Finally got around to installing these old prototype airsprings

billcu

billcu

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I started this today after work. I just installed one temporarily, to see how it fits and experiment with the plumbing.

For those that don't remember, I bought these from Eddie, he was considering selling these, but that didn't work out. They never made it to a complete kit, but Eddie gave me a lot of extra different solenoids, fittings, airlines and a couple gages for the install.

I used my Asham module to air the car up, then shut the switch off. Then I jacked the car up on jackstands and put the new one on the left front. I first tried mounting it with the gage and Schrader valve that he left on one, from his off car testing, but it didn't fit on the car that way.:)

I just used the Schrader valve for now. I aired it up and down to check it out and compare the height with the right one and bounce the car at the fenders.

I didn't want to drive on it yet, as it leaks, Eddie said that was an early problem with these. The next step is to take the wheel back off, support the lower control arm and do some leak testing.

The first 2 photos are when I first tried installing it with the gage. It would have worked for testing, but I couldn't get to the Schrader valve in this configuration, I might still use it at some point though. I took the gage off and just used the valve for now.

The last 2 photos show it aired up. It was tough getting photos after I put the tire back on and aired it up, it was getting dark too. I'll get some more photos as I go.:)

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I was always wondering what happened to these... And why they never made it to production. I do recall everyone complaining about not knowing the shock brand and what the valving was..... and thats the last I remember.
 
i remember someone trying a set of air shocks that looked like these on their 2nd gen.
and they were, frankly, terrible.
and leaked quite a lot.
i hope you have better luck Bill!
 
I got the fittings sealed up and found a small leak at the seal on the airspring. At first look, it looks like the chrome part moves up and down through the seal but that part doesn't move. I tested it, it didn't leak down after 4 hours, so then I took it out for a short test drive.

It drove fine, I couldn't tell the difference between the new one and the original one on the passenger's side. I'll test it some more of course.

Eddie included 2 solenoid valves that are different from the Mark VIII solenoids. Instead of having one airline push in fitting and the other end with the O rings and coupler that goes into the airspring, these solenoids are an inline design with 2 air line push in fittings. I replaced the Schrader valve in the airspring with an air line push in fitting, connected the airlines, and plugged in the solenoid electrical connector (luckily it's the same connector as the original Mark VIII solenoid).

I tested it out pumping it up and venting it with my Asham module, it works great. It looks like the new one pumps faster than the originals, but it stops at the correct height per the Asham setting.

I left it sit overnight with the switch off, it dropped down less than about 3/4 inch. I think I can live with this, as some of this might even be from the the cooled down air from sitting overnight.

I'm going to drive around with it for a while to check it out before I do the passenger's side, but it looks like this is working out great. :cool:

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Darrell85 said:
keep us posted, we wont to know how it turns out or if you have any issues
Click to expand...

No issues yet, I haven't been driving it much lately though. I'll be driving it to work tomorrow, it's a 50 mile drive, so that will be a good test. :D
 
Bill, the fleet is too cool - with both a GenI and GenII you are my hero. You always seem to be figuring something out no one else has tripped to yet. Now, if I could get my wife to give up her heated and cooled seats and all wheel drive, maybe - just maybe I could join you guys with multiple Marks. Probably not. Although she has admitted that it is the best looking car I have owned in our 30 years together. That includes Mercedes SL's and SEC's and several Z cars of all generations as well as everything Chrysler and Ford made while I worked for their finance companies.
 
Thanks David, it does come in handy to have both gens, and a couple of each. :D

I've been driving it to work to test it out, no issues, I'll be putting the passenger side in this weekend.:)
 
The weekend work didn't happen, it was too hot and humid for car work. :D

I did the passenger side today after work. I also replaced the upper control arm as the previous owner had the non pivoting bushing style on the car. I replaced the driver side last year as it was bad, but I also bought the passenger side to have for now, when the airspring was swapped.

I bolted it in, plumbed it up, and aired it up and down a few times, the operation is great. These inflate very quickly compared to the stock units.

I still need to do the soap bubble test on this one, as it's leaking a bit. I need to work on the routing and solenoid locations next anyway.

I had to button the car up for now as it was getting dark in the driveway. :)
 
I sealed up a fitting leak and drove it to work Monday and Tuesday.
It seems to ride great, but it's a bit bouncy on dips and bumps.
It's less bouncy with more air/height.

Luckily, the Asham module lets me adjust the rear to stay at stock height while I check out the ride in the front with different heights.:)

The lower bolt hole of the assembly at the lower control arm needs to be located higher, to let the airspring inflate more per height. I'll be drilling some new holes.:shifty:

I've been driving with the front end about an inch higher than the rear, that seems to be the best amount of air, but there is still some bounce.

Here's a photo of the car slammed in the front. You can see the bolt hole needs to be raised to get the front lower. It is bottomed out at a height that just looks lowered, not good for Michigan roads.

The second photo shows that I have plenty of room for the new hole.:)

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I've been driving on these for a while now, and comparing the ride with my stock air ride cars, the green 94, and the white 97.

These prototypes do ride much softer, at the cost of a bouncy ride on rough roads.

I'm getting a bit used to it, on some real rough MI roads, it's nice to have a softer ride sometimes.:)

They do have a very slow leak, they will slam after about 2 days. That's really not a problem though, as they pump up much faster than the stock springs. :cool:

I think these are made to slam anyway, with a fast bag set up.
Now I'm thinking about an air tank in the trunk for laughs.:D

I haven't drilled the new holes in them yet, that's next.
 
chris2523 said:
the age old front shock problem. ha.
Click to expand...

I'm curious why this is such a problem with aftermarket spring/shocks for the Mark VIII.

I'm wondering if the original rolling lobe design of the airspring adds more shock damping to the system?

We might just be spoiled with a great original ride.:D

One more thing I did notice about these prototypes, the front end of the car doesn't pop up when you nail it, like the stock units always do.

Maybe the stock units are bouncy on the way up, and the aftermarkets are bouncy on the way down?:)
 
Here's a video showing the airsprings inflating from slammed to 8 bars out of 10 on the Asham display.

This is about the height where I've been driving it, although I've been experimenting with driving it with less air, and it seems to ride the same, as long as it isn't too low to bottom out.

https://youtu.be/kZYkFbErvAE
 
Yes, they're a lot faster pumping up than the stock airsprings. It's very noticeable when daily driving, the front pops up, the rear pops up, and it's done. It's got to be better for the compressor.

I actually had to swap out the compressor in my Green Mark VIII yesterday, I've been watching the black prototype so much, I almost forgot how slow the stock springs inflate.:)

Here's the site that sells the springs now, I think they're the same. I'm going to ask them about the adaptor kit they have.

http://www.airbagit.com/product-p/bag-ocs-linc-x89.htm
 
I was thinking that the non pivoting bushing upper control arms might limit the bouncing with these. That might also be a factor with the bouncy coil spring conversion kits, as T birds don't use the pivoting bushings and no one complains about T birds being bouncy.:)
 
Smaller volume means higher spring rate (progressive). Billcu do you find the car to ride more planted than the factory springs? Less roll? Then again it also depends on the shock's compression/rebound that they used.
 
Except for when it's bouncy, the handling seems to be similar to stock. I think I would have to take it to an auto x track to really be sure though.
 
I drilled new mounting holes above the original holes to allow the air springs to be inflated more at regular height.

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I've been driving it at stock height and lowered slightly, expressway and around town, it rides much better like this.

It does ride smoother over bumps, but it's still got a little more bounce than the stock air springs, I guess that's the tradeoff. I'm starting to like it on these terrible Michigan roads.

The bounce is only on larger bumps, and at least it doesn't keep bouncing like an old Chevy with worn out shocks.
 
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