I'm trying to decide what kind of suspension to use on my 52 GMC. I here air bags don't last as long as coil over shocks. I was hoping to get some opinions from people that have been down this road before
If you want adjustable suspension, go with air bags, if you want set ride hight, coilovers. I have bags, and no problems. I installed coilovers on the '50 I built, and it rode and handled pretty good.
Be aware that if you install airbags , you'll need to install suspension stops that prevent the truck from dragging on the ground when/if they pop as you'll have total loss of control otherwise... No one ever expects the bags to pop but they do , efter a couple years , usually when you'e driving to a meet ..
Coilover v Airbag???? Are you sick or something? Why would you want to put one of our esteemed members of the forum in the ring with my missus??? Poor guy wouldnt stand a chance! I dont think he deserves that even if he is American!
Ok i will try and be serious Airbags, as cool as they are do fail, normally suddenly, sometimes at the wrong time, at least with coilovers things just get a bit bouncy! you need to decide form over function or not.
I'm just glad Neil didn't say, "you repeat yourself". If you aren't intending on creating a ground dragger then coilovers are the better choice for several reasons. First there is a choice of many spring rates, one of which will give you the desired ride and handling. Second there is about 2 to 2 1/2 inches of ride height adjustment via the threaded portion of the shock body. Next, they are the most compact suspension one can use and finally they use a principle that has been in use for the last 70 plus years which is a coil spring in conjunction with a shock absorber. The only difference is the spring is mounted directly on the shock body rather that to an axle housing or an A-frame.
Check out the Speedway catalog www.speedwaymotors.com They have a listing for which spring to use for the weight of the vehicle. Also shock people like Carrera or Aldin could steer you in the right direction.
Its a G*C Just realised it was a G*C you were talking about, i would go with the airbags and let us know when it ends up in a ditch some where
