AirRidePro.com good products?

i've noticed there is an application specific kit for my 500SEL.  just wondering if anyone else has used this company.  quality products?  reliability?  longevity?  

if not, you might want to check it out.  they seem to have a broad list of applications for many makes and models.

cheap junk.

[QUOTE=callaghan.;59949]cheap junk.[/QUOTE]

don't knock something till you try it.

[QUOTE=|crash|;59950]don't knock something till you try it.[/QUOTE]

i have tried it, and have had customers w/ those kits that we needed to fix/replace.  we also dealt w/ chassis tech years ago which is the same quality. which is why i say...cheap junk.

what exactly was wrong with it?

i had some of their stuff.. 

had the digital gauge and returned it.. quality wasn't up to my standards.. too me it looked like a cheap alarm clock.. it did work tho... display pressure.. etc.. 

also had their valves.. they did the job (some what) but they randomly started to stick.. not a pretty sight when you can't stop filling the air bags because the valves are sticking.

post a link to the product u are thinking of buying..some of their stuff are pretty decent..from a trucker's point of view, i pictured them somewhat like how airrunners are from the vip enthusiast point of view..i've had good experiences with their product, easy to install, lots of research behind them, and are tested before being produced..

well they are probably my only option for a plug n' play kit thats application specific.  otherwise i'll need to break out the mig and buy some steel slabs to do a custom setup which will most likely exceed the cost of the bolt on.  i guess what i'm questioning is if the bags and compressor are up to par and not just faulty BS that will break down on me.  my car is massive.  very heavy and if they make a kit specifically for my car, i want to make sure it will hold up to my car, you know..  according to thier rep, they've been around for 19 years, so that sounds like a plus, but i'd value a non biased opinion a bit more..

if you didnt notice, they have an "application" for pretty much every car out there. as for being direct bolt-in..HAH. good luck. The compressor that comes with that kit is JUNK. ask them what exaclty kind of bag is coming with the kit. i know we stopped using chassis tech and the like about 2 years ago after having bag after bag blow out on customers. In one case, the bags dry rotted out in a matter of 6 months...and they would not replace them. I know that company is not Chassis Tech, but the products are the same.

okay, thanks for the input.  maybe i should stay away from them or do fabricate my own setup with either bags or coils.  mainly because i'm sure no one makes an app spec kit for my car.  who do you reccomend for quality bags?

[QUOTE=BOSOZOKU;60275]okay, thanks for the input.  maybe i should stay away from them or do fabricate my own setup with either bags or coils.  mainly because i'm sure no one makes an app spec kit for my car.  who do you reccomend for quality bags?[/QUOTE]

many of these air companies have been around for a long time, and doing pretty much the same type of work.  the end results are always fabulous (check out any issue of mini truckin), but under the shiny paint and body drops are a lot of  flux/mig welds, and grinding.  not a bad thing, but not where >i think< they should be, after such a long time of working with metal.

maybe its a generation thing.  but i think its time to step it up.  and there are companies out there that do bring fine work to the plate.  i also think, guys like the thorbecke brothers, air ride tech, and some others do, on some products drive a higher quality of parts, from what the "industry" has been producing for the last decade.

ultimately, fabricating your own parts, will result in exactly what you expect.  but if you don't have the resources or abilities to do so, you will need to research, and work with places that may be able to provide a product to your satisfaction.

granted what i will share happened many years ago, i don't think the air suspension industry in america has improved much on their "bolt-in, car specific" kits.

some years back i spent thousands of dollars on a bolt-on kit for my car.  here are some mounts a company provided for my car, as a bolt-in solution.  besides the fact that the brackets were 12" too long, here was their "car specific" solution for the lower mount:

[img]http://www.angrylife.com/temp/suck_mounts_01.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.angrylife.com/temp/suck_mounts_02.jpg[/img]

note, the car uses a tapered stud, and their rebuttal to the un-car specific bushings was to just force it.  it will fit!  maybe true, but they refused to address the issue that it was too long.  at full-down, it would raise the car 8" above stock height.  i felt like i had paid for a lowering/adjustable kit, and they gave me a 4x4 lift kit that ranged from high, to super-high:

[img]http://www.angrylife.com/temp/suck_mounts_03.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.angrylife.com/temp/suck_mounts_04.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.angrylife.com/temp/suck_mounts_05.jpg[/img]

thanks to some great friends, here was my weekend solution:

[img]http://www.angrylife.com/temp/suck_mounts_06.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.angrylife.com/temp/suck_mounts_07.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.angrylife.com/temp/suck_mounts_08.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.angrylife.com/temp/suck_mounts_09.jpg[/img]

so if you cant find a company that has a kit, with pictures of the ACTUAL kit, and a gallery of pictures with cars running the kit, i'd steer clear.  most of what is sold if "universal."  it isn't designed for your car.  they just look up your suspension measurements, give you a standard mounting type, and guess the lengths the best they can.  if not, then it's just stock stuff with some sort of air adjustable solution integrated into it.  it probably doesn't address the original function of the suspension system and its components.

as i mentioned above, if you have the ability to fabricate, by all means, diy.

that's sortta what i figured.  generalizations from measurements make it "app spec"...  as for my suspension, i think it would be rediculously easy to do bags.  i don't have macpherson struts to deal with, just a spring and shock completely seperate from each other.  i wish i had a pic of it..  i think the only welding i'd need to do is maybe just some reinforcements with steel plate.  the only other thing i'm wondering about is how to select a damper to go with the bags.  do most people use a short stroke? longer than stock? stiffer? softer?  i'd like a smoother than stock ride with reduced body roll.  i'm also confused about the switches.  is it just a maximum and minimum height you can switch to?  do these kits allow you to slowly adjust the height to exactly where you want it?

[QUOTE=BOSOZOKU;60464]the only other thing i'm wondering about is how to select a damper to go with the bags.  do most people use a short stroke? longer than stock? stiffer? softer?  i'd like a smoother than stock ride with reduced body roll.  [/QUOTE]

lots of work in this department, esp if you are picky.  you could create an entire workflow to solve these issues.  ill try to keep it simple.

for the most part, you are concerned about ride characteristics at ride-height (air bag pressure setting (or leveling, if you decide to set height that way)).  so you would need to set your car at ride-height, and then measure the distance from pole to pole.  then figure the amount of travel you'd like.  once you have those measurements you can start looking for a shock that will meet your needs.  if you want dampening control you will look for such a unit.    and of course you will factor in the vehicle weight seek the right shock for your application.  if you are at extremes, or come from a vehicle application with little aftermarket support, you will find that you will begin looking at aftermarket, or custom dampeners.

[QUOTE=BOSOZOKU;60464]i'm also confused about the switches.  is it just a maximum and minimum height you can switch to?  do these kits allow you to slowly adjust the height to exactly where you want it?[/QUOTE]

there are two types of switches.  manual and electric.

manual switch is just a manual valve that lets air in, and another to let air out.

electric switches control electric valves.  the valve has the same function as the manual switch.

there is no max/min, like an on/off switch.  these are always momentary switches, which will allow you to tap, or hold, in order to regulate the amount of air being added or subtracted from the air bag[s].

the rate at which air moves depends on the quickness of your ability to actuate switches, and/or their speed to open/close.  another factor is the diameter of the path which air travels.  smaller plumbing means overall lower speeds, and larger is the opposite.

there are management kits that will either regulate pressure in the bags, or manage the height of the vehicle (independent of the air bags), both automatically adjusting air in the bags to reach the set height.

hope this helps.

airridepro.com = aim = chassistech = airbagit = a couple other names... all under the helm of joe morrow. Google any of the above names to read some awesome horror stories all over the net...
You VIP? Find a very reputable fab shop (pref one that builds high-end hot rods/muscle cars/classics) and just pay them 5K+ to build a setup specific to your ride.