Air suspension?

[racingbeast]

Just wondering, what do you people think about replacing a Q45a active suspension w/ air suspension? I was thinking of this b/c this allows me to adjust the ride height, and allows me to install bigger rims. However, I've heard that the air suspension does not fair very well in cold weather. Why is that? I know you ppl like the Q45a, and would suggest restoring it, and i also know restoring it is only 1200$ from Keith, but I'm just wondering what's good and bad about it.

[Rex]

Comparing the active and an air bag is not fair.

The active suspension system continuously measures and adjusts the suspension as the car turns/maneuvers to decrease body roll and maintain a level "attitude".

Air bags (primarily) serve the function to lower or raise the car (much more) at the drivers request, with little to no cosideration on how the car is leaning/body roll during turns, etc.

Long story short, 2 completely different things, and I would imagine a complete air bag system would require you to replace the "in need of rehab" active components as well.

[heywier427]

not that i know anything about the active susp., but i remember reading that you can hook up an after market device to control the ride height on the active. it will not be as a drastic drop as a bag but you wont have to change the entire setup.

if that helps at all

[lino]

How do you feel about restoring it and using one of these?

http://store.yahoo.co.jp/carsh....html

Check out these threads:zerothread?id=125846

zerothread?id=88332

zerothread?id=54367

[96Qowner]

GreenQ45a installed an aftermarket controller. I got these threads with a search for "active controller":

zerothread?id=65370

zerothread?id=92684

zerothread?id=120540

zerothread?id=132600

zerothread?id=125846

[racingbeast]

Are there any videos of these controllers in effect? like how they look from the outside, how it goes up & down, and with the car in movement?

[lino]

Closest thing I could find:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl2m5f16iyM

[ScottJackson]

You need to convert to airbags and give your old active actuators and flat accumulators to me! I have an active Q that I recharge and one of my strut accumulators is leaking and my two rear actuators have small leaks. I like the active, but I'll either have to find some good used parts or do the dreaded "C" word (conversion). There are air suspensions out now at least for some of the old muscle cars that handle rather well. They're expensive though. A standard air bag suspension will get soft when it's low and firm with high ride height, exactly the opposite of what most people want it to be. It's not very similar to the stock active suspension.

[bruce.weiland]

Lino,

To the best of my knowledge the two guys in the group could never get the controller to do much for them.

One was impressed with lowering his car 1.5" at freeway speeds.

Raising or lowering the car changes the camber.

Because the OEM controller has a heigh switch, one might choose to do the following; put the switch in the up position and have the car aligned to spec.

Assuming that most of one's driving is around town then the aligment would be correct for "in-town" driving. The OEM program lowers the car to its lowest level when speed is above 43mph.

I forgot to mention, that one would want to "adjust" the ride height sensors so that the car "thinks" it is sitting higher than it actually is. That way one can get "high" to be the "normal" height and when the car lowers it will 0.8" lower than normal for higher speed driving

[racingbeast]

this was on an active suspension? dang that moves fast... any idea what the JDM VIP cars use on their suspension? i heard they use air suspension. any videos on that? thanks for the feedbacks!!

[Rex]

this was on an active suspension? dang that moves fast... any idea what the JDM VIP cars use on their suspension? i heard they use air suspension. any videos on that? thanks for the feedbacks!!

From what I've seen, read and can tell, the JDM cars you see in mags/videos are "on air". And it's for looks. Very few cars are driven "slammed" like that. You should be able to find LOTS of information about air ride and bags type suspensions, unfortunately (for you), very little of that information will be found on NICO.

[Jesda]

Air ride is used in cars and trucks mostly for load leveling. Lexuses, Lincolns, and Cadillacs use it to keep the back end up while carrying lots of passengers and luggage or while towing. Packards (Packard invented load leveling) did it with some kind of mechanical mechanism.

The Lincoln Mark VIII automatically lowers itself upon reaching 55mph, and raises itself again when coming off the highway. It really is cool as hell.

Air ride is no replacement for active. Its just different. Restore the active!

[bruce.weiland]

Racingbeast,

Did you ever check out the links I posted on your active suspension thread?