more questions about air ride

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defflepp1

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ok so since i bought my car (94 mark VIII) every morning the front end would be all the way down and i would have to start it and the compressor would turn on and fill them up. but today i wake up and the front is just fine, kinda even looks to be in 4X4 mode. im not sure exactly what the ride height is supposed to be i would assume kinda low being its a sports car and all. so my question is could a bad sensor be causing my problems, venting to much before and not at all now? thanks
 
id put money on a bag leaking, colder weather exposes the cracks, last night must not of been as cold as the others. mine did the exact same thing when my rf bag went, and the otherside cant support all the weight
 
defflepp1 said:
oh so the 4x4 look is just stock ok
Click to expand...

Most of us on this site have sensor lowered our Marks to give it a sportier look. GO on youtube & look at the original Mark VIII commercials. You will see that they rode pretty high up. Sensor lowering your car is not only a breeze but it changes the look drastically.

I have the same issue you do except in the rear bags. 4-5 hours after I have parked my car it simply slams. Everyone will tell you to find the problem & fix it asap. I agree. In my case I can't because I'm broke but I feel your pain man! I feel your pain!
 
yes +2 sensor lower that bitch, and leaky bags will kill the compressor in the long run you might not think it leaks while your driving it but the compressor is working overtime to keep it up and will eventually die
 
Car might also not be going to "park" height when you shut the door... mine did that a few times... I just opened and shut the door and it went down.
 
defflepp1 said:
what problem would i run into if i sensor lowered it right with what im assuming to be a leaking bag
Click to expand...

IMHO it would be a complete waste of your time.
here is a pic of a 93 at stock height and a 97 stuck in 4x4 mode.

2x.jpg


Mine was in 4x4 mode because the vent was plugged.
 
Sensor lowering leaking bags is hit or miss...
sometimes it helps, most of the time it makes them leak worse.

If you put new bags on it, I wouldn't hesitate to sensor lower it.

Everytime I've sensor lowered a leaking air bag, it leaked worse.

Currently on my car I have one leaking rear bag, I "raised" the rear ride height and the car doesnt fall down overnight and it doesnt give "check air ride" at highway speeds, like it did before.

Hope this helps
 
my 98 looked like your 4x4 ford nut without a plugged vent, maybe the gen2's sit higher, cuz i remember i could see the entire upper control arm at stock height
 
thanks for all the good advice. witch would you guys recommend replacing with air shocks or just converting to coil overs
 
chicken said:
my 98 looked like your 4x4 ford nut without a plugged vent, maybe the gen2's sit higher, cuz i remember i could see the entire upper control arm at stock height
Click to expand...

I dunno, when I replaced my pump it came down to were the 93 is I guess it just comes down to were the sensor is set at.
 
defflepp1 said:
thanks for all the good advice. witch would you guys recommend replacing with air shocks or just converting to coil overs
Click to expand...

I just went to coils.

The coil conversion kit for all four wheels was about the cost of one front OEM strut.

You can get the Arnott strutts for about 155 each, which makes that conversion just a little more expensive then the coils. However, in doing some research, I found that the average lifespan of the Arnotts was about 1 year.

Eddie at AA says that the Arnotts are made better nowadays, so it may be that older conversions used inferior struts, I don't know. For me, I needed some assurance that I wouldn't be spending another 500 bucks on the suspension for the next few years (which would change if the OEM struts get to be in short supply) so I went with coils.

Now, having said that, if I could have afforded the OEM struts, I would have gotten them. And having driven on the coils, I'll say that if you can afford the OEM struts, get them. The ride was noticably stiffer with the air, and not in a bad way. I find the coils to be softer, which I do not prefer. That said, the car still drives and handles well, just not like I am used to.

As soon as I can afford to redo my air system, I will.
 
Kstills said:
I'll say that if you can afford the OEM struts, get them. The ride was noticably stiffer with the air, and not in a bad way. I find the coils to be softer, which I do not prefer.
Click to expand...

very few people will admit that ride quality suffers with a coil conversion.

I personally didn't like how the front of the car bounced and rebounded when you went over expansion joints and other road imperfections.

I agree with what you said.. 100%
 
XLRVIII said:
very few people will admit that ride quality suffers with a coil conversion.

I personally didn't like how the front of the car bounced and rebounded when you went over expansion joints and other road imperfections.

I agree with what you said.. 100%
Click to expand...

That's the part right there!

Noticed it as soon as I moved the car out of the garage to turn it around to do the back end. I have a big lip at the curb, and the front started bouncing like it was in Southern California. :rolleyes:

Maybe the coils are sprung for a non-LSC type ride, but it's softer then I like.
 
Yea air ride soaks up and dampens the bumps much better than coils..
 
Air struts are worth the money...Confident dampening of harsh road environments, sensor lowering capable, height adjustment with a asham8, and ability to slam while park with only a ray switch...I say it's worth the money

Oh, and capable of having a fastbag setup connected to it too without any fabrication of any adapters as with a fastbag airbags
 
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