# Towing and on air suspension



## helloterence (May 15, 2010)

I recently put my car on air and was wondering if anyone has experienced getting towed in the event that something went wrong (i.e blown bag, management issues, etc)? I know that the majority of tow services couldn't give two ****s about damaging you car in process, I am just curious to know how you and the tow people handled the situation seeing as the vehicle is so low to the ground? The only "solution" that I thought of that could possibly minimize damage would be to remove the front bumper which would give way to some clearance.


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## mveitenheimer (Sep 1, 2007)

Have a rachet strap handy 8) been there done that. 
What you do is somehow find a way.. Either jack or have buddies lift the car enough to get a jack under there and jack it up as high as you can to stretch the bag out, rachet around the bag( we used two straps it was a double bellow. And this will keep some clearance between your cap and top of strut. (Acts kinda like a spacer) CAUTION this will destroy the bag worse than it already is. But you won't need a tow and you can get it home :cheers:


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## Iku (Mar 11, 2009)

mveitenheimer said:


> Have a rachet strap handy 8) been there done that.
> What you do is somehow find a way.. Either jack or have buddies lift the car enough to get a jack under there and jack it up as high as you can to stretch the bag out, rachet around the bag( we used two straps it was a double bellow. And this will keep some clearance between your cap and top of strut. (Acts kinda like a spacer) CAUTION this will destroy the bag worse than it already is. But you won't need a tow and you can get it home :cheers:


I'm having a hard time even visualizing this.


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## mveitenheimer (Sep 1, 2007)

Same principle as when people stretch their tires. Strapping a strap around the middle and cranking down pushes the edges out. If you do the same thing to an air bag it'll give you a couple of inches so your not dragging.


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## macleanshaun (Sep 19, 2008)

Imagine a really fat girl putting on a big belt around her stomach, but tightening it WAY too tight. Her stomach will push both up and down out of the belt.


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## NotPurple (Jun 28, 2012)

macleanshaun said:


> Imagine a really fat girl putting on a big belt around her stomach, but tightening it WAY too tight. Her stomach will push both up and down out of the belt.


:laugh::laugh: Best analogy ever. :thumbup:


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## .:S (Sep 24, 2007)

I blew a rear bag on the interstate last month. AAA came and gave me a tow, I just aired up the two adjacent corners to the blown bag (fr and rl), then partially aired up the front opposite (fl). This kept the rear off the ground and it was able to be pulled up on the flatbed.

Be sure to request a flatbed, as putting the rear on dollies would have probably done more damage.


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## Iku (Mar 11, 2009)

Ohhh I get what you're saying. Honestly I'd rather take my bumper off and drag my bigassed skid plate upthe ramp than ruin my bags. Haha.


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## helloterence (May 15, 2010)

Well...my worst nightmare actually came true (I am having the worst luck this week). 

I finally got my E-Level sensors installed correctly and decided to take the car out for a night out with the girlfriend in Baltimore. Everything was working correctly, aired up around obstacles, found a parking spot in a lot of a Dollar Store, aired out, and went dancing for about approximately 2 hours. I was walking back to my car when some guy off the street yelled towards me saying that I am lucky and that they were about to tow my car. I didn't think anything of it since my car looked exactly the way it did when I left it. Turned on the car, the management aired up automatically, but my controller was throwing codes which disallowed me to use any of my presets. Since I didn't want to get murdered, I drove the car aired up all the way back home and to my surprise, I find that both my rear E-Level sensors were broken. :thumbdown: Woke up the next morning and also found my rear valance managled in several places with leads me to believe that they did attempt to tow my vehicle but wasn't successful in doing so...


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## crispy21 (Mar 26, 2012)

helloterence said:


> Well...my worst nightmare actually came true (I am having the worst luck this week).
> 
> I finally got my E-Level sensors installed correctly and decided to take the car out for a night out with the girlfriend in Baltimore. Everything was working correctly, aired up around obstacles, found a parking spot in a lot of a Dollar Store, aired out, and went dancing for about approximately 2 hours. I was walking back to my car when some guy off the street yelled towards me saying that I am lucky and that they were about to tow my car. I didn't think anything of it since my car looked exactly the way it did when I left it. Turned on the car, the management aired up automatically, but my controller was throwing codes which disallowed me to use any of my presets. Since I didn't want to get murdered, I drove the car aired up all the way back home and to my surprise, I find that both my rear E-Level sensors were broken. :thumbdown: Woke up the next morning and also found my rear valance managled in several places with leads me to believe that they did attempt to tow my vehicle but wasn't successful in doing so...


wow that sucks. were you parked illegally?


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## helloterence (May 15, 2010)

crispy21 said:


> wow that sucks. were you parked illegally?


There were no signs that stated that I noticed of. After all, it was simply a parking lot of your typical dollar store. I was there from 8-10pm ish..


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## martin13 (Apr 20, 2010)

You went dancing at the dollar store?


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## crispy21 (Mar 26, 2012)

martin13 said:


> You went dancing at the dollar store?


:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh: im laughing hysterically right now cuz i said the same thing


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## helloterence (May 15, 2010)

martin13 said:


> You went dancing at the dollar store?


No, the place was about 2 blocks down. There was no street parking so I settled for a parking lot.


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## .:S (Sep 24, 2007)

helloterence said:


> I find that both my rear E-Level sensors were broken. :thumbdown: Woke up the next morning and also found my rear valance managled in several places with leads me to believe that they did attempt to tow my vehicle but wasn't successful in doing so...


Ah man, that sucks.

How did they break the sensors? Just curious.


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## helloterence (May 15, 2010)

.:S said:


> Ah man, that sucks.
> 
> How did they break the sensors? Just curious.


The rear one ones are mounted on the control arm. I'm assuming since they couldn't get under the front of my car, they hooked me up at the rear control arm and pulled breaking the sensors in the process. And when the car couldn't move since I was laying frame, they attempted to pull from underneath my rear valance which also led to failure and mangling the underside of my car there and part of the bumper in the process.


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## BarbaraBush (May 1, 2013)

helloterence said:


> There were no signs that stated that I noticed of. After all, it was simply a parking lot of your typical dollar store. I was there from 8-10pm ish..


 Not to get away from the topic at hand but, were you going to Fed Hill? Because there's a garage right next to cross street that's pretty cheap.. :beer:to another bagged bunny


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## helloterence (May 15, 2010)

BarbaraBush said:


> Not to get away from the topic at hand but, were you going to Fed Hill? Because there's a garage right next to cross street that's pretty cheap.. :beer:to another bagged bunny


Nope. I was headed to Mobtown Ballroom. As for an update, since there were no witnesses, I was unable to file a claim against the towing company. I managed to get everything fixed for really cheap ($200 not including the price of two new sensors) and the car is running great now. :beer:


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## mveitenheimer (Sep 1, 2007)

wow that sucks man... i always joke that i could park anywhere i want because there would be no way that a wrecker would be able to tow it.. 

my condolences
:thumbdown:


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## JettaGT8V80 (Jun 12, 2003)

mveitenheimer said:


> wow that sucks man... i always joke that i could park anywhere i want because there would be no way that a wrecker would be able to tow it..
> 
> my condolences
> :thumbdown:


most if not all tow guys wont even touch an aired out car even hacks wont attempt it 

now there are always ones who only see money and will try and totally eff up your car trying to tow it when aired out


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## fasttt600 (Apr 12, 2007)

I would see if there are video cameras from the store, if there is no sign that says you can't park there and they tried to tow, they should pay for repairs. it's a hastle either way. suck man.


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## helloterence (May 15, 2010)

fasttt600 said:


> I would see if there are video cameras from the store, if there is no sign that says you can't park there and they tried to tow, they should pay for repairs. it's a hastle either way. suck man.


I have already looked into it and no luck. :thumbdown: 

Everything has been sorted out though and I am finally able to enjoy driving my car again. :beer:


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