Okay gents, Ill take AIR RIDE, but what kind?

[DJPardy]

I already sort of have an idea.

• Accuair B8 Sport kit "Bag-overs"
• Ailrlift V2 or Switchspeed?
• 1/4" or 3/8" line... does it matter much?
• 3 gallon raw tank (x2)
• 480 VIAIR compressor... I guess?
• Fittings on the bags or wherever I can connect an aux* compressor in case of emergency / system breakdown

What do you air suspension guys suggest? Any random tips?
I'm fairly electronically and car savvy so Ill install the management and lines myself and have my Porsche Gold Cert. tech buddy do the heavy lifting. (For which I will pay handsomely).
What else do I need to know to do THIS ALL THE RIGHT WAY.

Bknewtype helped my start my journey as did mops, just looking for technical crap now. Ill be taking the plunge as soon as I feel comfortable with the number in my bank account witch will be in a month or so.

[V8Star]

I really liked the Airlift kit I had on my B8.5 S4. Their struts + bags combo was great, the damping adjustment allowed me to dial in a great ride suitable for the car. The V2 management worked every time and never left me stranded. I ran dual 444cc compressors, the fill was pretty quick. I didn't want a lot of noise in the trunk, run time for the compressors was usually less than a minute or so. Make sure you go 3/8 lines, these cars are heavy and smaller lines will slow down the rise significantly.


I would suggest picking up a water trap or two if your kit did not come with any.

[HearMeSpool]

I've had a bagged Coupe Deville and Impala in the past... but what's the cost to bag an A5???

[salhiehm1]

Had v2 management and loved it. Amazing and never had a problem! Highly recommend that

[bknewtype]

glad to help. hope everything works out

not sure if this would help but this is my setup:

v2 autopilot management
front performance struts
bilstein rear shocks
compressor harness
4 gauge power supply
4 gallon compressor
VIAIR 444C COMPRESSOR DUAL PACK
3/8" LINE
dual water trap kit

[Beast]

I really liked the Airlift kit I had on my B8.5 S4. Their struts + bags combo was great, the damping adjustment allowed me to dial in a great ride suitable for the car. The V2 management worked every time and never left me stranded. I ran dual 444cc compressors, the fill was pretty quick. I didn't want a lot of noise in the trunk, run time for the compressors was usually less than a minute or so. Make sure you go 3/8 lines, these cars are heavy and smaller lines will slow down the rise significantly.


I would suggest picking up a water trap or two if your kit did not come with any.

Hey are you going to bag the rs?

[Jester2893]

Honestly I really thing when you are comparing just pressure based systems it comes down to preferences. I have a Ridetech pressure based system and chose it over v2 and accuair for many reasons.

I have handled the v2 controller on multiple occasions and for me I do not like the interface. Also my system allows me to add height based sensors to my system so I have a pressure and height based air system which is as accurate as it gets. I am not saying my choice was better it just fit my needs for my driving habits and the overall build.


For most many won't notice the differences of a height based system versus a pressure based system, however with my wheel/tire combination I noticed the disadvantages of a pressure based system quickly. I had a b6 s4 and it was bagged using just a pressure system. I was running an aggressive wheel setup and when I would take corners hard the one side one sag down to air transfer and it would rub. If I had the height sensors installed at the time the sensors would have prevented this from happening but adding more air to those bags.

Feel free if you have any other questions to ask. Or check out my build which I'll be doing my install in a few weeks

[DJPardy]

This is all very helpful. I suppose I should go with the 3/8 line to rise quick enough for speedbumps and potholes. My concern now is that when using the stock struts, do you guys think they will allow for the car to even touch the ground? Or will they not have that much travel?

[Jester2893]

This is all very helpful. I suppose I should go with the 3/8 line to rise quick enough for speedbumps and potholes. My concern now is that when using the stock struts, do you guys think they will allow for the car to even touch the ground? Or will they not have that much travel?

I have personally had better luck with 1/4, it's comfortable and doesn't hop you up when air up or down, however that is a personal preference again.

I had a 3/8 setup on my old mk4 like 5 years ago and it was just too bouncy for me but they do make controls now they you can install inline and dial the pressure down to get the perfect amount. Your going to want some bilstein or koni shocks for the rear, this is going to allow the best ride quality as well as lowest amount of drop possible, they are specifically valved for air.

Bagriders.com is a great source

[DJPardy]

But I want to retain ADS if I can. My worry is that I'll get bags and not be able to air out all the way because the shocks will bottom out.

[Jester2893]

What's ads? Probably something simple haha. Most likely you will run 19" and if you tuck the wheel will bottom out on the fender long before you bottom the shock out.

This was my s4 with 17" and koni rear shocks.

[DJPardy]

Audi Drive Select. I want to keep the magnetically adjustable dampers so I dont lose the ability to stiffen/soften the ride.

Sweet B6 btw!

[Jester2893]

Ohhhhhh hmm that's a new one for me. That is something I don't have experience with. I'm sure there is a special setup specifically for your car though. I would give bagriders an email and see what they suggest.

Thanks I'm excited for my b8 a5 to be bagged soon!

[DJPardy]

Just sent Mike @ Bagriders an email and will wait patiently to see what he thinks. Ill report back here when I know.

For now, enjoy these pics of my old car.
My B5 S4.

[diirk]

I worked with Chaz and Andrew at Open Road Tuning when I did my last car, a Subaru BRZ. I was one of the early adopters for that platform. They were great to work with and I got an amazing deal from them.

We went with 1/4" line for several reasons.
1. It's easier to route and work with since it's more flexible.
2. It does slow the rise of the car. Not really enough to be noticeable, but it makes the transition less abrupt and smoother.

I ran a single 3 gal seamless tank and a single 444c compressor. I had very limited space to work with and this was all I could fit in the spare tire well. Water traps are definitely recommended. I also ordered the Exo mounts which make for a very clean install, but ended up not using them due to space constraints. I had the V2 controller and was happy with it. There's a wireless version and updated V3 coming out very soon. I'm a track guy, with the suspension set up correctly, I didn't have any rubbing and minimal body roll. The system does not allow the air to transfer laterally due to body roll or increase lateral pressure. Overall, the handling and ride quality was comparable to a decent set of coil-overs.

I'd recommend giving them a call. They're very big in the VW/Audi world and have a lot of knowledge.

[ExhaustNote]

Audi Drive Select. I want to keep the magnetically adjustable dampers so I dont lose the ability to stiffen/soften the ride.

Sweet B6 btw!

Ads on the a5/s5 is not magnetic.

[lsondubz]

airlift

[DJPardy]

Thank you diirk. I appreciate the help. Ill give them a call tomorrow.

[DJPardy]

Have yet to hear back from Chris @ BagRiders. Maybe on vacation or sick? Do they usually respond quickly?

Anyway. Wondering if anyone has recorded/noticed the difference between fill times when using a single compressor vs dual. And what size is recommended? The biggest I can get?
Just looking for a little more knowledge. I want to know everything i can before I pull the trigger.
Thank you all for being helpful.

[Jester2893]

Have yet to hear back from Chris @ BagRiders. Maybe on vacation or sick? Do they usually respond quickly?

Anyway. Wondering if anyone has recorded/noticed the difference between fill times when using a single compressor vs dual. And what size is recommended? The biggest I can get?
Just looking for a little more knowledge. I want to know everything i can before I pull the trigger.
Thank you all for being helpful.

Usually a response day or so is the norm.

Fill times with one compressor versus two is directly related to the compressor or compressors you choose and tank size. There are fill times for each major compressor from the viair lineup posted online somewhere.

Typical combination is a 5 gallon tank and dual compressors however it depends on your personally needs and how you want it setup in the back of your car too.


Personally I would decide what kind of look you want for the back trunk and then find out what fits within your needs. Some people wanted hidden setups so this would restrict you to a 3 gallon and a single compressor some don't care about hidden and can get a 4 or 5 gallon and dual compressors.

Regardless I'm pretty sure the best power output versus noise ratio is currently the viair 444 compressor.

[DJPardy]

Dual 440s with 2x 3-gal. tanks is what I've been looking into. Ideally I want to mount it all on the underside of the rear tray in the trunk. But I've also been looking into spare tire well setups and cant really decide what I'd rather have per cost effectiveness and spacial saving...ness. I also don't want the compressors to be running for an irritating amount of time (over a minute-ish) so I'm going to spend the money to make this so.