Tube buggy "AIR RIDE"
 

I wanted to go springless on my buggy to look more scale but didn't want to sacrifice travel with internal springs so this is what I came up with. With 150 psi in the system it eliminates all torque twist, yet is soft enough that it flexes better than any of the spring shocks I have ran and is not NEARLY as bouncy because off less rebound in the shocks.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...11_52_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...11_53_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...11_54_full.jpg

your pics dont work and id really like to see what you did.

Sorry, it should work now

He's got pneumatic shocks - look closely and you can see the tubes connected to the shocks.


I'd like to see some more up-close pics, and a more detailed description of what exactly you did. How did you make the shock piston air-tight? Do you have some sort of canister of compressed air in there, or are the shocks just connected to each other so that when one compressed, it extendes another? How do you know there is 150psi in the system? I am interested, yet skeptical ;-)

Man that looks good!!

the whole idea about running air instead of springs is great!! i have heard of it but never seen it. i like to see close ups too.

Very cool. So are all 4 hooked together? ...so the ride height can be adjusted?
Awesome rig.

i actually thought of doing that once with integy piggy backs. but it was just and idea, never left my head!!

How in the hell does this work?

I with the M.S. on this one.

I'd like to know more about the set-up too. What is the deal with the servo in the rear? Multiple links to the same horn?

x 2!

look close
 

if you look close it looks like he has all four shocks connect together, and has a bicycle valve stem on the back where he adds his air or release:lol:

All four shocks are on the same system. The "piston" of the shock does not need to be sealed at all. The two o-rings at the bottom of the shock that seal against the shaft are sufficient. This way all that the air pressure is acting against is the shock shaft. (The shaft is a little over 3mm dia. and at 150 psi provides about 1.7 lb of force. At 200psi it is capable of 2.2 lb of force. The upside, IMO, is the force is constant the entire travel of the shock.)

I picked up some small barb fittings with small pipe threads on one end, a couple of quick connect tees, and some poly tubing at a local hydraulic/pneumatic hose shop. (cost me $11) I don't have any spec's on these, they were just the smallest I could find. (they let me rumage around until I found what I needed.)

The only modification needed on the shocks is to drill and tap a hole in the side of the shock. Then install the barb fittings with some teflon tape on the threads. After you install them in the shock you will need to take your dremmel and smooth the inside bore of the shock so the piston can slide easily. TLT shocks work great for this project because the shock bodies are so thick.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...11_55_full.jpg
For the fill valve I used a metal car tire valve. (autozone 2pk $5) you just intall a barb fitting in the end oposite the valve and bolt it down somewhere.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...11_57_full.jpg
Finally, just cut your hose and hook it all up. I found that the hose I bought was just a little too loose on the barb fittings. They slid on tight and held 200 psi, but if I flexed the hose any, air would leak out. So I cut one of the chassis brace tubes that come in the tlt kit into 1/4 sections and slid them over the connections to keep the hose from moving. The quick connect tees work great and are easily removed for repositioning.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...11_56_full.jpg

It's TOP SECRET !!!!!!!

J/K

Here's a link http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/tamiya-tlt-crawlers/41679-new-spin-rear-dig.html

Man, glad you explained that. I run similar setup on my 1:1 and run 150 psi in the rear. Was wondering how you ran that much on such a small scale. Very innovative ideas, both this and the dig setup.

That's a very clever design, actually. Much less complex than I thought it would need to be. But I would still like to see how effective it is firsthand - guess I'll have to try it out for myself. I have been wanting to do an air-suspension for some time, but I was thinking of something way more complex. This method looks very feasible.

Does it sit nice and level, or does it want to flop over?

VERY stable. no floppiness at all.

do you use a bicycle shock pump to air up the system? thanks for the detailed pics and 'how to'.

Nice write up. Lets see it in action. I like the idea of riding on air.