Here's what an Element looks like on AIR BAG SUSPENSIONS

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y287/mar_tinnnnn/droppedhcc.jpg

heres what my Element would look like on an air ride suspension from photoshopping. found a shop sale and install for $2800. sound like a good deal? im just a little concerned if it leaks air over time, or if the compressor will fry after a period of time. lots of maintainence and money... -_-*

either bagged the box, or buy a Honda CBR 600. dont wanna break my legs yet, so probably bagging it in july or august

Keep in mind, that the air ride does not have a method of compensating for the varying rear suspension geometry !!

Dom

Keep in mind, that the air ride does not have a method of compensating for the varying rear suspension geometry !!

Dom

what do you mean by varying rear suspension geometry? do you mean the cambering as it goes up and down while driving or dropping? =/

whoa that would look pretty sick!

what do you mean by varying rear suspension geometry? do you mean the cambering as it goes up and down while driving or dropping? =/


Yes !

The camber will change drastically for the up and down positions. Thats why other spring makers manufacture adjustable parts for the rear. The E's parts can NOT be Adjusted to compensate! It will also change the caster slightly, if the camber is not corrected.


Dom

Yes !

The camber will change drastically for the up and down positions. Thats why other spring makers manufacture adjustable parts for the rear. The E's parts can NOT be Adjusted to compensate! It will also change the caster slightly, if the camber is not corrected.


Dom

wow.. thats not that the installer said. hes trying to lie to me?! >_< what he said was, i had would have a pressure gauge for the bags right? and as long as i shoot in the same pressure every time, it willl go to the same height as a stock ride. from there, i have a front and rear camber kit. he said he would adjust the camber to the stock height, and when i lower (while its parked) the wheels will camber in. as long as i dont drive with the car air-ed down, i would have no problem with the wearing of the tire. i was so convinced that it'd be ok, cause he showed me all the other bagged cars he had in person at the shop =/

Dom is the man! If he said it, I beleive it. In all seriousnous, what he's telling you is the truth. Things will change. Even guys who have the Teins have to get an alignment or adjustments when they lower or raise the suspension. That's the way it is. The shop, you must realize wants to sell you something and in turn put $2800 in the pocket. Think long and hard, study and research and then make an informed decision and equally purchase. Dom is a great source of information on this forum.Peace!

Dom is right, but so is your suspension guy if he is doing it the way you stated. Is your E 2wd or awd? Drew:)

That would definitely look awesome,but go even lower and definitely remove those side steps.As for your suspension wearing your tires out and such,it's true,but you gotta pay to play.Go for it!:cool:

Photoshop doesn't mean that's what it looks like.

Dom is right, but so is your suspension guy if he is doing it the way you stated. Is your E 2wd or awd? Drew:)

its a 2 wheel drive

The only way it would work is if you had a ride height sensor like the lincolns.
that sensor tell the vehicles comp. when its at ride height, which equates to the proper alignment specs. Any thing below or above that point, camber will be off, front and rear, and when front camber goes out it pulls the toe in or out with it.
peace out tires! lol

I know this is an old post, but to someone who doesn't know better this would turn them away from air ride, but thats not the case at all...

I'm guessing no body here has actually had air ride, and just throwing out there THEORY!!!8)

I have had 5 vehicles with air ride 2-trucks,1 car, 1 suv, and 1 chopper...

You can set your ride height based off of your gauges and as long as its not too low, you can have the vehicle Front End Alignment done.

If your vehicle requires caster/camber plates when its lowered than you will need them for the air ride, once the ride hieght is set and aligned than you can always ride at that pressure without problems of abnormal ware...:D

I know this is an old post, but to someone who doesn't know better this would turn them away from air ride, but thats not the case at all...

I'm guessing no body here has actually had air ride, and just throwing out there THEORY!!!8)

I have had 5 vehicles with air ride 2-trucks,1 car, 1 suv, and 1 chopper...

You can set your ride height based off of your gauges and as long as its not too low, you can have the vehicle Front End Alignment done.

If your vehicle requires caster/camber plates when its lowered than you will need them for the air ride, once the ride hieght is set and aligned than you can always ride at that pressure without problems of abnormal ware...:D

i think i see my car now sitting on air!!!!!!! thats enough to convince me. bought a dumb motorcycle, but now have $1800 saved up as side money. few more months and ill be makin it happen :lol:
thanks dude. i was really hesitative about this whole idea

Looks good bro! G-Note is right on target there! Your good to go with your air ride. Align and camber it the height that it is safe as far as clearance and drivability. Slam it when parked!!!! Do you have pics on your set up? I'm in the process of changing to air ride and switching out my TEIN basic coilovers...Any pics? I need some idea's and what brand you when with...

Thanks bro!

it is air suspension............ what does it matter of the cambering. lower and tuck the wheels in when you park, and pop it out to drive around. man dont worry about your camber. tires are the price to pay to ride on air. plan on scrapeing the ground and throwing sparks? i bet you could thro some pads o the ste sides and arc them... and if you guy set it up for stock height then that is where it will ride the best on the tires. what motion do you have front to back, or that and side to side? more pictures please. do you still need a jack stand to change your oil?

As I stated before to 808, it's something I've thought about for the last three years, but I didn't want to the first one who pulls the the trigger on this. I don't mine being second or even third on this one! :D

I'd rather see the finished product and be able to deduce any inherent problems or modifications that need to be done. ;-)

Chief

As I stated before to 808, it's something I've thought about for the last three years, but I didn't want to the first one who pulls the the trigger on this. I don't mine being second or even third on this one! :D

I'd rather see the finished product and be able to deduce any inherent problems or modifications that need to be done. ;-)

Chief

Yo Darth! I'll let you know! My wifes friend is doing some research for me, just the other day I had to give him specs of my car. My brother mention they may have brackets for the bags to replace my springs and I could still use my TEIN shocks. We'll see, gotta do more research or it would be nice if Martin can throw some advice...

Yo Darth! I'll let you know! My wifes friend is doing some research for me, just the other day I had to give him specs of my car. My brother mention they may have brackets for the bags to replace my springs and I could still use my TEIN shocks. We'll see, gotta do more research or it would be nice if Martin can throw some advice...

I appreciate it, this is something that I'm totally down for. It sounds like G-Note has some excellent input on the subject also. "Let me know whats up when you find out something!"

Chief

what i plan to do is a front to back air system to ensure an even ride. as much as i would love to have each bag to have an independent switch to be able to have more fun, it'd be a hassle to ride evenly. i got the idea from other people who have air bags already. the one who has all 4 on independent switches has problems riding evenly. 2 have problems riding on a side to side system. 2 other guys have a front to back set up and say its easy, and have no problems what so ever!!!!

so heres what its gonna look like:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y287/mar_tinnnnn/sketchair.jpg

switche 2 and 3 will keep air from gettin from the tank, into the bags. as you can see, i switch 2 lefts air in, the front will be lifted evenly and parallel to the ground. and switch 3 will lift the car in the rear. this is the set up the other two guys have to ride front to back, and dont have a problem with the car sitting too far to the left or right side. and when their rears sit lower than the front from carrying cargo or passengers they just shoot more air into the bags. the two cars are a honda prelude, and dodge magnum. im feeling pretty strong about this.

im probably going to set a 3-gallon tank in the rear, and get rid of the system, and run that hose down and out the car where the spare tire is, and have all the switches above the valve cover under the hood. this will enable the air valves to make all the sound outside the car. only thing i'll complain about is the compressor in the back with the tank. the switches will probably be molded below the shifter, facing upward with one gauge with dual needles. just like the magnum to save room and since the front two bags are together on one line, and so is the rear on its own.

basically, im copying their set up. just gotta see how it runs. only thing i didnt like about the lude, is that he had to make 4 holes in the floor of the trunk to run the hoses. so im setting everything external, so that i only have to find one hole to run the air to the set up. hopefully this works out. fill yall in as i go. :razz:

Thanks Martin...I'll be following your progress!

Chief

any updates from anybody? i've been thinking recently about doing this.

i like the monochromatic look

are you talking to me? if so thanks! thats a pretty old pic, its sitting on black w/ a polished lip 20's now

Hey Guys,
I know a little about air suspension. I've installed a custom kit myself on my old ride and helped with the design and application of some other kits to various vehicles.

this is my pre-E ride (boy do i miss her)

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/fullauto_jg/nigg011.jpg



The camber issue you guys seem to be talking about is not completely fixable, but you can adjust it so that you tires dont wear funny, and its nothing to be worried about.

what i have seen in the past, atleast in the lowrider scene is a extension of the upper control arm. so that when the car is dumped out, the tire will sit flat, but when lifted to a higher position it will poke out a lil bit.

as far as the setup fee, 2800 is a reasonable price especially for a strut application like an element. this requires your installer to ether custom fab a bracket to hold a slim bag in your strut or to order premade struts which are in the 1000 dollar range.. combined with the rest of the parts and the amount of time it takes to install i wouldnt say 2800 is a bad price.

the setup i had in my caddy would have costed about 4000 dollars to install if i hadnt done it myself including parts and labor ( i had 4 comps, 12 gal and custom enclosure)

If you have any questions reguarding air suspension, just pm me and ill give you all my knowledge! good luck!

i apologize for my absence and updates for my air bag suspensions. economic times have hit hard and my savings for the suspensions have been put on hold as i pay for school. its been forever since i posted cause i got caught up with school. i figured school was much more important than my car and motorcycle. :|

anyways, heres the update.. last weekend, i installed UAS air bag suspensions on my friend's lexus is250. it was for my practice and him as my guinea pig to see what i was getting myself into. :-D

i found out what fittings worked best, how to eliminate all leaks, how many psi's were needed to lift a car, how long a compressor takes to fill a tank, sizes of tanks, sizes of hoses, how to run lines and wiring things up and so on. (i love wiring by the way. really crazy bout that) it was a pretty simple set up. compressor with the pressure switch to complete a circuit, a kill switch incase of leaks, power, ground, remote to make it go up and down and switches for that as well, gauges and all that AWESOME STUFF!! took us only 6 hours to do his car. we put in a few more man hours after that, on seperate days, to elimate the leaks, and change some fittings, and programming his remote control. minor details.

it took me 8 hours to lower my car single handed, so im feeling more confident with my car now since my friend is up for the challenge on my element. (since he owes me anyways) :oops:

im hoping by summer time, as i save up money even slower now, that i might be able to do my air bag suspension. im still planning to do it, and maybe some "real" rims. i didnt know my rims were replicas, and quite frankly, i didnt really care. it was my kinda taste, and made me happy. one guy pointed it out, and and was like "wtf?" but when i looked up the real rims, it looked so much better. the small minor details made a difference, but air bags for me first before new rims. and of course, school before all. just hang tight and i will keep posted, now that ive had some practice on my friend's car.

here is his car sitting on the floor of his garage.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y287/mar_tinnnnn/1212091514.jpg

i mounted his valves under his bumper instead of under his car. it was a bit safer, but not easy access if something went wrong. but it made it easier to run into the tank in the trunk and so forth.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y287/mar_tinnnnn/1212091549a.jpg

here was the finished product of the set up in his trunk.. yea... its messy, but were gonna clean it up. we were super tired and didnt care. i will build him a custom fiberglass trunk over christmas break to mount his tank, compressor, nitrous bottle, and hide all the wirings and hoses.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y287/mar_tinnnnn/1212091549.jpg

Nice job,it seems as though you guys had a good time installing that setup,plus you actually learned quite a bit in the process.Can't wait to see your E' all layed out.8) Oh and I understand what you mean about wiring,since at the age of 12 my Father got me hooked on 12 volt wiring while working with him on his vehicles wiring jobs and ever since then,I really enjoy taking part in all forms of wiring projects.:-)

I've been debating on bagging mine. I have a buddy that does it, and all I would have to do is give him a call.
I need a daily driver though before bagging mine.

The only thing about bagging the Element is that I don't see how it could lay rockers without relocating a lot of stuff underneath.

what i plan to do is a front to back air system to ensure an even ride. as much as i would love to have each bag to have an independent switch to be able to have more fun, it'd be a hassle to ride evenly. i got the idea from other people who have air bags already. the one who has all 4 on independent switches has problems riding evenly. 2 have problems riding on a side to side system. 2 other guys have a front to back set up and say its easy, and have no problems what so ever!!!!

so heres what its gonna look like:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y287/mar_tinnnnn/sketchair.jpg

switche 2 and 3 will keep air from gettin from the tank, into the bags. as you can see, i switch 2 lefts air in, the front will be lifted evenly and parallel to the ground. and switch 3 will lift the car in the rear. this is the set up the other two guys have to ride front to back, and dont have a problem with the car sitting too far to the left or right side. and when their rears sit lower than the front from carrying cargo or passengers they just shoot more air into the bags. the two cars are a honda prelude, and dodge magnum. im feeling pretty strong about this.

im probably going to set a 3-gallon tank in the rear, and get rid of the system, and run that hose down and out the car where the spare tire is, and have all the switches above the valve cover under the hood. this will enable the air valves to make all the sound outside the car. only thing i'll complain about is the compressor in the back with the tank. the switches will probably be molded below the shifter, facing upward with one gauge with dual needles. just like the magnum to save room and since the front two bags are together on one line, and so is the rear on its own.

basically, im copying their set up. just gotta see how it runs. only thing i didnt like about the lude, is that he had to make 4 holes in the floor of the trunk to run the hoses. so im setting everything external, so that i only have to find one hole to run the air to the set up. hopefully this works out. fill yall in as i go. :razz:


If you set it up like this you will get lots of body roll, when you take a corner it will force the air from the bag on the outside of the turn to the bag on the inside of the turn. so if you are taking a curve to the right the left side of the vehicle will be forced down and the air will be forced to the right side of the vehicle causing the right side to lift (or vice-versa on a left hand curve) and creating an unsafe driving condition, especially with a top heavy vehicle

i do agree with that. but what if i still had my shocks with a slip-over bag? would that help prevent/reduce the rocking motion during the turns? im planning to use the ones from www.universalairsuspension.com

also, we set it up exactly the same way on my friend's is250 above here. when he takes a turn, it doesnt really rock to one side and make it "dangerous" BUT his car doesnt have a lot of weight up high...

Martin...I still can't wait for you to do this, I thought 808 Element in Hawaii was going to be first to do this, but I think that you are ahead of him. I will continue to follow your progress!

Chief