Aftermarket Air Suspension M3P

[cdutch513]

Hey everyone!
As the title says, I was thinking of installing bags on my 21 M3P.
Are there any solid companies out there? I was looking at Accuair, but I have never bagged a vehicle before. I am typically a coiler guy but want something with quick adjustment for the M3.
Does anyone have comparisons from OEM to bagged with daily driving, spirited driving, and track use?
Any companies to stay away from?

If you are local to AZ, I would love to know a shop to talk with for instal.

Thanks!

 

[Z.meads]

I bagged mine with universal air and air lift performance air management. I'm just south of Tucson if you want to check it out.

 

[gearchruncher]

Does anyone have comparisons from OEM to bagged with daily driving, spirited driving, and track use?

If you are serious about handling, bags are not the way to go.

 

[eglove]

If you are serious about handling, bags are not the way to go.

Completely untrue, the technology nowadays with the airlift 3h and the old accuair elevel is leaps and bounds better than just switches and solenoids of old. There are lots of comparison videos on youtube with proper corner balanced bags on coil setups vs just straight coilovers

 

[gearchruncher]

Completely untrue, the technology nowadays with the airlift 3h and the old accuair elevel is leaps and bounds better than just switches and solenoids of old. There are lots of comparison videos on youtube with proper corner balanced bags on coil setups vs just straight coilovers

If bags are better than coilovers, why doesn't a GT3 or a McLaren come with them? Formula 1? Any road race car ever?

 

[ProLeopard]

If bags are better than coilovers, why doesn't a GT3 or a McLaren come with them? Formula 1? Any road race car ever?

I would imagine because it's too heavy, and there's no reason for a track car to raise and lower. Not speaking to whether bags are better in corners or not, I have no idea, just responding to the racecar part.

 

[gearchruncher]

I would imagine because it's too heavy, and there's no reason for a track car to raise and lower. Not speaking to whether bags are better in corners or not, I have no idea, just responding to the racecar part.

You argument is that a GT3, McLaren, or full racecar is too heavy vs a much heavier Model 3? Or that the air components weigh too much (meaning they are bad for handling?)

Lots of these cars actually DO raise and lower. They're so low stock, they have raise systems to drive on the street. McLaren, Lamborghini, and even Corvette all have these. They all work on hydraulic pressure, not air pressure, because they are actual good handling cars first and can't give that up with airbags, so they have special shocks that can have external hydraulic pressure impact ride height. The hydraulic pump to do this is actually fairly light (it's basically another ABS pump).

If bags handled better, racecars and really quick street sports cars would use them. Better handling is worth more lap times than 30 lbs of stuff.

 

[ProLeopard]

You argument is that a GT3, McLaren, or full racecar is too heavy vs a much heavier Model 3? Or that the air components weigh too much (meaning they are bad for handling?)

Lots of these cars actually DO raise and lower. They're so low stock, they have raise systems to drive on the street. McLaren, Lamborghini, and even Corvette all have these. They all work on hydraulic pressure, not air pressure, because they are actual good handling cars first and can't give that up with airbags, so they have special shocks that can have external hydraulic pressure impact ride height. The hydraulic pump to do this is actually fairly light (it's basically another ABS pump).

If bags handled better, racecars and really quick street sports cars would use them. Better handling is worth more lap times than 30 lbs of stuff.

I wasn't really arguing, just guessing. I've got no idea lol, I'll take your word for it.

I just guessed that bags are heavier than coilovers so that's why something like Formula 1 cars, which don't need to raise or lower and do absolutely everything to save every pound possible, may not use bags.

In reality I've got no clue, just providing an unprofessional guess.

 

[S281X]

You argument is that a GT3, McLaren, or full racecar is too heavy vs a much heavier Model 3? Or that the air components weigh too much (meaning they are bad for handling?)

Lots of these cars actually DO raise and lower. They're so low stock, they have raise systems to drive on the street. McLaren, Lamborghini, and even Corvette all have these. They all work on hydraulic pressure, not air pressure, because they are actual good handling cars first and can't give that up with airbags, so they have special shocks that can have external hydraulic pressure impact ride height. The hydraulic pump to do this is actually fairly light (it's basically another ABS pump).

If bags handled better, racecars and really quick street sports cars would use them. Better handling is worth more lap times than 30 lbs of stuff.

The Plaid using Tesla's Smart Air Suspension achieves 1.08G's on the skid pad versus 1.03G's for the C8 Corvette, the McLaren (720) 1.08G's also uses Proactive Suspension Control System II and does not retain one remote reservoir as you mentioned, each shock has it's own independent fluid filled reservoirs that are magnetically controlled within the shock itself. The Lamborghini Aventador 1.11G's for example, uses a standard suspension that is magnetically controlled akin to the GT350R (similar developers).

I am not sure what the point you were trying to make by taking his statement of good handling and comparing it to supercars, in which I debunked your theory with the C8 Vs Plaid example. I'm not defending the notion that the fastest vehicles are using standard suspension, I'm promotively explaining that discerning all air-suspension setups handle terribly was actually wrong as the Plaid on air-suspension is in the middle of the pack when it comes to skid-pad scores amongst supercars. So, it's possible.

 

[tm1v2]

@S281X Magnetic dampers are not air springs/bags as I'm sure you know. Very different things. Nobody in this thread has downplayed the performance possibilities of magnetic dampers. Magnetic dampers aren't the only path to a high performance suspension, but they are especially useful for street cars with their wide range of electronic adjustability.

Sure an air suspension can be made to get around corners well enough (though skipad grip is just a tiny slice of overall handling!), but the Model S has air springs because they're useful for daily driving on the street (cost/reliability/complexity aside), not because they're the path to ultimate handling.

Also skidpad grip is mostly a function of tire and weight. An EV's low CG, combined with a decently stiff suspension with good front/rear stiffness balance, and sticky fat rubber, is a good recipe for grip on a smooth skidpad. I'm very confident the new S could achieve the same skidpad results with a well-tuned coil spring suspension.

 

[S281X]

You missed who I was replying too, go back and read the quote I originally referred too. I wasn't neither for or against either.