Airbag over leaf spring.

[BigMontana]

Has anyone taken off the bump stop on the M1078 or another leaf spring vehicle and thrown some light airbags in their place...I reckon they would lift the vehicle a few inches make everything softer amd, you could even have individual 3 position bag switches for off road operation create overpressure, neutral, and dump positions to allow you to pre lean into any sidling hills you have to traverse.

 

[simp5782]

Has anyone taken off the bump stop on the M1078 or another leaf spring vehicle and thrown some light airbags in their place...I reckon they would lift the vehicle a few inches make everything softer amd, you could even have individual 3 position bag switches for off road operation create overpressure, neutral, and dump positions to allow you to pre lean into any sidling hills you have to traverse.

Did it on a M939 series. Using a kit from
Front kit kenworth or freightliner with a 14k front would probably work without much modification

 

[BigMontana]

Yeah that looks great! figure I'm just going to see how far the suspension comes up when I take off about 50% of the weight on each leaf spring then just measurements and leveling valves...I don't suspect the entire setup would cost me more than $1k with the help of a local welder...might have to change out shocks based on new suspension travel...or maybe I just re mount dual shocks fore and aft of the new airbags...get some cheapies that have the right measurements maybe even mount at an angle.

My bonus thought here is that my cargo bed is sitting on some flimsy I channel beams that are attached to the frame rails...I suspect this is because: if I took those beams off (and lowered the cargo deck) the wheels might travel high enough to hit the lowered bed...maybe I can work with my new taller suspension to not have to cut up the cargo bed when I lower it (to give the wheels room to come all the way up).


As an ex backwoods mountain heavy haul truck driver I see a lot of possibility to find civilian parts and retrofit them...I'm never really going for super duper best you can put on, just making some easy common sense improvements as money comes available, or as other things break ... Whichever comes first.

 

[Keith Knight]

I did that on my thread Keith’s M1078A1 overland project on this site, page 6 and beyond. Now that I’m full time in it…it’s a must do thing. With our soft suspension it really helps on body roll.

 

[BigMontana]

I did that on my thread Keith’s M1078A1 overland project on this site, page 6 and beyond. Now that I’m full time in it…it’s a must do thing. With our soft suspension it really helps on body roll.

Nice thread!

 

[Ronmar]

I know someone who has done that, and they are happy with it so far…