The Classic Plus: This kit is designed to improve your Chevy Square Body with greater stability, dynamic driving performance, and a distinctive stance. It allows for effortless manual suspension adjustments, featuring our dual-needle air gauge and paddle valve panel for precise air pressure monitoring in the bags. Tailored for DIY enthusiasts, this kit eliminates the need for complicated components such as self-leveling sensors, computers, wiring, and calibration. We refer to our user-friendly Classic Plus gauge panel as “driver’s seat calibration,” allowing you to adjust your air ride suspension using simple gauge readings. With a touch of your finger, you can easily adjust the pressure using the switches, similar to monitoring your speed with a speedometer and controlling acceleration with the gas pedal. The Classic Plus gauge panel functions similarly; just adjust the paddle valve lever to change your vehicle’s stance while monitoring the gauge needles to reach your desired pressure and ride height. Enjoy effortless adjustability at your fingertips!
With the Classic Plus gauge panel, the paddle switches control the airflow from the tank into the airbags through the switches and release air from the bags back through the exhaust port built into the switches. If you prefer not to reach over to a permanently mounted gauge panel or hear the hissing sound of air as it exhausts back through the paddle switches, our Elite kits will eliminate the airline plumbing from the bags into the cabin, as well as the need for numerous connections required behind the gauge panel, streamlining your setup for an even more efficient installation.
THE FOUR-CORNER ADVANTAGE: Solving the “Square Body Lean” Our gauge panel features a 4-corner control system, often referred to as FBSS (Front, Back, Side-to-Side). While many think 4-path control is just a flashy enhancement for side-to-side shows at the stoplight, it actually solves a critical engineering flaw in the 1973–1987 GM platform.
Many Square Body C10’s were manufactured without factory sway bars, as they were originally intended for utility and agricultural use where high-speed handling wasn’t a priority. This lack of stability, combined with the ‘Stacking Effect’—a concentrated accumulation of weight on the driver’s side from the frame-mounted fuel tank found on most work-trim packages, steering assembly, battery, and the driver—contributes to the notorious ‘Chevy Lean.’
A basic front/rear air system simply cannot fix this side-to-side imbalance. Our 4-corner system allows you to adjust the pressure at each individual wheel, effectively reducing body roll and leveling out the weight distribution. Whether you’re accelerating up a freeway on-ramp, hauling an uneven load, or laying it out at a show, the adjustability of our FBSS Gauge Panel ensures a perfectly level stance and a tailored ride that a standard 2-path system just can’t provide.
WHATS INCLUDED:
EZ AIRRIDE AIRBAGS: Specifically designed for all 1963–1987 Chevy C10’s and Suburban’s. Our 2600# series bags outperform the competition by offering significantly more stroke than the industry standard. With a collapsed height of just 2.8 inches and an extension of 12.5 inches, you get nearly 10 inches of usable stroke. This increased travel allows for lower operating pressures, resulting in a smoother, more dynamic ride quality without sacrificing lift. Whether you’re dropping in a heavy cast-iron 454 Big Block, tucking 20-inch rims, or hauling a Harley in the bed while towing a boat—our bags are built to handle it all. Each 2600# series airbag boasts a massive max load rating of 3,055 pounds at 100 PSI. These springs provide the strength needed to increase your load capacity, prevent your pipes from scraping the driveway, or simply let you lay it on the the lawn at the show. Experience the difference and enhance your C10’s ride quality by ditching those half-century-old factory coil springs.
FRONT AIRBAG BRACKETS: Get your socket set and drill ready—these are the most user-friendly brackets on the market. We’ve designed our 1963–1987 C10 front brackets for maximum durability, featuring a powder-coated finish for superior corrosion resistance. Because the C10 platform mounts the shocks outside of the coil springs, there is no need for shock relocation. You can keep your stock shocks exactly where they are. Our brackets are also fully compatible with most major brands of aftermarket tubular lower control arms. Installation is simple: drill four holes to fasten the upper plate to the crossmember, seat the lower bracket into the factory control arm pocket, and you’re done.
REAR BRACKETS: Low-Profile Axle Placement.
When you’re bagging a Square Body, ‘real estate’ is everything, and most builders want to get low without hacking up an iconic frame or a clean bed floor. Most kits on the market use a “saddle” bracket that sits on top of the axle. The issue with this is that once you stack the bracket and the airbag on top of each other, it doesn’t leave much room for the bag to lift—unless you cut a massive, intrusive C-notch into your frame just to have a place to weld the upper bag plate to.
Our unique 12-piece rear bracket set is different. By welding the lower brackets to the underside of the axle housing, it moves the airbag’s mounting point down much further and out of that tight gap above the axle. This low-profile design creates a large window for the bag to work, allowing you to weld the upper bag plate directly to the frame without compromising your chassis or ruining your bed floor. Since you are welding to the stock frame rail, it gives you the flexibility to place the upper bag mount higher or lower based on your specific wheel, tire, or “baby notch” configuration. It’s an ideal solution for achieving a custom stance while maintaining a clean professional look where your bed is not cut up.
LETS TALK SHOCKS: Why simplicity is better. Not including shocks in our C10 kits isn’t an oversight: it’s by design. Our air springs are engineered to work in harmony with standard factory gas shocks. While other companies push expensive, stiff “performance” shocks as essential, the reality is that the quality and long stroke of our airbags handle the vehicle’s weight. The shock has one job: to act as a dampener to smooth things out when you’re zipping over railroad tracks or hitting an unexpected pothole.
If a shock is too stiff or ‘heavy-duty,’ it actually interferes with the air spring’s ability to absorb impact, robbing you of that cloud-like ride quality and limiting your total lift. If your current shocks look like relics from Montgomery Ward, are leaking oil, or were installed back in high school auto shop (we’re looking at you, 70s-era Hijackers), it’s time for an upgrade. But don’t break the bank. Avoid high-dollar “performance” drop shocks—they are far too restrictive for a superior, long-stroke air spring like our EZ Air Ride bag. They act like a limit strap, fighting your airbags and stealing your lift. For the best ride quality and maximum height, a basic, affordable stock-style gas shock from your local auto parts store is actually the superior choice.
A Common Question Regarding Rear Shocks: Where to mount them after the rear is bagged: Ideally, the best performance comes from keeping the rear shocks as vertical as possible to maximize every inch of that 10” bag travel. However, we’ve heard back from dozens of successful DIY C10 customers who preferred to skip the extra fabrication of welding an upper custom shock crossmember and lower dogleg-style axle mounts. What we’ve discovered through the feedback of our DIY customer base is that utilizing the factory 1973–1987 shock locations is an effective solution for a street-driven cruiser. It provides a smooth, predictable ride with a standard gas shock, letting the 4-link handle the suspension geometry while the factory shock placement handles the dampening exactly like it was designed to do.
Pro Tip: Choosing the Right Shock for Your Build: Because every C10 build is unique—depending on your wheel size, tire height, and whether or not you’re running a C-notch—It is difficult to offer a “one-size-fits-all” recommended shock that works best for every setup. The best way to find the perfect gas shock for your truck is to use the Cycle Method:
- Lay it out: Deflate the bags until the truck is at its lowest desired point. Measure the distance from the center of the upper frame stud to the center of the lower axle bolt.
- Lift it up: Fully inflate the bags and take that same measurement again.
- The Math: Take those two numbers to your local parts store or Online Shock Guide. Select a shock with a compressed length roughly 1 inch shorter than your “laid out” measurement. This ensures you can fully lay out on the frame without the shock body bottoming out first. Following this method ensures you get the maximum ride quality and travel for your specific setup without the guesswork.
Final Clearance Check: Final fitment and shock selection rest with the installer. You must ensure your suspension hits its mechanical stops (the frame or bump stops) before the shock reaches its fully compressed state. Bottoming out a shock can cause immediate seal failure or damage to your mounting brackets. Always cycle the suspension through its full range of motion to ensure the shocks do not bind or contact the 4-link bars, fuel lines, or frame rails.
AIR TANK PLACEMENT: Tucked and Tidy. On a 1973–1987 Square Body, managing your ‘under-bed’ real estate while incorporating an air ride system—specifically a larger air tank—can be a major challenge. Whether you have the single fuel tank found on Work Truck trims or the dual-tank setup found on Deluxe packages, those factory ‘Side-Saddle’ tanks are mounted on the outside of the frame rails. This often throws a wrench in your possible build, such as your exhaust routing or, even more so, your air ride’s potential air tank locations.
Many builders choose to ditch the factory side-saddle tanks in favor of a rear-mounted fuel cell placed between the frame rails behind the axle. While this is a safer and cleaner setup, it often consumes the prime, and only remaining, pocket large enough for a traditional air tank.
Our Standard EZ Air Tank is a powerhouse with a 6-gallon capacity, measuring approximately 35” in length. Because the outside width of a C10 frame is also approximately 35”, mounting this tank directly in front of the rear bumper—the preferred location for most C10 builders—requires a specific strategy. This usually involves spanning a metal bracket from frame rail to frame rail, requiring custom fabrication to essentially sandwich the air tank between your makeshift brackets and the underside of the bed floor to secure it. Additionally, if that’s where you choose to mount it, the underbelly of the tank will likely be visible below the rear bumper, potentially forcing you to trim the lower portion of the frame rails to raise the tank closer to the underside of the bed. If you’ve already filled the rear of the frame with a fuel cell, your mounting options become even more limited.
The Professional Solution: Our Mini-Split Tanks.
We don’t want you forced to mount your air system in the bed or behind the seat, so we offer the ideal Square Body solution: Dual 3-Gallon Mini-Split Tanks. These compact units are a builder’s ideal solution because they are only approximately 20” in length and 7.25” around—roughly the size of your forearm with your finger extended. They fit where the big tank won’t—inside the frame rails, high in the corners, or even in the ‘side-saddle’ area where the old tanks used to live. Mounting these is as straightforward as putting up a shelf in your garage. Think of your frame rail like a wall: you simply create two 90-degree brackets out of scrap metal, bolt them to your desired location on the frame, and rest the tank’s legs directly onto your makeshift “shelves.” This creates a low-profile, tucked-away mounting solution that keeps your air system protected and completely out of sight.
UPGRADE SPECIAL: Please call or email if you would like to upgrade your kit to the Mini-Split Tanks. The price for the upgrade is $169.95. This includes all necessary fittings to adapt the tanks to each other, as well as the extra drain fitting and additional air line required for the dual-tank configuration.
UNIVERSAL TRIANGULATED 4-LINK SYSTEM: The Universal Triangulated 4-Link System features heavy-duty 1.5” OD (.120-wall) bars designed to eliminate the need for a Panhard bar in custom builds. This system provides superior lateral stability and axle control, making it the perfect foundation for a bagged Square Body. The kit is engineered for maximum flexibility: it includes pre-welded rod ends on one side and chromoly bungs for the other. This allows you to cut the bars to your exact required length before welding the bungs in place, giving you total control over your wheelbase and pinion angle adjustments. We’ve included all the necessary Grade 8 hardware, zerk fittings, and mounting tabs, making this universal 4-link virtually ready for any vehicle with a full perimeter frame and a factory leaf spring setup.
Air Compressor: Introducing Our premium 454ss compressor, Boasting a maximum working pressure of 200psi, and recognized for it’s efficiency in low amperage usage. Crafted for durability and exceptional airflow performance, this work horse is the ideal choice for any onboard air ride system. Every 454ss pump includes a special set of anti-vibration pads to reduce noise and vibrations, ensuring a SUPER SILENT operation every time. Each compressor is accompanied by a sleek anodized black stainless steel braided leader hose featuring a built-in check valve for effortless connection to the air tank.
Our 454ss Compressor is oil-less and equipped with a 12v permanent magnetic motor for efficient and reliable operation. It has a Built-in thermal overload protector incorporated to safeguard the compressor from overheating even in the most challenging operating conditions. With it being oil-less you can mount it in any direction or position. The only position we do not recommend is an upside-down mount, since heat tends to travel upward, and does not dissipate well in the motor housing.
Included with all 454ss compressors: our EZ AIRRIDE™ comprehensive wire care package containing all necessary items for installation of your compressor keeping it happy for years to come. This includes a premium 8g wire roll to conveniently link the compressor in your trunk, or under the bed to the battery way up front, a 40 amp fuse with a protective fuse holder, a 30/40 amp relay with a color-coded plug-in relay harness for simple setup. With these components provided, you can trust your air ride system to perform reliably and efficiently.
- Key Features of the Compressor:
- Chrome body
- 12V permanent magnetic motor
- Maximum pressure: 200 psi
- CFM: 1.76
- Maximum amp draw: 20
- Duty cycle: 100% @ 100 psi, 50% @ 200 psi
- Fill rate (5 gallons): 0-200 psi = 5 minutes 30 seconds; 165-200 psi = 1 minute 35 seconds
- Anti-vibration pads
- 1/4″ leader hose with built-in check valve
- Remote air filter
The Gauge Panel: Our Classic Plus gauge panel serves as the primary control center for your air ride system. This is where you’ll adjust each bag, equipped with four paddle valve switches and two glass gauges containing dual needles to cover both front & rear air bags. The panel is designed for smooth and simple control – there’s no need for fancy finger maneuvers to control the paddle valves, so you don’t need to be a finger acrobat. Each paddle valve is strategically positioned at both ends of the sleek gauge panel for ease of adjustment. You can effortlessly use your finger or thumb to raise the front or back of the vehicle uniformly. The panel’s four-corner control allows for fine-tuning each corner, or just the front, back, or side to side. This comprehensive control over your suspension lets you modify it to your exact liking with a mere touch of a finger.
- Gauge Panel Features:
- Aluminum Panel with 4 paddle valves
- Dual needle glass air pressure gauge: 0-200 psi
- Brushed aluminum dial with bright white L.E.D. bulbs & power harness
- All metal casing with black & orange needles
The Air Fittings: Our genuine and easy-to-use air ride brass fittings are certified by the Department of Transportation, ensuring their durability and strength. Compared to plastic and metal fittings, our brass DOT fittings are more durable and stronger, capable of withstanding higher pressure levels without cracking or stressing. Their high resistance to corrosion makes them perfect for long-term use in air ride suspension systems exposed to moisture and other elements. These certified brass fittings are designed and tested to meet specific performance standards, guaranteeing reliability and consistency in their operation. With a reduced likelihood of failure or leaks, they provide a secure connection for your air ride suspension system.
Brass Fittings Included with the Classic Plus Kit:
- (4) 1/4″ x 3/8″ NPT Air bag fittings: (2) straights for the front (2) 90’s for the rear
- (2) 1/4″ x 3/8″ NPT Gauge fittings: Mounts to air tank for air supply to gauge
- (1) 1/4″ Spare Air Quick Connect w/adapter: Mounts to air tank
- (1) 1/4″ female Air Coupler w/ Tire Schrader Valve: For Roadside Air
- (1) 165 on / 200 off 1/4″ Sealed Pressure Switch w/lead wires: Mounts to tank
- (1) 1/4″ Butterfly Petcock: Mounts to underside of air tank
- All Brass 1/4″ PTC Classic Plus Gauge Panel Fittings: Connects air hoses to gauge
Please see thumbnails for all the extras included in this kit…
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