# still bummin about the bagyards....



## Digital K. (Sep 7, 2007)

I emailed andrew first, and asked how to go about fixing this. I was told I had custom struts and bag setup, and it would go low. here it is:










rear is mint. the beam is sitting on the frame.

the front however, really isnt that low. I notched the frame and its barely even needed it. I thought once it was notched it would dump. here it is before the notch:










I dunno. disappointed.

I emailed andrew and mentioned I thought he had custom shiz made for me. (even though my box and struts and **** had someone elses name on them :screwy He said I could send them back and he would fix them for an unstated fee and an open road tuning 14 week wait. _(thats a 70 week wait time in human weeks). _

Im disappointed. We can go that low w/ coilovers. The entire point of getting the air ride was to exceed the lowering capability of a set of H&R ultra or ultra ultra lows. While I appreciate the driveability... Its just the icing on the cake. I was going to notch the rear frame, but why bother. meh. look for all this stuff for sale in the coming months. 

Overall I dont really like air ride. It does ride nice if I donk it....but rides really kinda sloppy at a visually acceptable ride height. I just dont like having to monitor the gauges and guess at what I think might be an even ride height. What was supposed to make life easier, just has stressed me out in so many ways. :thumbdown: I'll likely sell the RS's and air ride, and go back to **** that kicks ass. Static.


----------



## [email protected] (Mar 13, 2008)

Love my bagyards!!!


----------



## Digital K. (Sep 7, 2007)

ok?  

you have a mk1 bagyard setup?


----------



## SKIDMRK (Sep 15, 2001)

looking at the first pic, it looks like a pretty level and healthy drop to me. I had to trim my contol arms a bit so that they didnt hit the underbody of the car, but I realize that if my caddy is going to be any lower on my bagyards, and still have a decent amount of lift while still having clearance for my wheels, it's going to take some more work on my end. Have a set of strut towers ready to go in, and another notch to do on the drivers side still. 

From all of the reading, my experiences, and people that i've help out, it's the sum of all the parts and the additional work to get a car where you want it to be. Not just a magical bolt in solution. wish everything was that easy.


----------



## Digital K. (Sep 7, 2007)

so. for the record. let me make this clear.... coils go lower than bags on a mk1. :thumbup: :laugh: I'm not afraid of "doing work". That should be pretty clear.

i made sure I poked around and looked before I posted. nothing is holding up being lower but the strut rod. 

im happy with how it looks, I am, it looks good, but not happy with the entire situation, and now the conclusion of my experience. I just dont know why all the money and effort and waiting was spent on this, when its really about where coils could be and and a proper ride height, doesn't drive that well. the bags are too empty at a visually appealing ride height.


----------



## SKIDMRK (Sep 15, 2001)

do and believe what you want man. 

honestly, i'm looking forward to you going back to static and getting away from the air forum. :thumbup: 

edit: for the record, i think the amount of heavier/newer cars on air have skewed our expectations of what to expect on a mk1. not gonna be laying rocker low like a mkIV on a 20th kit.


----------



## Digital K. (Sep 7, 2007)

SKIDMRK said:


> do and believe what you want man.
> 
> honestly, i'm looking forward to you going back to static and getting away from the air forum. :thumbup:


 It isnt a matter of "believing" anything. It is what it is. struts are at bottom. it doesnt go any lower than that. I was told I was getting a one off custom strut that would be the bees knees. Clearly didnt happen. Im not sure how me explaining this makes me a bad guy.


----------



## SKIDMRK (Sep 15, 2001)

Digital K. said:


> It isnt a matter of "believing" anything. It is what it is. struts are at bottom. it doesnt go any lower than that. I was told I was getting a one off custom strut that would be the bees knees. Clearly didnt happen. Im not sure how me explaining this makes me a bad guy.


 I think youre a bit to defensive and read my statement the wrong way.


----------



## Digital K. (Sep 7, 2007)

maybe, but I dont think so. 

I think the strut design just needs work. they left plenty of travel built in. the thing can totally donk out. at visually acceptable ride height, there's only around 20-25 psi in the bag. it drives like a truck full of bricks. Its much better at around 40, but then you just look like an idiot. :sly:


----------



## Strictly-European (Mar 4, 2003)

Next Step Body Drop ..... I'm just kidding, your car is SICK!!!!!! and I bet it looked the same on coils with less effort in the wallet... 

get it back on coils and rock it :beer:


----------



## Ben from RI (Jun 5, 2009)

I can understand your feeling of disappointment, when you have an expectation and it fails to meet it's criteria. But to make you feel better, car looks awesome and regardless of which route you travel, air or coils, you have a gorgeous machine.


----------



## Retromini (Nov 7, 2004)

Digital K. said:


> maybe, but I dont think so.
> 
> I think the strut design just needs work. they left plenty of travel built in. the thing can totally donk out. at visually acceptable ride height, there's only around 20-25 psi in the bag. it drives like a truck full of bricks. Its much better at around 40, but then you just look like an idiot. :sly:


 Do you have a pic of yours at the 20-25 psi if it's not too much trouble? My problem with my bagyards is that even at 20 psi I get donk travel. I'm working with bagyard on it...but I'm still curious to see pictures of other's setups. Ironically, I get donk travel at ride height, but my overall lift is less than my aerosports was. :what::laugh: 

so how close is your perch to your tire? There's only so much they can shorten a strut before you start having wheel fitment issues. That's the obvious difference between bags (5"+ diameter) and coilovers (2.5" diameter). If you have room, there's nothing to stop you from just having them shortened a bit more. The other option is raising the strut towers much like that other mk1 you hated so much  I know that would suck after all the beautiful work you put into the engine bay though.


----------



## PAULITO (Oct 24, 2004)

just curious, have you taken off the fender or used a scope to make sure there is no obstructions that can limit the travel or check the travel of the control arms to see if they are limiting?


----------



## big bentley (Jun 6, 2001)

If you're so unhappy with your Bagyard setup can I buy it from you? Im sure plenty of people would be happier with the on the fly adjustability that air offers over coilovers. While coils may go lower who cares if you cant drive at that height. If you just want the car to be low for shows or pictures with coilovers you're missing the point.


----------



## Tri-Lit (Jan 8, 2004)

Digital K. said:


> maybe, but I dont think so.


 You're never wrong, are you? 

Just sell your kit and buy coils.


----------



## Digital K. (Sep 7, 2007)

never ever. :thumbup:


----------



## Aloha-boy (Mar 9, 2001)

Digital K. said:


> so. for the record. let me make this clear.... coils go lower than bags on a mk1. :thumbup: :laugh: I'm not afraid of "doing work". That should be pretty clear.


 Stop complaining and move on already! The damage is done and from the looks of it, it has stepped up the customer service. Sorry you had to be the guinea pig and the one to voice it publicly. Like what SKIDMRK said, "you gotta do more work!" Since you're not afraid of "doing work", DO IT and have the baddest MK1 in the world!!! :thumbup:


----------



## Digital K. (Sep 7, 2007)

I realize now I probably shouldn't have posted this. I have a personal issue with how Andrew has handled things with me, and should have kept it private.


----------



## arethirdytwo (Apr 4, 2007)

I agreed with you being pissed about the wait. That is just stupid. 

However, in regards to the setup, did you TELL them what you wanted? Did you take the time to figure out what length compressed the strut needed to be? Did you do ANYTHING other than ask to go super low (which you are)? Getting the rear down on ANY of these cars is pretty damn easy, you KNEW the front would be hard. 

If you did all that above then yes BY sucks for not building what you ordered. If not... then just figure it out.


----------



## Digital K. (Sep 7, 2007)

I was told I would get a *one off custom set of struts *built to dump the car. Numbers were not specified, but I did note that I wanted to put the car on the ground. I ended up getting someone elses struts entirely after I said if I dont get them in a week, im through. I don't feel I got what I was told I would get. When I asked about this, I was told I could send them in to be changed. a 14 week turnaround, and a fee. *shrug*


----------



## Matty Much (Nov 23, 2008)

raise strut towers and run no hood, on air  .. Looks Dope Tho!


----------



## [email protected] (Aug 22, 2006)

arethirdytwo said:


> I agreed with you being pissed about the wait. That is just stupid.
> 
> However, in regards to the setup, did you TELL them what you wanted? Did you take the time to figure out what length compressed the strut needed to be? Did you do ANYTHING other than ask to go super low (which you are)? Getting the rear down on ANY of these cars is pretty damn easy, you KNEW the front would be hard.
> 
> If you did all that above then yes BY sucks for not building what you ordered. If not... then just figure it out.


 He said he wanted the car low. Personally, I think the car is pretty damn low and yet he tells me that he can drive lower on coils. I offered a refund early on and he refused to take the refund. Once again, you chime in (not being a dick here) and accuse BagYard of being a poorly made product and not building to spec. If you really know about suspension, you'd know that the shorter you make the shocks the poorer the ride quality becomes. Each strut is made as short as possible without compromising ride quality and handling. We also have to leave room for tire fitment with the possibility of crazy offsets. When it all comes down to it, I received no measurements or specifications. If he wanted something custom, he should have bought supremes.


----------



## Nanozic (Sep 11, 2000)

Sorry you had such a tough time with your setup. Car looks sweet though. Hope you are able to sort it out eventually, whether it's on air or coils, cause at the end of the day, it's really all about you being happy with your car, regardless of what anyone else has to say.


----------



## Digital K. (Sep 7, 2007)

[email protected] said:


> He said he wanted the car low. Personally, I think the car is pretty damn low and yet he tells me that he can drive lower on coils. I offered a refund early on and he refused to take the refund. Once again, you chime in (not being a dick here) and accuse BagYard of being a poorly made product and not building to spec. If you really know about suspension, you'd know that the shorter you make the shocks the poorer the ride quality becomes. Each strut is made as short as possible without compromising ride quality and handling. We also have to leave room for tire fitment with the possibility of crazy offsets. When it all comes down to it, I received no measurements or specifications. If he wanted something custom, he should have bought supremes.


 I said it could "BE" this low on coils. not drive this low. (although it does drive this low as it sits) I was just pointing out that the design wasn't that successful. Could you address that the struts have to be donk status to attain this "good" ride quality you are talking about as I'm not feeling it..... at any reasonable ride height there is around 20 psi in the front bags. it rides like donkey balls. In a mk1, perhaps a smaller bag would have worked better? I dont need the car to go 20 feet in the air to climb over railroad ties. 

At the time you offered me a refund, I gave YOU the opportunity to make it right. You accepted. You failed.
As for wanting custom, I didn't ask, as you had already said you were making me a one off custom strut. You mentioned custom rod, body, and bag. I can go pull the email if you'd like? All I mentioned i wanted to go as low as possible. I was, and am still not an expert on air ride, I was relying on your knowledge.


----------



## [email protected] (Aug 22, 2006)

Digital K. said:


> I said it could "BE" this low on coils. not drive this low. (although it does drive this low as it sits) I was just pointing out that the design wasn't that successful. Could you address that the struts have to be donk status to attain this "good" ride quality you are talking about as I'm not feeling it..... at any reasonable ride height there is around 20 psi in the front bags. it rides like donkey balls. In a mk1, perhaps a smaller bag would have worked better? I dont need the car to go 20 feet in the air to climb over railroad ties.
> 
> At the time you offered me a refund, I gave YOU the opportunity to make it right. You accepted. You failed.
> As for wanting custom, I didn't ask, as you had already said you were making me a one off custom strut. You mentioned custom rod, body, and bag. I can go pull the email if you'd like? All I mentioned i wanted to go as low as possible. I was, and am still not an expert on air ride, I was relying on your knowledge.


 Could be that low and drive that low are two different things. I'm sorry to hear that your ride quality sucks, guess we need to make some revisions on the Mk1 struts. 

If you wouldn't mind sending me the emails to show me where I failed, I'd appreciate it. I recall offering you a refund. But instead you chose to stick it out *and we sent you 200 dollars and a shortened set of rear struts [which I still haven't received back yet]*. I'm not going to sit here and argue with you over this. If you want the fronts shortened, it's possible but there will be a fee and it will take some time. If you need anything else, email me.


----------



## TurboREX (Aug 7, 2006)

your car looks pretty spot on to me. if your unhappy about your height go back to coils or modify the strut towers. 

pic from the Easter Bunny build 









sorry your disappointed with the end result, but it seems like your looking for a result that exceeds the capabilities of a bolt in airride suspension. so make your decision, move on, and stop your b!tching.


----------



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

raise strut towers. done


----------



## Digital K. (Sep 7, 2007)

[email protected] said:


> Could be that low and drive that low are two different things. I'm sorry to hear that your ride quality sucks, guess we need to make some revisions on the Mk1 struts.
> 
> If you wouldn't mind sending me the emails to show me where I failed, I'd appreciate it. I recall offering you a refund. But instead you chose to stick it out *and we sent you 200 dollars and a shortened set of rear struts [which I still haven't received back yet]*. I'm not going to sit here and argue with you over this. If you want the fronts shortened, it's possible but there will be a fee and it will take some time. If you need anything else, email me.


 I asked for a new label for the box. you never gave me one so I could drop it off for UPS. all the correspondence is in your FB inbox. I dont want to spend any more money on this setup. I'll see about running some raised early strut bearings.

edit: if you dont know how you've failed, you've learned nothing. I dont like how my "sticking it out" is a substitute for hoping you would take responsibility for your product and customer service.... care to address how my unique one off struts came with arons name on them?


----------



## Stan Marsh (Feb 20, 2005)

So if you don't want to raise your towers then you will have to suffer the lack of ride quality if you shorten your struts even more. Overall it just sounds like air ride and you do not mix well. Just get H&R's and some 15" RS and the car will look just as good. 

Also one more thought, if your H&R's go as low then why not attempt to build your own bag over coil setup using them? they obviously have a shorter strut arm. Malakai Tran was pretty damn low with his homemade bag over coil setup.


----------



## SKIDMRK (Sep 15, 2001)

Digital K. said:


> I'll see about running some raised early strut bearings.












wont work.


----------



## Digital K. (Sep 7, 2007)

ah I suppose the top of the bag isnt going to fit in there :/


----------



## NDubber (Sep 11, 2006)

extend your fenders


----------



## Digital K. (Sep 7, 2007)

NDubber said:


> extend your fenders


 legit.


----------



## NDubber (Sep 11, 2006)

:thumbup:


----------



## simon-says (Oct 21, 2007)

Have you looked at these??? Oldskool.com


----------



## Digital K. (Sep 7, 2007)

they wont slide up in there. I think the top of the bag assembly, or even if it did the bag itself is going to definitely not fit in there.


----------



## Retromini (Nov 7, 2004)

Yah, those were designed for the aerosports to allow the inner sleeve to go up into that housing and allow the aerosports to compress further. I don't think it would help with the bagyards which are a completely sealed system.


----------



## Aloha-boy (Mar 9, 2001)

Retromini said:


> Yah, those were designed for the aerosports to allow the inner sleeve to go up into that housing and allow the aerosports to compress further. I don't think it would help with the bagyards which are a completely sealed system.


 Interesting.... aerosports and those upper mounts might be his solution. Aerosports definitely ride with higher PSI, which is what he wants. Is it possible to incorporate them on your current Bagyard struts?


----------



## Retromini (Nov 7, 2004)

Aloha-boy said:


> Interesting.... aerosports and those upper mounts might be his solution. Aerosports definitely ride with higher PSI, which is what he wants. Is it possible to incorporate them on your current Bagyard struts?


 I could be wrong, but I don't think those upper mounts worked as the designer intended did they? The metal spacer is in the aerosports for a reason. It's vulcanized to the inside of the bag to seal it and prevent the bag from compressing too much and thus rubbing on itself. 

It's probably not worth throwing the aerosports on the bagyard struts. He'd be better off just throwing them on the coilovers that he can get low on...and even then I'm not sure they would go any lower. I know my aerosport setup gave me a higher lift and better ride height/pressure than my bagyards do...bagyards go about half an inch lower though.


----------



## WCHLVR (May 27, 2002)

Retromini said:


> I could be wrong, but I don't think those upper mounts worked as the designer intended did they? The metal spacer is in the aerosports for a reason. It's vulcanized to the inside of the bag to seal it and prevent the bag from compressing too much and thus rubbing on itself


 The main intent for that cap was to allow the strut to extend past the top of bag mount and allow for extra travel without the need to mod your strut towers. This extra travel gained us another 1/2" of drop. In this pic the sleeves are fully intact and are bottomed out on the cap. 


















Now this is with a 165/45/15. If the tire was any bigger it would not be nearly this low.


----------

