Air ride is it worth it

[xjay1337]

Pikey -

Yes but we're not talking about out and out race cars.
At the end of the day it's a Golf Mk5. Not a Caterham. If a car is 1380 kg or 1360kg you are not going to notice. You can be all about the "theoretical" improvements if you want but the truth is you're not going to notice a 20kg difference over the rear axle of a Golf.

Maybe people at the track who would laugh do so because they have no idea what air actually drives like. Like yourself  


Karl -

You are right, you can have more issues with air bags. However the airbags themselves are more durable than a regular coilover, if you look at a coilover unit after 2 years on a car and then an air suspension unit, the air unit would be in a better condition.
As I'm sure you're aware, buses, lorries, trucks, and some vans now are coming with air suspension and these vehicles do hundreds of thousands of miles. At wheels day there was an old Ford hot-rod which was on a 18 year old air suspension system.
I know of a TT running 10 year old Rayvern air suspension and the components were fine there was only one small air leak TANK SIDE (so not from the air bags themselves).

You can still get a snapped spring on a coilover and you'd be in exactly the same situation.

The air lift bags are valved to work without a roll bar so that's irrelevant. You can get Performance Airlift struts which have drop link mounts for a rollbar as well - the whole "you don't have a rollbar" argument is a bit old and pointless!  

There is also great discussion on what the true benefits of an anti roll bar are, as you are in effect taking your 4 independant suspension units and making them not independent.
McLaren MP4-12c doesn't have any rollbars at all.... neither does the P1...

[Karl_mac_]

I work on trains, i've seen 30 year old bogies with airbags. 

I just don't think they command the current premium. But thats how things work, as an early adoptor you pay more, as the technology becomes more commoditised it becomes cheaper the cost comes down. My personal opinion is that air bags aren't work 3x as much as decent coilovers, however other people's opinion differs and I wouldn't say their wrong.

Also, techincally the 12c/650S/P1 doesn't have a ARB because the linked hydraulic system is designed to simulate an ARB when it needs to. Same as the E-diff/brake steer system - its all electronic.

[Pikey Motorsports]

Catherham, golf or metro doesnt matter

Its not that i dont know what im talking about its just common sense.. Airride is not used/considered when after full performance on the track or a dedicated track car.. And that 20kg+ or probaly more is alot of weight to add for something what doesnt have any benifits when you have worked spent money to get the car as light as possible..

Anyway the op isnt interested in whats its like on the track so its irellavant  

[xjay1337]

There ye go then, reliable.

Airbag struts themselves are not that expensive. It's the management. You're looking at around £850for a pair of Airlift Performance front struts.

These come with 30 point damping adjustment and fully camber adjustable top mounts.


The rear bags and Airlift Shocks are £800, however the bags themselves are more reasonable at about £300, and you can match these to any other dampers you want. The airlift rear shocks offer 30 points of damping and also have threaded stainless steel bodies.

So at worst you're looking at £1650 for the suspension unit.
Compare that to some Bilstiens or H&R or KW at a similar price and there's not going to be any difference in performance. Arguably the Airlift kits offer better value as they come with camber adjustable top mounts, which the coilovers do not come with as standard.

[slider955i]

not for me

[betty_swollox]

There ye go then, reliable.

Airbag struts themselves are not that expensive. It's the management. You're looking at around £850for a pair of Airlift Performance front struts.

These come with 30 point damping adjustment and fully camber adjustable top mounts.


The rear bags and Airlift Shocks are £800, however the bags themselves are more reasonable at about £300, and you can match these to any other dampers you want. The airlift rear shocks offer 30 points of damping and also have threaded stainless steel bodies.

So at worst you're looking at £1650 for the suspension unit.
Compare that to some Bilstiens or H&R or KW at a similar price and there's not going to be any difference in performance. Arguably the Airlift kits offer better value as they come with camber adjustable top mounts, which the coilovers do not come with as standard.

.......but it still looks sh*t


Lol


Try and justify it all you want, if you want performance, go for coils or springs and uprated dampers

[Tfsi_Mike]

Each to their own. Has it's advantages from a styling point of view, if you like that kind of thing.  As with any type of suspension setup good kits will probably handle quite well and some may handle like sh*t.

Definitely not for me but style, handling & comfort are totally subjective & individual preference.  

[betty_swollox]

Each to there own im not sure how people actually think it looks good imo.. Plus it can weight a ton and will never handle as well as a good set of coilovers

Everyone has there own taste in modding

Show car = air ride

Performance = coilovers

That is just not how it is though and what really pisses me off.
What experience have you had with air ride.  how can you possibly justify that sweeping statement.

i have owned two mk5s one with air ride and no front roll bar and one with coilovers and decent roll bars and the air handles better in every way and is also far more comfortable.

round here airride is usually sat in mcdonalds car park on the sump

Hahahah    true that mate. Just typical chav cars lol.

Just don't understand how anyone can like it

There's a polo gti at work on air and it looks crap, would rather drive a ford Ka.

[betty_swollox]

Rushing down to McDonald's 

[stuart-88]

Loving this thread  

Each to their own, but in the few months of owning air ride I had a bag nearly burst on me. a faulty front flexi pipe in to the strut that dumped the o/s/f to the floor every time I went out to it in the morning, and a crap seal in the manifold which led to the compressor kicking in every single damn time I started it up. Absolute pain in the arse. (though it did look bad ass).

The relief of getting rid of it pretty much summed it all up for me. I now get in to my car every time not having to wonder what's going to happen next with it.

A pic of the bag that nearly let go...



For me though, saying I had it, fitted it myself and got the T-shirt is pretty cool though.

[J12spk]

Air ride is definitely worth it and is now being proven to handle better than coilovers. I'm sure people are going to disagrees but there's been test run.

Running air isn't cheap though. Full accuair kits come to just under 3 grand. It's personably preference but it's so much more comfortable than coilovers

Ain't yours bust George? Can't even drive it I remember reading?

[monte]

I can't say whether or not they are worth £3k but most vehicles on air-ride look STUNNING 

They will nearly always draw a crowd.

[GunnerGibson]

One for the Rustlers advert.

[Tim144]

Air ride is for shows .... Just like these high performance stage 2/3/whatever cars are build for racing to 70 as fast as you can... But will never see a track.

Just as pointless ....

[Tfsi_Mike]

Never see a track?