Thread: bagging a unibody...

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It has recently crossed my mind that my 65 ranchero would look pretty nice slammed to the ground. With that said, it would be pretty difficult to put air bags on a ranchero because they are a unibody design. Ive heard of doing a "C" notch mod to allow room for the bags but with a unibody, there simply isnt anything to notch. I was thinking... would a fiberglass mono-leaf spring setup to allow a very flexible rear end combined with a fabricated bracket welded to the "frame" extended through the bed over the leaf spring work??? has anyone succesfully bagged a ranchero/mustang/falcon/comet???
thank you for any help...

Why can't you put air bags on a unibody car? The air bag is simply a spring substitute.

The Ranchero has a rear frame channel that should be perfectly suitable for a C Notch. Not sure that even with bags the truck would ever get low enough to need it, fairly tall kickup on the rear section, anyway. The biggest task is going to be replacing the leaf springs on the rear with a bag, anyhow. Once you get that much accomplished, a C notch would be relatively easy !!!!

becase there are no coils on the rear end, just leaf springs. There is no place to mount a bag. you would have to cut the "frame" to allow room to mount a system.

Bags aren't the only way to lower the suspension anyway. IMO a good healthy crossmember for the top mount on the bags and a ladder bar set up and a panhard bar would work. Take a look at my Ranchero in my gallery, it will be coilovers all the way around........ Just comes down to how much work you want to do and how much money you want to spend.

Dave- to need what? the c-notch? Should i just abandon this idea and block drop it?

Geez, we must be typing responses at the same time !!!!!

i guess so.... by the way your ranchero is sick. What else do you plan on doing to it? I love the mustange panel idea, that is original and a half!

Well, I still have to build a full cage. I have the motor plates in for a 501 CI big block Ford and a 5 speed. The Moser rear end with 40 spline axles is ordered. Just need some time, money, and ambition to get back on it !!!!!! Probably get back to it some time after the holidays.

wow....after your tires stop spinning it will be pretty fast... ha ha.

32.5 tall X 14 wide Goodyear slicks don't spin a whole lot.........

lol...Good call...you are going to have one awesome chero!

Baggin a ranchero should be no problem......You would need to replace the leafs with a 4link or ladder bars then simply weld a bag bracket to the rear diff....make an upper crossmember to mount the top part of the airbag and your done the c notch of step notch is only needed if you want to go real low!

We are an air ride tech dealer PM me if you would like some parts to do this!

I'd suggest going with air ride tech or give suicide doors a call... their website is www.suicidedoors.com.. if I do air ride they are the only 2 I would consider.. and I actually have stuff that is here right now from both companies... For hotrodders many go with air ride tech.. for later model trucks people go with suicide doors.. but suicide has everything you will need and is cheaper..