If you have recently purchased an air ride kit, you may have some questions regarding where to start when it comes to installing it on your car. We are here to break down the steps so you can rest easy knowing that you installed your new air suspension both correctly and efficiently.
Start with your Management system
We know, we know, you are excited to get your shiny new suspension on the car as soon as you open up the box. The best course of action to take when tackling your install is to get your control system in and air lines routed FIRST. The reason this is so important is so you can continue daily driving your car while you plan out and make tweaks to your management to ensure everything is working so that you aren't stuck with a permanently aired out car in your driveway. Trust us, starting with your management and air lines saves you from a ton of potential headaches.
How to safely route your air lines
When it comes time to route your air lines towards the four corners of your vehicle, there are some things you should keep in mind to prevent any issues from arising once your car is back on the ground. For starters, make sure to keep your air lines a safe distance from any moving component underneath your car such as your drive shaft or control arms. Placing your air lines too close to these could result in a pinch or completely rubbing through your air line. Also make sure that they are not in close proximity to hot areas like your exhaust to avoid the risk of melting your air line. The final hazard to avoid is any sharp spots that may exist on exposed metal or underbody plastics of your car. If you route your air lines over these surfaces, you are bound to catch an unexpected cut on your lines resulting in a leak.
Install your suspension
Now you have reached the moment that you have been waiting for. Time to get your suspension into the car. When you are putting in your new air suspension it can be a time consuming process, so remain patient and take your time to ensure you are installing the suspension correctly. You shouldn’t feel like the car is fighting you to get it slotted into the factory mounting position. If this is the case, make sure you double check to make sure that the suspension you have lines up exactly with the year, make, model AND drivetrain of your vehicle.Simply put, make sure you have the correct parts before trying to force anything.
Double check for clearance issues
So now that your suspension is in the car, don’t immediately put the car back on the ground and drive around. Before you can go out and enjoy your new bagged car, check everything around your air spring for clearance and fitment issues. Rubbing a hole through your bag would not be a very sick way to kick off your air suspension journey so be vigilant and make sure there is enough room between your air spring and the unibody of your car. Then complete this process again when putting your wheels back on the car to make sure that you have enough clearance there as well. After this you should be safe to start enjoying your new air suspension setup!
Final Thoughts - The process of bagging your car
Overall, installing air suspension on a vehicle might sound like a pretty daunting task but it can be made very simple if you break down your install the way we have laid it out here. On top of this, there are so many resources available to help make that process easier such as forums or videos on the internet covering air suspension installs. If you find yourself needing a helping hand or run into some roadblocks throughout your air ride install, hit us up by calling us, through email, or chat with us on the website! We are more than happy to answer any and all questions you may have to make your experience easier so that you can enjoy driving your car on air ride!
Yeah, reading is cool and all but if you want to watch a video and get to bagging your car... this one's for you!
If you have any questions about bagging your car, let us know! Hit the chat button on the site to chat with us directly, shoot us an email at sales@bagriders.com, or give us a call at (844)-404-7344.
