My Mark 4 Airride Build...

[jettaaddictionII]

So, figured i finally pull the trigger and get airride. Ive wanted bags for a while now but a lack of funds has always held me back. But now, after a raise at work and getting more hours i feel its time.
Made my first purchase today from bagriders. Got my tank and some extra fittings.

Its a steel 7 gallon tank, and when it comes in, im going to start working on the trunk setup. and making it look nice. Going with like a half/hidden idea. Ive got the picture in my mind
As far, as management goes. I plan on the just the basic manual system, with Airlift XL front struts. Just want something simple, and easier to diagnose if anything goes wrong. Just i hear running all the lines could be a pita, but thats what my dad is for. Hopefully it will all go easy, but with my car, ntohing seems to.
well, that was just my introduction, using this thread for pics, updates, questions and concerns.
Im glad to finally join you guys. And a couple pics so you know what im working with.

and the wheels i just refinished, with new oem 20th skirts

[Raven1407]

welcome dude. good lookin car!

[BlackRadon]

Seem like your on the right path for success! I opted to go the manual route as well when i got my air ride. I love it, simple you get the basic workings of the system. Just basic shop class teachings. KISS. (keep it simple stupid)

[Chaoz]

sup kid. well if you need any help my buddy andrew at open road hooked me up big time. i was gonna do the maunal set up and he helped me by putting me with a switch box setup and accuair manifold for about the same price!! and its way easier and easier if you every wanted to upgrade to digital

[Shoopz]

i would highly recommend going with analog at least instead of manual. even though you can probably pick up a used v1 for cheap.

[Twilliams83]

manual's not that bad, but i do want the new v2. The airlines aren't that bad to run.

[Shoopz]

manual's not that bad, but i do want the new v2. The airlines aren't that bad to run.

ive got the v2, and installed one in someone elses car, it definitely lives up to the hype

[Twilliams83]

ive got the v2, and installed one in someone elses car, it definitely lives up to the hype

thats what im thinking, but the manual lasted me 6 months and helped me learn alot about air and how it works.

[MechEngg]

Why did you go steel over aluminum??

[.Ant]

[jettaaddictionII]

welcome dude. good lookin car!

thanks man. should look better pretty soon here

Seem like your on the right path for success! I opted to go the manual route as well when i got my air ride. I love it, simple you get the basic workings of the system. Just basic shop class teachings. KISS. (keep it simple stupid)

oh yea, thats exactly what i was thinking too. just the ease and simplicity of the whole system seemed intriguing to me, so thats why i wanted to go with it. I read alot of the manual systems and figured with the price and just how its run, it was for me. But i am also contemplating about running dual compressors, if anyone has an idea on that.

sup kid. well if you need any help my buddy andrew at open road hooked me up big time. i was gonna do the maunal set up and he helped me by putting me with a switch box setup and accuair manifold for about the same price!! and its way easier and easier if you every wanted to upgrade to digital

thanks for the heads up, but im pretty much set on the setup/style i planned on. Even though there are better managements out there, i fell this will do the job. And i will be more then ecstatic!

i would highly recommend going with analog at least instead of manual. even though you can probably pick up a used v1 for cheap.

like i said before, im aware of the better kits, and im not saying i wouldnt ever want a system like that, jsut for right now, i dont want to until i really learn about this stuff. And, i would never buy any component used, i rather buy all new when it comes to something like this.

manual's not that bad, but i do want the new v2. The airlines aren't that bad to run.

yea, thats really all ive heard bad about it, but im sure i tackle it, if not, my dad can

Why did you go steel over aluminum??

talked to a friend before hand, and he recommended going with the steel over the aluminum just because i will able to tighten down everything fully and not worry about cracking the tank, atleast his words, but i believe him. Just throw a water trap in the front of it and it should be fine.

bags and bbs

and it looks like my tank and stuff will come in friday, so my first update and then should order the rest on the 17th, hopefully to get it all installed by the end of feb., if not, early march.

[jettaaddictionII]

does anyone have a personal preference on water traps. BR sells two different kinds, they are the same price, but is one better then the other, or are they the same thing basically?

http://bagriders.com/modlab/products...ATER-TRAP.html

http://bagriders.com/modlab/products...ATER-TRAP.html

[SAMSABOTAGE]

does anyone have a personal preference on water traps. BR sells two different kinds, they are the same price, but is one better then the other, or are they the same thing basically?

http://bagriders.com/modlab/products...ATER-TRAP.html

http://bagriders.com/modlab/products...ATER-TRAP.html

they are both quality products the only difference is the numatics only comes in 1/4" ports and the smc comes in either 1/2" or 3/8"

[jettaaddictionII]

they are both quality products the only difference is the numatics only comes in 1/4" ports and the smc comes in either 1/2" or 3/8"

oh alright. thanks for the response. then, ill probably go with the one with the 1/2 ports. which now i see haha

[.Ant]

I would go with the numatics one. IIRC it is smaller than the other.

[MechEngg]

does anyone have a personal preference on water traps. BR sells two different kinds, they are the same price, but is one better then the other, or are they the same thing basically?

http://bagriders.com/modlab/products...ATER-TRAP.html

http://bagriders.com/modlab/products...ATER-TRAP.html

The SMC watertraps haven't given me any trouble when I used them on my last car. I have heard about a few leaks from the pneumatics ones but not tons. Personally I would go for the 3/8" SMC one. The 1/2" is actually fairly large, the plus side being that it holds a lot of water, minus side is that it takes up valuable room and limits where you can place it because it is quite tall. Just get the 3/8" and use a reducer coupling to mount it directly off the side of the tank.

As for your friend saying that the aluminum ones can't be fully bolted down......not sure what he was smoking when he was saying that lol. I personally prefer a non-rusting tank over a possiblity of rust in my expensive valves

[Shoopz]

There are certain things that I would buy used for air. Bags I wouldn't. And certain managements I wouldn't but because of the v2 coming out a lot of people are dumping the v1 and going with the v2 so parts are a lot cheaper. If I was doing a budget air build I would go with the v1. And as for learning how it works just installing it yourself will do that. I went into airride very little knowledge other than playing with my buddies. The kid whos air I installed for him is going to have no clue how it works or how to trouble shoot it if there is a problem because he spent the whole install texting his buddies the whole time.

[jettaaddictionII]

I would go with the numatics one. IIRC it is smaller than the other.

hmmm... ill have to check, if i have any clearance issues, which i dont think iwill. then i might go with the smaller.

The SMC watertraps haven't given me any trouble when I used them on my last car. I have heard about a few leaks from the pneumatics ones but not tons. Personally I would go for the 3/8" SMC one. The 1/2" is actually fairly large, the plus side being that it holds a lot of water, minus side is that it takes up valuable room and limits where you can place it because it is quite tall. Just get the 3/8" and use a reducer coupling to mount it directly off the side of the tank.

As for your friend saying that the aluminum ones can't be fully bolted down......not sure what he was smoking when he was saying that lol. I personally prefer a non-rusting tank over a possiblity of rust in my expensive valves

Oh thanks for all the information. i appreciate it. I knew i came in here for a reason as far as the tank, im not sure if my friend was completely telling the truth or just a version of, but something im usually swayed by is others past experience, he has the same thing i am going with and when i asked him about it, he said jut go with the steel. To me, its not a big deal. Ive just read to empty the water traps out about once a month and (drain the tank??). and hopefully not much rust will build up. plus in MI, our summers arent that humid.

There are certain things that I would buy used for air. Bags I wouldn't. And certain managements I wouldn't but because of the v2 coming out a lot of people are dumping the v1 and going with the v2 so parts are a lot cheaper. If I was doing a budget air build I would go with the v1. And as for learning how it works just installing it yourself will do that. I went into airride very little knowledge other than playing with my buddies. The kid whos air I installed for him is going to have no clue how it works or how to trouble shoot it if there is a problem because he spent the whole install texting his buddies the whole time.

Yes, that totally makes sense. I, as well as most out there, probably want to have an idea of how everything works, which now, i am becoming a lot more informed. With just reading up and different research. I rather go with the manual, just for the ease and simplicity.

And i found a guide of bagriders which is what im going to base mine off of, to me this setup looks very simple. I plan on having the switches and gauges somewhere in between the armrest, and the center console. Trust me, ill make it look good

http://bagriders.com/modlab/tech/plu...NUAL_SETUP.pdf

and my chicken scratch, just wanted to get my ideas out of my head on paper.

[MechEngg]

Looks like a decent plan. I would definitely add at least a drain cock into the bottom fitting in the tank for easy draining. Also the lines going to the paddle valves don't need to be the same length, the raise time will be different from the front and back due to different bag diameters anyways

[jettaaddictionII]

Looks like a decent plan. I would definitely add at least a drain cock into the bottom fitting in the tank for easy draining. Also the lines going to the paddle valves don't need to be the same length, the raise time will be different from the front and back due to different bag diameters anyways

yea. its just what i had imagined. im surprised alittle you can read my writing. but a drain ****, like this http://bagriders.com/modlab/products/DRAIN-****.html . You would rather go with that other then plugging the bottom. How exactly do those work and how often should the tank be drained? like once a month? and thanks for that.i want sure, but i thought it would make sense to have them the same length, but its go to know its not necessary. .

[Twilliams83]

With my manual setup im not running a watertrap but i am running a drain clock whick your kit will come with. Ive drained my tank twice and got like 2 drops of water each time, but i live in socal so its pretty dry.

[MechEngg]

yea. its just what i had imagined. im surprised alittle you can read my writing. but a drain ****, like this http://bagriders.com/modlab/products/DRAIN-****.html . You would rather go with that other then plugging the bottom. How exactly do those work and how often should the tank be drained? like once a month? and thanks for that.i want sure, but i thought it would make sense to have them the same length, but its go to know its not necessary. .

Haha it definitely is chicken scratch, but mine looks very similar

I would definitely do this instead of just a plug. With a plug you will need to seal the threads everytime. Also with them being NPT threads they are tapered in, the more you take the fitting in and out the more the taper will wear out and pretty soon the plug will go all the way in and then it won't seal anymore. With a drain **** it has a backseating o-ring and straight threads so it can be opened and closed without any wearing out. Plus it doesn't require a wrench since it has a wingnut shape, pretty much a no-brainer

And i would empty it every week or so with a steel tank to stop all buildup of water in the tank. It depends on the moisture in the air where you live though so just do it often enough to prevent lots of sitting water. Plus with a draincock you can also drain just the water and then close it back up really quickly to keep the tank pressurized, so it is far easier to drain the tank

[jettaaddictionII]

With my manual setup im not running a watertrap but i am running a drain clock whick your kit will come with. Ive drained my tank twice and got like 2 drops of water each time, but i live in socal so its pretty dry.

oh alright. but ill just run a WT jut because i will be going with a steel tank, for only 30.00, better safe then sorry

[MechEngg]

With my manual setup im not running a watertrap but i am running a drain clock whick your kit will come with. Ive drained my tank twice and got like 2 drops of water each time, but i live in socal so its pretty dry.

He is ordering his piece by piece

[Shoopz]

What are you doing for the rear bags?

[jettaaddictionII]

Haha it definitely is chicken scratch, but mine looks very similar

I would definitely do this instead of just a plug. With a plug you will need to seal the threads everytime. Also with them being NPT threads they are tapered in, the more you take the fitting in and out the more the taper will wear out and pretty soon the plug will go all the way in and then it won't seal anymore. With a drain **** it has a backseating o-ring and straight threads so it can be opened and closed without any wearing out. Plus it doesn't require a wrench since it has a wingnut shape, pretty much a no-brainer

And i would empty it every week or so with a steel tank to stop all buildup of water in the tank. It depends on the moisture in the air where you live though so just do it often enough to prevent lots of sitting water. Plus with a draincock you can also drain just the water and then close it back up really quickly to keep the tank pressurized, so it is far easier to drain the tank

yea, lol. and that was drawn at like 3am

Ok, so the plugs that i will use, i would just plan on using teflon tape to seal the threads, like i do in aquariums at work. That defiantly seems easier to, and i wouldnt want the tank/or anything strip out if i keep removing it. That wouldnt be good. Hopefully too, that the WT will repeal out as most moisture that could possibly get in there, but seeing one a week wouldnt be a big deal, as i wash my car like twice a week lol. and so far, i appreciate all your information. Could i pick your brain on running dual compressors. most likely theyd be 400c's . Is it just a waste, or do you think one will be fine, remember ill have a 7gal tank. I probably wont be screwing with it alot, other then when i jsut get it, so i dont think i would use the compressor alot.

[jettaaddictionII]

He is ordering his piece by piece

sorta

What are you doing for the rear bags?

Air lift performance style bags.

[jettaaddictionII]

** this is what i plan on ordering for people wondering **

http://bagriders.com/modlab/products...ANAGEMENT.html

[Shoopz]

I would run duals. To fill my 5 gal tank from 0 takes quite a bit. But for the most part your tank shouldn't get that low unless you drain it or you are playing around too much. If I ever get around to it I'm going to upgrade to duals

[jettaaddictionII]

I would run duals. To fill my 5 gal tank from 0 takes quite a bit. But for the most part your tank shouldn't get that low unless you drain it or you are playing around too much. If I ever get around to it I'm going to upgrade to duals

ya, thats what i was thinking too. just to help speed up the process alittle.

[Shoopz]

sorta

Air lift performance style bags.

Im on the fence on these. They don't go as low as others. But with trimming they can. Or for 200 more get bag yard rears. I might just shell out the extra cash.

[Shoopz]

ya, thats what i was thinking too. just to help speed up the process alittle.

Also if for whatever reason one craps out you will always have a backup.

[jettaaddictionII]

Im on the fence on these. They don't go as low as others. But with trimming they can. Or for 200 more get bag yard rears. I might just shell out the extra cash.

Have you gotten anything yet? Or are you trying to decide like me

[Shoopz]

Have you gotten anything yet? Or are you trying to decide like me

I have my management completely hooked up. Just need bags. But one of my friends has bagyard rears and another has airlifts. For my buddy to get as low as the bagyards took a bit of shaving

[Chaoz]

I have my management completely hooked up. Just need bags. But one of my friends has bagyard rears and another has airlifts. For my buddy to get as low as the bagyards took a bit of shaving

Shaving of what? Case I wanna get low and ill have the air lift rears