E30 airride

[SindreR]

this is my first post, so don't kill me if this is posted in the wrong section, but i have some questions about air ride suspension.

1. i live in Norway, so its important that the system can stand the cold weather. last winter it was -20C. is this going to be a problem?

2. does it effect the cars handling much?

3. where do i get the best and cheaper sets for my e30? i want to buy a package

all help is appreciated! :)

-SindreR

[SindreR]

Is the set from airbagit any good? something more i need to get it all up and running?

http://www.airbagit-store.com/catalog/product/view/id/5969/s/fbs-bmw-320i-1977-air-suspension-kit-air-air-ride-5969/

[Rali@BagRiders]

Hey man, you're in the right section. Not too many manufactures make air setups for e30's so you might want to get crafty. AirBagIt has a bad reputation and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. BagYards are the cream of the crop but they are one of the more expensive options out there and for them to produce e30 struts, we would actually have to send them some e30 spindles (which we have a bunch of here at out shop). They are a smaller operation so it can take months for your order to be fulfilled. If you're looking for a less expensive alternative and are handy with a welder, I would recommend doing your own custom setup using Air Lift Universal front struts and either Air House II or RE-5 universal rear bags.

As for the weather, bags do fine in colder climates. When winter hits here, we just put some air brake antifreeze in our tanks so our lines/ valves don't freeze. A lot of people will back me up and say that an 8 valve air ride setup rides just as well if not sometimes better than coils (depend on which coils you're comparing)

[toyo]

What bags are needed for my BMW e34? I need only bags.

[SindreR]

Thanks for the answer! i'l see what i can do when spring comes around :) want to pull this of so bad!

[Rali@BagRiders]

What bags are needed for my BMW e34? I need only bags.

PM'd

[Basketcase]

Subbin to see what you come up with

[royalife]

If you're looking for a less expensive alternative and are handy with a welder, I would recommend doing your own custom setup using Air Lift Universal front struts and either Air House II or RE-5 universal rear bags.

As for the weather, bags do fine in colder climates. When winter hits here, we just put some air brake antifreeze in our tanks so our lines/ valves don't freeze. A lot of people will back me up and say that an 8 valve air ride setup rides just as well if not sometimes better than coils (depend on which coils you're comparing)

any more info on this? i was looking at the air lift universal kit for up front and was how they would mount up top? and as for the second part of the quote what do you mean by 8 valve set up being better then coils?

[Rali@BagRiders]

any more info on this? i was looking at the air lift universal kit for up front and was how they would mount up top? and as for the second part of the quote what do you mean by 8 valve set up being better then coils?

The fronts are going to cost $745 and the rears without brackets are going to cost around $150. The Air Lift universal struts come with the materials to make your own top brackets which use a 3 bolt mounting design. You will have to drill three holes in each strut tower to bolt the top of the struts to the car.

As for the 8 valve comment. A little while ago, people would go the cheap way out and do a 4 valve setup for their vehicles which means that there is a fill and a dump for the front two bags and a fill and dump for the rear bags. Air was able to transfer from side to side while cornering with this setup which initially gave air a bad rep. All of our systems use an 8 valve setup where each bag is independent (has it's own fill and dump) so no air is able to transfer to other bags. I went from PSS9's to Air Lifts and the Air Lift's honestly handle and ride very similar to my coils. When comparing the Air Lift's to shitty coils like Racelands, they blow them out of the water.

[Average_Jerk]

Heres my build thread for my E30. Theres a lot of bs to sift through, but theres also a good amount of information. Also got a lot of the parts from the fine folks at Bag Riders.

http://www.stanceworks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5412

[royalife]

thanks for the response. do you know exactly which bags to go with up front? maybe this Amazon.com: AIR LIFT 75592 Chapman Universal Front or Rear Strut Kit: Automotive

[Rali@BagRiders]

Those won't work, but these Air Lift struts (http://bagriders.com/modlab/products/AIR-LIFT-75559-UNIVERSAL-STRUTS.html) will!

[royalife]

interesting, so thoses ones have top mounts that you drill?

[Rali@BagRiders]

Yeah, you make them out of the flat circular plates on the right of the photo: (the studs are included)

http://bagriders.com/modlab/product_images/t/674/Airlift75561-2__83773_std.jpg

[royalife]

ahh i see! seems simple enough.