Air Suspension

[CaliUser]

Has anybody have experience of air suspension systems and are they worth it self leveling is a possibility for systems with air on all four wheels I just wondered what the general consensus is

 

[sebking]

In context to Cali's/T5's the AA used them but seems most people pull them out - what are you trying to achieve?

Range Rovers and the like have used them for a long time but rubber ages and compressors pack up so they are pricey to repair.

Seb

 

[CaliUser]

Well I suppose the self levelling sounds quite attractive the VB air suspension set up offers this and claims a better ride. I don't really have an issue with the ride ours is on 17's not 18's (which look nice) for this reason. So from what you have said (thank you) it does not sound like it's worth it cost complexity reliability etc. However do you have any idea what the rational behind the AA having it is they would be doing loads more miles than we ever will so I guess they were not worried about reliability equally I guess not concerned about longevity issues as they don't keep the vans for very long. It's just one of those things a bit like the 4wd because it's there it makes you wonder. Ours is 2wd seems fine for my usage apart from the rare snow we get it's quite a price to pay for very occasional need and it sound like air is a bit similar. Maybe if I was desperate for 20" rims and still wanted a decent ride then it would be worth it but I was only intrigued by the self levelling we don't really have room for ramps.

 

[gatvol]

I had the OEM air suspension in a 2002 p38 range rover and it was an expensive pain in the @rse.

Pumps go, the springs go, the self levelling does not level that well when the car gets older. The system is inherently flawed as a pipe split could cause chaos (though this did not happen with me), when this happens you run it at low speed on the bump stops. Mine needed 4 new air springs at 5 yrs old but hardly anyone including so called specialists can reset the relevant computers. Numerous air suspension systems in range rovers have been replaced with steel springs as owners reach breaking point on the issue. It is indeed the biggest issue with these unreliable but wonderful cars. Look at how many 10 year old range rovers look like they are not level when you see one on the road

Air suspension generally poor at low speed as well.

Unless a jolly good reason, I would steer well clear. In the range rover it gave massive wheel travel so that was the argument for having it so the car could conquer outrageous terrain

 

[JockMacMad]

Well the system on the Phaeton works a treat. Super smooth ride. Self-levelling also does exactly what it says on the tin.

Finally the ability to raise the suspension when going over rough terrain is a nice to have. Above 70 mph it lowers to normal/default setting and at about 100 lowers slightly for drag.

Coupled with 4 comfort settings from take sea-sickness tablets to more solid than a rock out crop I rarely move it off normal unless it's scottish A roads with 4 adults and full luggage. Mind even at that the self levelling just works. And it handles 2.75 tonnes so not quite a Cali but close.

As far as I know there are few failures at least from my time on the Phaeton forums on VWVortex.

 

[m4rky]

In context to Cali's/T5's the AA used them but seems most people pull them out - what are you trying to achieve?

Range Rovers and the like have used them for a long time but rubber ages and compressors pack up so they are pricey to repair.

Seb

The AA do use air bags on T5's but they use them as suspension assisters on the rear as they run both axles at their upper limits. They basically stop the van from dragging its rear which would not only look bad but also affects the towing ability.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[smgcowfoldparts]

I had air suspension retro fitted to my old Land Rover Defender 90 and it transformed the ride and handling. I had one problem in 100,000 miles which was a corroded solenoid valve that caused a leak. Mine wasn't self-levelling as for reto fit kits they weren't quite ready and on the mass market yet, but belive they are now.

Compared to a P38 system, mine was ioncredibly simple and very robust. I had a basic ride height that I could set the car to, and then adjust it was I went along, drop the front and or rear only, and go side to side. I also had remote controls on mine for loading which made a good difference as well.

Expensive system fitted and good fun, but not sure I would go through it all again to be honest.

cheers

 

[burko73]

Thread resurrection

I saw a Cali in a st Malo campsite last summer, a German or Swiss one which was absolutely level across/ up a sloping campsite. We were in our t4 stuffed up on levelling blocks and I guessed it was just one of the options the Cali had from new.

Just bought a Cali and trawling through options no self levelling....

It was a candy white original Cali and looked dead cool sat there dead level....

?

 

[timhutch]

A full Airride or similar system will give you 4 wheel air suspension and a levelling feature. This will cost in the region of £3.5K. The quality of this equipment is very high and technically quite interesting.

Partial systems with or without on-board compressors are available, if for example, you wanted to fit a manual system to the rear axle to give you opportunity to adjust for loading etc.

Personally, I am a great fan of air suspension, when executed properly, ie not from Solihull. I abused my Q7 for 150K miles, and never had any issues with it. As someone said earlier, the Phaeton/A8/Q7 etc have a great system with no known reliability problems. Having said all of that, if it did go wrong, I could imagine it bringing water to your eyes.

Throw something out to find some room for your ramps, is this is the only reason you want it.

 

[surfbus]

Hi Guys,
Almost the one year anniversary of the last post on this topic.
My Beach will arrive in the next few weeks and I am determined to improve on the "harsh" ride I've put up with for 3 years in my Caravelle.
Having driven a few Transporters and Shuttles, it seems that the suspension is lumpy regardless of the base derivative T5 vehicle. As others have said, driving over cats eyes can feel like driving over bricks.
I can already feel James reaching for his keyboard and typing something about Multivans Don't get me wrong, I love the flexibility and looks of my T5 and appreciate it is basically a van but anyone who has driven a Merc Sprinter or a Peugeot Boxer will appreciate the smoother ride over rough terrain.
I will definitely go for the Bilstein B14's from Vanstyle but wondered if anyone had any new info or recommendations on "Air Suspension".
Cheers,
Bill

 

[calikev]

You are in luck we have a great new partner that specialised in air suspension rosmia
Check them out. http://www.rosmia.co.uk. I saw it working at cotf last year and it looks great

 

[bvddobb]

We have the VB Air suspension that Rosmia sells under our Cali. If you have questions, feel free to ask!


Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met behulp van Tapatalk

 

[surfbus]

We have the VB Air suspension that Rosmia sells under our Cali. If you have questions, feel free to ask!

Thanks Bart & Marga,

Apart from the obvious "levelling" benefits, did you notice that the ride was smoother on rough ground after fitting the VB or was it already fitted when you got the Cali.
How long have you had it fitted and are there any problems or idiosyncrasies that I should be aware of.

Thanks Calikev I'll give them a call and see if they have a T5 demonstrator.

Bill

 

[bvddobb]

We've had it since last October, and no issues thus far. And yes, it is very comfortable and smooth. And more stable: the system keeps the car at constant height, no matter what the load or the distribution of the load, or the steepness of turns. Also very steady in turns.

Apart from the auto-leveling feature while camping, we also love the lowering and lifting pre-sets (parking garage level, -7 cm; 'sport' level, -2 cm; 'off-road', +3 cm, we have a 4Motion, and love to do off-road). There are 2 more pre-sets one can define oneself, or one can manipulate the height manually (max +/- 15 cm; in the max setting one can only do 5 km/h).

 

[surfbus]

Thanks Bart and Marga, sounds good.
I will let you know if I go for the VB System.
Cheers,
Bill

 

[James]

Hi Guys,
Almost the one year anniversary of the last post on this topic.
My Beach will arrive in the next few weeks and I am determined to improve on the "harsh" ride I've put up with for 3 years in my Caravelle.
Having driven a few Transporters and Shuttles, it seems that the suspension is lumpy regardless of the base derivative T5 vehicle. As others have said, driving over cats eyes can feel like driving over bricks.
I can already feel James reaching for his keyboard and typing something about Multivans Don't get me wrong, I love the flexibility and looks of my T5 and appreciate it is basically a van but anyone who has driven a Merc Sprinter or a Peugeot Boxer will appreciate the smoother ride over rough terrain.
I will definitely go for the Bilstein B14's from Vanstyle but wondered if anyone had any new info or recommendations on "Air Suspension".
Cheers,
Bill

lol not at all - but I think there are more suspension options (not air) for european T5's. I wouldn't say the ride is harsh - it handles like a van, and you can't change that can you unless you go fro something very different.

I think air suspension is a great mod, it wouldn't be for me but I think it is very interesting, we saw a very good system at COTF last year

James

 

[surfbus]

Thanks James, I was a bit concerned that you weren't going to respond, thought I might have to put a bigger worm on the hook. :lol:

In general, the ride is pretty good for a van and even with the standard suspension height you can still throw it round corners without too much body roll. On motorways and good A roads the ride is pretty smooth and the springs soak up the long rolling undulations, my only gripe is the way it handles the smaller imperfections in the road surface and seems to magnify them.
I'm no suspension expert and maybe expect a bit too much from standard springs and shocks.
The Bilstein B14 upgrade would obviously improve handling, however I am not sure if it would make the ride any smoother.
I would hope that air suspension would soak them up but have some concerns over the long term reliability and therefor the future running costs of this option. My last 5 series BMW Estate had one of the self levelling bags fail just outside of warranty ..... ouch!
I'm not worried too much about affecting the warranty on the Beach as I had a coil spring break on my Caravelle when it was less than 3 years old but it was treated as a "consumable" item like disk pads and tyres and not covered by warranty.
Still undecided.

Cheers,

Bill

 

[James]

Thanks James, I was a bit concerned that you weren't going to respond, thought I might have to put a bigger worm on the hook. :lol:

In general, the ride is pretty good for a van and even with the standard suspension height you can still throw it round corners without too much body roll. On motorways and good A roads the ride is pretty smooth and the springs soak up the long rolling undulations, my only gripe is the way it handles the smaller imperfections in the road surface and seems to magnify them.
I'm no suspension expert and maybe expect a bit too much from standard springs and shocks.
The Bilstein B14 upgrade would obviously improve handling, however I am not sure if it would make the ride any smoother.
I would hope that air suspension would soak them up but have some concerns over the long term reliability and therefor the future running costs of this option. My last 5 series BMW Estate had one of the self levelling bags fail just outside of warranty ..... ouch!
I'm not worried too much about affecting the warranty on the Beach as I had a coil spring break on my Caravelle when it was less than 3 years old but it was treated as a "consumable" item like disk pads and tyres and not covered by warranty.
Still undecided.

Cheers,

Bill

Hi Bill

I don't think air suspension is a bit idea - everyone talks of amazing results, i guess it depends what you want, it's a lot of money but then, what isn't when you're making serious upgrades.

It would be something I'd consider in a full Cali, I am not so sure in a Beach, but it's personal taste. I don't think the Beach is as refined as a Caravelle or a full Cali, but maybe that's just how it feels to mw.

James

 

[Martin]

For anyone interested in air suspension it would be worth calling Ryan at Rosmia who are a new club partner and will be offering a VIP discount.

They will also be displaying at COTF again this year in July.

 

[surfbus]

Interesting suspension info on this vwt4forum thread. http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.p ... t=bilstein.

Chap from Rosmia (Heath) called me today to confirm that they have a T5 demonstrator so I will be checking it out next time I have a job in the Crawley/Brighton area.

Bill