Smooth Ride
| Toyota Pickup Drivers Side View
Airbagging your truck doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice ride quality and handling. We understand wanting to go as low as possible and laying your frame smack on the ground with big rollers, but you definitely don't have to lose good ride quality. When most trucks are 'bagged, the antisway bar is usually ditched. Just because your stock shock mounts can't be used, doesn't mean that shocks can't be run up front without interfering with your turning radius. Sometimes, the shocks are relocated too far back and interfere with the rim, and the angle at which they are mounted can reduce the shock's efficiency. We often come across shocks that are mounted such that either the shock or shock mounts break due to the stress from improper installation.
Another important factor is suspension geometry. Certain trucks can be 'bagged to lay without drop spindles, but depending on the size of the rim, ride quality will be sacrificed. The simple addition of drop spindles, the proper relocation of shocks, and the right airbag can make an enormous difference. We used a pair of Belltech 2-inch drop spindles, along with Monroe '65 VW front shocks, which offer more travel and match the weight specifications of the Toyota, to smooth out the ride. After Sadistic Iron Werks finished installing the shocks, spindles, and Contitech airbags, we had the truck aligned at ride height. We then went for a drive on Balsam Avenue in Hesperia, California -- the most brutal stretch of road we've ever seen. If our Toyota can handle the bashings from Balsam, it can take on just about anything.
