Thoughts on RideTech air suspension for 04 Cobra?

[Rainmaker]

Thoughts on this kit?

http://www.cjponyparts.com/ridetech-complete-air-suspension-system-level-2-1994-2004/p/12140299/

Assuming this is a street driven Cobra, and you are running 18" CCW Classics.

I see the value in this because you can lift the nose over steep driveways, speed bumps, etc - but Im not sure how these compare at all to a proper coilover setup.

I do like the idea of being able to easily and quickly adjust your ride height depending on the conditions, and if they come close at all to standard coilover setup in terms of performance Id be interested.

 

[oldmodman]

Other than being REALLY REALLY expensive the air spring/shocks work great.

There was a very detailed thread about doing the installation a long time ago. The guy went all the way with computer control of ride height including a metering system that always kept track of the position of each wheel individually. After he had the system installed and set up it gave not only a comfortable ride, but could be adjusted for autocross, drag racing, soft street ride and so on. Plus when you parked the car you could put it in the weeds.

 

[03_uni-B]

I have run air ride on one of my previous cars, not a mustang though. A couple different setups actually. Personally, I loved the versatility of it. Park it slammed, then raise it and go for a drive. I am not familiar with the ride tech setup however. It does look like it is dampening adjustable, which with air ride is a great thing.

The ride will be strongly dictated by the pressure in the bags. In the raised position the pressure will be higher, thus resulting in a stiffer ride. And just the opposite when it is lower at a lower pressure. But the dampening adjustable shocks will help with lower pressures.

I am not familiar with mustangs on air ride, but am very familiar with air ride in general. Feel free to ask me anything and I can try and answer your questions. :beer:

 

[fitforspeed]

Air ride suspension looks to be for solid axle so unless your 04 Cobra has a swap won't work on the rear.

 

[03_uni-B]

Air ride suspension looks to be for solid axle so unless your 04 Cobra has a swap won't work on the rear.

According to ride tech it should work.

Here is a bagged cobra on SVTP

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/showthread.php?765543-Let-s-talk-about-air-suspension


My biggest piece of advice would be to do as much research as you can, and buy the right kit the first time around.

 

[Steve@TF]

i have it on my gt500. it rides better than any other gt500 i have ridden in. thats a huge plus for me. as i get older im seriously tired of the "lowered car" ride. and i track my car as well. just a quick adjustment of the shocks and it goes from soft to firm. lots of adjustment. the car handles amazing on the track. that's for sure.

one issue i have with my car (not sure about IRS cars) is when i pull in a driveway. i air it up for clearance but all of the air or weight or something transfers and one of the tires gets stuck. get out and look at the car and everything looks normal lol. it can be a pain. i have to hit driveways head on (aired up) or it throws everything off and i have to worry about getting stuck. i was leaving the Post Office once and their driveway is quite steep. i had to leave at an angle because of that and my car actually did get stuck for a few minutes until i forced it out. meanwhile cars waiting on me :read:

my tan is loud. i have to find a leak in it. just havent had time to mess with it. it empties after about two days. and takes a few minutes to fill up. everyone is like dafuq is that noice?? :??:

i dont dump it as much when i take it somewhere. usually just park. so it typically only gets slammed at the rare car show/meet i go to.

ive been thinking about yanking it and selling it since even used theyre still worth $$ but im afraid to get worse ride quality after lol

 

[Steve@TF]

i think that bagged vert is siiiiick. :bowdown:

if you like to impress at shows and meets, the bags really do it. before at car shows, no one really paid any attention to my gt500. just another one of many in the show. now way more people flock to it and take pics and ask questions, which was my goal.

i dont think its for every car. like super cars/exotics/sports cars. but for muscle cars i like it. just like it works for sick pro touring cars. no reason no to for a modern muscle car. i dont know about on a Z/viper/porsche/etc... but on a mustang/camaro/challenger/charger/etc... i saw go for it.

worst case, you unbolt it and sell the kit and go back to static or coil overs. its not like the oooold days where stuff had to be custom made or welded in. these kits are pretty solid now

 

[keith89]

I installed ride tech rear air springs and airlift performance air struts with airlift performance height based management system, 2 AIAIR 444C compressors and a 4 gallon aluminum tank. The tank is mounted under the rear package tray since I no longer have the speaker box. It tucks away nicely and uses very little trunk space. Overall, I think I may have net a gain of 5 lbs but the weight shifted to the rear of the car as the front air struts weigh much less than the stock bilsteins and springs. It rides as well as coil overs without the nvh and noises associated with them. Plus, you have the ability to change ride height easily. Really helps when driving around NYC or speed bumps and driveways. Also, I don't have to worry about whether or not my jack will fit under my subframe connectors. I can just air up the suspension and slip the jack in. Took about 2 days to install by myself but was not cheap.

Only reason I decided on air ride is because i moved a lot of weight off the front of the car(intercooler tank, battery, wiring, etc) causing the front to sit higher than the rear. My only options were lowering springs(which may result in the same problem), coilovers, or air ride. For me, air ride turned out to be the best option and I am glad i did it.

I highly suggest going with the airlift front struts and upgrading to adjustable shocks in the rear. I already had QA1 adjustable rear shocks, so it was one less thing to change. The airlift front air struts are very adjustable and do a great job of controlling the air springs.

 

[Rainmaker]

Thanks for the replies. So it sounds like there is quite a bit more that needs to be purchased other than what is included in the kit:

http://www.cjponyparts.com/ridetech-complete-air-suspension-system-level-2-1994-2004/p/12140299/

Also curious what the control panel looks like. Getting pretty excited about this.

Also, I wonder when the car is dropped all the way down if the wheels push into the wheel well liners, and how to address that

 

[keith89]

Thanks for the replies. So it sounds like there is quite a bit more that needs to be purchased other than what is included in the kit:

http://www.cjponyparts.com/ridetech-complete-air-suspension-system-level-2-1994-2004/p/12140299/

Also curious what the control panel looks like. Getting pretty excited about this.

Also, I wonder when the car is dropped all the way down if the wheels push into the wheel well liners, and how to address that

did they say that kit would work with an irs car? It looks like its for a solid axle car since it includes control arms. If you are going with ride tech, you probably need to purchase their complete front end kit with management and add in the rear air springs. it may also be slightly cheaper that way. Not much else is really needed.
I have 315's in the rear and need to roll my fenders. I can air them out all the way because the tire hits where the rear bumper meets the body.

 

[Bad Snake]

I have been thinking about going with ridetech for a while now. Still in the " thinking about phase". Has any one tried drag racing with their kit? I am tired of my front d-spec with upr coil overs, rear d-spec and cut springs. I have three speed bumps on my street that i scrape on. If the air shocks could be adjusted to go from street to strip and raise the car for the speed bumps, that would be a win, with the exception of the price of the kit.

 

[03_uni-B]

Check out the Elevel system with the VU4 Manifold by Accuair. Had that management on a previous car and loved it.

Also, when considering compressors, Air Zennith OB2 is the best you can buy.

When it gets down to specifics on install, fittings and such I would be more than happy to help too. Checkvalves and water trap placements are important. You will also want a drain for the tank, and schrader valve.

 

[SlowSVT]

Doesn't the air spring provide s stiff ride at max height and a soft ride when it's slammed? If so I would think you would prefer it stiffen the spring when close to the ground for a lower CG and softer when it raised up for street driving.

 

[keith89]

Doesn't the air spring provide s stiff ride at max height and a soft ride when it's slammed? If so I would think you would prefer it stiffen the spring when close to the ground for a lower CG and softer when it raised up for street driving.

This is another reason why i went with the airlift front air struts. their struts are like coilovers in that they are threaded for length so you can optimize your height without sacrificing spring rate. The rear air spring from ridetech seems to provide a good compromise in spring rate variations at different heights. However, dampening will make a large difference as well. This is why i suggested going with the airlift front struts(adjustable dampening) and adjustable rear shocks.

 

[SlowSVT]

This is another reason why i went with the airlift front air struts. their struts are like coilovers in that they are threaded for length so you can optimize your height without sacrificing spring rate. The rear air spring from ridetech seems to provide a good compromise in spring rate variations at different heights. However, dampening will make a large difference as well. This is why i suggested going with the airlift front struts(adjustable dampening) and adjustable rear shocks.

Using air pressure to alter the ride height won't have any impact on compression and rebound damping rate in the shocks/struts. I'm not feeling it with this system as it will increase the spring rate as you increase the ride height which would make optimizing suspension tuning very difficult.

 

[03_uni-B]

This is another reason why i went with the airlift front air struts. their struts are like coilovers in that they are threaded for length so you can optimize your height without sacrificing spring rate. The rear air spring from ridetech seems to provide a good compromise in spring rate variations at different heights. However, dampening will make a large difference as well. This is why i suggested going with the airlift front struts(adjustable dampening) and adjustable rear shocks.

Hit the nail on the head.

Using air pressure to alter the ride height won't have any impact on compression and rebound damping rate in the shocks/struts. I'm not feeling it with this system as it will increase the spring rate as you increase the ride height which would make optimizing suspension tuning very difficult.

Very true, it will take some work to optimize your height along with the ride. But, in my experience, it isn't that difficult. Ridetech and airlift will both prove to you that air ride can be used in performance applications and perform just as well as coilovers.

this gives you a simple look at that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTrupjf-QFQ

However most people that use air ride aren't buying it for the "performance" factor as much as they are for the "wow" factor. I will be the first to admit that. It is great in the fact that you can lay it out at a show, then with the push of a button (or some managements the start of the car) raise the car and drive off.

 

[Knave]

I like the kit below, people have run similar style packages on many performer cars with great results. The most important part about this setup are shocks and struts. You don't have to use the cool ride shocks, adjustable Heavy Duty dampening performance shocks would be best IMO. Performance in air ride is about setting air pressure tuned to your dampening. Down side is depending on your setup, your optimal performance may be at stock height (many factors involved). You'll have to play around with it. Once you have a dialed in pressure you get your alignment done on that setting. Also, if you go with height control you will have to set your height controller where your best ride is at (for best performance). The height control can be a pain to install correctly but it will monitor your pressure at all times. I personally prefer digital preset controllers which would be similar to coil springs but on air :rockon:. I don't have air ride suspension but i have a few friends that are junkies for the stuff and constantly sharing their BS knowledge and needing a spare hand, lol.

Oh yea, new guy here but long time stalker.


For front:
http://www.ridetech.com/store/1994-2004-ford-mustang-coolride-front-system.html

For Cobra rear
http://www.ridetech.com/store/1999-2004-ford-mustang-cobra-coolride-rear-system.html

Nice article i read awhile back, however they opted for coilover style on the rear (not a fan). This car has changed recently to a drag setup, if i remember correctly it's no longer on air:
http://www.mustangandfords.com/how-to/chassis-suspension/mmfp-0609-air-suspension-install/

 

[SlowSVT]

Hit the nail on the head.



Very true, it will take some work to optimize your height along with the ride. But, in my experience, it isn't that difficult. Ridetech and airlift will both prove to you that air ride can be used in performance applications and perform just as well as coilovers.

this gives you a simple look at that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTrupjf-QFQ

However most people that use air ride aren't buying it for the "performance" factor as much as they are for the "wow" factor. I will be the first to admit that. It is great in the fact that you can lay it out at a show, then with the push of a button (or some managements the start of the car) raise the car and drive off.

I agree this is more suited for custom streetcars but you don't see too many air ride systems on road racers. A coil spring will provide consistent rate (assuming it's a straight rate spring) where an air spring is more of a rising rate the more the air is compressed which is often as used in vehicles to prevent bottoming especially where the load like in a truck can vary widely. Most road racers go with straight rate springs to maintain a consistent suspension geometry throughout the wheel travel.

 

[03_uni-B]

I agree this is more suited for custom streetcars but you don't see too many air ride systems on road racers. A coil spring will provide consistent rate (assuming it's a straight rate spring) where an air spring is more of a rising rate the more the air is compressed which is often as used in vehicles to prevent bottoming especially where the load like in a truck can vary widely. Most road racers go with straight rate springs to maintain a consistent suspension geometry throughout the wheel travel.

I hear ya, all makes sense. Air was fine and well on my Jetta, but don't plan on going air for the Cobra. But, I'm more than willing to share my knowledge from having run multiple setups. :beer:

 

[SlowSVT]

I hear ya, all makes sense. Air was fine and well on my Jetta, but don't plan on going air for the Cobra. But, I'm more than willing to share my knowledge from having run multiple setups. :beer:

Nothing beats experience

I always put a lot more resources in the chassis and suspension then the engine. Having owned a driven a number of early muscle cars I can say its not very inspiring to drive a car with more engine then chassis (and brakes). A car that handles well are a hoot to drive. My biggest peeve with the SN95 is the wet noodle chassis which Jack Roush called the "5th spring".