# mkiv bagyard bombers: a review



## ericjohnston27 (Dec 31, 2005)

first off, let me start by saying that i am going to try and make this post as un-biased as i can possibly make it. if you didnt know i am also [email protected] (you know the guys who bring you peoples the bombers and all things air). i have gone over what i wanted to write here over and over in my head, but nothing really had me thinking it was the right thing to say. so basically, try your hardest to ignore the name and just read these words please. 
*:struts:*
































*:first impressions:*
unlike some of you, my first impressions started with the mention of a new strut before most knew about them. andrew had told me what he wanted them to be like and such, so i have basically put these struts through my mind hundereds if not thousands of times. i have only known about the look of any bagyard strut through pictures and others accounts. i, in all honesty, have NEVER driven in an aired up car besides mine before. i have NEVER seen, or held a bagyard strut in my hands until my bombers arrived. as they say, first impressions are everything... and wow is all i could say for about an hour. i have been listening to the customers of open road for the last year so i knew bagyard knew what they were doing. its until you get to feel the cuts and workmanship in your own hands before the quality and care really starts to sink in. i have been so used to bags over coils, its truly a completely different world. the way the bombers are put together is just awesome. from the bottom of the strut to the very top the layout is so clean. the way the strut was cut, the way its put back together, the welds, the shiny cnc machining. its just too good. like many of you i had to wait a pretty long time for these to arrive. im sure i pissed andrew off on many occasions with my CONSTANT bickering and whining on when i would see them. when you open the box, it all melts away. i immediately wanted to put them in!
*:install:*
what more can i say... easy. taking out the old bag over coil setup was much more difficult than putting in the bombers, for real. no clearance issues to speak of, no forcing anything, just the way it should be. they were locked in within 20 minutes, the leader line is a very nice touch so no fiddling with my old one was needed. i was always skeptical of the wheel clearance with bagyards. my old setup wasnt even spun all the way down and the bag was probably 1/8" from the tire. i was always scared of either the bag turning and me rubbing through it that way, or running low pressure and rubbing that way. i put the bomber next to the old just to see the difference, and i couldnt really see much if any in position, or width, etc. so when putting them in i was already thinking in my head what size spacers i was going to need to get around ruining a new set of bagyards. mounted up the wheel and to my amazement, im like a full 2-2 1/2" from the bag... i was in total shock. the clearance is the first time i said to myself that this was a winner.
*:first drive:*
my first drive should still be in the future to tell you the truth. i live in wisconsin where the snow is still on the ground. when i put in the bombers is was a blistering 2 outside. i was in a garage with 10" of snow still locking the car in the garage. car sat for maybe a week before i started seeing some quick reviews in the forums, so me being me, i got antsy. pulled out the snow blower and got as much snow out of the way as i could. roughly a 400ft path through my backyard was in between myself and freedom of the road. i tried this last year as well ill have you know with the bag over coil setup. it was a very frustrating 4 hour ordeal trying to get the car unstuck from the yard since the lift was maybe i dont know 2" above my skinny tires with 110psi in the aerosport bags. i popped the bagydrs up to a crazy 70psi got out to see how much i had gone up. im like 4" above the tire lol. start it up and literally drive straight out. that was my first drive. 
after playing around for a little while i started on my trek home. my old driving pressure in the front was around 60psi. my new driving pressures in the bombers... 25psi. yeah 25psi. the ride is the absolute best part of these struts. the construction, the double bellow, the bilstien struts, the oem bushing i can now use. it all plays perfectly together. that ride home was fun for me. not worrying about what bump was going to shake my new struts out of joint was a welcomed relief. they just eat the roads imperfections up. the cracks that used to bob my whole front end up and down was like a little twig in my path. it was like a whole new road. such a forgiving ride at such a low ride height is something that i was missing in my life. 
*







rop:*
the reason we all go air. i have already went over the lift (which is scary high) now its time to get down. the drop in my case leaves something to be desired. my only gripe with the struts thus far. with my bags over coils i laid frame. i laid frame hard, at around 20 psi i was on the ground. control arms resting comfortably on the pavement. with the bombers however, i am now less than 1/4" but higher than 1/8" off the ground. not sure why (think it _may be_ the double bellow bag compressed height, or the fact that i am now running an oem bearing with an oem bushing. or maybe both. im still damn low, but not as low as i had hoped. i need to figure out what else i can do. i am notched on the passenger side and have my pinch welds bent. the crazy thing is that i am not hitting or catching on anything what so ever. i hope i am not stuck at where i am, but i will continue working on a solution for myself. from what i have heard mk4s are having a tougher time laying out than other models. im not quite sure, but i am currently working on getting better looks at what could be the next move. i havent even measured my fender to ground to be honest, so ill get on that as well.
*:conclusion:*
months of waiting, countless phone calls, text messages, and private messages were totally and completely worth it. to be able to say that i am riding on some of the best air struts ever made is a great thing to be able to say. andrew with openroad and bagyard have once again outdone themselves and pushed the envelope again with these struts. i am so happy to have been apart (even be it a very small part) of these struts i cant begin to tell you how happy i am for these guys. in knowing a good chunk of what eddie and andreas have gone through to get these done in the time that they got them done is nothing short of an amazing feat. the fact that andrew asked me to get on board with openroad a little over a year ago is a very humbling experience. after seeing exactly what it is that i have been taking so many orders for, makes those words stick even more now. the words that our customers have been getting out about these new struts is the reason we do what it is we do. we cannot be more proud to be able to say that we carry the best of the best. 
i give these struts 9 out of 10 (once my control arms hit the ground ill give you another star)








as the car is just out of storage all i have are very dirty pictures. ps, all pictures are at 0 psi:

























and yeah i know theres a review thread... but look at how much i just ****in typed


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## a2lowvw (Dec 17, 2000)

*Re: mkiv bagyard bombers: a review (ericjohnston27)*

we have a thread already for by bombers...


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## ericjohnston27 (Dec 31, 2005)

*FV-QR*

im gonna e-punch you in the nads


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## a2lowvw (Dec 17, 2000)

*Re: FV-QR (ericjohnston27)*

its okay. i wearing my e-cup


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## ericjohnston27 (Dec 31, 2005)

*FV-QR*

foiled.


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## Swbd4L (Aug 25, 2008)

*Re: mkiv bagyard bombers: a review (ericjohnston27)*

You gotta let me know what you find out thats holding you up. get the car up in the air soon!
Also I'd like to thank you for this long post, I'm sure all of us that are installing bombers soon will appreciate your time with what you have posted here, I enjoyed reading it, thank you sir. Look forward to meeting all you guys from Openroad at Eurowerks so I can shake all your hands for this amazing piece of work.


_Modified by Swbd4L at 8:40 AM 3-12-2010_


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## ericjohnston27 (Dec 31, 2005)

unfortunately the car was already in the air quite recently. theres nothing that i can see holding it up








im gonna cut tabs and such just incase it makes a difference. ill let you peeps know. ill be there for sure


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## d.tek (Nov 28, 2004)

*Re: (ericjohnston27)*

cut one of the bellows out


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## Swbd4L (Aug 25, 2008)

*Re: (ericjohnston27)*


_Quote, originally posted by *ericjohnston27* »_unfortunately the car was already in the air quite recently. theres nothing that i can see holding it up








im gonna cut tabs and such just incase it makes a difference. ill let you peeps know. ill be there for sure

hmm thats interesting that bag over coil would sit u lower than bombers... THAT surprises me quite a bit


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## [email protected] (Aug 22, 2006)

*FV-QR*

that's been changed http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Swbd4L (Aug 25, 2008)

*Re: FV-QR ([email protected])*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]* »_that's been changed http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

What do you mean?


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## [email protected] (Aug 22, 2006)

*FV-QR*

though i am fairly certain eric is still catching on something, we've made them even shorter http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Swbd4L (Aug 25, 2008)

*Re: FV-QR ([email protected])*

woo hoo! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## ericjohnston27 (Dec 31, 2005)

i can has?


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## got_vdub (Jul 3, 2003)

*Re: (ericjohnston27)*

great right up!!! You've made the anticipation even greater


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## furr (Jul 3, 2009)

*Re: (got_vdub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *got_vdub* »_great right up!!! You've made the anticipation even greater









what he said very helpful


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## ericjohnston27 (Dec 31, 2005)

*FV-QR*

ps... frame is now on the ground


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## Swbd4L (Aug 25, 2008)

*Re: FV-QR (ericjohnston27)*

care to explain what was holding u up?


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## thibz115 (Nov 20, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (Swbd4L)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Swbd4L* »_care to explain what was holding u up?

x2


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## ericjohnston27 (Dec 31, 2005)

*FV-QR*

pm me...
if you are waiting for yours from the second group buy, it wont matter what trick i had up my sleeve. you should lay no problem. just notch and all the regular stuff


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## thibz115 (Nov 20, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (ericjohnston27)*

Just curious man,i have mason-tech's just like to hear about new product http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif good to hear ur back on the ground


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## Fonsworth (Jun 9, 2009)

great write up...now i feel happy with my decison of bags


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## dmoney (Apr 10, 2003)

*Re: (Fonsworth)*

So what kept you from going lower?
Also, are these only sold through group buys? I don't see them on the website.


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## acetate909 (Jul 2, 2006)

*Re: (dmoney)*

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## arethirdytwo (Apr 4, 2007)

*Re: (acetate909)*

Can NO ONE make these stateside? Why pay shipping companies and customs so much money? Also what is the process for a warranty, do they have to go back to Austria? They look money, I am just curious why we have to outsource.


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## ericjohnston27 (Dec 31, 2005)

to answer a couple questions. 
the length of the strut kept me from going lower i believe. THIS HAS BEEN FIXED IN THE SECOND SET OF BOMBERS, THEY ARE SHORTER. which means you "should" lay frame if you were in the second group buy. these WILL be available indivdually for purchase at some point. i know andrew and the boys are workin hard at bringing them to you soon. they were just sold in group buys to start with to get a lot of people them so they can get the name out there. but im thinking give him some time to dig himself out of lack of sleep, school work, and endless phone calls and he should take care of you for sure.
as for outsourcing. bagyard is located in austria and thats why they have to ship them in obviously. i know there has been talk of having large stocks of the struts over here so delivery time can be cut from months to days, but that also takes time... and also a lot of $$$. but for now this is the only way to get the best, for some it not worth it. for those who dont mind waiting for this kind of quality and craftsmanship, its a small setback. i totally agree that the wait sucks a ton though


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## no vtec 4me (Aug 1, 2006)

when are you gonna start stocking these in the u.s.?


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## ericjohnston27 (Dec 31, 2005)

might be a little while down the road. that would be a better question for andrew and bagyard i think. im not really sure. i just know that idea has been thrown around


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## holywhitebread (Jun 18, 2008)

*FV-QR*

pm'ed


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## [email protected] (Aug 22, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (holywhitebread)*

Funny you mention stocking parts here in the states... When I head to Worthersee this year, I'm meeting with the suppliers & BagYard to discuss a more efficient system that allows us to stock parts in the states! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## dmoney (Apr 10, 2003)

*Re: FV-QR ([email protected])*

So now that the groupbuy is over, will there be another soon or do you think they'll end up on the site first? And any idea what the regular price will be?


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## jis1.8t (Jul 16, 2008)

*Re: mkiv bagyard bombers: a review (ericjohnston27)*


_Quote, originally posted by *ericjohnston27* »_my old driving pressure in the front was around 60psi. my new driving pressures in the bombers... 25psi. yeah 25psi. the ride is the absolute best part of these struts. the construction, the double bellow, the bilstien struts, the oem bushing i can now use. it all plays perfectly together. that ride home was fun for me. not worrying about what bump was going to shake my new struts out of joint was a welcomed relief. they just eat the roads imperfections up. the cracks that used to bob my whole front end up and down was like a little twig in my path. it was like a whole new road. such a forgiving ride at such a low ride height is something that i was missing in my life. 
*







rop:*
the reason we all go air. i have already went over the lift (which is scary high) now its time to get down. the drop in my case leaves something to be desired. my only gripe with the struts thus far. with my bags over coils i laid frame. i laid frame hard, at around 20 psi i was on the ground. control arms resting comfortably on the pavement. 

Forgive me if this is a not a very intelligent questions I have only been reading up on air ride for the past couple of months. 
In your review you stated that on your bag over coil setup your PSI was at 60 for ride hieght and laid frame with 20 PSI still left in the bag. Counldn't you have raised the bag up some so that you laid frame at like 0-5 PSI and had a lower PSI at ride height (guessing 40-45 PSI) which would have given a better ride? 
Not saying the ride would be as good as bagyard struts, it was just a thought/question running through my head when I read your review.


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## jis1.8t (Jul 16, 2008)

*Re: FV-QR (dmoney)*


_Quote, originally posted by *dmoney* »_So now that the groupbuy is over, will there be another soon?

X2


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## always_trouble (Jun 3, 2008)

*Re: FV-QR (jis1.8t)*

x3... tek sent me.


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## ericjohnston27 (Dec 31, 2005)

*FV-QR*


_Quote, originally posted by *jis1.8t* »_
Forgive me if this is a not a very intelligent questions I have only been reading up on air ride for the past couple of months. 
In your review you stated that on your bag over coil setup your PSI was at 60 for ride hieght and laid frame with 20 PSI still left in the bag. Counldn't you have raised the bag up some so that you laid frame at like 0-5 PSI and had a lower PSI at ride height (guessing 40-45 PSI) which would have given a better ride? 
Not saying the ride would be as good as bagyard struts, it was just a thought/question running through my head when I read your review. 


if i raised the bags up, i may have blew the struts out? im not really sure. it was wierd. i didnt lay at a height higher than what i was at. the ride was not bad, but bombers are 100x better


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