here are some pics of my ride

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[IMG]local://upfiles/21152/D1287CED35774B3FA6536BEF2E16E251.jpg[/IMG]

 

are there any direct fitting kits for 97-02 dakotas?

I want a pretty drastic drop and would rather a spring & shock setup but i cant find anything more than a 2 & 4 " drop.

 

look up www.suicidedoors.com jason should have something for you.

 

good call my man, Suicidedoors is the **** and jason is the man. Now that he has some new badass guys workin for him....its just a matter of time before they take over the world LOL

but honestly, anyone that thinks "air ride suspension" is ricer....is either too naive of the actual scene, or too close minded to stray from old thinking. Air ride was first introduced in the street rod scene believe it or not, which later adapted into the minitruck and sport truck scene in the largest scale. Today you would damn near think S10s came stock with it. LOL

As for the ride of air....if it is properly setup and you have shocks and all that good jazz, it is the absolute best ride you will ever feel, no questions asked.

and as for performance, well....look at this article and tell me what you think. I figured it best to link out to a WELL KNOWN source, dealing with the performance aspect, which i dont really care about, but air ride offers none the less. I am more of a show type person, but i find it best to explain something in terms people are most common with. So if hotrods and performance are your thing, HERE is why air ride is awesome. http://popularhotrodding.com/tech/06...air/index.html


By the way, im studying to be a mechanical engineer with a focus on automotive chassis and suspension, and i have done numerous reports and essays on the benefits of air ride suspension. I am a minitrucker at heart and finally looking to get into the big truck scene with a ram....on air of course.

So, rather than bash back and forth about air. I will simply say, if you are unfamiliar, dont post your opinion. If you would like to know more, by all means ask....i am pretty sure that i can answer just about any question you may have about air ride suspension except for vehicle specific questions like "how do i put airbags on my 1973 such and such"....i wouldnt know without looking at it.

 

Hey all, I'm new here and glad to finally find somelace that talks about lowered rams!!! My '05 had a 4/5 static drop but bags are hopefully in the future. The only problem is, what happens when the winter months come and the temp gets down to ten degrees? I would love to air bag my truck but don't want to be in the driveway at 5:30 trying to thaw the airlines to get to work. On the lighter side how can I notch the frame rails for my rear axle, I bottom out now over the smallest bumps. Thanks for listening to me rant.[sm=hiya.gif]

 

In answer to the question, are airbags good or bad? It depends on what you want from them. I had them on a Ford 250 and they were worth their weght in gold.
When you wanted a softer ride, you simply let some air out. When you wanted to pack a big load, you added air and it really worked!
The greatest advantage was in stability. We had an older, very heavy camper and scared ourselves more than once when coming into a curve and feeling the topheavy sway. After adding the air-ride, it was a whole new world.
I just had air installed on my 1998 Dodge 2500 and packed an eleven foot, twenty-four hundred pound camper over several mountain passes on a twelve hundred mile trip. It handled very well. I was admittedly a little light in the nose, which tends to spook you, but that's not the fault of the air-ride.

 

aight guys i want to ride on air in my 05 ram but i have heard bout the frezzing airlines and busted bags . i alsodont want some big *** tank in the back of my truck then have to by a lid for security and all that mess. if i were to get bagged what all would i need (i know i need cheap also) to get it bouncin'
thanks

 

Ok I have a bit of experience with bags, my 86 Chev half ton is bagged using firestone 224,s and 255's. Theyve been on my chev for about 5 years now and before that the same bags were on my Mazda for about 2 years. And I live in winter 8 months of the year, -40 degree weather. No i dont drive it year round but I have never had a frozen airline or a popped bag. Right now im in the process of bagging my 97 ford as well, im setting that up with air lifts Gen II extreme bags, and seeing as theyre rated three times higher than my firestone i dont think ill ever blow one. And if we dont trade in our neon this spring its gettin a set of air struts (WOW, Chev, Ford and Dodge? at least i dont have an import LOL)

The only time your gonna pop a bag is if its rubbing against something or your allowing it to over extend. And as far a freezing air lines? Make sure you put a water seperator between your compressor(s) and your tank, and mount your valves higher then your tank to let any condensate rest in the tank not your valves. Seeing as how most air line out there is also the same air line on Semi trucks and trailers which run year round, just make sure its DOT approved air line. I build 46-55 foot tridem trailers and all we use on them is air ride, and the only problem we ever had was some new welder sent some slag on an airline and burnt a hole in it.

And people who say air ride decreases handling?? Its all about how you set it up.. Take it to the strip? Preload your one corner for better traction. Do some research... OR try it out...

J12racer. Is your ram 2wd or 4wd? and how low do you want to go and on what size rims/tires? for cheap wise, throw hangers/shackles and a flip kit out back then use and air over leaf setup. As far as your front goes, is it a coil over on the new dodges? Besides Mac strut vehicles and chevy s-10s, baggin a vehicle isnt just a bolt in operation, you need to be handy with wrenches, grinders and possibly welders. But let me know Id be glad to give you some advice or point you in the right direction.....

 

the only time you're ever going to have any problems with bags, is if it's install was improperly designed, i've been on air with my body dropped s10 for years now, never had any problems with my air ride. as far as freezing lines, they have water traps, they have tank "anti-freeze" how do you think semi's use it year round? that's where the entire air ride was derived from. and reading over this thread, bobby bling is absolutly correct...

 

if you install them right it will be good. Don't just stick em in an hope for the best. Take yoru time and do it right the first time.