Since, I didn't get a response when I posted this in my trailing arm thread, maybe I'll try again with a new tread.

This car I'm working on is only the 2nd that I've bagged, so I'm no expert. But I'm curious if anyone out there is setting up bag brackets that pivot so the top and bottom bag plates are always parallel?
Since the bracket angles will change with suspension travel when the bags are mounted to an A-Arm or trailing arm, it seems like a simple pivot on one of the brackets would be a great way to get maximum air-bag height and drop.

Thoughts anyone...

Another option, if I understand what you are trying to do, is to go with Air Rides newer ShockWave bags which mount with a bushing at the top and/or bottom. I know what you mean be the top and bottom plates of the older "donut" bags not staying parallel to one another during axle travel. Over time my front bags have bulged slightly more in one direction than another which I think is due partially to the condition you point out and also the bag possibly not being mounted perfectly perpendicular during the original installation. The ShockWaves are more expensive - but they might address your concerns.

C-Boy,
I've thought about shockwaves the cost is prohibitive...
I'm bagging my whole car (including valves, compressors, bags, tanks) for the cost of one pair of shockwaves!!!!

I was just thinking that a simple solution would be to have one bracket mounted on a pivot. Something a shock
Any thoughts on that idea? I'm wondering if the pivot would be unstable or if the bag would prevent it from flopping around?

Thanks for the input C-Boy.
-alfie

I know what you mean about the cost of the ShockWaves... so I don't blame you for wanting to find a cheaper solution.

There is a guy, I think his name is Tony, from AirRide who inhabits this forum from time to time and really knows his stuff. Hopefully he or someone else with more experience than me can give you a better answer. I've never seen a setup like you are talking about but it seems to me that what you have in mind is similar to what the Shockwave is designed to do and assuming you build it stout enough it ought to work.

ON a normal air spring, that pivot would make the bag unstable. Id guess when aired up the bag would shift to the extent of the pivot.

Krist,
I think you may be right for the double convoluted bags,
What about the sleeve bags?

-alfie

Yup "Krist" is correct. The plates have to fixed or they will simply flop over and preload one side of the bracket...... not what you want to happen. Now the bags can travel through an arc within reason....

One last thought on this one.
What if you did 2 ends w/Pivots... Just like the shockwave.
Doesn't seem that hard to build.
I just built some trailing arms for my '58 Impala and I used some polyurathane bushing in a lenght of DOM tubing at each end.
Doesn't seem like a whole lot of work to use bushings at the top and bottom of an air-spring plate....
I say all this, after I finish bagging my car the normal way (with fixed plates)...
-alfie

Then you would have the same problem on both ends of the bag.

Trim man,
Then why doesn't the shockwave bag do that?
I'm asking an honest question here, not trying to bug.

Because it has a shock up thru the middle of the bag that keeps it straight. To do what you want, you would need some sort of linkage to keep the pivoting mount straight. More trouble than it's worth.

These guys have www.suicidedoors.com air ride stuff at the best cost that I have found including circle plates for mounting the bags much easier and cleaner than making them your self, great service and company.

do you have any pics of the rear control arms you made for the impala. i am making some for a 64 biscayne and was looked for some insider help, thanks

I'd mount the brackets so that they would be parallel at ride/driving height. That's where they will have the most time. It won't matter so much if they are off kilter sitting in the weeds -- the arms will likely be sitting on the frame stops anyway, so no weight on the bags.