Ok guys, I decided to make this mainly for installation purposes.
What kit should I use?
The majority of the people on this site use the Easystreet kit, however its up to you on what you choose. I would also like to add that I would recommend getting a
water trap.
What rides better, bags or cylinders?
Me personally, I think bags ride way better. Some say different.
Where do I get my kit from?
(Please NOTE: The following kits are mostly 3rd gen kits 95-05)Pretty much everywhere that sells the airride kits are basically the same price but just for kicks....
EASYSTREET!
Easystreet
Airbagsource.com
Gauge Magazine
Race Performance Parts
Show Stopper Tuning
Gravanna Tuning
Modified Motorsports
Turbo Tech Racing
AIR RIDE TECH. Scroll till you find your kit.
Air Ride Tech
AIM INDUSTRIES (Not gonna lie, I am NOT a fan of these folks) Scroll till you find your kit. THEY HAVE KITS AVAILABLE FOR ALL GENS!
AIM Industries
EAI They are supposed to have a kit for J-bodies but I could not find it on there home page but if you wanna give them a shot...
EAI
Hopefully if you are getting into airride you know how to change a strut out as you will be doing so on all 4 corners (duh)!
How do I run my lines?
You can thank
suicidedoors.com for this....
How do I wire my valves?
You have 2 black wires coming from the valve, simple process, one goes to power, one goes to ground.
How do I wire my switchbox?
Once again thank
suicidedoors.com
How do I wire up my compressor, relay and pressure switch?
Gotta love
suicidedoors.com
My car drops tooooo fast, can I slow it down?
http://suicidedoors.com/AirManagementValveDumpControls.php These basically let you control how fast the air is released from the valve.
My car jumps up to fast, can I slow it down?
http://suicidedoors.com/AirManagementValveFillControls.php These basically let you control how fast the air is released into the bag.
What are check valves and should I run them, where do they go?
Yes you should run them, you want to place them in between the valve and the tank, as close to the valve as possible. They are basically like the valve stems in your tires, they let air in but not out.
How did you guys set up your tank(s) and compressor(s)?
Here is just a couple of many ideas...
ESB's old setup
Eric Altman's setup
Big Daddy's setup
Phewes' old setup
My setup
What about reliability?
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=3&i=114119&t=114119#114119
Custom bag setups?
I have only really seen 2 custom setups and they where only in the rear.
ESB
And the AirLift Cavalier
Do I need more than one battery?
Unless you have more than 2 compressors just throw you an Optima up front and have fun!
How low/high will the Easystreet kit go?
Here is a picture of my car with 205/40/17's
Will I need to roll my fenders?
I would recommend it!
Here is a link on how to do just that...
I have a body kit on my car, how do I keep from crushing it?
Ok here you have 2 choices (I would recommend both)
A. After your air ride is installed, jack the car up and place 2x4's or 4x4's under the wheels. Raise car completely and let it sit overnight to see if your air leaks out. If it does get in there with soapy water and find that leak!!!! After all leaks are found and fixed the car should be able to sit with out loosing air, thus not crushing body kit.
B. Weld or bolt some kind of stopper under the car. That way if while you are eating a burger at Mickey D's and a line busts you car doesnt come slamming down on your body kit.
You can drag in a Cavalier???????
Damn right you can...
What do you use for dragging?
In the dragging world the most popular choice is Titanium blocks. A lot of people just build up some kind frame to bolt trailer hitch balls upside down on. Some just weld some metal under thier car.
My car makes a groaning noise when I turn?!?!?!
Many have solved this problem by...
A. Buying new strut tops from Easystreet (or vender for them)
B. Swapping out for OEM tops (by doing this you will lose about .5" of drop)
I think this covers pretty much everything you need to hook your air ride up trouble free. If anyone has anything else please add to thread!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Thursday, October 19, 2006 8:29 PM
-Brandon
very nice but i think you should go into more detail w/ this
What rides better, bags or cylinders?
Me personally, I think bags ride way better. Some say different.
give reasons why.
some choose bags and others choose cylinders. cylinders have benifits that bags dont have (ie being able to suck the wheel up into the wheel well) but at the same time cylinders ride more harsh then bags and require accumulators. if a cylinder breaks, it can be rebuilt where as a bag breaks, your sol.
hydros/juice are not recommened on a unibody car but have been done before
if a cylinder breaks, it can be rebuilt where as a bag breaks, your sol
added to that though if you buy easystreets jim or corey over at easystreet will hook you up. but im a often customer with them and i get bags at their cost which might be cheaper than a cylinder rebuild but im not sure cuz i dont know how much a cylinder rebuild is. but like said above its your choice on cylinders and bags
theres quite a few custom rear setups...I have about 30 pics of mine (progress and all that could be added)
yellow22 wrote:if a cylinder breaks, it can be rebuilt where as a bag breaks, your sol
added to that though if you buy easystreets jim or corey over at easystreet will hook you up. but im a often customer with them and i get bags at their cost which might be cheaper than a cylinder rebuild but im not sure cuz i dont know how much a cylinder rebuild is. but like said above its your choice on cylinders and bags
true jim is the man, he hooks me up when i need it.
good FAQ almost makes me want to get air ride
I may run 18s, but I can do your taxes in 10 seconds flat.
buy mine, ill install it for u too
emphasis on almost.....
I may run 18s, but I can do your taxes in 10 seconds flat.
ok heres a bunch of pics from my rearend setup fabricated by Matt Headrick.
cutting the rear axle down
pieced back together with 3.5 inches cut out the middle
welded in crossmember and swing arm bolted back in with new mounting tabs
cut out for wheel tub with stablizer bar welded inside trunk
wheel tub welded in
with lower bag mount in
bag mounted in place
another bag shot
Nissan pickup shocks added
dropped on 22s
How do those shocks ride???? I was thinking of doing the same with my set up!
-Brandon
thats what i was trying to explain to you. i forgot he did it like that
That is what I am doing with my 4 door right now. Had no clue 22s would fit. Was just shooting to get 20s in there. Might have to jump up to the 22s now!
well the difference in work between 20s and 22s is alot. 22s your going to need a whole custom rear setup to be able to tuck
ok dumbass question how do you connect airline to you valves,t fittings, etc what type of connector is it and how do they go together
it all depends on size valve and size air line. like most people i have quick connect fittings. whatever size valve you have, you have to get the apprioate size fitting (ex. i have 3/8" valves and 1/2" lines so i need to get a fitting that is 3/8" male x 1/2" line. just connect it to the valve then you connect the hose into the fitting. it plugs into the fitting and if you want to remove it, you push in on the fitting and pull the air line out.
Heres a basic manual on how to set up a system
Most fitting are push to connect so you just pop the air line in, but make sure when you cut it that it is a straight cut. As for the t fittings and such, theres usually a threaded adapter that screws in. Kind of like this
[quote=ßãggéÐÇåv98 (Ûñqùðtäߣè Øñé)]very nice but i think you should go into more detail w/ this
What rides better, bags or cylinders?
Me personally, I think bags ride way better. Some say different.
give reasons why.
some choose bags and others choose cylinders. cylinders have benifits that bags dont have (ie being able to suck the wheel up into the wheel well) but at the same time cylinders ride more harsh then bags and require accumulators. if a cylinder breaks, it can be rebuilt where as a bag breaks, your sol.
hydros/juice are not recommened on a unibody car but have been done before
you dont need accumulators for cylinders they acctually dont even change the ride very much.
In my opinion cyinders on the rear with bags on the front ride better than a straight bag setup.
check valves go between tank and compressor not tank and valves would only keep the car from the dropping if the tank blows.
the most popular choice for dragging is not titanium its steel blocks. the diffeerence is steel shoots copper colored sparks titanium shoots white sparks. I know of very few people that build frames under there car (spyderwizard is the only one i know) it is alot easier to bolt blocks on. I'll post pics of mine when i buy a new cord for my camera.
I think thats the only things ifound in it
So to tuck 20s is fairly simple? Not really worried about the work for most part since the car is never driven but just wondering the work to go from 20s to 22s. Thanks a ton for the info so far.
irssunsittinlow wrote:
you dont need accumulators for cylinders they acctually dont even change the ride very much.
In my opinion cyinders on the rear with bags on the front ride better than a straight bag setup.
check valves go between tank and compressor not tank and valves would only keep the car from the dropping if the tank blows.
the most popular choice for dragging is not titanium its steel blocks. the diffeerence is steel shoots copper colored sparks titanium shoots white sparks. I know of very few people that build frames under there car (spyderwizard is the only one i know) it is alot easier to bolt blocks on. I'll post pics of mine when i buy a new cord for my camera.
I think thats the only things ifound in it
check valves are sometimes put between the tank and valves when people are more worried about losing pressure in the lines.
and titanium is the most popular but hard to get. steel is used most often because it is easy. but titanium by far FTW if it wasnt so damn expensive unless you have a source to it
Uncivilized R.T. wrote:So to tuck 20s is fairly simple? Not really worried about the work for most part since the car is never driven but just wondering the work to go from 20s to 22s. Thanks a ton for the info so far.
Well it depends how far you want to sit.
A 4dr cannot do like 20SN22S (Bagdfire) did. Reason being, 2drs have a lot more room to play with as far as cutting the rear fender wells out, 4drs cannot because the back door goes almost all the way to the fenders. You might be able to get another 1" by cutting, but to me its not worth it.
-Brandon
irssunsittinlow wrote:you dont need accumulators for cylinders they acctually dont even change the ride very much.
In my opinion cyinders on the rear with bags on the front ride better than a straight bag setup.
check valves go between tank and compressor not tank and valves would only keep the car from the dropping if the tank blows.
the most popular choice for dragging is not titanium its steel blocks. the diffeerence is steel shoots copper colored sparks titanium shoots white sparks. I know of very few people that build frames under there car (spyderwizard is the only one i know) it is alot easier to bolt blocks on. I'll post pics of mine when i buy a new cord for my camera.
I think thats the only things ifound in it
Checks valves are more commonly put between the tank and valves so that you do not lose pressure if something happens to your air supply. I have had it happen before and it sucks going down the highway and lose all your pressure.
Titanium is the preferred choice among all draggers, if it didnt cost so much. Ask anyone who drags if there was NO COST involved, which would they use, steel blocks or titanium blocks.
Also I am pretty sure spyderwizards reason behind building a custom frame was not to bolt blocks to, but either A) be able to lay lower ; B) drag without worrying about the tranny or oil pans
-Brandon
his was choice b i think. he lays lower than anyone on here so i would think he felt more safe building that so he didnt drag through anything.
