aftermarket LCAs with air ride?
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
From: Ontario Canada
aftermarket LCAs with air ride?
I'm new to the board and relativly new to modding my F150. just wondering if it is possible (as is "plug and play") to use lowering control arms from DJM or Western Chassis and air bags together? I would like to get my F150 as low as possible with out too much custom moddification. I know some is neccesay and I well aware of that but I would like to keep it to a minimum. I looking at a full kit from air ride technologies.
Also I have not see the air bar system on an F150 in person yet, any comments on it?
thanks
Also I have not see the air bar system on an F150 in person yet, any comments on it?
thanks
Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
From: sacramento, ca
When dealing with AirRide, they kind of expect YOU to know what YOU want. so it's best to think out all your questions before you call them since they dont really 'expand' to much on their answers. but, they are pretty helpful on troubleshooting any problems you have with their system. but you have to call on your dime, no toll free number.
i went with the AirRide universal weld-on kit. it took a fair amount of modification and i even had to re-machine their panhard bar and all 4 paralell bars. BUT, i didn't have to notch the frame, which, i think is required for the airbar. about 40 hours of work for me to do the rear. if i did it again for the first time, i would choose the airbar, but if i did it again knowing what i know from the first time, i would still choose the universal weld-on. it is so much cleaner and NO FRAME CUTTING. i dont mind welding on the frame, but i cringe at cutting it. since the frame is completely boxed, all those bolts you see for the bolt on airbar require cutting the frame to access the bolt heads or nuts not to mention the C notch. that said, the airbar will let you go lower because i didn't notch the frame, so you gotta consider that too.
the front only took about 2-3 hours to replace the factory strut with the shockwave; very straightforward and easy. I did have an issue with alignment though. you have to hog-out the alignment slots on the lca's to get the proper camber at ride height. the factory slot doesn't allow you to pull the lca in far enough to get rid of all the negitive camber you will end up with when you lower the front that much. your aftermarket lca may address that problem, i dont know.
i went with the AirRide universal weld-on kit. it took a fair amount of modification and i even had to re-machine their panhard bar and all 4 paralell bars. BUT, i didn't have to notch the frame, which, i think is required for the airbar. about 40 hours of work for me to do the rear. if i did it again for the first time, i would choose the airbar, but if i did it again knowing what i know from the first time, i would still choose the universal weld-on. it is so much cleaner and NO FRAME CUTTING. i dont mind welding on the frame, but i cringe at cutting it. since the frame is completely boxed, all those bolts you see for the bolt on airbar require cutting the frame to access the bolt heads or nuts not to mention the C notch. that said, the airbar will let you go lower because i didn't notch the frame, so you gotta consider that too.
the front only took about 2-3 hours to replace the factory strut with the shockwave; very straightforward and easy. I did have an issue with alignment though. you have to hog-out the alignment slots on the lca's to get the proper camber at ride height. the factory slot doesn't allow you to pull the lca in far enough to get rid of all the negitive camber you will end up with when you lower the front that much. your aftermarket lca may address that problem, i dont know.