1991 Nissan Hardbody Four-Link Rear Suspension Install - Hittin Bottom, Part II
Yes, we slacked in bringing you the second part of our Nissan Hardbody airbag install, and for that we apologize. In our defense, we present the final installment of the story, which came out much better for having waited a couple of issues to print. This time around, we'll begin by installing the front Toxic shock absorbers. From there, we'll be installing a complete triangulated four-link rear suspension from Thorbecke Fabrication.
The rear suspension will position a pair of Firestone 26C airbags on top of the lower four-link bars, midway between the suspension's pivot points, in a mechanically advantageous design. There are many benefits to this design. First off, this setup takes advantage of the inherent 1.5:1 ratio of the 'bag's design and furthers this ratio by increasing the 'bags leverage. In a nutshell, this type of suspension requires much less air pressure to raise the truck to ride height versus a typical 'bag-over-axle design. The second is that it extends the life of the air suspension accessories, such as the air compressor.
As with the first installment of this tech article, we went straight to IMZZ Industries to have the parts from Thorbecke Fabrication expertly installed. You may also notice that our project truck is wearing a new bed. Thanks to the good folks at California Mini Truck Dismantlers, we were spared from having to remove the spray-in bedliner that was already in this truck's original bed. Instead, we found this clean, inexpensive Hardbody bed.
We waited to bring this story to you because we found a more efficient way to get a new set of wheels to fit your truck. Boyd Coddington Wheels now offers a service that sends you a blank, unwelded wheel you can use to check the backspacing, offset, and clearances before ordering a new set of wheels. Once you've determined the perfect wheel measurements for your truck, you return the wheel, and your new wheels will be built to your exact specifications. We tried the new service on this Hardbody, and the results were fantastic. We avoided changing lug patterns on this truck and received a set of 18- and 20-inch wheels that bolted right up and cleared the fenders with almost no modifications. Sound good? Let's get started then.
