Air Suspension

[barnettimpala]

Well I've been wanting to bag my car for awhile, but I'd like to know a few things first
-What kits are available?
-Is it cheaper to piece together your own?
I's also just like to discuss how the ride would be. Basically, I'm on SSC's and AGX's now and I like the ride, it just needs to be lower. The rear height is fine but the front is just not enough. It would have to be dropped at least another 1"-1.5" just to be even fender gap with the back. I'm also wanting to do a digital dsiplay that I can adjust each corner's psi on that instead of the 10 switch box. I really don't know much about air suspension so anything else would help top.
Thanks
Randell

[Bakerdd]

Well from what I can tell you (no expert by any means) kits are super hard to come by because they don't make them anymore. From what I found before I got my kit, there are roughly 2 or 3 kits I think and I remember hearing one of them was pretty bad quality. I managed to find one by airlift which is the better quality one and it rides good. It can be bouncy and whatever ride height I choose has a lot to do with that but I still need to find a way to stiffen it up and control the bounciness better. I'm not sure how hard it would be to piece together a kit, but if you're handy with some tools, airlift makes a universal type kit where you essentially make your own air strut to fit your car. But kits come up for sale on here every now and then and this is probably your best bet to find on or find parts. Really its just the struts you need to be worried about fitting the car. Air tank, compressors, etc... all of that is basically universal so if you can find struts, you can just go buy a kit with the air components.

But from what you say you want to do as far as just lowering it an inch or two and you're only on ssc springs, you could achieve that just by getting some eibachs or buying/building coilovers. And that would be way less of a headache. You already have the axg struts so thats a start if you wanted to make some. Just as another option to maybe think about.

[Bio248]

bags are a good all around setup. can go low and can clear other things that get in your way when you need to.

for lowering as much as you want i'd also suggest getting some lower springs or going with coilovers. bagging the car is going to cost about 2-3 times as much as the coilovers would cost.

these kits are still in production:
Complete Air Suspension Kit for Chevy Impala 00-05, Universal Air Suspension
Complete Air Suspension Kit for Chevy Monte Carlo 00-06, Universal Air Suspension

otherwise i'm sure if you contact air lift they might be able to help you to a local rep of their products that could help you to design a one off set.

[barnettimpala]

Thanks guys I appreciate all the information. I like the height of that impala in the pictures linked for that kit. However, by back is already that low and if I went with bags I'd want to go at least another inch lower than that picture so I'm wondering if that's as low as it goes. I've kinda already decided I want to go with air suspension, I just need to learn more about it. The bag on strut kit is the hardest part to find it seems. Do you guys know if it will ruin a strut to put a bag on strut kit on my AGX's? I wouldnt be driving lower than I am now, so that wouldn't seem like a problem but when I park and let the air outta the bags, when strut will sit compressed. Is this really bad on the strut? I've heard yes and no. I've heard no because of how easy it is to push the strut rod down by itself, and I've heard yes because it will blow it out. Realistically, if I went with bags I'd want to be able to pretty much slam it compared to now. The goal would be to have to plastic air dam underneath to touch the ground, another 3" lower than I am now in the front. I'd only need the back about an inch lower match.
I was also concerned about the ride and handling. I don't want to lose handling over what I have now. I have the AGX's on their firmess setting and I'm ok with that and it handles good.
I have no problem with piecing together a kit, the only challenges would be finding out the info I asked about the bag on strut kit and just learning all of what is included in a bag setup and how it works

[Bakerdd]

A problem I had with the agx struts when I had coilovers that you will run into is that the strut is too tall. With the struts bottomed out, it really wasn't that low. I don't think a bag over strut deal like you're talking about will get you sitting how you want. My struts with the bags now are a good 4 inches or so shorter than the stock/agx length ones.

[barnettimpala]

A problem I had with the agx struts when I had coilovers that you will run into is that the strut is too tall. With the struts bottomed out, it really wasn't that low. I don't think a bag over strut deal like you're talking about will get you sitting how you want. My struts with the bags now are a good 4 inches or so shorter than the stock/agx length ones.

Ah good point. DAMN I just looked at your build thread. Your car is gorgeous! That's pretty much what I wanna do to my impala. Are those pics with it all the way down? The Impala's body isn't as low so it wouldn't be as low as yours. What kit do you have?

[Bio248]

seriously, look into getting into contact with air lift. they are where you really want to go through. one of their local retailers will probably be able to help you out with what you need. sourcing the right strut, bag, and top mount for the car is the hardest part. the rest of the parts are literally universal.