Air ride? Who's got it? Who did it? How much!

[simon196]

I am on a mission and want to get my van on air! But need to know the basics! What kit do I need and who should I get to fit it!


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[Guest]

its expensive, off-the-shelf, all in, your probably looking at the wrong side of £2.5K minimum for a managed system FBSS (front, back side to side). Home brew fitted yourself you could do it half the price. You have to take into consideration notching if you want to go low, its tricky and if done by a pro can be as much as £1.5K.

You need to know the pit falls before you get started and decide if its worth it. The ride is harsher and can wear the tyres down if not properly set as the tie rods will pull the wheels in or out depending what height your set at. Air shocks on the front wont cut it unless they are very heavy duty they will fail quicker due to the weight of the bus. I would go with bags (bellows all round). Get a good air management system (accuair etc.) one that you can set minimum pressures on each bag. I have full air on my beetle and its great fun but the ride is hard and harsh, but no harsher than slamming your bus/bug on adjusters and adjustable spring plates. I only use it for the occasional wedding and show and if it was in daily use i would consider changing it back to be honest

If the van is driven a lot i would not advise air, just find the ride height you like and get it set up the way you want. there are other really good lowering options eg Red 9 etc. If its for shows etc then that's a different story. I'm sure someone will contradict me but that just my own experience.

 

[radish]

I would disagree Johnny, I have Gabriel shocks front and back and it's lovely. It can cost you a £1000 but mine cost nothing as I bought multiples of everything and sold it on as a kit and pairs of shocks.
I have viair comp , paddle switches and gauges. All the fittings are cheap online. You could use valves and switches but this will cost more.
It is a comfy doesn't bang at all nothing like just lowering alone, i can run between 40-60psi bu5 around town or towing i can jump it up to 160psi, max is 190psi. I can get about 10mm lift at the rear and the front is about 6-8cm with some lift arm extensions I've made.
Johnny is right though if you go to matt balls or evil Ben it'll cost, but it will be a different set up and great work.
It really depends how low you want to go which could determine how much lift you need, then you may have to have bags.

 

[thru_a_lupe]

agree with Johnny....
I sold my EB 2 years ago for the only 64 bug i ever wanted and part of the attraction was it was on air...
Awesome to start off with and looked amazing on full drop... but it wasn't drivable like that.
It didn't take long for it to feel more of a gimmick than something useful.
I sold the bug and bought another EB 6 months ago.

I don't disagree it has its place and is horses for courses... but to put into some kind of perspective... i shot a bus that had been modded to the best air system i had ever seen... but the owner was into 14k just for air front and rear, notching and engine and gearbox raise!!!

 

[holeydub]

Personally I like the look of the body drop but the sheer amount of work is just to much to warrant the investment. However I think the slammed link pin look (6ish inches of the floor) also looks great but with the road network in this country the way it is you need a compromise so not to trash the underneath of your pride and joy. (Being that low is a bit of a pig but driving it is still fun even at 70 )

I was purely just going to notch the rear, tub the front for less scrubbing and use decent air shocks to pump the front as and when. This has now lead to changing the linkpin beam to an air bag one (next on the list) and bags on the rear for greater control. But I'll have to get a management system to like the V2 to get it working right...

I would say if you could spend the time doing all the welding yourself and sourcing parts when you can get discounts or possibly on eBay it could be done for under £2k if you had it done for you it'll easily be £5k plus

Hope that helps...

 

[Guest]

I would disagree Johnny, I have Gabriel shocks front and back and it's lovely. It can cost you a £1000 but mine cost nothing as I bought multiples of everything and sold it on as a kit and pairs of shocks.
I have viair comp , paddle switches and gauges. All the fittings are cheap online. You could use valves and switches but this will cost more.
It is a comfy doesn't bang at all nothing like just lowering alone, i can run between 40-60psi bu5 around town or towing i can jump it up to 160psi, max is 190psi. I can get about 10mm lift at the rear and the front is about 6-8cm with some lift arm extensions I've made.
Johnny is right though if you go to matt balls or evil Ben it'll cost, but it will be a different set up and great work.
It really depends how low you want to go which could determine how much lift you need, then you may have to have bags.

have you removed the torsions front and back? id love to see some pictures fitted?

they are only rated to 1100lbs a pair? that 2200 front and back for a bus that weighs 3200lbs?

the weight of the camper version of the VW Bay Window Bus weighs in at 3200 lbs

i dont like to be an arse but at those numbers they are just waiting to fail?

 

[*Sam*]

You retain the torsion bars, I have covered thousands of miles on the hijackers as has Darius and mycha.



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[*Sam*]

You retain the torsion bars and leafs, I have covered thousands of miles on the hijackers as has Darius and mycha.

Your not being arse, your quoting the figures you have read on the spec ?
It's a bit like low profile tyres I guess, a bus is way past there advised limit but people use them and don't seem to have an issue.


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[*Sam*]

There are also the firestone shockwaves series shock. Again these have been used in type 2's without issue.
They are a better unit than the Gabriel and Monroe and as such carry a higher price tag.

MidlandPaintWerks use the firestone shockwaves on the front of their van and air bags in the back again retaining the torsion bars and leafs they report back that the ride quality is excellent.


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[simon196]

What about the creative engineering beam or wagenswest - I got a quote from wagenswest - $7500 delivered including discs wilwood front and Rear - at this price I'd be spending more than i purchased the van for! The creative is about 5k without the disks


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[simon196]

Big bucks! I would still have to get it fitted and chassis messed about with - the big question is what would the ride be like! I drive the van nearly every day! And use it like a van!


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[simon196]

Has anyone tried wagenswest or creative engineering front beam and rear bags?


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[Guest]

ah well....thats a completely different kettle of fish. i thought we were talking about air ride, as in no torsions....

 

[simon196]

https://creative-engineering.com/product/air-front-beam-king-and-pin/

These don't have torsions just air bags mounted in the centre


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[*Sam*]

ah well....thats a completely different kettle of fish. i thought we were talking about air ride, as in no torsions....

I see what your saying I guess the set up I run is more air assisted.
I find it works fantastic, I have a steep drive way so it allows me to have a lowered van and still get on the drive, it means I can level the van when I'm camping without the *** of ramps.
Speed bumps I don't have to thrash the bottom of my van on, or alternatively the Cornish roads we go back home to my in laws.
And I guess the most important as I have already said the ride is really good, it took a bit of time to dial it in but it is great now.

On a separate note I don't really understand why people remove the torsion bars and leafs when they go for "air ride" surely it's better to have them in as fail safe should a bag fail ?
Still I haven't ever looked into it fully, I'm sure there is a reason.


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[Guest]

yeah that's cool, only reason to remove the torsions would be to lay it out but again your getting into some serious frame notching. Bags allow a massive amount of travel 8-10 inches front and back.

 

[72crewdude]

i have it but on my golf not on my bay

 

[Graham L]

Just dont see the need to go to the expense unless you want to drop it to the floor when you turn up on site rather than a static slam, each to their own but I've never seen the attraction and if you were going that route you may as well go for the hydraulic set up, seen too many air system not work very well on buses as there are so many variables.

You could always consider a French Slammer set up and we run 2 buses that you can come for a ride in before committing, dont think theres anyone else out there offering that at the moment

And you can get reasonably low without notching or tubbing. below is a customer bus we recently did

 

[ozziedog]

Just dont see the need to go to the expense unless you want to drop it to the floor when you turn up on site rather than a static slam, each to their own but I've never seen the attraction and if you were going that route you may as well go for the hydraulic set up, seen too many air system not work very well on buses as there are so many variables.

You could always consider a French Slammer set up and we run 2 buses that you can come for a ride in before committing, dont think theres anyone else out there offering that at the moment

And you can get reasonably low without notching or tubbing. below is a customer bus we recently did

Now that is a very nice looking Early Mr Graham, and RHD as well.

Ozziedog,,,,,,Perfect. :mrgreen: