I just saw this video and I think I messed up! I'm struggling so bad with my airbag install (no instructions whatsoever from airslamit) on my 1998 Chevy s extended cab, 2 link bar with 3/8" manifold bags and 480 tank from airmaxxx and I been guessing as I go watching hundreds of videos that doesn't explain my kit at all... I dropped the leaf springs and put the 2 links going from the rear pivot joint (reusing the mount and bolt that held up the leaf springs in the rear) and the airbag mount sits on the inside of the frame behind the wheels and the front is u bolted to the axle using the mount bracket from the original shocks with the shocks still attached???? I'm about to weld the top mount bracket to the frame but now after seeing this video I feel like I need to tear everything down and start over ... I was wondering if the 2 link bar was supposed to come off the front of the pivot mount for the leaf springs (under the gas tank going to the rear like yours is)?? What a nightmare but I'm tired of bottoming out and I've replace my front grille twice now cuz every damn time I hit a bump in the road it breaks the damn plastic clip that connects to the front right under my headlights.... I just don't know what the hell I'm doing
@@TemperDriven I'll look it up right now.... I notice how you have your bags on the outside of the frame, if the bed was attached to your truck would the bags pretty much be right under the gas lid and under the step (if you had a stepside)? Don't usually be asking this question but would it okay to send you a couple pics of what I got goin on and gain some knowledge from you? It's my daily driver and going to be the face of my new business that I'm trying to get up off the ground. I've been without wheels for about a week now and I'm running out of time with the space I was given to do do this at and there isnt a soul in my town that's done airbags that I can ask any help from. Please, teach me your ways oh wise one, there is much to learn I still have! 🙏
In the video you can see the gas tank filler neck/tube is forward of the airbag and like just over the leaf spring mount...I don't know about if it would clear a step side...You could put your airbags on the axle...You will not get as much lift and it will ride kind of hard/firm compared to bags on link bars. Have you seen my CZcams channel called "temperbuilding"...I have more/other airbag videos there...You can email me at my gmail temperdriven or temperbuilding
I would first find out how tall your airbag is fully compressed...Like 3 inches probably...Then make/use a 3 inch spacer like a small piece of 2x4...Put that on your lower mount at laid out height...then place the upper mount on top of the spacer and weld in place...That way you get the most lift when your bags are fully compressed laid out...This is more important for bags on axle because you don't get much lift...With your bags on the link bars you will get a lot of lift.
And theres no getting away with it without c-notching the frame huh? And another problem im having is i took out the front springs and the rear tires and leafsprings already and im on a lift.... How can i determine what my ride height needs to be set at? By looking at the pitch of the pumpkin and driveline making sure it lines up, look up stop ride height (+/- 2" for the block that was in the leafsprings for the lowering done by previous owner) or it just not possible and im gonna have to put the springs in the front back on and the control arms and the entire rear end and basically just start over? I only have til 4/8 to get this done and its just me myself and I doin it😰
I and maybe most people with airbags set it up to lay out, and don't really worry about ride height...The front the airbags replace the coil springs ride height again does not really matter...I just make sure I can lay out...Cut down the lower control arm high spots/humps, cut a little off the frame around the airbags, notch the frame over the tie rods...Whatever it takes to reach the ground...I use just a C notch on my trucks, but my tires are kind of small.
@@TemperDriven I'm sitting on 20" wheels and low pro tires, I do have an 8pc c-notch kit but is it a mandatory thing that needs to be done in order to install bags? Also just so I know I got it right, my 2 link bars come from the front of the bed and go back to the axle with the airbag mount on the outside of the frame, and goes under the axle held up by the existing shock and the ubolt in the bottom shock bracket? The 2 link bars you have show just a straight bar with one end stacked like a block and I noticed you weld on a plate somewhere 1/2 to 3/4 from one end of the bar, mine came with the mount already welded on. Now when I mounted my 2 link and put the ubolts in it made my axle stiff and its angled upwards and my driveline is completely and I can't rotate the pumpkin forward or down if you will unless I loosen the ubolts and drop the bars. I know I'm making this so much harder than it looks on videos but looking at all this on my truck I'm not seeing it come together or how it goes
With your 2 link the airbags are on the link bars and your upper bag mounts will be on the side of the frame so the step notch or C notch is only clearance to lay out...Where your axle mounts to the link bars is meant to be rigid just like the axle is rigid to the leaf springs...Your suspension travel will be the swing of the 2 link like the swing arm on a motorcycle...Your pinion angle will change as it moves up and down...That is why people don't like 2 links...But 2 links work and I never had any problems with 2 links...Make sure you add a cross bar to connect the 2 link bars together or use a panhard bar, but you really do need one or the other. You don't want the axle to move side to side. Think of a swing set you can swing side to side you don't want that on your suspension..Think of a door you can swing it open and closed but not up and down...Weld in a cross bar to the link bars or a panhard bar.
Also...your transmission points down a little and that is why your axle/pinion points up a little...That is on like all RWD cars and trucks...That is why tall lowering blocks have an angle to correct the pinion angle after lowering so much...And that is why your blocks on your 2 link bars are angled...So don't worry about that...That part has already been figured out for you...Just bolt it up and weld what needs welding...Your drive shaft might hit/bottom out on the back of the cab of the truck when you lay out if you have big wheels. If you have a 2 piece drive shaft you will be ok...I don't know what your truck is like.
I just saw this video and I think I messed up! I'm struggling so bad with my airbag install (no instructions whatsoever from airslamit) on my 1998 Chevy s extended cab, 2 link bar with 3/8" manifold bags and 480 tank from airmaxxx and I been guessing as I go watching hundreds of videos that doesn't explain my kit at all... I dropped the leaf springs and put the 2 links going from the rear pivot joint (reusing the mount and bolt that held up the leaf springs in the rear) and the airbag mount sits on the inside of the frame behind the wheels and the front is u bolted to the axle using the mount bracket from the original shocks with the shocks still attached???? I'm about to weld the top mount bracket to the frame but now after seeing this video I feel like I need to tear everything down and start over ... I was wondering if the 2 link bar was supposed to come off the front of the pivot mount for the leaf springs (under the gas tank going to the rear like yours is)?? What a nightmare but I'm tired of bottoming out and I've replace my front grille twice now cuz every damn time I hit a bump in the road it breaks the damn plastic clip that connects to the front right under my headlights.... I just don't know what the hell I'm doing
Did you see my video called How to 2 link a truck...I did the video thinking some people might be thinking how does a 2 link work.
@@TemperDriven I'll look it up right now.... I notice how you have your bags on the outside of the frame, if the bed was attached to your truck would the bags pretty much be right under the gas lid and under the step (if you had a stepside)? Don't usually be asking this question but would it okay to send you a couple pics of what I got goin on and gain some knowledge from you? It's my daily driver and going to be the face of my new business that I'm trying to get up off the ground. I've been without wheels for about a week now and I'm running out of time with the space I was given to do do this at and there isnt a soul in my town that's done airbags that I can ask any help from. Please, teach me your ways oh wise one, there is much to learn I still have! 🙏
In the video you can see the gas tank filler neck/tube is forward of the airbag and like just over the leaf spring mount...I don't know about if it would clear a step side...You could put your airbags on the axle...You will not get as much lift and it will ride kind of hard/firm compared to bags on link bars. Have you seen my CZcams channel called "temperbuilding"...I have more/other airbag videos there...You can email me at my gmail temperdriven or temperbuilding
So the bottom of the airbag is bolted to the plate on the 2Link bar and is the top plate welded to the outside of the frame just behind the gas cap?
I would first find out how tall your airbag is fully compressed...Like 3 inches probably...Then make/use a 3 inch spacer like a small piece of 2x4...Put that on your lower mount at laid out height...then place the upper mount on top of the spacer and weld in place...That way you get the most lift when your bags are fully compressed laid out...This is more important for bags on axle because you don't get much lift...With your bags on the link bars you will get a lot of lift.
And theres no getting away with it without c-notching the frame huh? And another problem im having is i took out the front springs and the rear tires and leafsprings already and im on a lift.... How can i determine what my ride height needs to be set at? By looking at the pitch of the pumpkin and driveline making sure it lines up, look up stop ride height (+/- 2" for the block that was in the leafsprings for the lowering done by previous owner) or it just not possible and im gonna have to put the springs in the front back on and the control arms and the entire rear end and basically just start over? I only have til 4/8 to get this done and its just me myself and I doin it😰
I and maybe most people with airbags set it up to lay out, and don't really worry about ride height...The front the airbags replace the coil springs ride height again does not really matter...I just make sure I can lay out...Cut down the lower control arm high spots/humps, cut a little off the frame around the airbags, notch the frame over the tie rods...Whatever it takes to reach the ground...I use just a C notch on my trucks, but my tires are kind of small.
@@TemperDriven I'm sitting on 20" wheels and low pro tires, I do have an 8pc c-notch kit but is it a mandatory thing that needs to be done in order to install bags? Also just so I know I got it right, my 2 link bars come from the front of the bed and go back to the axle with the airbag mount on the outside of the frame, and goes under the axle held up by the existing shock and the ubolt in the bottom shock bracket? The 2 link bars you have show just a straight bar with one end stacked like a block and I noticed you weld on a plate somewhere 1/2 to 3/4 from one end of the bar, mine came with the mount already welded on. Now when I mounted my 2 link and put the ubolts in it made my axle stiff and its angled upwards and my driveline is completely and I can't rotate the pumpkin forward or down if you will unless I loosen the ubolts and drop the bars. I know I'm making this so much harder than it looks on videos but looking at all this on my truck I'm not seeing it come together or how it goes
With your 2 link the airbags are on the link bars and your upper bag mounts will be on the side of the frame so the step notch or C notch is only clearance to lay out...Where your axle mounts to the link bars is meant to be rigid just like the axle is rigid to the leaf springs...Your suspension travel will be the swing of the 2 link like the swing arm on a motorcycle...Your pinion angle will change as it moves up and down...That is why people don't like 2 links...But 2 links work and I never had any problems with 2 links...Make sure you add a cross bar to connect the 2 link bars together or use a panhard bar, but you really do need one or the other. You don't want the axle to move side to side. Think of a swing set you can swing side to side you don't want that on your suspension..Think of a door you can swing it open and closed but not up and down...Weld in a cross bar to the link bars or a panhard bar.
Also...your transmission points down a little and that is why your axle/pinion points up a little...That is on like all RWD cars and trucks...That is why tall lowering blocks have an angle to correct the pinion angle after lowering so much...And that is why your blocks on your 2 link bars are angled...So don't worry about that...That part has already been figured out for you...Just bolt it up and weld what needs welding...Your drive shaft might hit/bottom out on the back of the cab of the truck when you lay out if you have big wheels. If you have a 2 piece drive shaft you will be ok...I don't know what your truck is like.