[matt91112011]

Hi guys,

I've got the Calmini 3" system fitted to my car and a 2" body lift. I've noticed if I have alot of weight in the back the suspension sags. So I thought about getting 2" coil spacers or airbags on the rear coils.

What are the positives or negatives of each?

Do the airbags compromise flex?

Does anyone know of anywhere that makes custom airbags?


Cheers

[squibby]

I thought that generally spacers are better for coils and air bags for leaf springs

[Lockie666]

Airbags are shit and expensive. Go the spacers. Airbags won't help unless your towing something or have loads of weight in the back.

[Fatzook]

Lockie666 wrote:

Airbags are shit and expensive. Go the spacers. Airbags won't help unless your towing something or have loads of weight in the back.

Did you read the question at all?

matt91112011:

Consider the airbags mate. (helper bags)

How they work......

Effectively, they increase the spring rate of the coil. So when you have alot of weight in the back you can pump them up a few PSI at a time until you are happy with the height/ handling. You can run between 5psi and 25psi? in them I believe, which gives you a fair amount of adjujstment. Most helper bags will help with loads od up to 400kg.

Coil spacers will only correct the static height of your vehicle. If you carry a heavy load they will not increase the coil rate ( which is what is required to carry heavy loads) and your axle will just go straight to the bump stops all the time.

Go talk to an airbag dealer and get some more info on them.

[boostedbrick]

I have mate who runs airbags on his troopy, and is very happy with them. He has the valves on his rear bar and can change the pressure in the bags in seconds, reckons its great for when they unload at a camp site and go for a drive, he just drops the pressure out.
Only complaint was he punctured a bag on his last trip out Simpson desert way and could not get a replacement for quite some time. It basically left him dragging his ass through the dirt till it could be fixed.

[Fatzook]

boostedbrick wrote:

I have mate who runs airbags on his troopy, and is very happy with them. He has the valves on his rear bar and can change the pressure in the bags in seconds, reckons its great for when they unload at a camp site and go for a drive, he just drops the pressure out.
Only complaint was he punctured a bag on his last trip out Simpson desert way and could not get a replacement for quite some time. It basically left him dragging his ass through the dirt till it could be fixed.

Yeah it pays to carry a spare bag for long trips. Easy to chage if you have a high lift jack.

[jonno_racing]

always wonderd what kind of $$$$ figure are they?

[Chop]

I had polyair airbags in the rear of my VX commo wagon.I used to carry my tools in the back. They worked very well, i chewed out a set ot tyres on the inside in 7000kms before i fitted them
They were a little hard to fit into lowered heavy duty springs though

[Fatzook]

jonno_racing wrote:

always wonderd what kind of $$$$ figure are they?

I believe a pair of poly-air helper bags are around $500.

[got_bar_work]

Only problem is that the bump stop is in side the coils so I don't think they would work
Commo air shocks maybe
Crude but do work
Just get some better coils
I have heaps heavy custom coils in the back of mine and it still flexes my 600 long commo shocks. They were only $300 to get made

[dank]

I'm a firestone dealer, and they only make bags for GVs, no listing for a vitara. although if you are interested we could probably get something to fit if you give me the internal ID of your coils and the distance between the top and bottom of the coil while the vehicle is at ride height with no load.

Looking at around $330 for a firestone Coil-Rite Kit.

[matt91112011]

Sounds good to me. I'm in hospital for a couple of days, but when I get out I'll measure them up and send you the dimensions.

Cheers

Matty

[matt91112011]

got_bar_work wrote:

Only problem is that the bump stop is in side the coils so I don't think they would work
Commo air shocks maybe
Crude but do work
Just get some better coils
I have heaps heavy custom coils in the back of mine and it still flexes my 600 long commo shocks. They were only $300 to get made

Hmmm didn't even know you could get custom coils, I'll have to look into the option as well

Cheers

[skyman]

Air bags are way cool. I had some ride rite bags on my truck before I sold it, and I wish I would have removed them before it sold.

What they effective did for me was make my truck able to carry a very heavy load safely when aired up (or stiffen up the ride for handling on the freeway), then when i was unloaded it let the suspension be nice and soft like a car.

Ever drive a full size pickup with overload springs empty? You know how they bounce, buck and hop especially over railroad tracks?

Well with air bags you don't need those big heavy springs so the rig rides smooth empty, and doesn't squat when loaded.

My vote goes to air bags in a big way.

[dave91]

What's the price difference between the two?

[MG410]

red polyair about $280,I run a set on vitara & maruti and never had problems.Vitara bumb stops unscrew for easy removal and bags,air hose easy fit

[matt91112011]

Sounds excellent! Do the airbags just screw into where the bumpstops were? Dont you need to run bumpstops or are the airbags good enough to be a bumpstop?

Matty