Ridetech 11267199 User Manual

350 S. St. Charles St. Jasper, In. 47546

Ph. 812.482.2932 Fax [phone]

www.ridetech.com

Part # 11267199

68-74 Nova Rear AirBar

Components:

1 90002077 Lower axle bracket - Driver
1 90002078 Lower axle bracket - Passenger
2 90001624 Lower billet Shockwave mount
2 90001617 Lower Shockwave stud
4 90002067 Aluminum spacer for stud
2 90000704 Tall Axle tabs (Outside)
2 90000705 Short Axle tabs (Inside)
1 90000703 Upper cradle assembly
2 90001001 Upper bars – TW 7.375” (C-C length 9.250”)
1 90001029 Lower bar – WW 24.75” - Passenger side
1 90002328 Lower bar – WW 24.75” - Driver side
2 99250001 ¼”-28 straight grease fitting
2 90001589 Threaded Kevlar line Heim end
2 99752004 ¾”-16 jam nut – for rod end
4 90000552 Aluminum spacer for Heim end
4 90001942 Rubber bushings pressed into bars & rod ends
4 90001090 Poly bushing for lower bar
2 90000526 Lower bar bushing sleeve
2 70010694 Jig brackets for upper bar installation

Hardware Kit: (Part # 99010030)
2 1/2”-13 x 1 ¼” Gr. 5 bolt Billet mount to axle bracket
2 1/2"-13 x 1 ¾” Gr. 5 bolt Billet mount to axle bracket
4 1/2”-13 Nylok nut Billet mount to axle bracket
6 5/8”-11 x 2 3/4" Gr.5 bolt Bar ends
6 5/8”-11 Nylok jam nut Bar ends
2 1/2"-13 x 2 ¼ Gr.5 bolt Upper Shockwave mount
2 1/2"-13 Nylok jam nut Upper Shockwave mount
16 3/8”-16 x 1” Thread forming bolt Upper cradle assembly
16 3/8” SAE flat washer Upper cradle assembly
8 7/16”-20 Nylok nut Lower axle mount - U bolts
2 3/8”-16 x ¾” Gr. 5 bolt Upper bar installation jig
2 3/8”-16 nut Upper bar installation jig

1. Raise the vehicle to a safe and comfortable working height. Use jack stands to support the vehicle
with the suspension hanging freely.

2. Support the axle and remove the bump stops, leaf springs, shocks and tail pipes. Refer to the
factory service manual for proper disassemble procedures. Keep the factory upper shock bolts,
bump stop bolts, U-bolts, and front leaf spring mount and bolts.

3. One more thing needs to be removed
before starting the assembly; it’s the
pinion snubber and mount. For a clean
cut use a cut off wheel and smooth any
burrs.

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4. Lower the axle enough to slide the
upper cradle into place. On most cars
the location of the cradle will index off of
the factory bump stop bolt hole. If your
car has the bump stop beside the frame,
slide the cradle forward until the front
tube touches the body.

Note: The gas line may need to be
moved.

5. A series of self-tapping 3/8” bolts are
used to hold the cradle in place. First
drill the holes with a 5/16” bit and then
thread the bolts into the frame.

9.

6.

Install the large end of the lower bar

This must be done at ride height.

(the long one) into the factory spring
mount using the factory hardware. Do
not over tighten this bolt; it should be
snug. The bar is offset to the inside of
the car for wheel and tire clearance.

7. This bushing is polyurethane and is
lubricated at the factory with lithium
grease, additional lubrication is not
needed. Future lubrication can be done
using any non-petroleum based
lubricant.

8. Bolt the bar and mount back onto the
car using the factory hardware.

The lower axle bracket will be
fastened to the leaf spring pad using the
factory U-bolts. It is offset to the inside
of the car. New 7/16” nylocs are
supplied.

10. Bolt the lower Shockwave mount to
the lower holes of the axle bracket if you
have a monoleaf car. If you have a
multileaf car the bottom of the billet
mount will be flush with the axle bracket.

11. Swing the lower bar up to the axle
bracket and insert 5/8” x 2 3/4" bolt. The
standard hole is the center hole like in
the picture. Thread 5/8” Nylok onto the
bolt but do not tighten yet.

12. This end of the bar as well as the
upper bars are rubber and do not require
lubrication.

13. Check the length of the upper bar; it
should be 9 1/4" C-C. Bolt the axle tabs
to the setting jig (The setting jig is
explained on the next page) . (Longer
ears to the front) Then place the other
end of the jig into the cradle. Both ends
use a 5/8” x 2 3/4" and should not be
fully tightened yet. For now just the let
axle tabs sit on the axle.

14. Before welding these tabs to the
axle you will need to center the axle and
set pinion angle. We used a plum on the
outside of the quarter panel to center the
axle left to right. Setting the pinion angle
is explained on the pinion angle page.

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Upper Bar Installation Jig

Item #

Description

• This jig has been supplied to aid in the installation of the upper 4 link bar. It can be
temporarily used to properly align, locate and weld the tabs onto the axle. It will also ensure
that the mounting bolts are parallel to the ground.

• Follow the diagram below to set the jig to the same length as the upper bar, use the 3/8” x 3/4”
bolt and nuts to set the length.

• Position the axle at ride height. Center the axle left to right between the quarter panels. Set
pinion angle.

• Bolt one end of the jig to the cradle using a 5/8” x 2 ¾” bolt.

• Using another 5/8” x 2 ¾” bolt, fasten the axle tabs to the other end. The tabs must be bolted

to the outside of the jig. Short tab goes to the inside with the long ear forward, the Tall
Tab goes to the outside of the car with the long tab forward.

• Swing the bar down letting the tabs rest onto the axle. Trim the brackets as necessary to
minimize the gap to be welded.

• Check pinion angle, ride height and axle center. Tack-weld the tabs in place.

• Remove jig and install upper bar.

• Repeat this process for the other side.

• Recheck pinion angle, ride height and axle center. (Sound familiar?)

• After the tabs have been tack welded on both sides, remove the upper bars to avoid melting

the rubber bushings. Let the axle drop down for better access to the tabs. Lay 1” welds on the
inside and outside of the tabs. Skip around from one side to the other to avoid overheating
the tube.

1. Upper bar

2. 3/4”-16 jam nut

3. Heim end

4. Alignment jig

5. Aluminum spacer

6. 5/8”-11 x 2 ¾” bolt

7. 3/8”-16 nut

8. 3/8”-16 x 3/4" bolt

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15. How do you set the
pinion angle? On a single­piece shaft you want to set it
up where a line drawn through
the center of the engine
crankshaft or output shaft of
the transmission and a line
drawn through the center of
the pinion are parallel to each
other but not the same line.

A simple way to do this is to
place a digital angle finder or
dial level on the front face of
the lower engine pulley or
harmonic balancer. This will
give you a reading that is 90
degrees to the crank or output
shaft unless you have real
problems with your balancer.
At the other end, you can
place the same level or angle
finder against the front face of
the pinion yoke that is also at
90 degrees to the centerline.
If you rotate the yoke up or
down so both angles match,
you have perfect alignment.

Road testing will tell you if
you have it right. If you
accelerate and you get or
increase a vibration, then the
pinion yoke is too HIGH.
Rotate it downward in small
increments of a degree or two
until the problem goes away.
If you get or increase a
vibration when decelerating,
then the pinion yoke is too
LOW. Rotate it upward to
correct it.

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16. One helpful trick to help maintain

19. Install the Shockwaves using the

21. You can now remove the spacer

ride height and pinion angle while
adjusting is to tack weld a spacer
between the axle and the outside of the
frame as shown in the picture. This
spacer should be 8 3/8” tall giving the
Shockwave an eye-to-eye measurement
of 14 1/2" to 15”.

17. After double-checking pinion angle,
ride height, and axle center the tabs can
be tack welded. Remove the bar to
avoid frying the bushing and finish
welding the tabs to the axle.

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18. Apply thread sealant to the air fitting
and screw it into the Shockwave.

1/2" x 2 1/4" bolt and nyloc on top and
the 7/16” nyloc on the lower stud mount.
There should be a washer on either side
of the Shockwave on the stud and none
on the upper mount.

20. You can now go back and snug all
of the bar end nylocs. This must be
done at ride height.

from between the axle and frame.

22. The installation is complete but you
want to check clearance of the brake
lines, parking brake cables, vent tubes
and exhaust. For the exhaust you can
either install a turndown or reroute the
exhaust under the axle.

23. Ride height is 14.5”, around 70psi.

350 S. St. Charles St. Jasper, In. 47546

Ph. 812.482.2932 Fax [phone]

www.ridetech.com

Should I weld my AirBar 4 link assembly in?

Since we get this question quite often, it deserves a proper explanation.
The AirBar has been designed for bolt-in installation. We have paid special attention to
interfacing with key structural areas of each vehicle, fastening bracketry in at least two
planes to properly distribute load paths, and to using appropriate fasteners that roll,
rather than cut, threads into the vehicle structure.
Having said that, you could potentially encounter a vehicle that has rust or collision
damage in these areas. Or maybe you intend to consistently place the vehicle in
severe racing applications with sticky racing slicks and high speed corners. In these
cases it is perfectly acceptable to weld the AirBar components into your vehicle. Even
in these severe cases we recommend that you install the entire AirBar assembly first
[including the fasteners], and then use short 1” long tack welds to secure your
installation. Remember that the vehicle structure metal is typically much thinner [.060”­.120” ] than the .188” thick AirBar brackets. If you burn through the vehicle sheet metal
structure you may end up with an installation that is weaker than before you tried to
weld it.
The other reason to weld in your AirBar assembly is…you simply want to. You’re a
welding kind of guy…that’s the way you’ve always done it…you have the skills and
equipment to do it. In that case…weld away with our blessing!

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