Think it's time for springs
- Thread starter KaotikGT
- Start date
Roadboss
On Work Release
Here's the place to go to:
http://www.americanairsuspension.com/PARTS BY VEHICLE.htm
I think you will find two camps of opinions about going to the Coil Kits. One group swears that it's the best thing since sliced toast and the other camp will say that you sold yourself short in doing the conversion. Personally I am with the later camp. If you consider that the system on most of our cars are around 10 years old a few dollars, at this point in time, invested will keep everything good for another 10 years, and even longer if you put in a Spider Valve to protect the compressor and system.
http://www.americanairsuspension.com/PARTS BY VEHICLE.htm
I think you will find two camps of opinions about going to the Coil Kits. One group swears that it's the best thing since sliced toast and the other camp will say that you sold yourself short in doing the conversion. Personally I am with the later camp. If you consider that the system on most of our cars are around 10 years old a few dollars, at this point in time, invested will keep everything good for another 10 years, and even longer if you put in a Spider Valve to protect the compressor and system.
WEll said!
and in regards to teh spider valve..that thing is worth it's weight in GOLD.
Three years and 200K ago I put the first generation Spider Valve on my car.
I didn't even have a new compressor, but one that was FRANKENSTEINED from 4 different broken compressors.
I have over 200K on that compressor and it's still going STRONG.
+1 for air ride
+1 for spider valve!
george rothbart
Registered
so which conversion kit do you buy?
so which conversion kit do you buy?
Which conversion kit did you buy? Where can I get one? What did you pay for it? And did you have a mechanic do it, or did you do the conversion for yourself? I appreciate any advise you can give. Thanks.
so which conversion kit do you buy?
Which conversion kit did you buy? Where can I get one? What did you pay for it? And did you have a mechanic do it, or did you do the conversion for yourself? I appreciate any advise you can give. Thanks.
Metal springs wear out as well, they just don’t fail in as a dramatic manner as air spring. Therefore most people never replace them but they should. Also struts go on a lot of cars and are just as costly to replace as our air rides. I proactively replaced my front spring / shock assemblies after almost 10 years and 120k miles, the shock was getting bouncy but the springs held air just fine. The compressor was still going but noisy so I got one from Eddie. I saw no reason or value in converting the air ride. I still have the original rear air springs but replaced the rear shock and mounts twice. I bought my Mark new in the summer of 97.
Steve is correct, by the time my air bladders had sprung leaks the hydraulic portion of the strut was "long long gone".
most people dont replace the front struts until they "leak", when in fact they should have probably replaced them long before they "leaked air".
at 394,000 miles my second set of front struts need to be replaced because the hydraulic portion of the strut is "worn out".
I'm getting roughly 200K out of a set of fronts, which IMHO is well worth the expense in keeping this cars unique suspension system intact.
"your mileage my vary, not valid with any other offer, some restrictions apply, not valid in all areas, returns are subject to restocking fee"
most people dont replace the front struts until they "leak", when in fact they should have probably replaced them long before they "leaked air".
at 394,000 miles my second set of front struts need to be replaced because the hydraulic portion of the strut is "worn out".
I'm getting roughly 200K out of a set of fronts, which IMHO is well worth the expense in keeping this cars unique suspension system intact.
"your mileage my vary, not valid with any other offer, some restrictions apply, not valid in all areas, returns are subject to restocking fee"
In my experience that seems to be a very valid interval for replacement..give or take 20-30K either way.
I think it depends on where you drive just like a lot of other wear on a car. I live in an urban area about 10 miles outside of NYC. So a lot of ruff roads, a lot of stop and go and the air ride pumping the car up and down based on varying speed from traffic and such. Also a lot of climate changes from winter to summer. If you get a lot of miles from long stretches of smooth highway driving I am sure you can get a lot more out of it.
The roads here suck...some of the worst in the country.
The automakers in Japan have went so far as to duplicate one of our worst roads in the country at thier test track in Japan.
the road in question is I-10W from Houston to Lousianna.. it's horrid.
The surface streets here are really bad as well, due to the subsidence in the area the road suffer the most.
The climate here is just about as brutal as it can be, very vast temp swings...sometimes in a single day we'll have 40 degree differences in temps.
and we go from 100% humidity in the summer to 70% humidty swings in the winter.
Last night Humidity was 100%, today it something stupid low like 30%
Temp swings over the last couple of says were from 39 degree's to low to mid 80's.
Mother Nature HATES US...haha
The automakers in Japan have went so far as to duplicate one of our worst roads in the country at thier test track in Japan.
the road in question is I-10W from Houston to Lousianna.. it's horrid.
The surface streets here are really bad as well, due to the subsidence in the area the road suffer the most.
The climate here is just about as brutal as it can be, very vast temp swings...sometimes in a single day we'll have 40 degree differences in temps.
and we go from 100% humidity in the summer to 70% humidty swings in the winter.
Last night Humidity was 100%, today it something stupid low like 30%
Temp swings over the last couple of says were from 39 degree's to low to mid 80's.
Mother Nature HATES US...haha