# Air Suspension Add-ons, Extras, and Mods



## Jake2k (Nov 25, 2010)

I've been doing a lot I reading lately on air since I'll be doing my first install on my car next month and one thing I didn't know about before diving into all this was how many extras can be added to an air setup aside from the necessary parts. Stuff like running a water drain outside the car with a valve for easy draining or hooking up an air hose to fill your tires, I've even seen what looked like a backup tank with a shutoff valve to, I assume, hold a bit of extra air in case of compressor failure. One of the best parts of having air ride, in my opinion, is the added layer of customizability you get so I'd love to see more of these mods and extras that you all have added to your setups.


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## Jetta_MK6 (Jan 18, 2012)

Running a water drain outside would do nothing a drain line itself you could do. You can run anything you want off it just remember the more you have and use the more the compressor is gonna be running.


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## wunderdub (May 28, 2009)

i'm in for a little bit more info too more related to suspension components...

do i retain the strut top mount in my mk4?
should i go with adjustable endlinks even if I don't plan on riding too low?


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## Jetta_MK6 (Jan 18, 2012)

The mk4 uses these top mounts from airlift.


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## wunderdub (May 28, 2009)

sweet, thanks, so those will come with an air lift kit?


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## Jetta_MK6 (Jan 18, 2012)

Those are from slam xl for mk4 platform.


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## Jake2k (Nov 25, 2010)

Just so I don't have to start another thread I'm going to ask a few questions in here 

What is the process for draining water from a tank and from water traps? I've seen a lot of photos and know what they do but I haven't come across any discussion on how it's all done. 

Whats the best way to hook up some dash mounted gauges to a VU4 manifold? 

I've seen a lot of people mounting their compressors sideways but I've also read that this is bad for them, is there any real danger in mounting them this way or is it just not advised?

Thanks!


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## Jetta_MK6 (Jan 18, 2012)

Draining the water traps is simple the tank will have a drain itself and just let the air out unscrew the water trap dump it out and replace. As for mounting the compressor sideways it would possibly wear down in a way but I really don't see it lasting any less than standing up you can not mount them upside down.


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## BlaktOut02 (Sep 4, 2009)

they make automatic draining water traps, just mount it under the car. as for mounting the compressor on its side its fine. i have mounted them on their side and upsidedown hundreds of times and have never had an issue with failure. heres a couple pics.


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## Jake2k (Nov 25, 2010)

Awesome thanks for the info guys! Oh and I just got all my stuff installed tonight so I'm sue I'll be asking a few more questions here in the next few weeks :laugh:


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## 1490R32 (Jan 9, 2011)

Jake2k said:


> Just so I don't have to start another thread I'm going to ask a few questions in here
> 
> What is the process for draining water from a tank and from water traps? I've seen a lot of photos and know what they do but I haven't come across any discussion on how it's all done.
> 
> ...


Whats the best way to hook up some dash mounted gauges to a VU4 manifold?

This is a example of a digital gauge setup on a VU4 but you get the point.


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## [email protected] (Sep 1, 2012)

I have always advised people to ONLY mount the compressor vertically. The head of the compressor has a finned design for a reason. It radiates the heat generated from the motor and compressor cycle to prolong its life. Think about where all the heat goes when mounted on the side or upside down. It remains stuck in the crank case causing excess heat/wear on the connecting rod bearing and piston ring material. 

Quoted directly from the Viair website.

Q: Is it possible to mount VIAIR compressors sideways, or must it be mounted with the cylinder upright?
A: You can mount in any direction or position since VIAIR compressors are oil-less. The only position we do not recommend is an upside-down mount, since heat tends to travel upward, and does not dissipate well in the motor housing. A sideways mounting may reduce the life of the piston seal, since everything is governed by gravity and has a weight associated with it.

http://viaircorp.com/faq.html


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## MechEngg (Jan 13, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> I have always advised people to ONLY mount the compressor vertically. The head of the compressor has a finned design for a reason. It radiates the heat generated from the motor and compressor cycle to prolong its life. Think about where all the heat goes when mounted on the side or upside down. It remains stuck in the crank case causing excess heat/wear on the connecting rod bearing and piston ring material.
> 
> Quoted directly from the Viair website.
> 
> ...


That is what i have always said, i would never mount a compressor sideways :thumbup:



BlaktOut02 said:


> they make automatic draining water traps, just mount it under the car. as for mounting the compressor on its side its fine. i have mounted them on their side and upsidedown hundreds of times and have never had an issue with failure. heres a couple pics.


I would highly recommend against mounting the compressors sideways/upside down and i would also stay away from tight spaces like in your second picture. Good way to eat piston rings/pistons/cylinder walls.

Also i would never trust an automatic draining water trap, it is one more thing to go wrong, parts might rust shut, vibrations from the road may cause you to lose pressure during your trip, what if its cold out and it sticks open? They make it manual for a reason, plus it gives you a reason to do some checks on your system like you should be doing for the best reliability :thumbup:

Also the reason why i left this picture in the quote, i would seriously check some of those PTC connections, the worst thing you can do is try to 90 directly into a PTC connection with a soft hose that is pressurized, your o-rings won't last long and have a higher chance of leaking :thumbdown:


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## BlaktOut02 (Sep 4, 2009)

the second and third picture are of the same setup on a dodge meadowbrook inside the wheel wells are huge and have plenty of airflow. the picture of the water trap is not mine, its just to show that they have automatic ones.


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## rockin16v (Aug 31, 2001)

BlaktOut02 said:


>


also - use the remote compressor air filter and suck air from inside the cabin, not under the wet car.


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## . EH (Sep 27, 2012)

That looks so sketchy


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## BlaktOut02 (Sep 4, 2009)

im sorry i forgot that its a mk4 thats daily drivin year around....:screwy: its tucked up behind and above the front beam and sits above the framehead. it doesnt get wet hardly at all especially since i try my best to keep the car out of the rain as it is. and whats so sketchy about it? its securely mounted to the framehead and doesnt come into contact with anything. theres abosolutely no flex on the mount at all. and its hidden from view, i know that doesnt do anything for most of you guys because you like it to be all flashy and **** but hey, to each his own.


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