air cylinders or air bags - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

grady5 · 06-02-2007, 06:58 PM

anybody have thoughts on air cylinders instead of air bags?

smashingchuck · 06-02-2007, 11:28 PM

why bother?

royo · 06-03-2007, 09:10 AM

would you happen to have a pic of a air cyl how do they work compared to a bag

grady5 · 06-03-2007, 11:44 AM

the reason i asked is i can get them for free and a friend said air bags sway and the cylinders would not. i have never riden in anything with air bags so i dont know either way. i was hoping for some advice. i do not have any pics but he said they would raise the frame just like bags. my guess is it would be similar to the shockwaves but with a piston instead of a bag? plus why not be different i have never seen this done has anybodyhere seen it?

naynay · 06-03-2007, 01:16 PM

thats ol skool

smbrouss70 · 06-03-2007, 04:10 PM

I always thought that air cylinders were to replace struts in cars. I guess it could be done, but you would spend a lot of time making it work.

KAILUAZ · 06-03-2007, 07:24 PM

Sounds like a rough ride also. At least the bags act as springs.

cajundragger · 06-03-2007, 08:48 PM

the cylinders will ride like poo. They dont flex or give at all...I understand the air will compress, but air bags ride so good because of the rubber bag and the air, not just the air.

You can 3 wheel easily with cylinders though.

grady5 · 06-03-2007, 09:01 PM

cajundragger that is the same point i argued with him over. i dont see how they could move either. but he said it could be made to. i dont know. i just thought it might be cool to have something different.

cajundragger · 06-03-2007, 10:32 PM

then put it on juice...juice or air bags...cylinders are just weird

grady5 · 06-03-2007, 10:35 PM

what is juice? hydraulics?

*Shane* · 06-03-2007, 11:14 PM

yes.

grady5 · 06-04-2007, 06:28 AM

i'm not at all interested in hydraulics. if the cylinders wont work i will use bags.

Kontrol Phreaks · 06-06-2007, 12:01 PM

An air cylinder is primarily used to replace the struts on import cars these days. The mounting type are desinged using a pitch fork lower mount, and the upper plate typically comes with a plate to bolt to a spring tower.

The down side of the cylinders are the overall lenght and stroke that you get out of them. Most of the cylinders out there will provide you with 5-6 inches of travel. That's not much when you you can get 9+ with an airbag in the front of most trucks. The other down side is that an air cylinder rides very poor since it on a small pocket of air. This will sound kinda wierd but it works. You can install a small air tanks (1 or2 gallon) inline between the valves and air cylinder. This will work like an acumalator to help it ride some what better.

I would stay far away from a cylinder as far as installing it on a truck application. It's going to give you a poor ride, limited lift, and make more work for you when it comes to install.

Clint Petree

06-02-2007, 06:58 PM	#1
grady5 Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: north carolina Posts: 80	air cylinders or air bags anybody have thoughts on air cylinders instead of air bags?

06-02-2007, 11:28 PM	#2
smashingchuck It'd be alot cooler if you did Join Date: May 2003 Location: Three Rivers, MI Posts: 2,345	Re: air cylinders or air bags why bother? __________________ 78 Build Thread 4Runner Build

06-03-2007, 09:10 AM	#3
royo Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: knoxville tn Posts: 1,013	Re: air cylinders or air bags would you happen to have a pic of a air cyl how do they work compared to a bag __________________ nickle and dime

06-03-2007, 11:44 AM	#4
grady5 Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: north carolina Posts: 80	Re: air cylinders or air bags the reason i asked is i can get them for free and a friend said air bags sway and the cylinders would not. i have never riden in anything with air bags so i dont know either way. i was hoping for some advice. i do not have any pics but he said they would raise the frame just like bags. my guess is it would be similar to the shockwaves but with a piston instead of a bag? plus why not be different i have never seen this done has anybodyhere seen it? Last edited by grady5; 06-03-2007 at 11:45 AM.

06-03-2007, 01:16 PM	#5
naynay Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: Frisco, TX Posts: 80	Re: air cylinders or air bags thats ol skool

06-03-2007, 04:10 PM	#6
smbrouss70 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Rayne, LA Posts: 2,782	Re: air cylinders or air bags I always thought that air cylinders were to replace struts in cars. I guess it could be done, but you would spend a lot of time making it work. __________________ Steven "If dogs don't go to heaven, when I die I want to go wherever they went." -- Will Rogers R.I.P. Oscar R.I.P. Ratchet 1967 Pontiac GTO - Dad was the Original Owner 1970 Chevy 2wd SWB "Oscar's Truck" 1970 Chevy 2wd Blazer "Ratchet's Blazer" 2013 Chevy 2500HD Crew Cab Duramax/Allison Z71 LTZ "Brown Sugar" 2017 Chevy Suburban "BDB" 2020 Chevy Blazer Premier "Foxy" Member of Louisiana Classic Truck Club (LCTC) Shop Build

06-03-2007, 07:24 PM	#7
KAILUAZ King of Rust Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: St Petersburg, FL Posts: 359	Re: air cylinders or air bags Sounds like a rough ride also. At least the bags act as springs. __________________ 1970 GMC 2500, 350, TH400, front disks, thats it! My Pics

06-03-2007, 08:48 PM	#8
cajundragger Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: louisiana Posts: 1,008	Re: air cylinders or air bags the cylinders will ride like poo. They dont flex or give at all...I understand the air will compress, but air bags ride so good because of the rubber bag and the air, not just the air. You can 3 wheel easily with cylinders though.

06-03-2007, 09:01 PM	#9
grady5 Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: north carolina Posts: 80	Re: air cylinders or air bags cajundragger that is the same point i argued with him over. i dont see how they could move either. but he said it could be made to. i dont know. i just thought it might be cool to have something different.

06-03-2007, 10:32 PM	#10
cajundragger Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: louisiana Posts: 1,008	Re: air cylinders or air bags then put it on juice...juice or air bags...cylinders are just weird

06-03-2007, 10:35 PM	#11
grady5 Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: north carolina Posts: 80	Re: air cylinders or air bags what is juice? hydraulics?

06-03-2007, 11:14 PM	#12
Shane Account Suspended Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: over yonder Posts: 14,270	Re: air cylinders or air bags yes.

06-04-2007, 06:28 AM	#13
grady5 Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: north carolina Posts: 80	Re: air cylinders or air bags i'm not at all interested in hydraulics. if the cylinders wont work i will use bags.

06-06-2007, 12:01 PM	#14
Kontrol Phreaks Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Central Cali Posts: 242	Re: air cylinders or air bags An air cylinder is primarily used to replace the struts on import cars these days. The mounting type are desinged using a pitch fork lower mount, and the upper plate typically comes with a plate to bolt to a spring tower. The down side of the cylinders are the overall lenght and stroke that you get out of them. Most of the cylinders out there will provide you with 5-6 inches of travel. That's not much when you you can get 9+ with an airbag in the front of most trucks. The other down side is that an air cylinder rides very poor since it on a small pocket of air. This will sound kinda wierd but it works. You can install a small air tanks (1 or2 gallon) inline between the valves and air cylinder. This will work like an acumalator to help it ride some what better. I would stay far away from a cylinder as far as installing it on a truck application. It's going to give you a poor ride, limited lift, and make more work for you when it comes to install. Clint Petree Last edited by Kontrol Phreaks; 06-11-2007 at 06:43 PM.



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