# My Air Install Thread



## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

Well, another mark4 getting some air suspension. I'm using a manual (paddle) valve management and using k sport coilovers with bags
Me and my father are taking this slow and not rushing since I'm awaitin my rear bags and brackets to get in along with my leader lines for the front bags

*Wed (3-11)*
- coilovers arrive
_*Thursday (3-12)*_
- management and front bags arrive
*Friday (3-13, OH SNAPPPPP)*
- spent the better of the day picking up a few extra fittings that i apparently missed to get and showing my dad some builds and stuff so he has a clue whats going on
- also spent time looking up or talking with Kevin about what certain pieces were for
_*Saturday (3-14 aka Pi Day aka Steak and BJ day aka My bday)*_
- woke up and got started around 11:30
- mounted up the compressor and tank and put all the necessary fittings on the tank
- made a gauge panel for the 3 gauges and have them mounted and ready
- we also took a quick trip to get an an elbow we needed for the water trap, and also picked up a simple 16 piece tool kit since my dad had an extra connector for air tools

_*Sunday (3-15)*_
- since we have church in the morning and i had to work, we didnt do anything
_*Monday (3-16)*_
- my dad got a head start on me today and started on the paddle valve mounting area, he thought i was going to make a slightly raised mount on top of where the ash tray goes (he didnt remember our talk about how i really wanted the valves in haha), but i showed him exactly how i wanted to mount the valves. Im sinking them at an angle into where the ash tray and cigarette plug thing is so i can use the sliding door to cover them when i want them covered

Pictures:
i dont have the obligatory "here's all my stuff laid out pic" unless you want a crappy cell phone pic of it
but here's a few from Saturday showing how we mounted everything up








































Monday Picture:








_*Wednesday (3-18)*_
- took ABS 5" by 3" piece and made a mount for paddle valves
_*Thursday(3-19)*_
- (early am) took plastic epoxy and mounted ABS plastic to ashtray piece
- started to run the air lines through the interior of the cabin, and also wiring up the relay and pressure switch
Thanks:
Parents
[email protected]
Baak2Basics
[email protected]
Santi
Al_Bundy
anyone else along the way <IMG NAME="icon" SRC="http://www.vwvortex.com/vwbb/embeer.gif" BORDER="0"> 

_Modified by vwnthusiast at 6:21 PM 3-16-2009_

_Modified by vwnthusiast at 12:48 AM 3-19-2009_


_Modified by vwnthusiast at 7:08 PM 3-19-2009_


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## ZoomBy (Jan 3, 2005)

i like that setup...what size tank is that?


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## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

*Re: (ZoomBy)*

thanks, its a 5 gallon 8 1/2" ports


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## GLIgeorge (Jan 23, 2008)

*Re: (vwnthusiast)*

looks good so far http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Larry Appleton (Jan 19, 2007)

*Re: (GLIgeorge)*

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


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## diive4sho (Feb 7, 2004)

*Re: (Larry Appleton)*

thanks for the thanks...and you are very welcome


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## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

*Re: (diive4sho)*

brandon, im gonna pm you about this but im on my phone and can't lol, im gonna need some leds for the gauges but do you have yellow leds? I want em for my hid reps


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## Santi (Mar 26, 2004)

*Re: (diive4sho)*


_Quote, originally posted by *diive4sho* »_thanks for the thanks...and you are very welcome









x2 http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## [email protected] (Jan 26, 2006)

*Re: (Santi)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Santi* »_
x2 http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

I love manual! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Zyoid (Feb 25, 2008)

*FV-QR*

looks good so far


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## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

thanks for the kind comments
as of now we're kind of "stuck" with 2 things
a) the back piece for the manual valves, we started to use a piece of sheet metal we had lying around but when we started cutting it with our air tool, it wasnt really giving in and taking a lot more damage than it was actually slicing it... so right now im waiting for my bro to call me back so we can try and get a piece of ABS plastic from him and work with that
b) mounting the bags to the struts. we have the brackets, but this is the first time we've ever done serious suspension on my car, so a few of the pieces im confused about, if anyone is willing to help me out, i'd appreciate it









basically my question is, the parts that are arrowed, how are they used as far as mounting the bag to the strut?




_Modified by vwnthusiast at 9:56 AM 3-17-2009_


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## diive4sho (Feb 7, 2004)

*Re: (vwnthusiast)*

http://universalairsuspension....t.pdf
page 7/7 has a good drawing.... if you're using coils and your stock bearing you wont need either of the things with arrows


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## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

sweet thanks


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## [email protected] (Aug 22, 2006)

looking good jason!
thanks for the shout


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## Braga_Dub (Sep 8, 2001)

*Re: ([email protected])*


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## royalaird (Aug 22, 2007)

*Re: (Braga_Dub)*

Looking good I used paddle valves on my car too just to keep it clean looking. Actually was surprised in how fast they move and thats on a heavy audi. Keep up the good work http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Larry Appleton (Jan 19, 2007)

*Re: (Braga_Dub)*

The bearing, washer and sleeve are not needed, you really dont even need the lower plate, all you need is the top plate.
Secure the plate with the screws provided, put your stock bearing on, slip over the bushing, tighten the nut, put everything on the car, then the strut cap, and then tighten the nut at the top you see thru the engine bay. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

_*Wednesday and Thursday AM Update*_
thank you to everyone for helping me out with these small questions, can't really say there is a huge update right now only because well, we havent dug in yet
but tomorrow is the big day (trumpets), we're gonna be running the lines, and getting everything up and mounted and when UPS drops off my rear bags, we're popping those bad boys in (hopefully before 330) and cranking it up and seeing what our progress has done









on Thursday we made a piece that the paddle valves will mount to
on Friday AM, i adhered (sp??) the ABS plastic to the the ashtray piece we cut using plastic epoxy my dad went out and bought. Now was super pisses me off is when i was applying it on, I wanted to get a smooth fill on the spots needed b/c i know some parts might have some epoxy showing so i wanted a clean bead of it on so it would look like arse. Well need less to say, we it was half drying the paddle mounted piece came off making webs all over my paddle valves







. I cleaned them off and reapplied making sure adequate (sp??) pressure was on the right spots so it wouldnt happen again.
Friday AM Pictures: 
2 things bother me about this, a) i like having a clean cut finish and due to the nature of where i mounted and how much ABS i had, there are 2 gaps that i dont like, so im unsure what I will do to correct it, but in the mean time this is what we have. the only other thing that bothers me is the epoxy is wavy b/c of the mess up i made, but you live and learn








sorry for the crap pics, i was tooooo lazy to get my tripod to make clearer photos, and i dont have photoshop, dont shoot me lol
















































_Modified by vwnthusiast at 12:56 AM 3-19-2009_

_Modified by vwnthusiast at 12:57 AM 3-19-2009_

_Modified by vwnthusiast at 1:00 AM 3-19-2009_


_Modified by vwnthusiast at 7:09 PM 3-19-2009_


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## Braga_Dub (Sep 8, 2001)

*Re: (vwnthusiast)*

Stealth switches!


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## [email protected] (Aug 22, 2006)

legit jason


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## msuzuki126 (Jun 15, 2007)

*Re: ([email protected])*

following this.. I planned on doing the exact same setup with the manual valves, so sorry if I copy you in a couple months







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


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## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

*Re: (msuzuki126)*


_Quote, originally posted by *msuzuki126* »_following this.. I planned on doing the exact same setup with the manual valves, so sorry if I copy you in a couple months







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


haha, any questions about this feel free to ask me, if you want any experience knowledge hit up Dream State and [email protected] about it all, good people for sure, the BDA dudes would be a good source also








to be honest, the setup i used to run all my lines is pretty much the same as Dream State's but difference really is in our management, they vary in slight ways, but i really liked how his lines were put together
so as it goes:
*Thursday (PM) Update (3-19):*
Ok so we jumped in on the car around 1pm today, we had a few errands we needed to run plus pick up some female connectors that i had switched up early this week. We started ripping out the seats and running the lines under the carpet but instead of just straight across, we ran around where the bottom of the rear seat would be b/c we felt that when ppl sat down, it could pinch the airlines.. so we found a way to get them around all safe like and ran them all the way to where the paddles are sitting, we t'd off two of the lines into 4 to connect into the paddles and the 3rd line goes straight to the tank pressure gauge, on the driver side we ran 2 lines back that are gonna connect to the rear bags, but unfortunately we need another 10 feet (to be safe) of line to finish connecting the fronts and stuff, we also wired up the gauges and have those ready for tomorrow... i left for work and my dad decided to keep working and wired up the compressor, pressure switch, and relay but we still need to hook up the rocker switch up and run a line to the ignition wire (diagram Kevin gave me).. so tomorrow we have quite a bit left to do there and then mount up the bags and struts and get this baby tested
umm i guess i cant say much more really? feel free to ask question of course as i will answer them the best i can








*Thursday Pictures:*
- so my photos should be better this time as it was daylight and the darker photos i used a tripod
- since winter has passed us by when everything is finished i need to CLEANNNNN that NASTTTYYY carpet of mine, so forgive the mess


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## rico_arg (Apr 28, 2006)

*FV-QR*

watching


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## Braga_Dub (Sep 8, 2001)

*Re: FV-QR (rico_arg)*

Mmmmm tasty


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## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (Braga_Dub)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Braga_Dub* »_Mmmmm tasty

if only you came home like a week sooner, then you could be here to get some on hand fun


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## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (vwnthusiast)*

_*Saturday Update:*_
- installed bags and struts
- finished running lines to test bags
- cleaned my interior finally

















































































still need:
- spacers to crank front coils down some
- notch (maybe even tie bar
- pinch weld bent
- fenders rolled
- alignment
- sway bar gone


_Modified by vwnthusiast at 5:38 PM 3-22-2009_


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## greyvdub (Apr 4, 2005)

*Re: FV-QR (vwnthusiast)*

Looks sick man...


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## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

did i put these in right?
im having issues where the tip of the strut (threaded part you bolt from the engine bay) is pushing through when i air out or even when not aired....


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## PAULITO (Oct 24, 2004)

*Re: (vwnthusiast)*

holy crap that needs to be vac-ed and lower...


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## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

*Re: (PAULITO)*


_Quote, originally posted by *PAULITO* »_holy crap that needs to be vac-ed and lower... 









its vac'd now, just working on lower


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## msuzuki126 (Jun 15, 2007)

*FV-QR*

how do you like the manual valves? and what size line are you using to the bags?


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## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (msuzuki126)*


_Quote, originally posted by *msuzuki126* »_how do you like the manual valves? and what size line are you using to the bags?

love them, goes up and down smoooooth, and its 1/4" all around


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## ryanmiller (Apr 13, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (vwnthusiast)*

how are the lines held on the back of the switches?


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## dashrendar (May 3, 2004)

*FV-QR*

when the lines are run through the interior of the car, where do they exit to go to the bags?


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## msuzuki126 (Jun 15, 2007)

*Re: FV-QR (vwnthusiast)*


_Quote, originally posted by *vwnthusiast* »_
love them, goes up and down smoooooth, and its 1/4" all around

nice, how noisy are the valves in the car?


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## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (ryanmiller)*


_Quote, originally posted by *ryanmiller* »_how are the lines held on the back of the switches?


the back of the swtiches have barbed plugs, we put them on that and then crimped them w/ something we received at a hose and tubing place near us, check the photo below for reference shot 

_Quote, originally posted by *dashrendar* »_when the lines are run through the interior of the car, where do they exit to go to the bags?

the passenger side is where we brought them to the paddles there is an opening in the way front near the firewall that we pull them through, and then 2 lines go on the driver side for the rear bags, they end up in the carpet opening where the shifter and all that is, we gave enough slack to get around the base of that and to the back where they wont interfere with the shifting at all and we're gonna re-route as necessary, i also have a photo for you









_Quote, originally posted by *msuzuki126* »_
nice, how noisy are the valves in the car?

the 400c buzzes louder than the air whistling in my opinion, not loud at all
i'm having some minor front strut issues right now, once those are fixed, and i get my fenders rolled along w/ the spacers, we're gonna crank down the coilovers and get the car over to get a notch done, i almost want to say i "may" need a tie rod notch as well, with the car as high as it is it looked to me like the tie rods were a good 1.5" away from the frame which im sure ive stated a few times haha, but these front struts are killing me right now and i have no one near me that has done air so we're kind of figuring it out on our own i guess

here's the photos i mentioned:


















_Modified by vwnthusiast at 9:54 PM 3-23-2009_


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## Dreamstate (Jan 2, 2002)

*Re: FV-QR (vwnthusiast)*

That's a nice, easy to reach location for the paddles http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
Would you mind doing me a favour and timing how long it takes to raise your 2 front bags and then the 2 rears from the ground to safe ride height, and the pressure you have in the tank while doing this?
That's a question I get asked quite often, but am hesitant to answer, because the benz that I did it on has a much different suspension than the volkswagens. I've read around here that people use around 40-60psi for a comfortable riding height.. but for me it's between 80-100psi. Quite a difference. Measuring your lift speed would give people here a better idea of how quickly the paddles react.


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## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (Dreamstate)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Dreamstate* »_That's a nice, easy to reach location for the paddles http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
Would you mind doing me a favour and timing how long it takes to raise your 2 front bags and then the 2 rears from the ground to safe ride height, and the pressure you have in the tank while doing this?
That's a question I get asked quite often, but am hesitant to answer, because the benz that I did it on has a much different suspension than the volkswagens. I've read around here that people use around 40-60psi for a comfortable riding height.. but for me it's between 80-100psi. Quite a difference. Measuring your lift speed would give people here a better idea of how quickly the paddles react.









will do, i need to get Jesster a video of the car raising and lowering so he has a reference, and also i ride 80 up front, and 20 (for now) in the rear


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## msuzuki126 (Jun 15, 2007)

*Re: FV-QR (vwnthusiast)*

bumpp, how is it holding up?


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## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

*Re: FV-QR (msuzuki126)*


_Quote, originally posted by *msuzuki126* »_bumpp, how is it holding up?


Air Setup Pt. 2
MasonTech Fronts
Bilstein Sports and AH2s in rear
the rest is the same

here is the new gauge/valve setup.. hate or love it


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## Banned wagon (Mar 3, 2004)

*Re: FV-QR (vwnthusiast)*

get some satin black paint and take your install to the the next level


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## vwnthusiast (Feb 5, 2006)

awesome idea, but i havent really touched the interior.. so i might keep the chrome for something else or who knows 

but thanks for sure for giving me the idea


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