airbags? Can they go offroad?

subie_1st_timer · Post by **subie_1st_timer** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:41 am

maybe a stupid question but someone gotta ask. Anyone fitted bags?

madmat · Post by **madmat** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:21 am

i have airbags in my obw and i go offroad no problems

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:18 am

I think if you stacked it pretty bad or came down very hard they might activate but they are designed to trigger with a very sudden deceleration.

What's an obw?

Suby Roo · Post by **Suby Roo** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:19 am

Im guessing so cause things like Nissan PooTrolls and newer 4wd's like that have air bags fitted and they dont seem to have problems.

BrennyV · Post by **BrennyV** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:49 am

AndrewT wrote:I think if you stacked it pretty bad or came down very hard they might activate but they are designed to trigger with a very sudden deceleration.

What's an obw?

outback wagon?

madmat · Post by **madmat** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:58 am

Out Back Wagon

Wilbur · Post by **Wilbur** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:09 am

subie_1st_timer wrote:maybe a stupid question but someone gotta ask. Anyone fitted bags?

Are you talking about SRS airbags or suspension air bags ?
I don't see why you'd want to fit SRS bags as an afterthought......

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:14 am

BrennyV wrote:outback wagon?

Does the term OBW differentiate it from an Outback sedan?

Assuming you are referring to SRS airbags ...

... It does take a decent deceleration force to activate Australian spec airbags (~18km/hr at the point of impact). Only way I could see that happening off-road is if you run into a tree or an embankment (an embankment example is 'dune flying' and the vehicle's nose digs in deep on impact).

Sideways slip into a ditch shouldn't activate side airbags as this type of incident is generally done at low speed - thus the side impact forces are relatively light (when compared to an on-road T-bone accident).

Losing traction / direction when reversing down a slope and impacting a tree will not affect airbags. A rear end collision does not activate airbags, only frontal and side impacts (if side airbags are fitted) do that.

A roll-over may or may not activate airbags. It depends upon where the deceleration forces are directed through the vehicle's body.

USA spec airbags are calibrated to activate at slower speeds (~10km/hr from memory) due to the fact that seatbelt wearing is not mandatory in some US States. Something to keep in mind if you start searching Google for facts and figures.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:36 am

If your talking about suspension airbags (since we're in the suspension section), they should be fine. My mate's got airbags in his rangie and he loves them. Just found a new set that allows him 1.4m of articulation!

Crazy.

If your talking safety airbags I wouldn't give it a second thought unless your one of those "hit the rock as hard as you can to see what breaks" type of 4wders...

Cheers

Bennie

subie_1st_timer · Post by **subie_1st_timer** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:21 pm

no im talking about 'suspension' airbags...(think mini truck) why would i think about fitting an srs airbag to a brumby?? its got a seatbelt

only reason i asked is it would be awesome to just be able to 'lift' the car a little higher on the rough stuff... or, if ya wanted to go the other way, cant say ive ever seen a brumby done mini truck style...that would be bad ass if i do say so myself...

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 5:06 pm

You cannot rely Air Bag Suspensions as they do tear/blow out and they're very costly to replace... Ive seen and heard lot of stories about airbag suspensions.. and they're too soft tho.
Cheers
AP

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 5:07 pm

OBW - Outback wagon - really American terms of saying because they do have Outback sedan... Really we call them OB here.
Cheers
AP

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:00 pm

You could have a professionally installed kit in there at a price near $5000. I haven't looked into this properly, just hear about a mate who has too much money and no brains - he stuck an airbag kit on a VL commodore... enough said.

If you get the right airbags i'm sure they'll be fine for off roading.

And yes it would be cool to beable to push a button and have the car rise an inch or so. You'd probabily want to get a camber kit fitted to do that though...

Check out some sites, I'd probabily talk to my local 4wd centre after they get over laughing about a subaru 4x4

(cos its not a "real" 4x4...). And i'd be saving for it too...

Cheers

Bennie

Point · Post by **Point** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:53 pm

Dad's Merc does that. push button 4 inch lift....

Outback bloke · Post by **Outback bloke** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 6:52 am

http://www.airbagman.com.au/
http://www.barsnracks.com.au/airbag/
http://www.allair.com.au/
http://www.polyair.com.au/

Or, you could get some out of an L series and adapt them to the ute.

Suba · Post by **Suba** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:14 am

One option that isn't very expencive and a few members ove rthe years have had is air shocks at the back , it can raise the rear by up to 3 or mor inches ,I had them on my old MY wagon and were a great thing to have , especially if you were carrying a heavier load in the rear.
The rear air shocks we used were a Monroe part # MGR 5O4 , you will have to make a different top mount but that is very simple really.
As far as the front goes I'm not sure what you could do in a similar aplication.

Mike.