MY QUESTION IS I HAVE PROGRESS SPRINGS ALREADY ON MY RS3 XB. I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT WOULD BE BETTER LOOKING AND SAFER AT THE SAME TIME COILOVERS OR AIR BAGS ? THE SPRINGS LOWERED THE XB BY 1.5 IN THE FRONT AND 1.8 IN THE BACK I WANT TO GO LOWER RIGHT NOW IM RIDING ON 18".WHAT DUE YOU THINK IS MY BEST BET.

 

Please don't type in all caps... against SL rules...

But... You're talking two types of setups....

Coilovers are much lower maintenence and cheaper and easier to install... They also are more targeted for tight suspension setups and really fun go cart handling.

Bags are much pricier for a more comfort floaty feel and won't do too great in performance applications, but are wonderful for showmanship and looks...

Depends on what you want Price/Performance/Looks wise.

 

sorry about the caps. thank you

 

And for safety... coilovers are great and safe... airbags can be weird in highspeed manuevers...

No problem... It's what I do.

-WDS

 

I 'm for airbags...
I had my bags for about 6 months and I drive mine approximately 60 miles a day...I drive fast with no problem...fastest I gone was 110mph...Drove up to Las Vegas twice and San diego once...I have a blast with them....

I was in the same boat as you once trying to decide over coilovers or airbags....I'm glad I went with air...I have no regrets.....

 

"Better looking" and "safe" are subjective.

There have already been some good points made. I have to disagree 100% with airbags "won't do too great in performance applications." A properly engineered air suspension system can and will out perform most of the off the shelf street coil over systems on the market.

Now, for my opinion on safety and looks...
SAFETY:
Again it is relative. Coil overs are "safer" from a maintenance stand point. There are physically less parts and pieces to fail, so there is less to worry about. Daily driving, I think a properly designed, engineered and installed air suspension is much safer than coil overs. The ability to make adjustments on the fly make it possible to avoid obstacles that you would have no chance to miss on coil overs.

LOOKS:
If you have no need to lay your car all the way down when you park, you don't need bags. If you only want to have a given height with no simple adjustment, you don't need bags. However, if you desire either of those things, air suspension is the only way to go.

 

You might want to consider when you someday decide to sell your XB.
I'd think adjustable coil overs would be a plus. Not so sure about the bags and it would be a task to remove and go back to stock.
Just a thought

 

I just think that most performance cars run coilovers for a reason, and not airride suspensions... hard cornering/dampening adjustability are neccesities for performance and a reason why you don't see Drift/Rally/SCCA/Drag Cars on Bags commonly, and if they are... they are extremely custom and insanely expensive. I've been in Boxes on Coilovers and Boxes on air... two different worlds.

Plus, for the average suspension owner... coilovers will be MUCH cheaper and MUCH easier to get dialed in for safe performance applications... To get a bag setup to a comparable standpoint, you'd end up spending a chunk of change more...

 

No doubt you will spend a chunk of change more for a performance oriented pneumatic suspension. There is a good reason for that though. And I think the reason you don't see more pneumatic suspension in competitive racing is because they fall outside of most racing guidelines. I don't know many sanctioning bodies that allow adjustable spring rate on the fly.

Any and every feature that you can find in adjustable coil overs is available to pneumatic suspension. You also gain the added benefit of adjustable springs. You can adjust spring rate, center of gravity, instant center, weight transfer and many other aspects of the vehicles handling characterstics on the fly. For the most part though, the requirements of a suspension for a racing application falls in a much narrower range than what would be allowed by an adjustable pneumatic suspension.

And as far as resale is concerned, it isn't an issue with most retail kits. Almost every single kit available for the xB is 100% bolt on. Just like coil overs. It really isn't that much more work to remove it. And to the right buyer, it is worth significantly more than comperable coil overs.

 

I'm in a similar position as the OP, I've got springs (df210) and lookin to go lower...

the only xB i've ever been in that has air felt more like it had NO suspension, compared to the "more comfort floaty feel" that WDS mentions...

is it the actual bags themselves that determine the comfort level? like certain bags have more 'give' at a specific psi?

 

The "feel" of a suspension is based primarily on two things. First and foremost, spring rate. Second dampening.

With an air suspension the spring rate is determined by how much air is in the bag. The higher the pressure, the higher the spring rate. If the car you rode in was riding with too much air it might have felt pretty stiff.

The other thing to consider is the dampening performed by the shocks and struts. Too soft and you are going to be bouncy because they aren't effectively stopping the "spring" from bouncing. To stiff and you can experience a bone jarring ride. The dampers can actually prevent your "spring" from being able to properly compress and rebound.

It is up to the owner of the vehicle to learn where their "sweet spot" is. That perfect height to be able to drive without issue and "feel" just right.

 

was wondering the same thing.. i might go coilovers.. just cause i feel they might be more safer

 

Bags. are the only way to go. I can scrape the ground.....and get in my driveway. I don't corner carve in the scion at all....so I could careless how it handled, as long as its not scary, and its not scary

I hated the way my car rode, until I bagged it...Riding low, my car rides like a caddy. At all up, it rides like a wooden wagan.

 

I am going coil overs cause I like to corner carve and I can sit next to you almost as low at a show