Shmee

iTrader: (3)

Looks like I'm about a week away from ordering my e-level, won't be installing until the end of April, and was going over this thread again to plan my install.

Tim,
With the harness location at the front that you fed the power cable through, how much room was there? Enough to run a 0ga cable through? Enough for 2 runs of 0 ga?

Where did you run the lines through the trunk/body to under the car? Did you use bulkhead fittings or just holes with rubber grommets?

I'll probably do another how-to from start to finish on the install.

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

yes you will be able to run a 0 gauge cable through, it will just be a little tougher but it will pass through the factory grommet. make a small slit with an X-acto knife then push the cable through the slit being careful not the pierce any existing wiring. come to think of it, i should have ran a 0 gauge so i can run some amps on top of the compressors.

i wanted to use bulkheads but didn't really know where to put them, plus i didn't want to drill more holes. to pass the air lines into the trunk area, i used the same existing holes/grommets that the ABS sensors use. there is one on each side of the trunk area. they are located pretty high up if looking up from under the car. when you have the carpeting off, you will see the wires protruding around the 10 and 2 oclock positions around the spare tire well.

your own build thread would absolutely be useful. you will need to make more holes to route the sensor wires into the trunk for elevel.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

When you do the install please post some pictures of how you mounted the sensor arms

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, I want to use bulkhead fittings for the air lines. A couple of my friends used grommets only to have blowouts because the line flexed airing up/down which cut through the grommet and eventually the line. Not a common thing to happen I'm sure, but I want to be worry free! I'm going to hard line the trunk and use dot plastic line for the rest. I wanted to do AN fittings and Kevlar hose but after totalling up the cost of the AN fittings and hose required, I was almost into those parts for as much as the base elevel kit!
So I'll save that for the 430/460 I plan to replace this car with!

As far as the power cable, I have bulkheads for that but I am unsure about places with only a single layer of metal to drill through. I figure under the ABS unit where a lot of guys have put their clutch master but those were all on older 1LS's... Not sure if the same void exists on the 2LS.

I like doing how-to's, I figure with the coilover one I already did, it will be pretty straight forward. Won't happen until the end of April though, that's the first time I'll have time for a major job like that! I will probably sort out the trunk setup prior to that though... Still not sure of how I'm going to arrange everything to maximize functional trunk space and keep the spare!

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

Will do PD!

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

why not just use shop-type air hose connections? They make bulkhead fittings for those and they're rated for >250psi most of the time.

-AN fittings and hose would be stupid for air susp. line, they aren't made for that much pressure most of the time.

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

AN fittings/hose is designed for working pressures no greater than 350psi in most cases...

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

simply use bulkhead DOT fittings. i've seen lots of VW guys use them with good results. DOT fittings have an inner sleeve that holds the air line more square to the fitting, minimizing leaks and blowouts! they are also superbly made! i always recommend using DOT fittings for everything. they are used by trucks to run their air brakes.

most of my friends who run hardlines run AN fittings, which is just expensive and hard to install (due to all the bending and flaring). you can run hardlines onto PTC (push to connect) fittings just the same!

and like anything, reliability of the system comes down to the install! i have not yet had to take apart my system since completing it. leak free! (i'm sure now i ginxed myself...)

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, I'll be using DOT bulkhead fittings like the ones you get from bagriders, etc.

Hiroshi12

iTrader: (1)

Assuming you did not have recycled parts from your previous car and you had to buy everything on your list again, what is the approx. $$ amount for your setup? An AirRunner kit is $4,600 - even for our old cars! You would have to love your LS400 more than life itself to spend that kind of money on a 16-yo car.

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

see below, pretty much double the price you see for "used" parts and you'll get a good estimate of the cost. air runner is expensive bc they use KYB shocks, and they are a name brand. air runner is actually outdated now, read analog, where everyone is going digital with auto-leveling setups. i consider my setup half analog/digital .

with air ride, there is a "budget" way to do it, but will still cost around $2k.

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

For mine....
Used UAS bags and billet 2GS top mounts........$800
NEW Elevel with ILevel, dual SS seamless 3gal tanks, dual 480c compressors, extra bulkheads and misc PTC fittings $2100
NEW BC BR Coilovers $950
Misc non-essential accessories from bagriders $300

So about $4k for a full digital height based system new. If I wanted to wait and hunt for deals I probBly could hVe done it for <$3k if I found some good deals.

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

i've looked at so many different air management setups:
- autopilot V1
- autopilot V2
- airrex wireless
- accuair

by far the best functioning is accuair.
fastest install and ease of install goes to airrex.
autopilot and airrex are both pressure based systems, where accuair is height sensor based.

the difference:

Hiroshi12

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Shmee and Timmy. Looks like I'm good staying static. 3-4k is fresh paint and/or wheels tires!

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

You can find smoking deals on used kits or piecing it together your self
There's a guy selling a solid V2 based kit on VSC: http://www.vipstylecars.com/forums/s...spension-setup
would just need to find another pair of UAS aero sport bags for the rear to replace the air house bags.....

air is certainly not cheap, but the nice part is that virtually everything can be transferred to your next car, even if it is completely different. the control side is 100% universal and as long as you don't make any permanent modifications to it, you can keep reusing it.

I don't plan on keeping this car for more than 2 more years but my next car (05/06 LS430-'12 ls460) i plan to have for the better part of a decade. everything but the coilovers from this car will be getting transferred into that next car... part of the reason why I went right to the top of the line stuff.