Installing Air suspension

[flcruising]

What is the benefit of this?

Do you get better highway mpg with it lowered?

Is this your family vehicle or just a toy?

 

[DKaz]

What is the benefit of this?

Do you get better highway mpg with it lowered?

Is this your family vehicle or just a toy?

To be like Homer. Car go up, car go down, car go up, car go down, car go up, car go down.

 

[flcruising]

So you aren't going to be hopping or dragging? Just up and down?

 

[FabZ]

nice result. i thought it would sit lower.

very nice job. 5 on bags... luv it

 

[Jamie123]

I can set it up to go lower but I'm getting a lip kit I wanna see first how low it is with that. I have kids also so I didn't want to be laying on frame because if a air bag goes out or something I don't wanna drop like that. For me I did this because I wanted my 5 lowerd but I live in Michigan, I have to drive it year round and I figuired I can spend a grand on coilovers or pay a little more and put air ride on it lol so for all you people scraping with there lowerd cars ill hit a switch and go right over it

 

[Signature Sound]

exact same reason why I bagged my P5. snow drifts, steep driveways, speed bumps.... you name it. but best of all, parking lot meets are fun because people generally dig it.

good job on the install man!

 

[Jamie123]

been a month and everything is still workin good.

 

[Marc D]

sent you a PM about the bags

 

[mymmeryloss]

Do u have pics of the bags collapsed? U didn't get much drop with the bags...

 

[bootman]

Anyone have info on a kit like this?

http://www.airbagit.com/product-p/fbs-maz-54-kit3.htm

 

[Jamie123]

Ive had so many people ask for more pics, i haven't had the time and the weather has been so crappy i just haven't gotten around to it.
since i last posted stuff ive dropped the car about another 6 inches!
let me just say this now you cant just buy a kit and have the car on the ground...i think this is a common misconception, these cars are not ment to be on the ground like that so if you want them that way expect modification...that being said... im talking to a company right now who is making me custom control arms and after that i will be on the ground. as of now im about a inch from the ground.
this is the car all the way up..

and here it is all the way down..

these ones are a little older but figure ill throw them on here as well.

 

[swapmeet]

I was looking at the 5 because I plan on lowering it or laying it out with a 1 pump 5 dump hydraulic setup. I've run the same setup you have on a Scion xB before.

Question, what did you do to get it the extra 6"?
Raise the strut towers? Move the front bag mounts lower on the struts? Flip the pillow ball mounts? (recieves the top of the strut shaft, different name depending on who you ask)

Also did you decrease your over all tire and wheel diameter? Those wheels look tiny, maybe they're the same but look smaller because of the lip.
*edit* I just noticed you have a body kit as well... Hmmm....

I'll be honest, If it won't tuck at least tire on bags than this isn't the car for me. I was really suprised how high it is completely dropped... before and after.

I respect the work, your install looks top notch, and you defintely know what your doing, im just curious what parts of the car are holding you back.

 

[Jamie123]

basically the kit itself dropped the car about 3 or 4 inches and it wasn't the greatest at all i expected more...in the front i literally removed everything from the struts the bags rest on the break line bracket. that dropped the car substantially and in the back i removed the rubber stoppers and notched the upper control arms and also cut a quarter inch out of each perch.
that dropped the back substantially.
all together the car dropped another 6"
i have a full lip kit that lowers it another inch or 2 which leaves a 4 inch space between the ground and my car...im having custom control arms made this week and that will set it on the ground.
this is not a easy install the kit and viola your on the ground.
someone on here was saying they wanted bags on there mazda5 but didnt want to cut anything out or modify there struts...theres no getting around it and besides your struts will be blown out in a day anyways.
the main limitation is the control arms without custom control arms it will NOT tuck and it will not sit on the ground. thats pretty much it.
my wheels are small there 18s but because of the low profile tires its actually the same size if not smaller then the stock 17s and tires. i plan on getting different wheels when im done...and once i have the control arms the wheels i have now will tuck 4 inches right now the back tucks about an inch of the tire only.
when i get the arms on i plan on posting new pics and video.

 

[Marc D]

When you get those control arms made, can you post pictures of these before you install them?

Browsing the japanese posts on "minkara," someone posted up custom made control arms and toe arms to control how low they are able to drop the car.
Heres a picture of the arm:

I just realized that these pictures are of the front control arms. I don't know if he modified the rear ones. I'll read up a bit more.

I am still planning to put bags on my mazda5, but I went and did an extra step and bought coilovers. The bags will eventually go over the coilovers from UAS, but I'm going to have to figure out how to drop it as much as you did on the rear. But, thats all in time.

Keep us updated. Definitely interested in your work and the outcome of this project!

 

[AzteCypher]

Cool project. Were any more upgrades made? Were you able to tuck more after the custom control arms?

 

[07MZ5SA]

Awesome mod.

 

[red headz]

Tail lights... film, vinyl, or spray 'nightshades'?

thanks.
michael.

 

[BPboiler3]

did you custom make your eyelids or is someone making lids for the face lifted 5's?

 

[Jamie123]

the tail lights are sprayed.

 

[Jamie123]

did you custom make your eyelids or is someone making lids for the face lifted 5's?

its actually just black vinyl, i searched everywhere for eye lids for a 2010 5 with no luck and i could have custom made some, i custom made some for my protege5 but i like the way the vinyl looks on the 5