Bengels New Unique air bagged Trailing Arms...

[Metal Twister]

Some of you here have been helping me with this project for a while now. I want to thank you all for the input and your help to this point. Being the Proto type suspension has been in testing for awhile, and with the patent pending process for the design in the works I guess its time to show the suspension concept now. I Still dont have a trailer that is complete enough, or worthy enough to show off at this point, so please bare with me as the project develops.

I have a Fab / Hot Rod / 4x4 shop in San Diego. My goal is to build an extreme trailer that is un like anything seen to this point. It will have a lot of unique twists to it that may change the way extreme trailers are viewed. I think by thinking way out of the box we can build a very functional product that will change the way extreme trailers are utilized.

As a result of our desire to eliminate any possible damage to the suspension components we have designed a swing arm that puts the air bag and shocks in a small void area inside the trailer. With easy access through an access door, Air bag and Shock replacement can be done without even getting dirty. This drawing was one of our first designs that we have since changed to streamline the manufacturing process. The shock is now mounted just aft of the airbag and on the same angle.

I figured this was the best place to hear the pros and cons of the design. Thanks for the input

And a look at the at the actual arm... Without the mounts of course. Material is 1 1/2" .120 wall DOM.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

the hell with a trailer, I want that on my truck...lol

 

[goodtimes]

What is the weight of the 'whole package' relative to traditional arm like the folks over at AT are using?

How much space in the trailer is the arm/bag/shock taking up that would otherwise be used for storage?

Is there any adjustment that can compensate camber &/or toe when/if one of the tubes is tweaked?

What is the ratio of wheel travel to bag compression?

Is your intent to market this suspension available only with a complete trailer, as builder parts, or both?

Interesting idea . . . I like it when people think outside the box . . .

 

[Metal Twister]

What is the weight of the 'whole package' relative to traditional arm like the folks over at AT are using?
(I haven't compared weights... Its not that important to me... but I bet that the sprung weight behind the pivot point will be within a few pounds one way or the other.)

How much space in the trailer is the arm/bag/shock taking up that would otherwise be used for storage? ( the width of a the bar travels through a 2" slot. it would be exposed if on a conventional adventure type trailer. I will be utilizing all the area around the wheel wells. So an interior wall inside separates the arm from the interior and an outboard wall separates it from the storage compartment on the outboard side. I loose a 2 " wide void about 13 inches tall. With an access door opening towards the front which is just big enough to house the bag and shock.)


Is there any adjustment that can compensate camber &/or toe when/if one of the tubes is tweaked? (I have built some 60 plus long travel sand cars all using LS1 motors. All the trailing arms are set up correctly and fixture welded. If you bend an arm that much I doubt if a Heim or Jonny joint is going to make that much of a difference for ya. Not to say that if someone felt it necessary it couldnt be added. Typically the way the adjustment is made is to put a heim joint on the out board pivot and a bushing is on the inside pivot. Any more that a turn or two on the heim puts a bind on the inboard bushing. I have used this system on a few cars. the reality of it is that I set it up at the right degrees and locked down the heims and they were never ever changed... Why spend the extra $120.00 on 2 heims?)
What is the ratio of wheel travel to bag compression? (Depends on which bag I use)

Is your intent to market this suspension available only with a complete trailer, as builder parts, or both?
(This will be on Trailers that I will be manufacturing. But who knows? Might let a few get away from me. Even though if I sell them alone there is the issue of not getting them set up correctly. Then the product bashing starts and guess who's name is on it... So probably not)

Interesting idea . . . I like it when people think outside the box . . .

Its all about a better mousetrap.:ylsmoke:

We have built a platform trailer and have been dragging it around the desert with 1500lbs of sand bags on it. We have been through allot of really knarly stuff with nothing but clean runs. Im not at all proud of the test trailer, otherwise I'd post up pics. I hope to have something to show you guys here in the very near future.

 

[Ireland]

I like the air bag placement allot, very cool idea. I think the linkage for the shock is a bit much and would prefer to have a shock mounted conventionally at the rear of your set-up. The linkage for the shock is to me something that is too much of a maintenance issue and a potential for rattling once there is a bit of wear set in.
Nice thinking outside the box though

 

[Extreme Steel]

I'll just stick to the old school springs!!!!!! you'll never find that stuff in Baja.:costumed-smiley-007

 

[Life_in_4Lo]

Cool idea. I like how everything is tucked up and simple.
reminds me of the hot rod front suspension on some of those open wheel coupes, except they go the other way like a F1 suspension.

Is there a reason you used an airbag instead of coil spring? spring seems like it would be more reliable. Or is it more like a rubber ball, like a Timbren bumpstop?

best of success!

 

[Michael Slade]

i'll just stick to the old school springs!!!!!! You'll never find that stuff in baja.:costumed-smiley-007

+1 k.i.s.s.

 

[Metal Twister]

+1 k.i.s.s.

It wont be for everyone thats for sure. The old tried and true components work very well and Im sure not looking to convert the old school players over to the something they are uncomfortable with. I also relize that just about everyone here already has what they like, and up to this point what is avaliable. But with that said Change is Opportunity. And what if its just as reliable if not more? And what if you can do more with it because its different? Im not telling anyone here to change... Just know there is another option just around the corner.
Just a thought...:ylsmoke:

 

[ThomD]

To those how say "Why improve? the-way-we've-always-done-it-works." I say, step away from tradition. AT moved from torsion bars to airbags because they found the old fashioned way to be limiting.

This is an interesting take on the question of what can we do that might turn out to be better? I'll probably never own any sort of off-road trailer, but I can appreciate innovation.

 

[Michael Slade]

I'm all for doing things your own way. Lord knows I've done enough of that myself.

But, my trailer is already built, and was built for simplicity. What's done is done. Nothing's failed in over 7 years of messing with it, so I'm happy.

 

[Metal Twister]

Yeah, Human nature is to stay within the limits of what works and is known. Stepping out and trying something different is the ONLY way to advance anything as far as I know. My Moto has always been "Change Is Opportunity". But it's important to design smartly and use the best materials and skills available. Solid works was the program used to design this suspension and we have addressed all the questionable stress points according to the program. I have made, and am testing a Prototype and will continue until I'm satisfied that it will hold up in the harshest environments. I spend allot of time in Baja both racing and recreating. I have yet to have any of my vehicles ever leave me high and dry and unfixable down there. Most of my vehicles have highly modified suspensions built by my guys and myself. To be honest the times I remember and ultimately enjoy the most are when I get to save the trip with a flash of MacGyver genius. LOL

I do fully understand and respect the desire to not venture out to something new, specially when existing suspensions are of good quality and proven. All the trailer suspensions that I have seen here look to be fabricated well in both design and craftsmanship. This is only a new twist that I think will be the next evolutionary step in extreme trailers suspensions. Makes me wonder whats going to be said when the whole trailer is unveiled... :Wow1: It's OK, I have thick skin.:ylsmoke:
Time will tell?

 

[adrenaline503]

Other than having the components out of the way is there an additional advantage to this design?

 

[maXTERRA]

Pretty clever design! Nice job!
Looking forward to seeing it in action.

 

[Metal Twister]

Other than having the components out of the way is there an additional advantage to this design?

Im playing with a very simple self leveling air system. This will be either automatic or manual. It will act inplace of a swaybar and can be set at any ride height. This would work well on street driving or quickly traveled graded roads. What it does is automatically fills air into the bag on the side of the trailer that is being compressed and deflates the other bag. So when going around a sweeping turn the out board bag increases pressure while the inboard bag decreases until level. It works very quickly and is the same system used on large busses. Again, its a very simple valve system... but would be hard to adapt to a traditional trailer trailing arm system because of the mounting points and the lack of required clearence between the trailer and arms. It can also be used for quick automatic leveling of the trailer while being used off the tow vehicle for sleeping or cooking.

This design also allows for the mounting the shock at the correct angle which will insure full travel of the shock stroke and eliminate the need for extreme shock angles.

Another plus is it gives good placement and anchor points for limit straps as well as good landing pad and mounting points for bump stops.

It increases the trailer travel because of the length of the arms. While making the set up of droop and compression limits very easy to do.

I cant think of any disadvantage of this suspension in comparison to the other armed trailers avaliable?