is frame integrity with the heavy loads a dually can take....I know, lot's of them on the roads for many miles and years.

With leaf springs, the forward thrust and vertical load forces are spread over four points on the frame wrere the leaf springs attach as designed by the GM engineers. With the four link, the forward thrust is on two points of the frame where the links attach. The vertical load is supported only at the two points where the bag brackets attach. Doesn't seem as strong as the four leaf spring attaching points.

Yeah, I am over analyzing it. Would be pretty cool to drop this truck. One more thing on the wanna do list.

We pulled a 48 foot display trailer with a notched frame over 300,000 miles and it did great! The best part of air on a tow vehicle is the ride quality. You can have a smooth and stable ride loaded or unloaded.

[duallyjams]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

You have a really nice looking truck James. Did you need to do a notch?

One concern I have with doing this is frame integrity with the heavy loads a dually can take....I know, lot's of them on the roads for many miles and years.

With leaf springs, the forward thrust and vertical load forces are spread over four points on the frame wrere the leaf springs attach as designed by the GM engineers. With the four link, the forward thrust is on two points of the frame where the links attach. The vertical load is supported only at the two points where the bag brackets attach. Doesn't seem as strong as the four leaf spring attaching points.

Yeah, I am over analyzing it. Would be pretty cool to drop this truck. One more thing on the wanna do list.

The ride tech kit came with a over the top c-notch, after 13yrs I have no concerns with the frame and I have used it as a truck, all my miles are over the road.

[travlinman]

Chase.
How low will this kit get u in the rear with a c notch or step notch.?
And how low in the front if i wanted to run that front kit that is pictured up top ?
On a 91 r -30 dually?

[Advanced Design]

Chase, maybe you could put together and entire parts / price list for dropping a 1 ton properly for any of us considering doing that. Might be useful for the folks here. Thanks!

[chase@ridetech]

Originally Posted by travlinman

Chase.
How low will this kit get u in the rear with a c notch or step notch.?
And how low in the front if i wanted to run that front kit that is pictured up top ?
On a 91 r -30 dually?

Which body style is in your truck? Is it the square fender or the later 88-2000 body style?

I think 91 was the crossover year for the 1 ton.

[chase@ridetech]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Chase, maybe you could put together and entire parts / price list for dropping a 1 ton properly for any of us considering doing that. Might be useful for the folks here. Thanks!

That is a good idea, I will put together some basic packages for the different body style ranges.

[travlinman]

Originally Posted by chase@ridetech

Which body style is in your truck? Is it the square fender or the later 88-2000 body style?

I think 91 was the crossover year for the 1 ton.

Chase.
My 91 r30 is the earlier square body style 73-87. 91 was the last year body for suburban, crew cab ,1ton.
Does ur rear 'kit' include Panhard bar or frame notches ?
Thanks

[chase@ridetech]

Originally Posted by travlinman

Chase.
My 91 r30 is the earlier square body style 73-87. 91 was the last year body for suburban, crew cab ,1ton.
Does ur rear 'kit' include Panhard bar or frame notches ?
Thanks

The kit does not include the notches or the panhard bar for that year range.

I do have a panhard bar available separate:
http://www.ridetech.com/store/1973-1...nhard-bar.html

I don't have notches for that year though.


Overall the standard drop for the complete kit is around a 5 front and 7 rear at ride height.

The rear, depending on where you weld it in can be anywhere from stock height down to the frame on the ground.

[chase@ridetech]

C30 Full Air suspension Kits with the Ridetech Coolride Front, RQ shocks, HD 4-link Rear, C30 Panhard Kit, RQ Rear shocks, and an Analog 4 way Compressor kit will start off at 3800.00


http://www.ridetech.com/store/trucks...hash=V328.V263

Let me know your year range or what you are looking for and I would be happy to put a kit together.

[Advanced Design]

Thanks Chase.

[chase@ridetech]

I should have taken a picture of my sleeping family this weekend to reinforce the ride quality improvements by going to an air adjustable 4 link.

On Saturday my brother was getting married just north of Chicago and on Sunday I needed to pick up an enclosed trailer in Milwaukee. I decided to take our 2004 Chevrolet Tow Rig with 300,000+ miles on it that has had our complete air suspension on it since new.

Driving up and around Chicago with my wife, my dad, and two of my little girls, All of them where sleeping and managed to stay sleeping as I dodged and hit potholes throughout the ruff terrain of the Chicago streets. I know I am biased because i work at Ridetech, but I also feel very fortunate to be able to drive something that can handle the job of pulling a trailer with ease and still have a better ride quality loaded or unloaded than most new cars.