I haven't really seen anyone talk about them, so I figure I'd ask. Are there adjustable air suspensions for the FType? I think the idea of them is really cool, and I wouldn't mind fitting one to mine if the prices are reasonable. At the same time I have only seen people fit in spring based suspensions to lower their car and I didn't really see many adjustable air suspensions on a quick google search.

I think slightly lowering the ftype would look neat, but living in a city with a LOT of hills and steep driveways, it would not be very practical. An adjustable suspension would be really nice.

Anyway my question: Has anyone done a swap to adjustable suspensions? What price ranges are we looking at?

Thanks!

 

Google "KW Suspensions". They have two height adjustable setups. Although neither of them are air and use a traditional "screw" type setup to adjust the height.

 

Ah are they adjustable on the fly? I thinking the type where you just press a button and the car raises/lowers in seconds, so I can drive over bumps without scraping.

 

I come from Mercedes SL, and adjustable suspension in my opinion is a car cancer. SLs are equipped with hydraulic adjustable suspension, basically entire car is like a backhoe with high pressure hydraulic fluid operating suspension and power top.

It is nice while it works, which is approximately 6 years or 80K. Then it all goes to **** and is very expensive and complex to fix. Valve bodies, dampers, pumps, sensors, controllers... You also can't drive the car if anything malfunctions - it sags to the ground and has to be towed on a platform. Never again.

When I shopped for a new car I made sure specifically not to get one with adjustable suspension. I researched struts on F-type to make sure these are variable damping and not hydraulics or air bags.

 

Ah very interesting! Thanks for that insight. How was the suspension performance: body roll, ride quality, comfort (i don't actually care at all about comfort), etc while it was working?

 

It was like a hover car. No lean whatsoever even on the track, you can raise the car to clear curbs, and it was very comfortable in daily driving. Still not worth it unless you just leasing new every 3 years.


Another wart that most drivers won't encounter - on the track you don't have car lean to help you understand what is car doing. Also, hydraulic fluid will overheat in about 30 minutes of continuous track time and force you to stop and wait for it to cool down.

 

Oh that's quite annoying, but it sounds like it does corner very flat at least for what its worth.

Sounds like this isn't really something I want to pursue. Do you know if this is a problem with all air suspensions or is it something unique to mercedes? I'd imagine mercedes would compromise closer to the comfort side of things rather than performance.

 

I only really know Mercedes. They have two versions - airbags and hydraulic. Both to be avoided on non-leased car.

 

Awesome, thanks

 

I am using since September 2010 my Range Rover Sport TDV6 HSE, purchased new, now around 70000 km, and the air suspension is a fantastic experience. Of course this is a grand SUV but just sharing, with 20'' wheels and such weight, quite a track, this system performed perfectly for me. In all speeds, driving modes, roads. The driver and passenger are privileged. I am a heavy foot driver and I drive in a country not famous for good roads, frenetic traffic and with dust present everywhere. Air suspension in a sport coupe? My answer would be: If the system does not betray your car, if there are no failures, the difference with a car without air suspension it is very very obvious.

The debate then goes to issues like weight, adaptability and dynamics more then the need for regulation of height-ground clearance, space, etc, that may explain why sport cars are built more with electric-magnetic shock-absorbs.

 

Aftermarket air suspension systems aren't really for what you're looking for. They are designed to lower the car as much as possible or improve ride quality... neither focus on retaining performance... your car will handle significantly worse. Honestly, I'd be really disappointed to see anyone put air bags on an F-type; sacrilege.

 

If handling gets worse then it's not worth doing anymore. Thanks for the info

 

I'd personally pursue it there was a possibility of keeping ride quality or improving it (i.e. improvement meaning better for the track). I'm on VAP springs now, but I wouldn't mind lowering the car a little more, but having the ability to lift the car an inch or so when driving on SF crappy streets would be awesome. Unfortunately I assume no aftermarket setup will allow such a dream to happen. Lambos come with a hydraulic nose-lifting lifting, so jealous.

 

The air suspensions today are pretty advanced. There is a record setting time attack WRX using air suspension. Beat the Road Atlanta record in the street AWD class by 3 seconds.

Life On Air: Cody Miles' Championship Winning STI - Speedhunters

 

I love the whole Accuiar suspension thing. If I would have gone the Hellcat/Demon route it would have been a no brainer.

An air suspension on the F-Type if someone could do it right that would be great.

LOVE the lowered look but just can't do it. Too many road/driveway challenges already.

 

that might be street legal, but it's no showroom stocker . That's a one-off race car. With a high cfm air compressor mounted in place of the spare. Unlikely we'll see anything as capable as that on a production unit.

 

Those are off the shelf parts according to other articles written about the car.

 

Modern air ride suspensions are shockingly good. I rode in a Mustang GT on a road track with an AirLift suspension and it was really impressive. It's possible to have the best of both worlds.

I would reach out to the major manufacturers who are selling stuff to the Audi crowd and inquire if they'd ever do one for an F-Type. Hell, I may do it myself and offer my car up for development.

 

Ah cool, that's awesome.

Also "suspensions" "shockingly good" hahahaha