# AirLift Install on a mk3, cram session.



## Zorba2.0 (Jan 28, 2005)

Hi all. I will be coming home on leave in the next 2 days. I'd like to install my airlift kit that is sitting at the house since they first shipped (April?) and I'd like to have it on for Waterfest. I'd like to do the install in as small as steps as possible, so incase I can't finish it I can still drive it as it is. First up would br the layout of the management, wiring running and dropping the air lines, until finally putting on the struts.
I ask you all. Is there any tips you can give me for the install, problems you ran into and motivation? I've scoured the management thread a million times and I'm going to try to fit everything in the spare wheel well, with the tank behind the seats. The management is the Autopilot kit from Airlift/Bagriders :thumbup: Wish me luck!

Current stance at Waterfest


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## [email protected] (Feb 19, 2010)

Good luck! Call me if you have any questions.


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## [email protected] (Aug 13, 2009)

I'm just about finished my setup, right now I'm just finalizing the wiring and just about making things neat.
I layed out the task exactly as you plan to, and I found it to be quite handy as I could still drive the car.

A couple of things I would suggest though are:

I connected on the tank to the compressor and manifolds, and then tested for leaks BEFORE I had the car up on stands ready to install the bags. This way, it eliminates that portion if you're trying to find a phantom leak....

I decided a bit late that I didn't want to reuse my upper strut mounts. I would suggest not reusing them, and just getting a new set front and rear(since you have everything apart already)

Other then that, Make sure you have the car high enough that you can work comfortably underneath it, and you're set.

Oh, and spend as much time as you can testing for clearances and for leaks, if you don't, you'll probably regret it in the end.

Have fun, and pist some pics will ya


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## 359Bailey1320 (Jan 27, 2004)

Where in Michigan do you live? How long are you home on leave for?

Joe Zeeuew in Grand Rapdis would be a good person to talk to. If you're on the east side, I suppose I can help you out.


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## Zorba2.0 (Jan 28, 2005)

I live in Kalamazoo. I'll be home for about 2 weeks minus the time in Jersey and Mackinac Island. You on Mive?


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## NDubber (Sep 11, 2006)

fuuuuuuucl so many bagged mk3's now.


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## Zorba2.0 (Jan 28, 2005)

haha, dont blame me. I was in the original group buy. I'm just still overseas. Oh, and thank you, to you tax payers who provided me the money to buy the kit


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## 359Bailey1320 (Jan 27, 2004)

I'm bailey1320 on mive


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## Zorba2.0 (Jan 28, 2005)

Well, got into Kuwait yesterday and I wont be leaving until late tonight. BLOWS! I'll be getting home on the 13th though. Looks like I'll have 2 days to get the trunk setup done. Bags and alignment will get done after waterfest I guess


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## JesseAirLiftCompany (Aug 5, 2009)

Zorba, you can totally do this whole install in a day if you have a helper or 2. The bags should be a direct replacement. Which means if you or whoever helps is familiar with swapping struts its a no brainer. I call it 3-4 hours at max to install the fronts and rears. 

Depending on the management you have gone with, digital set-up will be the fastest at a couple of hours unless you get all crazy. The Eurotuner GTI I did is quite a bit more work and with a basic board set-up in the trunk, 2 days. With lots of stops to run to the parts store.

YOU CAN DO THIS MAN!!! opcorn:


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## SuperBacon (May 8, 2006)

absolutely, I went crazy with mounting my tank and valves upside down under the rear deck, and wiring everything up. That took about 3 hours. Then bags and lines took a saturday by myself, with running to NAPA for more air line. Get this thing done for waterfest!!!!


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## rabriolet (May 27, 2005)

You can do the entire car in a day, 12hrs or less.

I put the kit in and it took us 13hrs but that was with having to go get fittings that I needed/didn't have and mainly me doing the entire thing by myself. I had a friend helping but he would space out on me and I ended up doing 95% of the actual work.

Best way to do your air lines:

Fronts:
Make sure you run equal length air line to the bags. Best thing to do is run your passenger side air line, since it's the longer of the 2, then cut your driver side to the same length. You can coil the extra air line up under the rear seat or in the spare wheel well.

Best place to run the lines for the front is along the driver side rocker panel, through one of the plugs in the firewall, then run the passenger side up into the rain tray, come out on the other end and on each strut tower about half way down there is a black tear drop shaped plug. Make a hole in that and run your line through them. This way you have no possible way of contacting your lines with your wheels or anything else........ask me how I know haha.

Rears:
If you take the carpet off the rear strut towers you will see a recess in the strut tower. I think it starts on the floor and runs about 3/4 of the way up. Drill a hole slightly larger than your air line and it will come out straight to your rear strut. Also make sure when you install your rear struts you put the knobs for the dampening adjustment facing toward the inside the of the car, makes connecting your airlines easier so you don't have to wrap them around the strut body and zip tie them like mine are right now 


If you have any questions while doing it PM me and I'll give you my phone number. 

Start at 8-9am and be done by dark :thumbup:


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## Zorba2.0 (Jan 28, 2005)

So I FINALLY started working on installing the management yesterday, so much for "cram session." But with so little time here and so many people to see, I finally have a few days to relax and work on the car. So far all I've done is unpackage everything and install the fittings on the tank. I dont have pics cause I need a new hosting service, photobucket now blows.

Question: I only have 5 fittings on the tank and the drain fitting. 2 for the compressors, 2 for the manifolds and one for the sensor. The pressure sensor from the Easy Street takes place of the 110-145 psi sensor that came with the compressors right?

Today I'll be going out and buying some wood to finish the false floor :thumbup:


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## Do Werk (Feb 23, 2009)

Pictures went down.


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## Zorba2.0 (Jan 28, 2005)

Fixed the pic. 

I got the base all made up for the floor and planned out how I will lay everything out. Compressors will be directly behind the rear seats, then the tank with air/water separators. Below in the wheel well I will have the manifolds, ECU, and relays. I'll get pics of the trunk tomorrow when my girlfriend, PS now FIANCE  Allows me to work on the car for more than an hour at a time. Got engaged on Mackinac Island which is a good excuse to not have had time to work on the car.


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## rabriolet (May 27, 2005)

see. now you went and done it :laugh:


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## 359Bailey1320 (Jan 27, 2004)

fort homes, good spot for a proposal :thumbup:


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## Do Werk (Feb 23, 2009)

This shot of the proposal would've been better with your bagged mk3 in the background 

But seriously congratulations.


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## Zorba2.0 (Jan 28, 2005)

Thanks guys. 

So I got all the wiring done except for the second compressor. The tank filled to 150 and kept going. I turned unhooked the compressor at 165psi. 

I thought having the Easy Street sensor in the tank would turn off the compressor at ~150 psi. Do I still need to run the 110-145 psi switch that came with the compressors?


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## NDubber (Sep 11, 2006)

are your compressors run through the easy street?


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## SuperBacon (May 8, 2006)

i have a tank pressure sender on my tank for my autopilot, compressor runs through the relay provided, and is wired as such. Idk if that helps, but its worth a shot lol :laugh:


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## corrado_sean2 (Nov 14, 2005)

if your running easy street auto pilot you do NOT need to use the pressure switch with the compressor. the sending unit on the tank reads the pressure and the ecu clicks the relays to turn the compressors on and off. also autopilot is set at 175 psi


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## corrado_sean2 (Nov 14, 2005)

also follow the wiring diagram with the auto pilot, it will show how to wire it all up with one compressor or two.


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## Zorba2.0 (Jan 28, 2005)

Ah ok, I never waited to see 175, guess i'll go try that now. 

Pics of the install so far, lines are ran inside the car to the fronts and through the firewall, waiting to put it into the fender until the struts are on. Valves work great. For the second compressor, should I follow the Easy Street wiring diagram or the VIAR diagram? They are different diagrams.


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## Zorba2.0 (Jan 28, 2005)

corrado_sean2 said:


> also follow the wiring diagram with the auto pilot, it will show how to wire it all up with one compressor or two.



Will do


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## corrado_sean2 (Nov 14, 2005)

yah the auto pilot way is the way you wanna wire the compressors.


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## Zorba2.0 (Jan 28, 2005)

Thanks man. Compressor stopped right at 175. I seem to have a small leak some where so I'm just going to teflon tape the joints I used dope on.


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## Zorba2.0 (Jan 28, 2005)

So I thought I would spend a little time today installing the rear struts before I had to go back over seas just to see how low it can go. 

Car raised, wheels of and top strut nut off in 10 minutes. Lower strut bolt on the other hand took 2 hours of fighting just the get the bolt threads into the bushing. I couldnt pull the farging bolt out no matter what I tried. Impact, white lith grease, wd-40, vise grips, pushing in and out on it, prying the bolt out while using an impact... nothing could get it out. So I failed there, and put it back together.


Got the second compressor wired up today and found a few leaks and fixed those. Everything is ready for my friend to install the struts when he paints it this winter. Guess I'll have to wait to see it really low. 

Thanks for all the help on this "cram session" guys. :thumbup:


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