Air Ride Install: Step-by-Step (passat wagon)

**WABIT** · 19-02-2010, 03:08 PM

righto, this is my build thread on the whole car, but ill do a specific build thread on installing air ride

make sure you have everything there! and mock up everything before you fit everything together!!, things like, compressor, tank, air bags, switchbox, wiring, guages, and various fittings to put it all together, all of that stuff should come with the kit though, SHOULD!! lol

ill talk everyone through the valves that are temp built

ok, starting from left to right:

this is 1 row of valves, they could control either front or rear of the car, 2 valves per wheel, the outer valves, far left-far right and dump valves, the control the air out from each bag, in the middle you have a big T fitting, that is connected to the air tank with some hose, the air is pumped into that T fitting and then pushed into the 2 middle valves. they control air INTO the air bags, that air then gets pushed into the little nipples you see in between the IN and OUT valves, a hose is connected to that nipple and to the airbag's, also take note of the little 90deg nipples facing the camera, they are 1/4" fittings and are connected to the gauges and give me a air pressure reading inside the car. now.... all this is controlled by the black boxes on top of the valves, the wiring loom gets plugged into the valves, then plugged into the color matched switch-box wires, hence! power to control the valves going up and down! YAY!

now the valves are done, what ever fitting are left, mix and match to complete the rest of the stuff to have a complete kit.
basically, first thing i need to do is mock up all the positions of everything, make sure all the fittings from the tank flow correct and are at their best locations, then work out where ill run the air lines and electrical wires, i want them in the interior and through the firewall, make the job alot easier if you dont have to crawl under the car and run the lines next to the brake lines!, then ill install the struts and connect the wiring and go time!!!

the mockup in the boot

and with the lid closed (all hidden!)

ok ill talk you through what goes where ect
start with the compressors: they obviously need to be powered by the battery, then those 2 lines T off into 1 line and feed into the water trap (far bottom right) that then gets fed into the tank fitting on the top right of the tank

then you have you double nipple fitting right nexto it, those two nipples run hoses to each valving block which is then transfered to lines leading to the air bags

the left side of the tank has a tank drain tap and a block off screw

that's all for now, everything Else will be up as i complete the project

thanks
dom

**Oneofthegreats** · 19-02-2010, 04:20 PM

Great write up chief inspector.

Love the fact it can all be hidden under the boot floor lid too.

Its taking alot longer than you first thought? hahaha.

I warned you too! Not a 1-2 day install!!!!!!!
(Only if you have every possible part, tool & equipment available to you & also have a team of people that have fitted airbag kits before!)

P.S. Piss those stupid tyres off!

**rayray086** · 19-02-2010, 06:28 PM

Nice write-up, the valve set-up is easy enough to understand!

Which ones are the compressors? The polished/chromed things? I guess you'll be talking about those later.

Is that boot cover OEM? That's bloody nifty.

**Preen59** · 19-02-2010, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by golfworx

Great write up chief inspector.

Love the fact it can all be hidden under the boot floor lid too.

Its taking alot longer than you first thought? hahaha.

I warned you too! Not a 1-2 day install!!!!!!!
(Only if you have every possible part, tool & equipment available to you & also have a team of people that have fitted airbag kits before!)

P.S. Piss those stupid tyres off!