Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 283 Location: Cambridge - England
Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 12:38 am Post subject: Air suspension - JZS161
Hey guys, long time no speak.
I've just treated myself to a JZS161. Love the ride height, and love the Abflug bumper, but in the UK we have ridiculous speed humps, and I'm going to struggle to get over them without killing the bumper. I don't want to raise the car as it'll look daft, and so am thinking of air suspension.
But I only seem to find bad reports about them (mainly relating to their truck products though) and remarks about them on the US Lexus forums don't give any information apart from "they're sh*t" which doesn't help.
Is anyone running air on here?? or can recommend somewhere for a complete kit?
Joined: 19 May 2008 Posts: 656 Location: Perth - SOR
Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 10:45 pm Post subject:
jump on VIPstylecars.com/forum, a huge amount of those boys run bags.
the airbagit stuff is generally shit, just low quality parts etc etc. really not a good quality kit especially if the car is driven a fair bit.
UAS kits are good, you can get them to suit your standard shocks or put them over a/m shock or coilovers. You cant drive very low with them though as the front bags rub on the A arm and split. So this is a definate disadvantage of this brand, but some people on ClubLexus dont have any issue as they dotn ride as crazy low as the VIPstylecars forum guys.
Airrunner is expensive but top quality and no-one seems to have issues with rubbing when low with those kits. Theyre a complete kit but often by the time you get UAS and shocks etc it isnt too much more for Airrunner.
K-Sport have just come out with an airbag kit. it looks a bit more compact than the UAS stuff so it may not have the rubbing issue. there's a guy called excluesive on clublexus/VIPstylecars who just installed it. it gets nice and low and he seems to recommend it. KSport has a bit of a bad rep too as it is sort of chinese stuff, but this kit seems pretty well made. It comes as a complete coilover with bag system and can be seen on the KSport US site.
Really theyre your easiest options for air bag kits.
You other option which pretty much costs as much as a bag kit is Cup Kit. These are cups that sit on top of coilovers and pump up with air to lift the car temporarily about 3" to get over bumps. Theres a few japanese companies who make these such as Roberuta and Tanabe but the Tanabe im unsure about and Roberuta very expensive. Platinum VIP from the USA just released their cup kit not long ago and it sounds very good, well made etc. prices vary, i emailed them and i think for the full kit its around $3-4.5k USD. obviously you can choose to either get just front pair or full set of 4.
So yeah, probably with the full bags id say KSport may be a goer or it you're cashed up go an Airrunner kit. Otherwise look into some Platinum VIP cups if you want to maintain normal coilover handling etc and just bump it up for certain bumps and obstacles.
but yeah, check out VIPstylecars as a lot of those guys run bags on various cars and have threads on it on that forum. certainly there will be lots of information for reference and also good contacts from the Vendors on there for kits.
You're lucky to have the 161 available. Because Lexus Australia sold the 160 here, the 161 is not elligable for import. There are a couple here that were brought in under the personal import scheme (own the car in Japan for 12 months & bring it in) and there are one or two 160's that have had the 2jzgte's dropped in, wtih 161 door trims etc.
Nice car Nick, what have you done with your 147? How far did you get modding that?
Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 283 Location: Cambridge - England
Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 12:03 am Post subject:
My first one, a silver one, I broke it for spares due to hard financial times, only took it to BPU level.
I recently brought a Kazz kitted, 6 speed manual converted green one, which needed some mechanical work due to owner neglect, but decided I really didn't have the time and sold it on, that has now been broken, as the guy only really wanted the V160 from it.
I was going to take a break from the Jap scene as been in it with various cars for the last 10 years. But then this one popped up just at the right time, so I snapped it up.
In the UK, the 161 is silly cheap really at the minute.
This one has had more spent on mods in the last year, than what I brought it for, so that's me
I just need to find 'decent' air suspension, at reasonable cost, and I won't be touching it anymore. _________________
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