Well, with some good-natured prodding from both Editor Fortier and Artist Jimmy Smith, the "Rizcayne" is actually well on its way to becoming a pretty darn cool ride. Just days after the completion of the frontend rebuild and the installation of power disc brakes from Classic Performance Products, the components for the next phase of the transformation arrived at our offices. With all the glee of an 8-year-old child on Christmas morning, I tore into the two rather large and heavy Air Ride Technologies boxes I'd shoehorned into my office. After surveying their contents and trying in vain to get everything to fit back in the boxes the way it did before I emptied them, I trundled the whole kit 'n' caboodle out to the Primedia Tech Center where the airbag installation would be performed. Tech Center Manager Dominic Conti immediately took possession of my bounty and began to match the components to the parts list, enclosed with the installation instructions, in the Air Ride Technologies kit. Once satisfied that the contents were accounted for, he rolled the Rizcayne into the Tech Center and positioned it on the lift. While he was doing this, I wandered off to grab my trusty camera so I could chronicle the installation (but not without stopping to admire my new quartet of 18-inch-diameter Intro "Vista" billet five-spokes and Toyo Proxes 225/40ZR18 tires).
The Air Ride Technologies airbag components used here on the '64 consist of a combination of a '58-62 Bel Air/Impala rear system (PN ARR 20600), an ARF 10600 front system (again listed for the '58-62 Chevy), and an ARC 4000 four-wheel compressor system. These three component packages (along with those awesome Intro wheels and 18-inch rubber) gave us everything needed to perform what ended up to be the single, most attitude-altering modification the Rizcayne will see.
Though the component kits used on the '64 are listed for use on '58-62 Chevys, we found that only one modification (for the rear bag mounts) needed to be performed to make it a virtual "bolt-in" kit (Well, "bolt-in" may not be a totally accurate description as it is necessary to weld in the front upper shock mounts--but I'm sure you catch my drift.). So, camera in hand I, again, had the opportunity to watch as someone else did my work for me (though I don't feel too guilty because the kit installed without a hitch). In fact, I think the guys at Air Ride Technologies would be safe changing the designation for those airbag kits from '58-62 to '58-64--it was that easy. So, check out the accompanying photos and follow along as we show just how easy it is to make a real attitude adjustment to a mid-'60s Chevy.
Oh, yeah, and stay tuned for a few more installments in the saga of the Rizcayne.
 Here are the Air Ride Technologies...  Here are the Air Ride Technologies components used to give the Rizcayne a new, mild-custom lease on life. The complete four-corner package consists of an ARF 10600 front airspring kit, an AAR 20600 rear airspring kit, and an ARC 4000 four-wheel compressor system with a four-way Ride Pro controller. The combination of these four kits gives the user everything needed for an easy and very straightforward installation. |  The first order of business...  The first order of business was to gain entry into the Primedia Tech Center (No easy feat with all the use it gets.). Once I figured out that making an appointment makes this a much easier process, Dominic was happy to oblige. |  Once the car was up on the...  Once the car was up on the lift, the first thing Dominic did was remove the wheels at all four corners and then removed the brake calipers. Next he supported the lower control arms, loosened the upper ball joint nuts, popped the joints, and slowly released the tension on the coil springs so they could be removed, and the lower control arm could swing free. Note: If you harbor the least bit of apprehension, be safe and refer to a service manual for a proper and safe procedure. |
 The lower A-frame mounting...  The lower A-frame mounting brackets are bolted to the lower control arms. They use the existing bumpstop mounting holes to locate and align the plates. |  Once in position, mark the...  Once in position, mark the location of the inner mounting holes, remove the plates, use a center punch to locate your drill points, and drill the mounting holes. |  This is exactly how the plate...  This is exactly how the plate will mount. |
 Each front bag assembly is...  Each front bag assembly is composed of the upper spring bracket, the airbag (more properly called an airspring), an air line fitting, a lower front A-arm plate, and a 7/16X8-inch stud. This photo shows the components assembled and ready to install in the vehicle spring pocket. But, before you do so, install a straight air line fitting (and one end of the air supply line into the fitting) into each airbag. You'll also have to enlarge the old upper shock mounting hole and drill an additional one to route the air supply line. |  The completed assembly is...  The completed assembly is then slid into place in the vehicle spring pocket (the top stud through the enlarged shock mounting hole and the bottom mounting plate onto the lower control arm). Remember to replace the lower control arm bumpstop in its original position. Important note: In most cases the frame around the spring pocket will need to be trimmed to some degree so the bags will not rub. IT IS THE FINAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE INSTALLER TO ENSURE THAT THE AIRBAGS DO NOT RUB ANYTHING AT ANY TIME! |  It's strongly recommended...  It's strongly recommended that the suspension and steering be eyeballed throughout their complete travel to ensure there is no contact between the walls of the bags and any portion of the frame or suspension. |
 The front kit includes a pair...  The front kit includes a pair of lower and upper shock mounts (and gas-charged shocks, by the way). Since placing the shocks in the original position is out of the question, the shocks must be relocated to aft of the control arms. The bottom bracket can be bolted or welded to the A-arm immediately behind the steering stop bracket. The upper mounts can be trimmed if needed and are welded to the frame directly behind the upper A-arms. (Just make sure the shocks will not bottom out before the airbags are fully deflated and they don't interfere with any suspension components.) |  This is the upper shock mounting...  This is the upper shock mounting welded into place behind the upper A-frame. |  This is how the completed...  This is how the completed front assemblies look with the airbags and shocks in place. Remember, we cannot stress enough that the airbags must never have contact with anything that may chafe through the rubber and cause a catastrophic failure. |
 Once the front installation...  Once the front installation is completed it's off to the rear of the Rizcayne to repeat a similar process. The rear swap is a piece of cake (not that the front was really that difficult). We started by supporting the rearend assembly and then disconnecting the shocks. This allowed the rearend to be lowered and the coil springs merely lifted out of place. |  Once the rear springs and...  Once the rear springs and shocks are out of the way, there's all of a sudden a ton of space in which to work (how nice). |  The rear airbags are assembled...  The rear airbags are assembled similarly to the front. In the case of our '64 we used an upper bracket that was similar to the front upper bracket (there were two different styles of bracket included in our rear kit). |
 The lower mount consisted...  The lower mount consisted of a flat plate with an integral ring, which was just a bit smaller than the round opening in the lower coil spring mount on the track arms. Here you can see the lower airbag bracket sitting in the factory coil-spring mount. |  The mounts are bolted to the...  The mounts are bolted to the airbags with the supplied bolts and lock washers. In our case the completed assembly just slid into place, the bottom bracket resting in the factory hole of the OEM coil spring mount, and the upper "hat" held in place by the preformed pocket that centered the original coil. |  Once the bag assemblies were...  Once the bag assemblies were in place, we lifted the rearend and attached the new shorter shocks supplied in the ART kit and lowered the Rizcayne to the ground. |
 At this point it was time...  At this point it was time to install, wire, and plumb the rest of the system. We located the air storage tank and compressor in the trunk using the mounting templates included in the kit. The compressor is wired with a 12-volt power wire of 12-gauge or larger, and a 20-amp fuse is required. The power wire should run directly to the battery, and the fuse should be placed as close to the battery as possible. The red wire from the compressor and the power wire from the battery are attached to the pressure switch in the compressor head. |  I have to admit, the Ride...  I have to admit, the Ride Pro control system was a bit intimidating when we first unpacked everything. But once we read the enclosed instructions and looked over the wiring and air supply line schematic we were pleasantly surprised by just how easy it really was. |  The schematic showed us precisely...  The schematic showed us precisely where everything went, and the kit's "plug-n-play" electrical harness made wiring everything a breeze. |
 The air line fittings supplied...  The air line fittings supplied are push-to-connect style, and the air supply line needs to be cut clean and square. Use a razor blade for this, not a pair of snips or dikes. The air supply lines should be protected by rubber grommets wherever they pass through a bulkhead and should be routed so they are kept away from hot exhaust, sharp edges, and moving parts. |  We routed the gauge and control...  We routed the gauge and control lines and the electrical harnesses from the Ride Pro solenoids (which we mounted on the spare tire deck in the Rizcayne's trunk) into the car's interior and up to the dash under the right-hand door sill plate. |  As I mentioned earlier, we...  As I mentioned earlier, we mounted the solenoid blocks in the forward area of the trunk so that they would not interfere or be damaged by anything we might need to carry in the trunk in the future. |
 The Ride Pro controller was...  The Ride Pro controller was mounted under the Rizcayne's dash within easy reach. The controller and solenoid combination allows individual adjustment of each airbag, and the dual-pointer-equipped gauges allow me to equalize the air pressure in each corner. |  After completing the install...  After completing the install we double-checked the system completely, took the car for a short test ride, and then checked everything again. Since the installation (completed about three days before this was written), I've driven the Rizcayne about 250 miles, and I've got to admit they've been the most enjoyable miles I've racked up in this car since I've owned it. The new stance acquired with the Air Ride Technologies airbag system and those awesome 18-inch Intro wheels and Toyo radials have truly transformed what was once a battered old beater into the Rizcayne. Boy, I can't wait for its next upgrade! Stay tuned and we'll see ya soon. | |