Do You Tow or Haul With Your TDI?

[DIESELprogrammer]

According to the following post, there is a set of air bag suspension inserts that fits into the rear coil springs on our A4 TDIs. The part number for the kit is a special order item sold only through Air Lift dealers, and even Air Lift doesn’t list an application for the number.

Air Lift Post

Here is a link to the kit at Summit Racing. The only place on the web that I could find the part number listed. They also have a better price than either of my local dealers.

Summit Racing Air Lift #80753 Web Page

 

[vwtdi04]

How do you pump the air ? do you need to purchase a pump ?

 

[DIESELprogrammer]

How do you pump the air ? do you need to purchase a pump ?

It comes with a “T” valve from the air bag lines that has to be mounted somewhere on the car. You inflate/deflate from that valve just as you would at the wheel valves to inflate/deflate your tires. So you call fill at any service/convenience station with an air supply or use your existing home or portable air compressor.

You do not need an on-board air pump.

 

[vwtdi04]

thank you..

 

[DIESELprogrammer]

thank you..

You are welcome, and a bump!

 

[newguy]

Yes I tow AND haul! I'm wondering if these bags will also fit the B5.5 Passat rear coils? Anyone know for sure?

I just got a popup camper and want to get some lift on the rear, as I'm going to be near or at the GVWR and want to keep the butt off the ground.

http://photobucket.com/albums/f307/TDInewguy/

 

[nicklockard]

I haul 2000 lbs of WVO

And my tow stinger scapes on speed bumps. I just bought the Summit racing air lift bags--as I will be towing heavy loads a lot more in the near future. Thank you DieselProgrammer for all your excellent work and posts!

Nick

 

[JetPuf]

I'll be buying these soon. I'm going to be towing the same stuff as nick. I'm curious if they'll fit into the springs of an A3... (bleachedbora's car)

 

[newguy]

aargh - I just bought the airbags for my passat thinking they were the same as the jetta... WRONG! well I don't really need them for the jetta, so does anyone want them? (or I could send them back to Summit racing)

anyone know what size I need for the passat?

 

[JetPuf]

how are they not the correct size? I think these are kinda a universal for springs. I found a sight installing them on a late model chevy blazer... how are they not fitting?

 

[newguy]

the bags i bought will fit the jetta rear springs just fine. The passat rear springs are much shorter and wider. the bags might fit but they would be real loose side to side and squished top to bottom.

 

[JetPuf]

hmm. I wonder how similar the passat springs are to the euro van... if something would work from that application.

 

[boots]

Do you still have those air bags? I'm interested.

 

[Slave2school]

I thought the Eurovan had a 1 ton suspension, worked great while loaded otherwise a "bit" rough even with the weight of the Eurovan on it.

 

[medrvmx5]

I think I will need to order this kit in the spring to make my boat towing easier.

Tony

 

[coal_burner]

lift in front

does anyone know if there are airbags i can get for the front suspension of my golf? I put oversized snow tires on my car every winter and i'm trying to find a way to get a little more clearance.

 

[nicklockard]

You didn't say what kind of car you had, but the Mark IV Golf/Jetta have a front strut setup, thus it is impossible to fit airbags up front I don't think the Mark V platform allows airbags up front either, but not sure.

 

[coal_burner]

front airbags

it's a 2005 golf. does that make it a mark IV?

 

[Slave2school]

If you live in Canada or the USA anything from 99-2006 named "Golf" is the MK IV

 

[NarfBLAST]

How are these air bags installed? Do I have to remove the springs?

 

[GoFaster]

Given that the springs are around the outside of the MacPherson strut, I reckon the only way this will happen is for the struts to be disassembled ... and given that OEM struts aren't designed to withstand air pressure, the only way this is going to happen on the front suspension is to entirely replace the struts with ones designed for use with air suspension.

$ $ $ $ $ but possible.

 

[GoFaster]

I just read what the original poster wants to do. Cheapest route is to install a "lift kit". On the front, it's basically a block that fits in at the top of the strut and raises the whole car up. No air involved, but it also doesn't allow easy change-over from one height to the other.

 

[NarfBLAST]

I just read what the original poster wants to do. Cheapest route is to install a "lift kit". On the front, it's basically a block that fits in at the top of the strut and raises the whole car up. No air involved, but it also doesn't allow easy change-over from one height to the other.

Cheaper would be to use rubber blocks like I did.

Here is a really good "lifting" thread: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=159231

 

[cowboyjack]

Has anyone installed the airbags? How did they work out?

I routinely haul twenty to twenty five bags of feed in my 98 A3, which works out to roughly 800 to 1,000 pounds, which I figure to be no more than three really hefty passengers.

I just air up the rear tires.

 

[Jeepmb]

Given that the springs are around the outside of the MacPherson strut, I reckon the only way this will happen is for the struts to be disassembled ... and given that OEM struts aren't designed to withstand air pressure, the only way this is going to happen on the front suspension is to entirely replace the struts with ones designed for use with air suspension.

I know this is from quite a few months ago, but I am curious if anyone can answer this. What do you mean by the "OEM Struts aren't designed to withstand air pressure"? Do you mean they aren't designed for it for structural integrity of the strut itself, or that the spring will come out of it's seat?
In theory, if you could have an air bag with a hole in the center (think a big tall cylindrical doughnut, structured to not greatly inflate the inside hole), couldn't you raise the front ride height without having to permanently modify the stock strut?

 

[Jeepmb]

^^ Never-mind, just needed to get a better understanding of what they were talking about on the Vortex site. But I was thinking of the right things, the Aero Sport

 

[GoFaster]

The application guide lists a Mk4 VW on the application list. Looks like they have a hole up the middle that's designed to seal against the strut rod on the top and the top of the strut housing on the bottom, so as to not rely on the stock spring seat (which isn't designed to be air-tight). You will have to disassemble the strut / spring / upper bearing in order to install it.