# MAJOR budget bagged '08 MKV GTI



## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*So it begins....
*
I guess it's a good a time as any to start documenting my procedure on this whole air ride 
nonsense, so here we go!

I started out rolling on Eibach springs and OEM dampers. Soon enough I got bored of such things, so decided coil overs were in order. I tried to hold off but when the Raceland deals starting popping up, I decided to give it a go. I've enjoyed my Racelands, but it's always a pain to be messing with ride height, rubbing, and the inevitable potholes that my Michigan roads so plentifully supply.

So when my buddy from the great white north, also known as Canada, Phil asked me to purchase his bag setup I couldn't resist. Well I could, but then Phil was going to cry and I didn't want to see that happen!  

*The Goal/Plan/Whatever:*

A little background on me first to explain why I'm doing this the way I am. I've always been a bit of a DIYer. From CarPC's, mobile audio, fabrication, welding, wrenching, and a little of everything in between. When I bought my MKV new in '08 I decided it was time to go big or go home. With in a couple weeks I had it dropped, CarPC installed, all new audio system, intake, etc. Basically I've decided that every mod on the car will be done by myself and I'll take whatever deals I can find and DIY stuff to death. I figure I've done it long enough, it was time to take everything I've learned and apply it. I think I've done a good job doing both tasteful, and practical mods to my MKV. They've all been done by me and it makes me feel good because it's unique and I know I'll do things right. So when I knew I could a deal on an air ride setup, it was more of the same.

I'll be doing this setup old school and on an extreme budget. I'll look for whatever deals I can find, but do my best not to cut corners, because when it comes to air, that's never a good route to take. So far I'm just in the beginning stages of my setup, but I've got a good plan and I think I'll be able to pull it off at or under my $1,000 budget. 

*Here's what I got so far:*

Raceland bag over coil setup for the fronts; UV Air House 2 bags with leaders already installed
UV Air House 2 bags with brackets and fittings for the rears
Parker PTC DOT fittings
SMC 1/4" DOT air line
EasyStreet dual gauge
EasyStreet single gauge
Manual valves (paddle switches)
Viair 380c compressor

*Here's the plan:*

1) Source bags, air line, fittings, and management - DONE
2) Fix rear bag brackets (too small causing rubbing) - DONE
3) Test fit front and rear - DONE
4) Make any needed modifications to bags/brackets/vehicle as needed - DONE
5) Run air line (need to grab some parts such as grommets, etc.) - DONE
6) Install the bags - DONE
7) Test for fitment, rubbing, wheels, etc. - DONE
8) Leak test air lines and bags - DONE
9) Source tank and compressor - DONE
10) Install wiring, tank, and compressor In Progress (tank is in!)
11) Leak test the entire system
12) Fix any overall issues that persist
13) Design and install new false floor for air ride and CarPC setup
14) Enjoy the low!! 

*Total spent so far (as of 4.20.11): **$982*

^ Would have been less if I wouldn't have tried to save on fittings. For anyone new to air, buy good fittings (I recommend Parker DOT) the first time and save your wallet the expense when the crappy ones fail. I can't stress that enough. I'm sure you seasoned guys know this well by now.

*Misc.*

So far I've got a basic schematic drawn for how I'm going to run the air lines and management. No idea yet on the comp and tank as I, 1) don't have them, and 2) don't know what will be required in terms of space, wiring, etc just yet. It's a pretty simple setup with front/rear control for now. It will let me use the manual management for the time being until I decide what I want to do in the future. Since I'm just getting into air suspension I want to keep it as simple as possible while starting out, but also leave myself room for upgrading. Like I said I'm going old school to start, and then maybe I'll get fancy down the road. For now I just want to make sure everything fits, is installed properly and that I can make it reliable as this is my daily. 

I do intend on doing something I don't know if I've seen to date. I want to eventually go ahead and integrate the air management on my CarPC. Right now I'm using an 8" touch screen in the dash and I think it would be pretty nice to have all my control right there. There are plenty of programs I can use to control the valves. I will just have to figure out how to work it all and come up with preset pressures, any sensor I want, and whatever other goodies I can think of. This will probably be a while down the road, but I want to do it at some point.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*The Car*



















These are shots with my springs on (at the track) and then with my Raceland coil overs installed and spun pretty much as low as they can go without modding the dead coils themselves.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*Initial Purchases*

As I said, I got the bags from my buddy Phil. I'm dating a girl who lives in Toronto so I didn't have to pay shipping and I got to meet a good guy too. We settled on the price and I took the bags home with me. After I got the bags I grabbed some supplies as well. Fittings, air line, switches, and gauges were all ordered. Here's a rundown of price so far...

Bags and BOC setup - $550
DOT Fittings, DOT air line (75' 1/4"), EasyStreet dual gauge, 2x manual switches - $107
Shipping charges - $20
Total - $677

*12.28.10 - Work Begins*

Last night I decided to tackle the rear bags. Since my order for parts hasn't come in yet, I figured it was a good place to start. When I got the bags from Phil, the rear brackets were definitely cut too far down, and the fitting was installed on the top. I flipped the bag over so the fitting came out the bottom and decided to fab up my own mount to give me more clearance on the rear sway.

Here's some pics of the untouched bags/BOC for reference:










I took some tube steel we had here and cut sections so I could get a total of 2 1/4" on the bracket height. I figured it would be enough, but after getting home and doing a bunch of different test fitting and various PSI, I realized that when pancaked the bags are still definitely going to rub/rest on the control arm. I'm debating if I want to actual make a taller mount and cut the nipple or just stick with what I have and see how it works out. Heck I might even just cut the nipple anyway to get a bit more low outta these bags. For now though I think I'm just going to keep them the way they are and if I'm not happy with how it sits with the bags all installed, I'll go ahead and do some more work on the rears. They are stupid easy to work with anyway.

For now, here's the brackets I'm going with:










I still have to weld in the thread rod tonight and then weld the actual insert that I made into place so it can't move at all. Once that's done, they should be good to go.

So for now I just sit and wait for my parts. Next up will be running the air line...


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## AlexsVR6 (Jul 24, 2007)

:thumbup:


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## RichieMK4Rich (Dec 16, 2006)

:thumbup: I'll be watching knowing that I'll be doing the same


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

RichieMK4Rich said:


> :thumbup: I'll be watching knowing that I'll be doing the same


Sounds good man. Do you have a build log going for your project or not? I'd like to compare another build. It's nice to get ideas with budget DIYer's in mind. Most builds are high dollar, newer technology stuff. I'd like to see some old school setups. :laugh:


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## RichieMK4Rich (Dec 16, 2006)

darcness said:


> Sounds good man. Do you have a build log going for your project or not? I'd like to compare another build. It's nice to get ideas with budget DIYer's in mind. Most builds are high dollar, newer technology stuff. I'd like to see some old school setups. :laugh:


I do not, I'm trying to keep this a secret from my buddies and if I made a thread they will find out.:laugh:


I'm slowly getting parts piece by piece. But I am going to have a autopilot management, which will be the most expensive part of the build.. I'm going to search classifieds for cheap used ones if i'm lucky.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

I hear ya man, I'm in the same boat. Thankfully none of my friends really come on the Tex, so no worries there. I've got a full build log over on GolfMKV but I'm not going to put the air build on there until it's done. As for the people I hang out with, they are all in the dark. I want to just roll up, air it out, and see what they all say.


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## fasttt600 (Apr 12, 2007)

what was wrong with the rear brackets. If anything they look to long. Are you making the air line come out of the bottom bracket? you will be able to get at least and 1-1 1/2" lower when you do, because you can then cut that insanely large top bracket for the rear. Look at Dorbritz designs website for D cups. The bottom bracket is 2inches exactly and then the top you can cut to your liking. I've been riding on mine for a year now, and no rubbing.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

fasttt600 said:


> what was wrong with the rear brackets. If anything they look to long. Are you making the air line come out of the bottom bracket? you will be able to get at least and 1-1 1/2" lower when you do, because you can then cut that insanely large top bracket for the rear. Look at Dorbritz designs website for D cups. The bottom bracket is 2inches exactly and then the top you can cut to your liking. I've been riding on mine for a year now, and no rubbing.


What bags are you running? I'm running what I believe are Air House II's and I know for a fact that they rub with those brackets. They are 2 1/4" and I tried everything but when the bags are aired out they hit the control arm. I tried moving them around in the cup, but they still hit. 

I checked out the Dorbritz brackets, but the ones I made are pretty much exactly the same. Just a little taller on the bottom. I also have switched the bag around and the air fitting is on the bottom now. I'll probably just end up cutting off the nipple at some point, but for now I'll just cut down that top bracket as you said.


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## fasttt600 (Apr 12, 2007)

i'm running RE-5's (by slam speciaties)

if your only touching when fully aired out, I wouldn't sweat it.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

Yea, only rubbing when they are aired out.

I'm upset, just got my tracking ID for my parts and they won't be here till Monday. I was really hoping to have it for the long weekend but I guess it's not to be. Oh well, just have to do what I can for now and wait for parts to show up.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*12.30.10 - More work on the mounts...*

Well I wasn't happy with the way the bags were rubbing and my OCD was kicking in big time. Decided to give the lower brackets a bit more height. I went to 2 1/2" and added a new 3/8" stud for the nut/washers on the bottom of the control arm. Welds aren't all that pretty but they will hold. Darn welding helmet was NOT cooperating at all so I couldn't see anything when until I arced. Also the mig ran out of wire so I had to use the 480 stick. Boohoo!! 

After tackling the bottom brackets and flipping the bags over to get the airline on the bottom, I decided to shorten the top brackets. I made them just large enough to go over the nipple on the subframe. I'm not sure on the height but I'd say right around an inch tall. 

Now I just need to put a few coats of paint on and the brackets are as done as they are gonna be for now.





































Tomorrow I will do some more test fitting on the rears and maybe even try to get the front's on for a test fit.


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## fasttt600 (Apr 12, 2007)

nice use of the saftey post:laugh:

You should be fine, you will most likely come back later and hack off the nipple, but it's super easy.

What size hole did you drill for the bottom bracket? if it's a 5/8ths hole, I have a ton of grommets I can send you to protect the air line from rubbing on the metal. just let me know.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

The safety post most certainly came in handy. I was looking all about to find something to use for the brackets and had no idea what to use. Then saw the safety post and was like, SWEET! It fit perfectly inside the included bracket with a bit of persuasion (big hammer) and then I welded it into place.

I'm not really sure what the size of the hole is to be honest. I suppose I should have checked. If I had to guess I'd say it was 5/8 or a tad bigger. I might just get steel leader lines anyway to run through the rear. Undecided on that still. 

Got some more work done today, will update properly with pics in a few minutes. And yes I'm at home on New Years working on my air suspension. :facepalm:


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*12.31.10 - Test fitting...*

Well I know it's new years, but I already did the obligatory dinner with the family, and decided what better way to ring in the new year then get down and dirty with the car. I was sick of working with a jack and decided to just put it all up on jack stands to make getting things done MUCH easier. 










First up was getting rid of my old Raceland coils. They've served me well for the past year or so, but like I said before it was time for something more fun. Getting them out was pretty easy. They slid right out thanks to the large amount of anti-seize I put on during the install. I also unhooked my sway bar end link. For now it's just chilling because I haven't yet decided how/when I want to take it off.



















After the coils came out, I popped in the rear bags and the front BOC setup. I had to drill out the strut mount holes ever so slightly to get the lugs through on the new top hats, but once I did that they went right in with no problem at all.



















To me it looks like the rear bags are going to be ok now. They are still going to rest on the control arm, but only if it's fully aired out. I can live with that. The front's are looking great. Plenty of clearance on the wheels (granted they are my winter wheels). Fitment looks good inside the fender too with plenty of room. 



















After a full air out, it looks like my wheel has clearance from the bag too. I'm not sure how my 225's will do, but I'd imagine I could pretty easily get away with some 215's if need be. Thing is I don't really want to sacrifice my performance to get low. I guess I'll have to compromise on both.



















Seems like everything is good so far, I'm down to the axle on the frame so without a notch for now, it's as low as it's going to go.


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## RichieMK4Rich (Dec 16, 2006)

looks good! I know I'm going to have some trouble clearing my wheels as soon as I get my setup in order.


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

If you're doing air ride, you might as well just say **** performance and get it as low as you can. Otherwise, what's the point?


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## wagner17 (Oct 20, 2009)

^^ for sure..lol


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

reynolds9000 said:


> If you're doing air ride, you might as well just say **** performance and get it as low as you can. Otherwise, what's the point?


I hear ya, but there's still advantages to air ride that are more then just going uber low. It's nice to be able to adjust ride height at will. Especially when I'm used to being static low and speed bumps, driveways, etc are all like a death trap that I have to skillfully traverse. Plus spinning up and down coils, worrying about seized threads, and the harshness of the ride can get taxing after while.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

Well UPS showed up today with some goodies. All my air line, fittings, and the paddle valves. Looks like tonight will be running lines and testing everything out. I'm excited! 

Also after checking the bags up and down and everything in between I like the way things are fitting so I'm going to be good to go as far as I can tell. I'm hitting axle in the front and the rears come all the down nicely. Just have to remove the nipple and do a frame notch if I want more low. 

:laugh::laugh:


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## RnB_BTS (Feb 4, 2004)

looking good... cant wait to bag mine!


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

Some major updates coming soon. Got all the lines ran, fittings installed, and bags/BOC in. Even had my girlfriend helping me to install it which was like a dream come true. I will get pictures and make a proper update post later tonight.


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## RichieMK4Rich (Dec 16, 2006)

darcness said:


> Some major updates coming soon. Got all the lines ran, fittings installed, and bags/BOC in. Even had my girlfriend helping me to install it which was like a dream come true. I will get pictures and make a proper update post later tonight.


 :thumbup:


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## johnnyR32 (Aug 31, 2004)

looks good man


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## eastcoaststeeze (Jul 20, 2009)

:thumbup::thumbup:


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

Sorry for the lack of updates guys and gals, I've been sick as hell the last 3 days. I got the air lines run under the car and into the hatch, hooked up my gauge and paddle switches back there, and did some basic fill/dump clearance checks as well as leak testing. I've got a small leak in the front (about 2-3 psi per day) and the rears were leaking like crazy. I think I messed up a couple of the PTC tee's that I had because I've never used them before and didn't remove the line correctly. Ordered another 4 tee's and they got in today. I'll be adding pictures and doing more work this weekend. 

Stay tuned.... :laugh:


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*It's been so long...* 

Ok so I know I totally ditched my thread but it's because I ended up taking the bags out for the rest of winter. Apparently the FK dampers that came with them were completely blown out. After riding around on them for a bit at different pressures, they just weren't cutting it. When I took them out the shaft had play, meaning the bearings were effed, and the rebound was all jacked up. 

I ended up taking my Racelands and putting the bags over them and I couldn't be happier. Ride is much improved and my faith in bags is restored! I also got my gauge installed temporarily and my switches up into the center console. I'll have to take some pictures to show how I plan on doing it. I think I saw the idea on here with stealth mode gauges in the ash tray. 

Here's how the rear sits for now: 










The only problem I'm having now is that the Raceland's don't go low enough in the front. They aren't threaded down low enough and I will need to remove the endlink bracket. I'm planning on finding out what level I want the bags at, and do some welding/fabricating on the strut to keep it all in place. 

Most likely I will be doing this in the next few days, so again, will update as it progresses.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*Strut mount repair!* 

Well today I decided to take my strut mounts with me to work and do a little repair job on them. When I got them they had 5/16" button head screws coming through the bottom, and those were the 3 posts to mount onto the chassis. I had nothing but problems with them to be honest. First they started to strip out, so when I turned the nut on top, they would just back out on me. Then the threads were beat up pretty bad so I could never get the nuts started properly. Lastly, they were way too long. 

I grabbed the drill at work, marked out the pattern a little smaller because the old holes were also too far apart causing issues during installation, and started the drilling. I tapped out the holes, then cut down the 5/16" button heads to a more usable length. Put them on the dye as well to clean up the threads. Then used a flat nose bit we had here to counter sink them. After that I buttoned it all up with some locktite. Should be good as gold now. Thank God because my original Raceland tophats where noisy as **** with the bags (the rubber squeaks like crazy). 



















Edit: After seeing those nasty holes in the pics, I decided they needed to be cleaned up a bit. Took the grinder to them and made em pretty. :laugh:


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## DoctorDoctor (Oct 18, 2006)

reynolds9000 said:


> If you're doing air ride, you might as well just say **** performance and get it as low as you can. Otherwise, what's the point?


 Didn't Air Lift put together a Camaro on air ride that was tracked?


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

They did. I'm not saying that springs out handle air on a track, we all know that's a myth. I think the whole point of that camaro was to show that air can do really well on a car that was built with performance in mind, and to shut up the nay sayers. I'm not saying that performance should go out the window if you're into that, and want air ride, i'm just saying that i think going low should be the first priority with air, otherwise, you might as well just stay static. Everyone has their own school of though, that is mine.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

I have to say that I'm still considering my build a compromise between performance and lowness. I've yet to notch my frame, but even if I do, I can always run static and my sway bar again without any worries. When it comes to cutting up other bits that may impact the performance of my car, I'm likely going to steer away from that. 

I really would like to make up some custom mounts and get my front sway bar back in some how. Not sure if it will hit and hold up the front though. Any one have any idea if it's possible to run lower mounts and then run some shorter endlinks? If so, will the sway bar be hitting when I'm aired out on the control arm or axle? I'm guessing it would hit the axle but I'm not entirely sure. 

I think in the end, yes, I will be doing air to go low for the most part, but I'd also like to keep the car nimble in the twisties still.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*3.23.11 - Who said Racelands can't go low?* 

So I got my strut mounts done, as shown above. Installed them last night and they are so nice now. No struggling with the bolts/nuts, no issues getting the studs into the mounting holes, and no 14 miles of extra threads sticking out when they are in. Yay for me! 

Anywho, after doing the top hats I figured it was as good a time as any to get to work on the strut bodies to make them go lower. I borrowed my trusty DeWalt cut off wheel from work and went to town. I cut off the sway bar mount tab, cut off the tab on the bottom of the damper (for the slot in the lower cradle) and then ground everything down nice and flush. The adjustment threads only go down so far on the Racelands, so I took my smaller perch and knocked it down past the threads onto the shock body, then welded it in place so it couldn't move anywhere. Put everything back on the car and tested it out, and I'm back to laying axle on the passenger side. 

Next step will be to notch the frame up front, and cut the nipple in back. Just don't think I need to do so right now because with my wheels and tires (225/45/17's on 17x7 et 43's) aren't going to tuck much more into the fender. I need to tires in the front so I'm going to maybe do some 215's up there and see how it works. For now, it's getting there. Will have some pics tonight.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*3.24.11 - Racelands get MOAR LOW* 

Got some quick snaps of the new found lowness thanks to the modified Raceland coils. Front is sitting on the axle.


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## Rob2.5 (Sep 16, 2009)

Can you take pics aired up also?


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

Will do. I need to get some proper pictures anyway. It's been so damn cold here that I haven't had the motivation to do much of anything outside, let alone clean the car. Plus I've been doing some basic work, painting some bits here and there to make it all look a bit better. My wheels were gold last summer now I've done them in Gunmetal so I painted my front and rear emblems to match up, plus fixed up my fog grills and front shield which got pretty jacked up when I got in an accident last summer.

I'll try to get some proper shots this week/end.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*3.30.11 - Michigan weather bites!*

Man if the weather could just cooperate for about 1 day, I'd get some more pics. But of course, I live in Michigan. I wonder every day why the heck I bought a house here which now binds me to the hell that is Michigan weather. I can't seem to escape it's grasp. 

Anyway, I did get some little stuff done. I've been having a majorly annoying creak in the fronts, plus a rattle from the airlines not being totally secure under the fenders. Plus I have a small leak in the front from some sub-par fittings I bought originally. I don't have the money to get new fittings right now, but I did do some work on the steel leader lines to quiet things up. I ended up taking a clear hose and wrapping the leader in that, then putting a larger piece of rubber hose over top that. The hoses start right at the fitting on the bags, and then end right where it goes into the fender liner. Hopefully it will keep the leader line from rubbing on anything and making a God awful racket like it was. 

I'm also thinking that the joint between the bag bracket and the coil perch is making some noise. I need to pull them out and put the little roller bearings I got with the FK's on there. Should help to alleviate that noise too. 

I think tonight I'm going to borrow the hole saw and the cut off wheel from work. Time to get rid of the nipple in the back and then notch the frame up front. Then adjust my perches in front for best low and most overall movement. 

Long term plans include getting a compressor (duh) and welding my sway bar brackets back on my shock bodies. Then get some adjustable endlinks and try getting the sway bar back in and see if it holds me up. From talking to some people with air who have experience, I should be able to run some 225/40's up front with my sway in and still be able to lay it down. We shall see!


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*3.31.11 - More fittings, oh my!*

Ok so I decided to bite the bullet today and grab the rest of the fittings I need, and the gauge for the tank. I was still using some crappy non-DOT fittings on the front bags, and they are leaking for sure. I lose about 20psi over a 12 hour span and I'm fed up with it so new fittings are in order. Also had to get new fittings for the lines coming out of the tank. While I was at it I figured I'd grab another gauge (single needle) for the tank. 

Call me crazy but for now I'm running without a compressor because money is way tight. As soon as I can get one I will, but for now I just top off the tank each night with my garage compressor. Gives me enough air to get to work, lay it out, and then air it back up to get home. I know it's completely ghetto-fab, but it also helps me with leak testing. Hopefully once I have the compressor the system will be damn near 100% leak proofed if anything else.

So yea, another $60 spend on various **** I need. Still doing well budget wise!


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## dhenry (Feb 10, 2009)

nice build:thumbup:


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*4.4.11 - Cuttin' her up!*

Ok so I finally have some time to really get into the car and do some needed bits to get myself lower. I've been meaning to lop off the rear "nipples" for a long time now, so I grabbed the angle grinder and starting to work. I got the nipples off and then smoothed it all out with a flapper wheel, and put a few coats of paint on to keep it from rusting up. Then I removed the top brackets from the bags and just let them rest on the subframe. While doing it I realized that I some how have a 1/2" height difference in the rear from one side to the other, and I'm thinking it's the bottom (control arm) brackets. I'll have to take them out and see, but I ran out of time last night. 

I also got my camber set all the way out. What a pain in the ass that was. Getting a ratchet up in there to turn the eccentric bolt SUCKED. Getting the nut loosened SUCKED. Basically the whole experience SUCKED. I did get them turned all the way out though, so now I'm rocking max camber in the rears. 

After tackling the rears I installed my new bits from airridefittings.com. New fittings for the front bags, fittings for tank outputs, and a single needle gauge for tank pressure. As far as my management, other then the compressor I'm 100% done now. Just have to mount my gauges and switches some where nice and I'll be good to go. 

Finally I decided to start my frame notch in the front. I got it done, and then realized that something still holding me up. I honestly am not sure what it is, but I think I might just be out of shaft on my dampers. I know the axle isn't hitting, and I fairly certain the bag could come down more, but if the shaft is holding it up, it's not going anywhere. I'll have to do some more tweaking and investigating tonight, and weld up a new section of the subframe. 

For now, I'm stuck here at work! :banghead:

I'll get some pictures of the progress tonight.


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## dhenry (Feb 10, 2009)

did you take the sway bar out in the front?


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

nickbeezy said:


> did you take the sway bar out in the front?


I did take it out for now.

I'll be putting it back in because I don't like the way the car "feels" with it out. I have to weld my endlink tabs back on the strut body, and then get/make some shorter endlinks though. Shouldn't be an issue between the tools I have at work and home.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*4.5.11 - More tinkering in the garage, FENDER DOWN!!!*

Ok so last night I was determined to figure out just what was going on inside my BOC setup. I know the Aero Sport bags have a metal sleeve inside which limits the bags overall travel, and I wanted to see where that was in relation to the strut body itself. Plus I wanted to get the bottom perches welded up in their permanent place, based on the above. I ended up taking the setup all apart, aligning the metal sleeve inside the bag with the top of the strut body, and put it all back together again. I'm getting pretty good at it now, seeing as I've done it way too many times. I'm now able to get my frame EVER so close to the floor. Not quite there, but not too bad for Aero Sports over Racelands. If I want to get any lower I'm going to have to get some different struts or some Airlift bits (struts, etc). I think for now she'll do.

I also managed to jack up my fender pretty good. I aired up the fronts, but must have put in too little pressure or they didn't have a chance to equalize. Needless to say my fender took it right in the kisser. It's not too bad, but it wrinkled it up a bit and chipped a small bit of paint. I guess such is the price one pays for going low. I'm sure it won't be the only time.

Now that I've got the fronts sorted I need to do a few more things, and I'll be all set up. The rears aren't dropping even and I think it's because the brackets aren't sitting in the control arm right. I need to figure it out and adjust them or cut the brackets as needed to get them evened out. Also need to put my lower splash guards back on, and my fender liners back in. After that I will FINALLY be done with the most troublesome bits and can move on to getting the interior work done (ie mounting gauges/switches, and hatch organizing).

So far this whole process has pushed me about to my limits of tolerance. I know air ride isn't easy, and I did my homework, but wow. It's much more work then I thought. Not so much wrenching and install, but all the little things like getting it JUST right that take so much time. I'm just glad I'm nearing the end.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*4.7.11 - Some work, and what do you know, PICS!*

Last night I finally started to button everything back up. Put my fender liners back in, put the under body splash guards back on, and cleaned up/zip tied all the lines. I also started to work on my mount for the gauge and switches. I'm going to stealth mode it into my ashtray, which is an idea I saw some one else do and it looks great. I took measurements on all 4 corners and I'm within about an 1/8" of being perfectly level on my height from side to side. That's good enough for me. I also cut down the rear brackets a bit because the rear was riding way high compared to the fronts. In doing so though I think I jacked up one of my fittings so I need to order MORE fittings. Those 2 fittings are the last 2 that came with my bags though, so at that point they will all be brand new. 

After doing all that I decided to take some pics at work today. Nothing special but I was in the mood for some snaps.


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## make_it_rainn (Jan 8, 2010)

Darcness how did you route your air lines to your switches in the ashtray? And from the ashtray back to the bags? I'm digging your set up man!


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

make_it_rainn said:


> Darcness how did you route your air lines to your switches in the ashtray? And from the ashtray back to the bags? I'm digging your set up man!


Well since I'm using 1/4" air line I didn't have much trouble running it all. I ran the lines from the tank to the switches/gauges under the rear seat, then under the carpet on the drivers side, then up into the center console. The lines going from the switches to the bags are run out of the center console, up in the panel under the glove box, and then down the door sills, under the rear seat, and into the hatch. Then the lines are just run through the hole in the hatch under the spare tire, out to the front and rear.

Thanks for the compliment by the way. It's nice to see some appreciation for my uber budget build!


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*4.20.11 - More updates!*

Well over the past couple weeks I've been doing more tweaking then I have real work, but I needed to improve ride quality because I couldn't stand the way the bags were riding for my DD. The solid upper mounts on the front struts were just KILLIN it for me so they had to go. Ended up putting my OEM mounts back in and the ride improved drastically. I also raised the perches up a bit, but that didn't end up helping, so back down they went. 

For the rears I just cut a little bit off the rear bottom cups. I wasn't liking how I had to have so much more pressure in the front then the rear to keep the ride height more level with similar PSI's. Right now I'm sitting at about 20psi higher in the front then the rear and for ride quality is' near perfect. I find that with the BOC's between 60 and 75 PSI works the best for me. I use the 15psi range of adjustment to dial it in for different road conditions. The rears seem to be liking less PSI, in the 35-45 PSI range is best.

I finished my frame notch as well. It was pretty ugly because I didn't have a hole saw when I did it. Grabbed a hole saw and cleaned it up. Now I just need to cut me a piece of pipe and weld that sucker in to get my structural rigidity back. 

Today I ordered my compressor, a 380c Viair. Comes with the pressure switch and relay so I should be able to grab a water trap and then hook it all up. At that point my setup will be complete finally.

Still need to do some work on the false floor in the hatch. Right now it's a mess. With a CarPC, an amp, all the ride stuff, and some tools it's just too cluttered. I need to get with my friend who does all his own woodwork and such and have him help me fix it up.

Also snapped some day time pics. Not the best, but the camera sucks and it was overcast.


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## make_it_rainn (Jan 8, 2010)

I love how clean it looks haha! I just bought some racelands as well and cut the dead coil out but it's just not working for me. I'm thinking about picking up the ECS air kit. One more question, did you run 1 1/4" line that y'ed off at the end to the switches and then 4 out of them or 4 to the switches and 4 out? Does that make sense? Haha 

I also love how detailed your posts are! They've been very helpful so thank you :beer:


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

make_it_rainn said:


> I love how clean it looks haha! I just bought some racelands as well and cut the dead coil out but it's just not working for me. I'm thinking about picking up the ECS air kit. One more question, did you run 1 1/4" line that y'ed off at the end to the switches and then 4 out of them or 4 to the switches and 4 out? Does that make sense? Haha
> 
> I also love how detailed your posts are! They've been very helpful so thank you :beer:


Man if you like this thread, you should check out my build log on golfmkv.com. It's way more detailed then this one, because unfortunately, I've been very lazy with taking pictures on my air ride portion of the build. One of these days I'm going to go through and take snaps of it all. 

As for the lines, I'm only running a F/R setup now so 2 lines up to the switches/gauges, then 2 back to the rear, then T'd off, and 4 lines out to the bags.


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## make_it_rainn (Jan 8, 2010)

Oh trust me man I spend lots of time at work on golfmk5 cause vortex is blocked haha. That's the thread I was talking about. I actually just found this thread today. And to be honest, I don't think the 2 switch set up is a bad idea. I really don't care about raising each one individually haha.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

make_it_rainn said:


> Oh trust me man I spend lots of time at work on golfmk5 cause vortex is blocked haha. That's the thread I was talking about. I actually just found this thread today. And to be honest, I don't think the 2 switch set up is a bad idea. I really don't care about raising each one individually haha.


The 2 switches aren't too bad, but you have to remember that doing a F/R setup only allows air transfer between the two bags that are T'd off. In other words, massive body roll. It's not so bad when you have things aired up all the way, but when you aren't running high PSI the body will roll like crazy. 

I'll be going over to a 4 switch, F/B/S/S setup as soon as I can afford it. Just don't have the money for it right now.


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## make_it_rainn (Jan 8, 2010)

darcness said:


> The 2 switches aren't too bad, but you have to remember that doing a F/R setup only allows air transfer between the two bags that are T'd off. In other words, massive body roll. It's not so bad when you have things aired up all the way, but when you aren't running high PSI the body will roll like crazy.
> 
> I'll be going over to a 4 switch, F/B/S/S setup as soon as I can afford it. Just don't have the money for it right now.


That makes sense. I appreciate the help man. You still doing the custom tails? I live down in Cincinnati so it's not too far, I may like you to fancy them up sometime.


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

make_it_rainn said:


> That makes sense. I appreciate the help man. You still doing the custom tails? I live down in Cincinnati so it's not too far, I may like you to fancy them up sometime.


That I am. Probably have done around 200 sets now. In fact, just sold a set today. Whenever you want a set shoot me a PM on golfmkv and I can do it up for you. :thumbup:


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## make_it_rainn (Jan 8, 2010)

darcness said:


> That I am. Probably have done around 200 sets now. In fact, just sold a set today. Whenever you want a set shoot me a PM on golfmkv and I can do it up for you. :thumbup:


Thanks man! Will do! Anyways, back to the thread! In the air forum, post up some more pictures of your air setup!


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

^ Will do man. Need this weather to warm up a bit and still have to do some finishing touches so I can get the proper pics. Plus I'm working on a new setup for the gauges and switches because I'll be getting another gauge and 2 more switches soon. 3 gauges and 4 switches aren't going to fit in the ash tray area.


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## make_it_rainn (Jan 8, 2010)

Do you have any pictures of the air lines ran through the car? And where your switches and gauges are mounted? I'm basically trying to find the best way possible to run my air lines. 

Any luck going to 4 switches yet?


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

I'm still running two switches, but I did do a bit of changing things up. I'll post a proper update in a sec. As for the pictures of the gauges and switches I don't have any right now. I'll have to snap some tonight and put them up. Right now they are just on a sheet metal blank that I had at work and cut up to fit between the two handles in near the ashtray area. I need to make another one that's permanent and do some painting on it. This one was just a template. 

As for the way the lines are run, unfortunately no pics of that. There's not really anything to take pictures of anyway. They are all hidden under the door sill trim and the carpet/back seat. Plus my hatch floor is still a haggered mess. :facepalm:


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## darcness (Aug 8, 2008)

*4.26.11 - Final Adjustments*

Ok so I finally have everything pretty much where I want it as far as the bags go. I have the ride heights/lowness I want, the lines are all in, switches and gauges are mounted, and the compressor will be here tomorrow. As far as the mechanical aspect is concerned, I'm pretty much done. The rest is just aesthetic stuff. Still need to make a permanent gauge/switch mount, finalize the lines in the car, and then clean up the hatch floor. 

Last night I dug into the under car runs because I knew I was having issues with the front drivers side bag. I figured it was a kink in the line, and sure enough I was right. Not sure how it happened but probably because I left a service "loop" in the line in case I needed more length at some point. I straightened it out and then pulled the slack out and now it's good to go. 

While I was at it I went with a little unconventional route and changed my bags from F/B to S/S. I was sick of the body roll and the ride quality wasn't there so I figured it was worth a shot. After driving it to work today I have to say I like S/S much better. Ride is improved, body roll is all but gone, and I can run quite a bit lower without wrecking my already jacked fenders.

Lastly I did a full leak test with the soapy water trick. Found a couple leaks, fixed them up, and now she's holding PSI well. I still have some VERY slow leaks but I'm satisfied. I think I jacked up my barb fittings on one of the gauges a bit when I was trying to get the hose off. Live and learn I guess.

Just want to my tank to be here like yesterday so I can get to work on the hatch setup.


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## furr (Jul 3, 2009)

:thumbup::thumbup:


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## Vuck Folkswagen (Oct 30, 2010)

Dannng :beer::thumbup:


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