New Joiner - BMW E21 from Portugal

[Oh Damn, it's Sam]

You might look and see whether Bag Riders will ship internationally. They've got all the management systems you could ever want. Also, there's nothing at all wrong with a simple manual management system, and I'm sure that you can get the valves and such for that locally without too much trouble.

Don't let my warnings about additional complexity scare you off. An air install is doable by yourself if that's the direction you want to go. Afterall, I built my setup by myself in an damn alleyway

[JohnnyStance]

You guys probably have a diferent market, but from my researches I dont think in Portugal I can find air with that type of quality, and worse, someone with enough skills to set it up. Maybe a solid choice of some good coilovers will be the best for now.
Im only in doubt because i dont really like to spend money twice, so I was ready to go air already, but well...maybe its also good for me to learn more about these setups while running static, and then...we'll see.
After all, so much more to do on this old fella
Sam ( to make it shorter ) thanks a lot for the valuable inputs, it has been really helpfull!

[Oh Damn, it's Sam]

Yep, you can buy whatever management system you like by itself. I'm an e-Level fan myself, but you should consider your own expectations and budget to find the system that meets your needs best.

[JohnnyStance]

And can you buy management systems alone?

[Oh Damn, it's Sam]

I don't Facebook, so I can't dig into it too very far, but I will say the management system they're showing is not something I would run. To save money on valves, they're tying the left and right corners together, which is not safe. To prevent cross-flow when cornering (which can cause wild changes in effective spring rate and ride height), each corner needs its own individual valve.

You could, however, use the bags they offer with a different management system.

[JohnnyStance]

Gaz shocks coilovers 1238€
Air suapensio viair compressor 1660€
Facebook page for pics: www.facebook.com/airdsuspensao.airdsuspensao

[Oh Damn, it's Sam]

What bags and struts would you be going with at that price?

[JohnnyStance]

I can get coilovers for around 1400$ and air for 1700$, with viair 444 compressor. looking at this values, makes me consider air.

[Oh Damn, it's Sam]

Hello! Thank you very much for your help. Regarding stiffness is that a coilovers win, vs. air?

It depends on what you're looking for. Though air can perform very well in the handling department, were I looking for the absolute maximum in terms of performance, coilovers would be the winner. One key advantage to coilovers is that you can tune the stiffness of the suspension by swapping springs around. Suspension rate adjustment with air requires more complex adjustments, and if you require a stiff suspension, air cannot achieve particularly high spring rates, at least not without severely sacrificing suspension compression range. Essentially, tuning an air suspension system for that last little bit of handling is a more complex operation.

As for me, I'm a grumpy old man and I'm not very tolerant of bone-jarring suspension. My Mercedes is on air, and it both handles beautifully and is very comfortable to ride in.

I could find here products that would have only about 400dollars price gap, being of course air the most expensive, so I really am tempted to invest little extra and go for air.

Air done right can be more expensive than you might think. For even a very simple install with Air Lift builder kits and paddle valves, I would not budget anything under $2700–$2800, and that's assuming you can do the install yourself, including welding. If you want anything nice like an attractive install or height management, the price goes up from there. You may be able to cut that price down with local parts - I have no idea what the aftermarket looks like where you're at - but it's an expensive choice any way you slice it.

What are the complications you talk about? Does it require any particular maintenance?

Air does require a small amount of maintenance, but it's easy. It is a much more complex system, however, than coilovers. You're going from relying upon simple springs to hold your car up to a system that requires a minimum of two dozen pieces to all hold air pressure. You've got lines to keep out of harms way, fittings that can leak, compressors that can fail, and electrical that can lose connectivity. Air can be extremely reliable when set up correctly - I've got two years on my system and it's been superb - but you do need to plan and build your system carefully.

I think air is absolutely worth it for the comfort and for not having to worry about driveways and speed bumps, but it is a complex, expensive solution.

[oprahhwinfreyy]

hnggggggg that color is righteous!

[JohnnyStance]

very cool. that color makes it.

Well, its a keeper now, definetely. Thanks!

[JohnnyStance]

A lot depends on what you're willing to live with. Coilovers are simpler, more reliable, and considerably less expensive. They also can offer very stiff handling if that's something you're after. The adjustability of air is a huge advantage, but it comes with greater expense and complication.

Hello! Thank you very much for your help. Regarding stiffness is that a coilovers win, vs. air? I could find here products that would have only about 400dollars price gap, being of course air the most expensive, so I really am tempted to invest little extra and go for air. What are the complications you talk about? Does it require any particular maintenance?

Thanks a lot.

[JohnnyStance]

Hey, from Portugal too!!

Don't do much to the car! The colour, don't fuck it, leave it, please. It's fantastic!

About 15'', forget them! If you want to have minimal wheel gap and a little ground clearance (I bet you want), go for 16''! you should buy the wheels and tyres , roll with them some time and that legalize it! Don't do the homologation now.

The recipe is easy:
1- Lower it,
2 - Some 16'' vintage wheels,
3 - Some nice tyres on it.

Hi, where u from?

That was my plan, im just affraid to punish too much some 16" wheels with Lisboa city pavements...

Why should i roll with the setup some time before the legalization? That one got me curious... Thanks for the input.

[dbelanger988]

very cool. that color makes it.

[Oh Damn, it's Sam]

But is it true you can get lower on air than static?

Either option can let you go as low as you like, dependent upon the particulars of the setup. However, there comes a point on coilovers where the vehicle is so low as to be undrivable. Where that point lies is different for everyone, but at that point, the ability to raise your car to drive it is a huge advantage to air. That said, I find people on coilovers as low or lower than my car aired out all the time.

A lot depends on what you're willing to live with. Coilovers are simpler, more reliable, and considerably less expensive. They also can offer very stiff handling if that's something you're after. The adjustability of air is a huge advantage, but it comes with greater expense and complication.