Air bags on Dsm's [Merged 8-7] air springs suspension

[GPTourer]

Air bags are the only way to go if you want to just raise and lower the car for things like speedbumps. You are not going to be hopping in and out to mess with coilovers at the side of the road just to go over a bump. You can do it just fine from the cockpit. Plus it'll be cheaper then any hydraulic setup. Hydraulics are generally for people who want their car to hop, dance and otherwise beat the sh-t out of their ride. They are not good for a unibody car. Even still, your ride quality will be severly compromised with either.

 

[CougarDS]

When you say compromised... what exactly do you mean?

 

[GPTourer]

Compromised as in the car won't ride very good and won't handle very good. But, if all you do is cruise, you might not care. I'd try to find somebody with a similar car (FWD import of similar weight) with air bags and at least ride with them before doing that to a car.

 

[leet]

Believe me. Adjustable....you want coilovers. Lower it for days you go for performance, raise it for normal days.

That's only if he can adjust toe angle's himself. Otherwise, leave it one height.

 

[memory-x]

airstruts from easystreet , i hear they are awesome , small 3 gal tank and small compressor and ur good , i have bags on the truck and it rides better then a caddy , use small 1/4 or 3/8 line with only fb , dont use 1/2 to 1 inch line, nitrogen, 8 valves , multiple tanks , keep it simple

 

[myblack98gst]

I used to be into mini-trucking HUGE... my sten had air-ride.... it rides better than a stock truck could dream of.


A couple of companys have come out with air systems for cars that ARE meant for performance driving, they aren't neccasarily for going up and down a huge amount, but they have several different firmness settings and each raises or lowers the ride hieght.

and you do want front-back-side-side individual because it will minimize the body roll through turns


Hydraulics!!!!! Shame on you for asking, they have no place on a vehicle unless it is for competition use only. If you have ridden in a hydraulic auto you would know why I say this..

 

[NDgsx]

Man hit dem switches on dem b*tches!

Seriously if it wasn't for all the batteries I would put hydrualics on my car . Imagine the looks you would get in the staging lane when you hit da tree whel motion! Or pull a low 12. Better get a kaaz front diff first I guess. Dang that puts it out of budget.

 

[Turbo Shogun]

I gotta admit, when i see a car or truck with the drivers side touching pavement and the other side in the air 4 or 5 inches... it looks sick.

Okay ... Well. Take out your stabilizer bars. Run blown shocks ... And take a constant radius, 90 degree corner at full speed.

 

[na90dsm]

ive seen strut tower tops, the ones in the body of the car, yea blown completely out of the body on air bags and on hydrolics.

so have a good body shop

 

[TurboGrow420]

Cougar,

I've got a few things to add to this discussion, so check it out! First, plenty of people run air bag or hydraulic systems on their imports, this is not uncommon. Pick up any copy of Lowrider or Euro magazine and you'll see cars in there with em. You'll even find adds from vendors that carry specific kits for your ride.

Secondly, does anyone who has replied to this thread have (or has had) hydraulics? I do. Not on my Eclipse but on my Isuzu pick-up. A 2 pump CCE Hydraulic set up with 8 switches and 5 batteries for 60 volt action. It'll hop the front end off the pavement about 12 inches. Something to think about is that hydros are very expensive, they require alot of work to install, and require alot of work to maintain. Do you have a Mig welder and cutting torch? Cause you'll need both for the install. The equipment is bulky......the pumps, cylinders and batteries take up most of the bed of my truck. Something else to remember is that if the equipment mal-functions, it can cause serious damage to your ride. One of my own experiences...... the solonoids (relays) for the rear pump became stuck in the energized position and the pump remained pressurized for about 15-20 seconds before I could disconnect the ground wire. This resulted in one broken retaining chain, bent cylinder mounts, and the 2x2 box tube steel bridge between the frame rails bent into a "V" shape. Not to mention that I could have blown the seals in the pump head, but I was lucky. It took me a week to cut out all the mangled steel and weld in a new bridge, chains, and mounts. Oh joy! Now....on the other hand.....hydros are BAD ASS!!!! And lots of fun!! :laugh: You get tons of attention whenever you cruise. This is great when you're at Daytona Beach. Not so great when the Po-Po's see your truck hoping, or 3-wheeling around corners. Also....the ride isn't all that great. In fact.....it sucks. So, yes, it would compromise your handling. This is probably why I don't even drive my truck all that much anymore. Plus......I've kind of out-grown them. Replacing leaky cylinder O rings and blown hoses has helped in that department.

Now.....for Airbags. This is the route I would go if you absolutely had to have adjustable suspension. Fewer parts to maintain, plus a better ride for sure. Kits are available with the air-spring and shock in one assembly. Some vendors even make strut kits with each corner's assembly all in one piece. There will still be a complicated installation, requiring cutting, welding etc. I have seen chaffed air bags blow, so maintenance is still a priority with bags. And you'll still need room for the compressors and air tanks. Great for a show car, lousy for a daily driver.

One other option that no one here mentioned........ Don't lower your car. Everyone here knows first hand how low the front of these cars are. I cringe everytime I scrub my air dam on a steep driveway.....especially since I just had the whole car repainted a year ago. Go with some 18 inch wheels and a meaty tire to fill up the wheel gap......that's the route I'm going. Plus, suspension travel is a good thing for good handling.....and you won't have to worry about negative camber wearing out the insides of your tires. Trust me....I've been a victim of negative camber ever since I first lowered my truck. Take the money you would spend on springs, camber kits, and installation and get a good set of Koni's, or put the money toward wheels, or a new turbo or whatever!! Hey....everyone's got their own opinion.....this is simply mine backed up by some first hand experience. Sorry it's so long. Later ya'll!

 

[james13]

Why not just go with a set of tein coilovers and the Electronic Dampening Force Controller!
http://www.tein.com/edfc.html
problem solved!
For a write up on the install pick up the september issue of modified mag!



-james

 

[futrgsxonr]

DAMN! You got to it first. I was really suprised that no one on this thread suggested the edfc before though. Tein's Flex dampers and the edfc would probably work. The edfc does not change the ride height, only the spring rates (correct?). Somebody with more knowledge about this would be able to help more. I just wanted to put it out there.

Later | "B"

 

[GPTourer]

A spring rate can not be changed by an electronic box. That is determined by the coils in the spring. Unless you have springs made out of the same stuff the T-1000 was in Terminator 2...

The dampening rate of the struts is what the EDFC's change. Kind of like what the Yellows offer except you don't have to get out of the car and walk around with that little white knob. You can do it from the driver's seat.

 

[slow99eclipse]

I have an air ride kit on my GS along with front and rear anti sway bars from suspension tech. I was wondering if I could/ should put on the reare lower tie bar. Will that effect my car when I slam it. or just the left side and leave the right side up ? Oh yeah I also have DC sports front upper strut brace. Does anyone know of a place where I can get a front lower tie bar ( or do they even make one for Eclipse ? ) Help!! Thanks guys

 

[Attack Eagle]

maybe have beter luck in the appearance section.

This is for handling questions. Airbags definately do not qualify. (don't play the PRAXIS card either, springs and shocks out handle that system)

 

[suicidal2af]

I have an air ride kit on my GS along with front and rear anti sway bars from suspension tech. I was wondering if I could/ should put on the reare lower tie bar. Will that effect my car when I slam it. or just the left side and leave the right side up ? Oh yeah I also have DC sports front upper strut brace. Does anyone know of a place where I can get a front lower tie bar ( or do they even make one for Eclipse ? ) Help!! Thanks guys

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. Going to bags, while good for show/looks, is horrible for handling. Going 5 steps back and then 1 step forward seems almost pointless, unless you just want tie bars for looks.

 

[long84les]

who knows where i can get a air suspension kit, air bags, cylinders.. somethin.. what web sites have direct bolt on's

 

[eklypse]

who knows where i can get a air suspension kit, air bags, cylinders.. somethin.. what web sites have direct bolt on's

i know a couple places out here in Cali where my friend got his S-10 done...but i dont think that will help you....I'll call my brother and see if he knows of any places (hes in N.C. but he practially lives on the entire east coast)

 

[mikeb_low]

I am trying to get my eclipse as low to the ground as possible. I am infact trying to get it to lay on the ground for shows, and still have a good enough ride to be a daily driver. I have the ability and most of the tools to customize nearly anything i would need to, but this car is my only mode of transportation. Can anyone give me an idea other than completely customizing the suspension? Thanks.

 

[NA2G99]

I am trying to get my eclipse as low to the ground as possible. I am infact trying to get it to lay on the ground for shows, and still have a good enough ride to be a daily driver. I have the ability and most of the tools to customize nearly anything i would need to, but this car is my only mode of transportation. Can anyone give me an idea other than completely customizing the suspension? Thanks.

air struts are the way to go to get as low as possible, eibach sportline coils will drop your car 2", if you want to use air struts, this is by far the best kit for our cars, I opt to buy the front and rear air struts and ordered the autopilot digital air management system, came out to be $1800, this kit is for the analog system

95-99 Mitsubishi Eclipse Air Bag Kit

 

[dwdsm]

Well for the practicality of actually going places without scraping, I was looking into air bags for the awd. I’ve talked to a few good shops and they are telling me that I can get equal handling out of a Air kit that I could coilovers. They say that its all in how you set them up (spring rates) and what dampener you get. I guess they even make 16 way adjustable. I currently have koni yellows and h&r springs and love it but western pa is unkind to bumpers. Not to mention my driveway has some steep angles and is about a half mile long.
Anyone with experience chime in.

 

[Dsmj89]

I'm going to post my opinion on this one. I personally think airbag suspension on a dsm looks cheap. Second, if you're concerned with the steeps, i suggest you raise your car with different springs, rather than waste money and add weight to your car only to raise it during those rare steep occasions.

 

[importracr317]

Got airbags on my Dad's Chevy C-10 hot rod - with the sway bars (and a Ramjet 502), the thing handles great.

Not the usual suspension path for a DSMer, but your information is correct - you can get good handling from bags.

 

[TrboANTsi]

Heres my .02. Air bag setups are great when done right. The proper way to go of course is a bag over shock setup. Those cylinder kits suck balls. I had them on an accord back in the days, but cylinders truly have you riding on air. You need the shock to dampen it all. As for all that 16 way adjustable stuff. Everyone is trying to sell that but think of it. If you have a stiff shock setup.. the bag will always compress first no matter what. Two different consistencies. i would just get some good shocks with min. adjustments and be done. make sure you get the right adjustability too. because some kits offer very little. Ive come to realize from my own personal experience that a bag setup with 4 inches of stroke/travel are ideal. hope that helps. heres a pic of my honda dont laugh this was back in 1997 it was still kool to have big kits.. I was in ny and had a steep driveway.

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[dwdsm]

I'm going to post my opinion on this one. I personally think airbag suspension on a dsm looks cheap. Second, if you're concerned with the steeps, i suggest you raise your car with different springs, rather than waste money and add weight to your car only to raise it during those rare steep occasions.

I'm not sure how they look "cheap". I'm not looking to slam the car but to raise it up a little for driveways that are ment for 4wd trucks. Have you ever been to western pa? Steep driveways or parking lots happen everytime I drive the thing. The weight would be min. I live on a 350 acre farm and have a terrible driveway. Some of the other input is good. I was looking at kits that have the dampener going through the bag. I was planning on spending top dollar on it to get what I want. I really don't want to raise my car, I enjoy where it sits. I was looking at something like this. SKW8000: Air Ride Technologies - Ridetech.com