Has anybody looked into getting an air ride suspension for a G or GQV? I was planning on getting coilovers, but air ride seems to be the way everybody is going - and I like that you can set the ride height with the press of a button.
I can't however find any air suspension supplier that has a complete 'off-the-shelf' kit for the G or GQV.
Everyone? I don't know a single person that has it fitted and I have only ever heard of 1 or 2 cases of it being fitted to show cars.
Given my experiences with it on the land rover discovery, I would avoid. Overly complicated, easy to break and makes things such as changing a wheel a complete pain in the ass.
Wasn't referring to Alfas or Giuliettas in particular - lots of air suspensions being done by owners of other makes..
I think technology has come a long way since the system fitted to Discoverys - you even get fully digital adaptive air suspension systems now that actively monitors and adjusts the ride height as you driving to counter body roll and improve handling - those however are crazy expensive (£5,000+).
Big companies like Firestone are investing heavily in this technology.
So, I was really just asking if anybody knows of a supplier that does a full kit for the G please.
I think the answer to your question (which does seem to be targeted at Gs in particular) is that no ones tried/done this on a G, so no one is likely to known a supplier of a full kit
If you do indeed go down this road please keep me in the loop. It would be like fitting Citroen GS suspension to a modern car, ride height adjustment, easy wheel changing and magic carpet ride under normal road conditions. Why don't we see more cars with adaptive suspension or electromagnetic fluids etc, this is not new technology.
But MagneRide are dampers which can change the damping coefficient via magnets. This has to my knowledge nothing to do with hydro system Citroen uses that has a pump and spheres where the fluid goes.
No, I was making a comment about this being an old technology. It is old, but it makes you sick. If you want a stomach friendly system it's not that old. :biglaugh:
You guys are still not getting that air suspensions have come a long way in the last few years - this is the next advance over coilovers - https://www.airliftperformance.com/
Watch the air vs. coil video on that website.
Interesting technology. Most people associate it with extra comfort not performance. Is the system you are planning adjustable? And what about the sickness issue?
I know that the systems are much better now. Especially the ones designed for performance. But there are also systems there that are not very good (designed on old technology). Also I think we will see more and more of those systems in everyday-performance cars (like GQV). I think MiTo QV is already using some sort of adaptive dampers.
If you are really going to get a system like this fitted to your car, everyone will be interested in your results. Will you link it to DNA switch? That would be cool. :thumbup:
Veloce...I am probably selling my coilover kit come year end...as far as I know my car is the ONLY GQV in SA with coilies, also adjustable both damper and height...BC Racing.
I am actually planning on going AirLift Performance sometime next year :biglaugh:
Unfortunately your price of 1500 pounds are for systems similar to a Toyota Run X or Tazz or Golf 1...the simple up and down switch and you won't know a pre set level.
I've done some research over the past 2 months as my mate has a system in his Golf 6 GTi.
The AirLift performance kit will set you back between R45-60 simply because its a custom kit, but...if you still have your standard shocks these can be used and the AccuAir universal bags will probably fit over it.
Then you need the eLevel management and the AccuAir 20l tank and the AccuAir lines and atleast 2 pumps for fast up and down.
The amazing thing with the eLevel is that it has 4 sensors that monitors ride level all the time and continuously adjusts.
So yes, I'm going Air Ride next year on my GQV. There is a video on YouTube of a Giulietta with air ride...just search, I can't remember what I searched for to get to it but spend some time and your search will eventually get you there.
if you want the coilies let me know. I paid R10500 exactly a year ago. Comfort personified in these BC's. go and join my Alfa Romeo modifying group on FB called Milano Works.:thumbup:
When I sold my Giulietta QV, I immediately bought a Mercedes CLS with air suspension... does that count?
There are several ways of contriving air suspension. The Mercedes E-class/CLS used airbags, same as in the aftermarket, no steel spring at all. This provided an adjustable ride height and a squirmy ride like a waterbed. Either there was too little suspension travel to absorb major knocks (the 'Sport', low setting) or there was enough suspension travel to writhe and wobble around with an alarming variation of wheel geometry ('Normal' setting) which didn't really give the boat-tiller steering a desirable feel or sharpness. Nothing like the systems with liquid-based interconnection and damping (Citroen); airbag systems seem to increase pitch and roll instead of reducing it. These Mercedes go 'scary fast' as well thanks to 400+bhp from 5.5 or 6.3 V8 engines. Only in a straight line...
A better bet is to use conventional steel springs and supplement them with smaller airbags. This helps to level the suspension when towing, etc. Probably unnecessary on the Giulietta, was an option on the 164 a long time ago just to 'top up' the rear suspension in times of need. Alfa Romeo used another system on some 164s to firm up the damping electronically, which is a more effective parameter to change between comfort/sport. Pity that Alfa's DNA system doesn't do this in the Giulietta, cost constraints I guess.
Then Mercedes have an active system too (CL Coupe) which reacts to driving conditions. That certainly produced another odd sensation (with the system cancelling out pitch and roll, it was like sitting on a large flat plate wobbling on jelly). Active systems are, I imagine, well out of reach of the aftermarket, as the level of integration/tuning with the body characteristics would be very model-specific. Even slightly out-of-phase and you would get a bouncy, Allegro-esque ride that seems to double up on bumps instead of absorbing them.
So my most constructive advice for this thread is; test-drive a Mercedes CL Coupe and also an E500/CLS500, then decide whether either is the 'luxury' that you had in mind. Personally I prefer a smooth but well-controlled ride to a soggy one. It's nice if there's enough compliance to cope with undulating roads and it definitely helps to have enough body rigidity not to shake or rattle with every bump. The Giulietta does pretty well. Maybe the Golf 7 is a little more refined (fewer 'thumps' and shakes) but the Giulietta has the sharper steering in my opinion. You just don't get something for nothing in engineering...
I think my GQV has the best compromise between comfort and performance of all the cars that Ive driven so far. Althought the GTVs I drove previously were more sports orientated sports cars the GQV is more a conventional car made to be comfortable first which also has sporting pretensions. But nevertheless a nice compromise between comfort and handling.
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