| I finally got
back in work with my Buick. I started by modifying the air spring
system. I fabricated the original system by myself, and it left a lot
to be desired. It only had front to back adjustment, the valves weren't
up to the task with high pressures, nor was the compressor. The system
also leaked in many locations. I already started chasing the leaks, but
when I visited the Hersti Auto Shop last fall, and saw the Air Lift
Easystreet system they were using in their own projects, I was
impressed. After a day's thinking I purchased a complete system from
them. You might want to check their work - Timo Hersti teamed up with
another famous customizer, Kartsa Saarela, and these guys are arguably
the top customizers and metal aces in this country! |
| The Easystreet
Crafters Package # 77910 includes everything you need, the digital
controller, remote unit, integrated valve/sensor manifolds, air tank,
compressor, hoses, D 2500 springs, and hardware. The most
impressive part is the Auto Pilot digital controller. It monitors the
pressure in each spring and the tank, and you can teach it your ride
height, so every time you dump your springs, you can resume your ride
height by pressing a single pushbutton. It allows you to control each
corner individually, too. The benefit of controlling each corner
individually, instead of front and rear bags paired, is that it reduces
body roll when cornering, because it prevents air from transferring
from the outside-curve spring to the inside-curve spring |
 Here's the
remote control. See Easystreet
site for a detailed description. Here were are in manual mode. The
front spring pressures are 54 psi both, rears being 30 and 31 psi, and
the tank is full at 173 psi. The system will automatically drive the
compressor, and is able to detect leaks. The front bags actually need around 100 psi (7 bar), but here were are still in the initial stages and the front end is jacked up for assembly. You can adjust each corner individually, dump all, inflate all, or resume ride height. |
 The commonly accepted way is to mount the air tank and compressor in the trunk, because that's the only place with enough room. However, I think the fastback trunk is small enough as is, and found a better place in the passenger side front wheelwell. Only the Air Lift crafters package comes with a huge 5 gallon tank. I found a small aluminum tank from a wrecking yard specialized on trucks. It's only 5 liters (1.32 gallons), so I'm prepared to mount an additional tank elsewere. Then again, my intention is only to adjust ride height, not to make it jump like a lowrider. But the wise men told me if I want to raise a fullsize car from fully dumped position to ride height, and NOT start the compressor, I sure need 5 gallons. We'll see. The system requires 6 ports: - Front manifold - Rear manifold - Drain Cock (to drain condensed water) - Compressor - Pressure Transducer - Inflation Valve (in case the compressor fails, you can fill the tank with a regular air hose and tire gauge) I actually needed a seventh port, on which I could connect an additional tank, should I need one. It's plugged for now. In this picture none of the hoses have been connected yet. The fittings that come with the kit are pre-coated with a sealant, but elsewhere I used either teflon tape or Loctite # 577 |
 This is the Viair 380C 200 psi compressor that comes with the kit. It looks so nice it's almost a shame to hide it. The system is set to 175 psi (12 bar) max pressure at the factory. I don't remember what the lower limit was. There's a front manifold that controls front springs, and a rear manifold for rear springs. A manifold consists of two inflation valves, two deflation valves, and two pressure transducers, all integrated in a black anodized block. The crafters package comes with four D 2500 6" bellows-type bags, but I got lazy and kept my original Dunlop 6" bags up front, and my original Air Lift sleeve-type springs back in the rear. I also kept my small 6 mm (1/4") air lines to the springs, so I had to find my own tube fittings. Again, the 1/2" airline that comes with the kit, is an overkill if you aren't interested in jumping the car. |
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| Above: I mounted the front manifold on the inner fender, and
the rear manifold on the frame rail. I decided to add an adjustable
restrictor in the deflation ports, because I don't want to slam the car
to the ground too fast and lose all pressure from the springs all at
once. |