If you had someone in the trunk, and took the car up over 65 for the Air to lower itself on the hiway, and had that person flip the switch to shut off the Air Ride, would it stay lowered?

yes

What is the official amount the Mark lowers by? one inch? Thats awesome then

Provided you didn't have any leaks to make it go lower, it would stay there. And no, I'm not volunteering. :D

I've got a couple of people I'd like to volunteer but I'm not sure they'd be capable of pushing the switch once I put them in the trunk!

LOL, plenty of woods out by me...

Sounds like a great alternative for lowering though, no one else thought of it?

the gen 1's lower .8 of an inch, according to the service manual.
gen 2's about .7 of an inch

Don't they lower the same amount when they're parked and turned off as well?

LOL, plenty of woods out by me...

Sounds like a great alternative for lowering though, no one else thought of it?

not really, its a pain, what happens if your car drops because of cold weather (bags don't have to be leaking), so then you have to air the bags back up and get up to speed to drop them again. Not worth it.

Don't they lower the same amount when they're parked and turned off as well?

I only hear my front end let air out, never looks like a difference at all.

I only hear my front end let air out, never looks like a difference at all.If I lean on my car right after I turn it off, I can feel it lower.

my back end only lowers

I do it at the track! :N

I get to the track and park in the staging lanes, exit the car and allow it to settle to 'parked height'. Pop the trunk and turn off the air suspension switch. Lowered and ready to rock!! :steering

Now I'm thinking I have to go outside with the measuring tape

it should be the same as ride hight to parking hight, even if senssor lowerd.

Ok, lets clear this up:
your Mark VIII has 2 heights.
1) parked/freeway
2) cruise.

when you start the car, the bags inflate to "cruise" height. if you accelerate above 55 mph for more than 45 seconds, they drop .8 inch(.7 for gen 2). If your speed drops BELOW 45 mph for more than 45 seconds, they begin to fill back up to cruise height. This ride height change can occur anytime you are driving, depending on your speed.

Once you park the car, turn the ignition off, and remove the key, you exit the vehicle. Once all the doors are closed, the air ride will "vent" to the "parked" height(again, the same height it lowered to when above 55 mph).

The venting when parked procedure can sometimes take up to an hour. I have seen(and heard) air ride vent the instant you close the last door. Then again, I have seen it NOT vent within 45 minutes.

Even if you sensor lower the car, it will still raise and lower .8 inch depending on speed. All the sensor lowering does is give the "parked/freeway" height a lower starting point. The car will still air up .8 inch(.7 gen 2) when started, or driven below 55 mph.

I hope this clears the questions up.

JP, I have heard by many that it is better to let the air ride work its magic when drag racing. The aired bags transfer weight at launch.

...so I've been told! :zgreenbou :gr_devil: :biggrin:

...
JP, I have heard by many that it is better to let the air ride work its magic when drag racing. The aired bags transfer weight at launch.


Weird, that's the first I've heard. I've always heard just the opposite! :rolleyes:

I've not really heard either....but I know one thing is for sure.......unless you have a perfectly smooth drag strip.....do not allow the car to be slammed.......it is SUCH a rough ride to the end...... :N :Bang :Beer

if anything, i say drop the rear bags, and keep the fronts as high as you can, it puts mor weight on the rear, and by doing that increases the torque transfer...just like the ramchargers did :)

if anything, i say drop the rear bags, and keep the fronts as high as you can, it puts mor weight on the rear, and by doing that increases the torque transfer...just like the ramchargers did :)


I partially agree. But now that you have the rear end lowered you also have an increase in angle on the axles to the differential. I race with the car raised up to get the chamber as close to zero as possible. The less the drag the more power to the ground. Weight transfer does help though. Next time I'll see if it runs faster up or vented... :)

Mike