Air Lift Installed!!! Lift Pic Added

Kayakkermit · Oct 6, 2006

Got mine installed last night, will be taking the trailer tonight so will have a good idea how much difference it makes.
I did not have time to install the onboard compressor though, that will be Part Deux in the setup.
I like the idea of being able to control from the cockpit, plus it has a built in regulator that will not allow the pressure to drop under 5 psi - 10 psi, depending on how you set it up - it will automatically kick in the compressor if it does.
These bags are the 1000 Model so are not supposed to be run under 10 psi.
I drilled the holes per DP's instructions, and left the hoses slack but tied off behind the liners, I ran the hose from the driver side right through a tube that already exists in the rear suspension. That will keep it safe.
I also taped the hoses where they come through the newly drilled holes, then glued them in using Shoe Goop - that will keep them from moving!
Time will tell if I have any leaks, honestly with as tight a fit as I found the tubing to be over the barbs, I would be very surprised to have any leakage there at all.

Slave2school · Oct 6, 2006

If you run 10psi in them all the time you likely feel considerably more harshness when there is nothing in the back of the car. It will corner like a go kart though.

uberdiesel · Oct 6, 2006

Slave2school said:
Mine are down, so are my dad's. He's driven further than I with no issues. I have them ziptied up tight against everything so they aren't just dangling around and it seems to work well. I'd also like to say that the spring clamps are all I've used and I don't have to add air to mine, however I don't run more than 15psi at the most and if I were goign to do it over again the silicone would be used.

Have you joined them using the T-attachment, or have you left them to be filled independently? On the driver's side, how are you able to keep 12" of clearance from the exhaust system?

Slave2school · Oct 6, 2006

Mine are T'd and I have the hoses all routed back along the torsion beam to the passenger side so I don't have them melted off.

uberdiesel · Oct 6, 2006

Slave2school said:
Mine are T'd and I have the hoses all routed back along the torsion beam to the passenger side so I don't have them melted off.

Sounds good: So the torsion beam provides heat protection and does not heat up itself? I think I'll do the same thing and have the air valve come out near the hitch (or follow whatever reasonable tie-down path exists to the rear of the car.

Slave2school · Oct 6, 2006

Yes is you place the hoses within the torsion beam you can protect them from the heat, i'm sure they still get toasty from the road in the summer and such but not much you can do about ambient air temp. Exactly what I did, to the centre of th etow hook where the hitch attaches there are some holes in teh plasic grey lower lip and I have the hoses going in there and used an existing hole for the valve to go through and attach. Not sure if yours will have the same holes but it should be similar.

uberdiesel · Oct 6, 2006

Mine came in today's mail. I hope to install it in the next few days...
Photographs will follow.
Summit Racing even sent me a cool black hat and some nice "airlift" and "summit racing stickers"!

Slave2school · Oct 7, 2006

I put the large summit racing sticker on my airbox

DIESELprogrammer · Oct 9, 2006

Slave2school said:
If you run 10psi in them all the time you likely feel considerably more harshness when there is nothing in the back of the car. It will corner like a go kart though.

Mine are at 20psi all of the time because I almost always have the cargo box on the back and towing when I don't. Harsher ride, but I like it level and the improved handling. I have run them at 50psi several times when loaded.

Slave2school · Oct 9, 2006

Cool it's nice to see that they can take long term punishment. I pump them up more before grocery shopping etc because having the rear drag isn't cool. This winter when I put the 15" tires back on I'll likely run a bit more pressure for gound clearance...it won't be any rougher than towing with 17" rims on I'd think.

DIESELprogrammer · Oct 11, 2006

Slave2school said:
Cool it's nice to see that they can take long term punishment.

And short term punishment as well. I did a 45-mile trip towing with about 500lbs of tongue weight – because I couldn’t shift the 3500lb load any more to reduce the tongue weight. Had the air bags pumped to 50psi prior to loading the trailer. I also had two coolers and gear in the back of the car for another couple hundred pounds.

uberdiesel · Oct 11, 2006

DIESELprogrammer said:
And short term punishment as well. I did a 45-mile trip towing with about 500lbs of tongue weight – because I couldn’t shift the 3500lb load any more to reduce the tongue weight. Had the air bags pumped to 50psi prior to loading the trailer. I also had two coolers and gear in the back of the car for another couple hundred pounds.

Heavy Duty, man. We need to add an "H" and a "D" next to your "TDI". You are inspiring me though!

uberdiesel · Oct 14, 2006

I got the driver's side bag installed today. It's just there, waiting for the rest of the install. I didn't get the black rubber disk in place at the top or on the bottom, nor did I get the air line fastened.

My hands are sore.

I commend you guys with creativity and manual dexterity. This stuff is not as easy as you make it sound!

I had teflon tape wrapped around the brass nipple, but I couldn't get the airline over it with the metal clamp opened, through the bottom rubber disk... I'm switching to silicone sealant.

How do I get the hose pushed onto it? Space is just so tight.

Next time I guess I shouldn't start when I know my son has a soccer game in an hour and a half...

Slave2school · Oct 15, 2006

I used some tiny needle nosed pliers to get the hose and the clamp through the rubber disk on the bottom.

wny_pat · Oct 16, 2006

uberdiesel said:
Next time I guess I shouldn't start when I know my son has a soccer game in an hour and a half...

And maybe get him to help you out with these things. Amazing what they can do if you let them, and also what they can learn.

uberdiesel · Oct 16, 2006

wny_pat said:
And maybe get him to help you out with these things. Amazing what they can do if you let them, and also what they can learn.

He and my other sons enjoy tinkering too!

uberdiesel · Oct 17, 2006

So, this afternoon I wrestled with the airbag and the spring on the passenger side for about an hour and then I dared to undo the strut from the bottom to allow the spring to exend fully. I pulled the spring out and worked the airbag into it. It's much easier that trying to force the bag into a partially compressed spring that's still on the car.

Tonight I'll pick up some extra long, extra thin needle nose pliers so I can get the clamps into place over the hose and the brass fitting.

Thank God. Thanks also to P. for telling me how to remove the spring from the car.

uberdiesel · Nov 1, 2006

My airlift 1000 install is complete... ready to tow!

Thanks to my mechanic friends in Rice Village, my Airlift installation is complete. Hoses connect to airbags at the bottom, join in a "T" and come to the schrader valve mounted in the rear passenger-side bumper valance. Yeehah!

coal_burner · Nov 20, 2006

front lift

does anyone know if they sell airbags for the front of an '05 golf? I put oversized snowtires on my car every winter, and would really appreciate a little bit of extra clearance in the wheel wells.

wny_pat · Nov 20, 2006

coal_burner said:
does anyone know if they sell airbags for the front of an '05 golf? I put oversized snowtires on my car every winter, and would really appreciate a little bit of extra clearance in the wheel wells.

The airbags are not for any of the VW. They are what guys have found that would fit.

Why do you run oversized snowtires? Are you talking height or width when you say oversized. The oem size tire, maybe a bit skinnier, are ideal.

coal_burner · Nov 21, 2006

In the winter my job requires me to be at work at 5:30 A.M.. Thats way before the snowplows are out in Detroit. I've had to plow my way through 8" snow with 1 1/2 foot drifts. I'm one of the only people that I know of that has A good reason for a large S.U.V. , but on principal I am trying to prove that an S.U.V. is not absolutely needed.
My snow tires are 225-70 R15 so they are taller and wider. they allow me to climb over drifts instead of pushing through them.

BrianCT · Feb 24, 2007

coal_burner said:
My snow tires are 225-70 R15 so they are taller and wider. they allow me to climb over drifts instead of pushing through them.

Tall and thin, not tall and wide.

You can do much better in snow, slush and rain-slush with a 205/75-15. Matter of fact, if you could get a 195/70-15 you'd cut through most anything.

One thing is important if you're looking for clearing snow away from your tire path is ridding any mud flaps that you've added to the fender wells. You want to throw that snow away from the wheel wells, not trap it against the wells. I never use mud flaps in the winter months and the snow/ice slush just clears freely from the wells when cutting through the bad stuff. The photo below are all-season Conti oem tires 205/55-16 without mud flaps and I never had an issue at stock ride height even in real nasty winters.

Not to get off the topic:

I've seen Oldpoopie's suspension airbags and his ton of tools sitting over the rear last Dec '05 when he did my timing belt. Those air bags are really impressive.

PapaBare · Feb 24, 2007

I agree with the the tall and thin.

When the OEM tyres wear out this summer, I think that I will replace them with a nice set of 195/70R/15's or 205/70R/15's. These will at least bring the speedometer closer to actual speed also, fill in the wheel wells better and give me a bit more ground clearance.
.

DIESELprogrammer · Feb 27, 2007

PapaBare said:
I agree with the the tall and thin.

Tall gives increase ride height and thin gives greater PSI onto the road surface for increase traction over wide. True for 4x4s and TDIs.

Does anyone have experience with taller/narrower tires and tire-chains. I have to use them at least once or twice a year and am concerned about diameter clearance and inside rubbing during turning.

silverbox · Apr 26, 2007

I just called airlift they recomended a kit 80777 which is 3.44" diameter and 7 inches in hight, has anyone used this kit? or is evryone using kit 80753, same dia. 8.75" high?
They said its better for them to be too short than too long.

evivant · May 15, 2007

airlift

Go with the shorter ones. I put the longer ones in and they are too long.

silverbox · May 15, 2007

I have the longer ones and haven't installed them yet my kit is #80753 is that what you installed?

uberdiesel · May 15, 2007

silverbox said:
I have the longer ones and haven't installed them yet my kit is #80753 is that what you installed?

I installed #80753 on my '05 Jetta Wagon.

silverbox · May 15, 2007

thanks uber.

wny_pat · May 16, 2007

PapaBare said:
I agree with the the tall and thin.

Me too! And I should know cause I live in the lake effect snow region south of Buffalo, NY. And I not only learned to drive in the stuff, but I have been driving in it since the early 1960s! And I knew about Nokia Hakka's long before I found the TDI Club.

Air Lift Installed!!! Lift Pic Added

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