air ride ?s

[-dylan-(OO==|==OO)]

i am wanting to bag my 72 but have been pricing around air ride kits and they are kinda expensive...... i found a kit for $900 is there any place that has a basic kit for less??

[kunzy420]

Unfortunetly air ride is not cheap. By you saying you found a basic kit for 900, are you talking about just the air management?

You can try to piece a kit together but it may just be cheaper to buy a whole kit.

What year truck and what are your goals? Fast up and down, fbss, or just a basic front back setup?

[tcb-1]

dylan,
can you post a link or tell us what's all in the kit? $900 is a good deal, just depends on what's included.

[kev2809]

there is no such thing as a kit...there is always stuff you need that doesnt come with the kits. they just cover they bulk things. post a pic of the package, sounds like it come be a pretty good deal for $900, depending on what it comes with.

[N2TRUX]

I am in way trying to discourage you, but let me caution you about building a budget system. If you can't afford to do it correctly, then don't. Wait till your budget allows so you end up with a quality system. If not you will soon wish you did.

Air suspension is not a place to cut corners on cost or build procedures.

[hotrodhomi]

Its much cheaper to buy each piece as you find good deals, but it takes a lot of work. Its much easier to buy a "complete" kit. I say complete in quotations because every kit will need something. If you can fab stuff yourself you can bag it for pretty cheap. The most expensive part will be the fittings. Don't "cheap out" on those.

[kev2809]

^^ right. i pieced most of my own kit together except the stuff i just did not want to buy used, like bags or fittings. if you got time you can find some good deals for compressors, or valves, a notch or whatever you need.

[blazer2007]

I went on a budget with cheap parts awhile ago, and now I had to re-do everything again,just buy good name parts,valves,bags,comp.

[-dylan-(OO==|==OO)]

The kit i found was $900 and included everything you need to put air ride on ur truck.. didnt have to buy any extra parts .....

[kev2809]

link? was it used or new?

[lolife99]

Originally Posted by -dylan-(OO==|==OO)

The kit i found was $900 and included everything you need to put air ride on ur truck.. didnt have to buy any extra parts .....

Actually there is so much more than the bags, fittings, tank and compressor.
You need drop spindles, drop shocks, a c-notch, a front sway bar, and all need to be quality parts.
And with all of this,... you still won't lay frame.
Save your money, do alot of reading,... and buy the best kit you can afford.

[N2TRUX]

Oh, and if it's a complete kit from AIM, Chassis Tech, airbagit.com, etc then skip to the next page and try again.

[NZSquare]

Im familiar with your boggle, I went through it last year.

I had cheap (AIM) gear in my truck when I built it up last year, I got most of a system dirt cheap and liked the look of the manifold valve.

Everything works fine now but-

The fits and clearances in the manifold valve were not good , to get it to stop leaking I had to replace all the fittings and make a new gasket setup for it, out of the box it was full of paint because they had sprayed all the parts individually, with nothing in them so the valves and block were full of paint. Ive had no issue with the bags or compressor (but its only a backup to a york).

- For what they cost Id go straight for an engine driven compressor, the noise of the electric one was enough to put me off
- Ive got an Accuair vu-4 valve block now and love it, because I never have to touch it, but Im not trying to go up and down lightning fast.
- As above spend the dough on good fittings, mine was nothing but a pain to start with, not only because of cheap fittings, but because they used reducers and adaptors everywhere instead of the correct fittings, the t's out of the manifold were made up of about 8 parts, each ! the less unions the better.
- My system is 1/2" supply to the tank, 3/8" to the bags and 1/4" to the gauges, if I did it again it would be the same



Hope that helps, another opinion to add to the list.

[shortbed70]

Well if you do like I did I traded labor for old airride equiptment. So it really didnt cost me much at all but some labor. I have firestone 2500's in the rear and re7' in the front I think. I am going to use a ford air compressor for tank filling and a 5 gallon tank. Theres alot of small fab work in doing it yourself too.

[murgg]

along the same lines here i was looking at the airlift lifestyles management system on suicidedoors, for $649. would that be everything i need ( minus the bag) to make it work??

[edflores]

http://www.*****************/air-mana...minator-bags-5
Are you talking about this? you would still need bag brackets, shock relocators,
Or how about this
http://www.waylayedinc.com/Waylayed2...47%7DSide.html
plus a front kit from *****************, and rear bags?

[murgg]

i was talking about that one, without the bags though. im going ot fab the brackets i need.
that slow n low seems liek a steal also

[72gmcshorty]

you might find from what others have said here that 1/4" is too small/slow

[edflores]

[QUOTE=72gmcshorty;4009357]you might find from what others have said here I've had 3/8s systems that were unbearably fast. It all depend really. I really want to try those paddle valves. Slow isnt bad at all.
That slow system i posted really needs a compressor upgrade to at least a 380. Waylayd is great to deal with. I use to buy parts off him before he started the site. Hit him up
and the plates from suicidedoors will save you time. Its not even worth the effort to make your own upper plates. Cups are easy enough though. I would just by the circle plates and the upper plates from sd. If you are handy with a welder, you will be fine.
These "kits" are by no means complete but will give you a great starting point and are a good bang for your buck.

[firedog]

might try doing some looking on places like craigslist I bought 90% of my parts there from people either upgrading or who was in beyond their knowledge.

[panhandler62]

Mine is in progress but ....

I can tell you that what people are saying to dead on; there is a lot more to buy than what you will get in any kit. I am constantly running back to the parts store/ebay/craigslist/the parts board, etc. hunting down all the bits and peices that I can't make myself.

My recs are that you start with these three vendors and don't go elswhere unless it's somehting they don't carry: Porterbuilt, Air Ride Tech and Suicide Doors. This stuff is a big enough pita when you have the best parts available... it doesn't get easier or work better when you try to cut corners.

[edflores]

Originally Posted by firedog

might try doing some looking on places like craigslist I bought 90% of my parts there from people either upgrading or who was in beyond their knowledge.

If you know what to buy, CL is great. But i've also seen people advertise junk so as a newb to air ride, the OP might not get what he pays for.
If you do go off cl, try to get what i like to call NOS parts. These are parts that people still have new, but never used because of whatever reason.