Thinking about getting that cool Air-Ride system? Read this first!!!

[Rice-Rocketeer]

I got this email, and this inspired to answer everyone's questions at once:

>From: (removed)
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: (no subject)
>Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 21:32:06 EDT
>
>hey how's it going
>
>im thinking of getting
>an air ride on my car. in the latest issue of import racer the ricky racer
>ad has a blo jax kit for like 900 bucks, how much do these usually go for?
>also how much should i expect to pay for installation. are there any drawbacks
>on a setup like this. i don't know anything about these suspensions so
>anything would be appreciated. can you please fill me on info on things like
>solenoids, lift and drop time, compressors and things like that? i don't want
>to spend a crap load of money on a sh*tty set up.
>
>thanks again
>

Hey no problem bro. I like all facets of automotive enthusiasts's and mini-trucking got me really interested in Air-Ride technology. An Air-Ride suspension system, whether it be bags or cylinders consists of several things:

1. Compressor: It fills the tank that feeds the bags/rods. This is the most important thing in the system. A shitty compressor will take forever to the fill the tank and eventually burn out from the work. You can compare it to trying to run 4 12" subs by taking a 100 watt amp and putting it down to 1/4 ohm. It's just stupid. Do it right, or don't do it at all. And also remember the more powerful the compressor, the louder it'll be.

2. Tank: This holds the air supply that goes to the bags/rods. Your tank size is proportionate to your compressor. You get too big a tank for too small a compressor and you'll eventually kill the compressor. It's like you trying to blow up a hot air balloon with your lungs. But get too small a tank for too big a compressor and you'll spend most of your time filling and emptying it rather than actually feeding the bags/rods.

3. The bags or rods (cylinders): This is what actually moves you car up and down. They are basically all the same (except the size of the lines that are running into them) but each has their advantages and disadvantages. Bags tends to give you bouncy ride and give you an imprecise "floating" feeling at highway speeds. Not very safe. Rods on the other hand still give you precise feel but are more fragile than bags. Taking a sharp turn with the rods all the way up will result in bending it in half. With either system, going off road is a major no-no.

4. Accumulators: These tube looking things are used to increase ride-comfort. When you hit a bump, the suspension absorbs the impact by compressing the spring. With air it compresses the bag or rod. If the air has nowhere to go, it'll bounce like a mad man. Accumulators allow the compressed air to fill it so it increases the shock your system can take and reduces the bounciness. One accumulator handles one axle. This is required with rods, optional on bags.

5. Lines: The lines come in different sizes for greater or less volumetric efficiency which means faster pickup and drop. For the fastest system, 1/4" lines are recommended.

6. Valves: The valves are controlled by the user thru switches. There are two kinds of valves, manual and electric. The manual valves have the air lines actually running thru them and release and restrict air thru the switch. Electric valves have the switch and valves separate. The switch sends the signal to the valve to open and close. Electric valve are recommended. They are more precise and quicker than manual one's giving you more of a "hydraulic" feel.

7. Gauges: It's important that you have these in a easily viewed area. You control the height of the bags or rods thru the PSI that's in them. This is important because you will probably go over speed bumps in your daily driving and you shouldn't need to get out to check the ride height. The gauges also tell you the amount of air left in the tank.

Now these are the things that usually come with a complete air-ride kit but this doesn't mean that all this is the rule. There have been many creative ppl that have changed this setup either to make it better or just different. There are compressors that run off your engine, so they never burn out, but they reduce HP. I've also seen ppl get air-conditioning compressors from other cars and slap on it their car to run the bags. Or just convert your own ac compressor to run them. I've seen ppl eliminate the tank and compressor by running the bags with a scuba tank. The 30,000 psi will run the bags for like 80 moves and it costs something like a few back to fill up. I've also seen someone use NOS solenoids as valves and an NOS bottle as a tank. Then there are ultra fast Nitrogen systems that use nitrogen instead of air to run the bags. (Nitrogen is less dense than air, so it flows faster).

Be advised though, running nitrogen or having a scuba tank in the back seat to run the bags is not only highly dangerous but also highly illegal. If you get into a crash, the highly compressed air will either explode in your car and kill everyone in it or shoot the bottle like a rocket out the side of your car and kill anyone unfortunate enough to be in the way.

Installation is another factor you need to keep in mind. The price depends on how custom you want it. Want the gauges custom mounted? The compressor mounted in your bumper (to reduce the noise)? It all costs extra. But the basic install shouldn't cost more than $500. This entirely depends on the shop of course. And remember any kind of warranty is only valid if installed by a qualified shop. And as usual as tempting as $900 for an air ride kit is, Do it right, or don't do it at all.

One last thing about an air ride kit is you have set the lowest height that you want the kit to drop to. Most companies recommend this height to be at least 2" off the ground. Reason being that if you blow a seal, pop a bag, or bust a line, you'll lose all pressure in the system and the car will sit at the lowest point permanently until you get it fixed. And while "laying frame" or scraping your undercarriage on the street may look cool to some ppl, If you set the lowest point on the ground, you'll be SOL and probably won't be able to even tow it back home. Be warned.

Personal Thoughts: The kit that recently came out in Ricky Racer is a good price but I wouldn't get it for a few reasons. One the compressor is small. Meaning it's a 20% duty cycle compressor meaning if it needs 10 minutes of constant running to fill the tank, it would take it a half an hour in two minute intervals. Get my point? POS compressor. Next the tank is too small. Remember though, the size of the tank is proportionate to the size of the compressor. Then the lines aren't that small (3/8") because I don't expect hydraulic quickness but if you want it as fast a possible, take the extra $100 and invest in 1/2" lines.

I'd get the kit then upgrade the compressor to 100% duty cycle compressor with a billet filter. It's like another $200 but the compressor is the heart of the system, Do it right. Then upgrade to a 6 gallon ceramic coated tank. I would also recommend electric valves over manual ones. Which after all this would probably bring the price of that kit up to about $1500. But this will give you one kit a$$ kit that'll let you do all the moves you can do with hydro's while having a decent ride, ability to miss speed bumps and a very reliable kit that'll serve you for years to come.

(Disclaimer): I in no way, shape or form, am in an expert in this. I'm just telling you what I know from what I've seen. If I missed something or got something wrong, feel free to let me know here. Thanx

[fuburyder14]

Wow. That was really informative. I was about to drop my car on air and now I know exactly what to look for when I go to get it. Thanks! :smoker2:

[nickelo916]

that was the most helpful thing i have ever read

[jdmlude_h22a]

thanks for tha info

[92'SiHatchBack]

Wow thanks for the info i was looking for a system and now you just made it a lot better now i wont have any problems (hopefully knock on wood) thanks for the info.