Where would a guy be able to find the electric air control valves that control the up and down without going through a big name air ride company? One company wants like 7 - 800 bucks for a set of 4 way valves! What kind of places even offer these. Any help would be great! .
I think suicidedoors.com has pretty reasonable ones. Try that or fenderbenderinternational.com. Both of these places have complete air kits for under a grand.
I can get almost all of the other parts for next to free! The only thing we dont have is the stupid valves!
Air ride done right is not cheap! there are guys that will tell you about how they did it cheaply, well its their car and they have to drive it. The air in the bags are the only thing keeping you from slamming your frame or other components on the ground while driving. Even if your car wont lay frame, a sudden drop at one corner at highway speeds could be very bad. I see most people here using valves manufactured for hydraulic fluids for air. The valves from Air Ride, the $800 set of 4 Big Reds, or the slower Ride Techs they sell are the only ones specificaly manufactured for air that I know of. Again its your car, but this is not an area I would shop based on price.
Cheap? try ebay. Good quality with a respectable seller, suicide doors (I havent dealt with them directly, but I havent heard one bad thing about them)
look in the yellow pages for a parker store they got all kinds of cool stuff there an industreal supply type place. But thornbeck (AKA suicide doors.com) got the best deals, Ive used smc valves on probaly 25 cars with good luck. and there 35-60 dollars depending on size. each and you should use 2 per wheel one up and one down. Stay away from MAC vavles though they ****! and i whouln't recomend any more than 3/8's for dump valves and 1/2 in line is standered.
Don't go cheap on the valves. I only use Parker valves on my setups. They are the only valves that I have had no problems with.
smc's are great never an issue and suicide doors is the place to get them. they are awsome to deal with all my buddies use them as well the have everything from brackets to 4-links & everything in between. suicidedoors.com
Chad, I believe you are wrong in stating those are the only valves made for air and the rest are for hydraulics. Most air valve (parker especially) have made air valves for industrial aplications forever. Pnuematics was around way before bags on cars, like on trains, large trucks, manufacturing, hell a drive through car wash usually uses air to move all the parts around.
Thanks for all of the input! Any thing else I need to know about buying misc. parts like this? My neighbor works for a bus company and they have any thing and everything a guy could need, except valves! They use air ride on vans and all sorts of stuff. Some parts are used some are new, the new stuff he can get a GREAT deal on if he buys it. Thus I am having him bring home old parts to see which ones will work. He brought me a used pump that is a MONSTER! Its mine.... free! Huge tanks to, used and free. I figure those parts it dont really matter if they are used. But valves bags and lines will be new! .
Air Lift -their chrome valves are great and i personally love them. but dont ever use AirLift bags...theyre JUNK. and if you want proof, ill sent you pics of the third AL bag ive replaced for blowing out Parker is EXTREMELY reliable, but pricy SMC affordable but not always the most reliable.NEVER run SMCs over or too close to their max psi. they WILL stick shut GC make a nice working valve also. Good relaiblity and ok pricing, but still not as cheap as SMC Mac or E-Air Valves(made by Mac) work well too but are more for the guys running high pressures. E-Air also has a very supportive crew backing them and will help you out to every extent if you ever have a problem Blitzluft (from FBImini.com)....some good some bad. I have never used...or heard for that matter, a set of them i liked. Obnoxiously loud and prone to sticking. Some people swear by them. I swear at them. Air Ride Technologies Big Red Valves- Amazing reliablity and easy to hook up. PLug and play deal. BUT expensive as hell places to buy www.suicidedoors.com www.gravity-werx.com www.fbimini.com www.precision-autoworks.net www.whynotfab.com www.coolcars.org www.ridetech.com
I use smc at work over the rated pressure with no problems. I also use a lot of aro valves. I need to start buying more I guess and make some money on the side Dave
not sure on price but check out "auto core" in phoenix, az ask for "kurt" (602)216-2673 10034 n. cave creek rd. stay away from aim in mesa, az heard too many bad things
here you go these guys are good and use parker valves http://www.deviouscustoms.com just got all my stuff from them and and the whole kit was only $1000 front rear kit with electric valves
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