Air-Ride suspension: anyone done this?

[318isbmw]

Cool, I'm learning about all about air-ride and its awesome. So with this setup you posted from that site, you're saying that will give me a well-handling ride as well?

Yes, it should give you a good handling ride. One thing I didn't mention is the placement of the valves. Basically you want the valves ontop, or as close to the airbag as possible, otherwise, under hard cornering you will have the pressure go back up into the lines, rather than keeping the car firm on the road. Simple things like that make a big difference, but as a whole, yes the setup I posted will give a good handling car.

You mentioned previously that only certain brands have the tech to give you a firm ride. You can adjust the pressure to have a stiffer ride here too?

Actually, one of the brands is airride technology, and yes they have single adjustable shocks, or double adjustable shocks built into their air over bag setup so that you can get it to handle best. The ones I posted, those are single adjustable, which is just great, would be similar setup as a Koni SA w/ a spring, but the spring is controlled by air.

Lastly looking at LRD's setup I think they went with a 7" bag in the front for their BagOver setup?

If you search around Suicidedoors's site, they have those on there also, same price as the ones I posted, but just have more lift. Also, any of these parts can be changed out for different ones. Those makes and such are the ones I would personally go with, but SMC makes a great valve, and there are many options to get the same result, those were simply examples. But that's the setup I would go with personally.

And the plates to mount these would have to be custom, and the front struts would have to be modified.
I think that covers most of what I was questioning...

Yes, they would have to be custom, and yes the struts would have to be modified. Not a huge deal, its all simple plates and things like that, there isn't anything like reengineering suspension or things like that.

Also, just to help you guys out, here's a gif of what the setup looks like, with all the things and how they interact.
8valve Airlines!!
Here's one that's a combination of FB and FBSS where the front is controlled individually, but the rear is in controlled by only one switch, so both bags are together.
6valve Airlines

Feel free to ask as you find questions as they pop up. My buddy got me into this stuff when I was 15, only reason I got into e30's was because the truck was no longer logical for a daily driver w/ the built 350 and such. Its the C10 in my sig in case you are wondering.

[M42Technik]

If you search around Suicidedoors's site, they have those on there also, same price as the ones I posted, but just have more lift. Also, any of these parts can be changed out for different ones. Those makes and such are the ones I would personally go with, but SMC makes a great valve, and there are many options to get the same result, those were simply examples. But that's the setup I would go with personally.

I only asked that question because you stated earlier that it was a 3" lift to drop bag on the 318iS. I would imagine that would be plenty of lowering, but lower is better!

I am now looking into custom gauges and switches to perfect the OEM+ look with this idea. More pipedreaming but who knows...

[Ray Smoodiver]

Dan, our campaign for 09 has a slogan:

Vote: Bagged, Teched & Split in 09

[M42Technik]

Dan, our campaign for 09 has a slogan:

Vote: Bagged, Teched & Split in 09

How do you do it? Be so awesome that is?

I'm going to tattoo that on my chest in OE letters.

[cleaner32]

when stock it was tall and had a good bit of roll, with the air suspension & tires it handles like a race car, not much roll at all with the stock sway bars. Its stiff like a race car but it doesnt bounce around like a lowered ricer,

sooo, hows the handling with bags?? what spring rates are the bags equivalent to?

[cleaner32]

Stock shocks in the rear, we used some Bilsteins and they didnt bottom out when lowered, thats the key

Do you have to run special shocks? Or can you run billys?

[cleaner32]

I think any camber plate would work, the ones we made are pretty basic but effective.

Would it be possible to use GC camber plates? I'm assuming no, but if they were I could cut down even more costs. Technically I could sell off parts of my suspension once the airbag suspension went in to get back some of the money I spent too...

Thank you all! This thread has become an inspiration for me to get off my ass, DO WORK and get 'bagged.

[cleaner32]

Here are some pics of 3 gauge pod we made, controller, 3 different heights: ride height, too high & lowered. We need to lower the front some more so after the new motor goes in well see where she sits.

[cleaner32]

pics

pics

[Miasma]

Very cool stuff man, I like the leather wrapped gauge pod. And the Switch placement is good aswell.

[318isbmw]

Dan, our campaign for 09 has a slogan:

Vote: Bagged, Teched & Split in 09

That's awesome, I like it, wish I could join you both.

[E30SPDFRK]

I only asked that question because you stated earlier that it was a 3" lift to drop bag on the 318iS. I would imagine that would be plenty of lowering, but lower is better!

I am now looking into custom gauges and switches to perfect the OEM+ look with this idea. More pipedreaming but who knows...

I'm not sure if this would work, but if you could use a two position switch (not sure if that's what its called) like the defrost switch to control up and down, it would be awesome. Have the in position to drop the car and the out to raise it back up.

[cleaner32]

I'm not sure if this would work, but if you could use a two position switch (not sure if that's what its called) like the defrost switch to control up and down, it would be awesome. Have the in position to drop the car and the out to raise it back up.

This is a switch box rf/lf/rr/lr up & down middle switch all up & all down
middle top row front up/down & middle back row is rear up/down. The toggle switch lets me switch from automatic ride height control (Fab Lab) to the switch box.

[318isbmw]

I'm not sure if this would work, but if you could use a two position switch (not sure if that's what its called) like the defrost switch to control up and down, it would be awesome. Have the in position to drop the car and the out to raise it back up.

You would have to run multiple ones. When you flip the switch, your holding it down which is keeping the valve open. Dunno if that makes sense, but you would have to have one switch for up, and one for down, otherwise when you pressed the button to raise it and it would keep the valve open, thus keeping shoving air into the bag, which will make it explode if pressure gets high enough.

[E30SPDFRK]

Ah, didn't even think of that.