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View Full Version : Bagged Suspension - Pros/Cons for Daily Driver



DynamicSound
08-25-2009, 11:34 PM
Guys, I have been looking at buying a Chevy S-10 Xtreme for sometime now to replace my G35 as a daily driver. Now, for the price of the Xtreme's that I am looking at (V6, white, extended cab, good condition) there are a couple of "show" S-10 (non-Xtreme) trucks floating around. However, both of them are bagged. I have absolutely no experience with this set-up and completely clueless about it. I am wanting it for a daily driver...so what are the pros and cons to having a bagged vehicle??? Reps to all that helps.

big mac
08-25-2009, 11:37 PM
it just really depends how worried you are on the quality of the ride. it can be pretty good at "the sweet spot" some say it will feel close to stock. i have never owned a mini truck but many of my friends have. your best bet would be to test drive them and see how you like thwm

DynamicSound
08-25-2009, 11:41 PM
it just really depends how worried you are on the quality of the ride. it can be pretty good at "the sweet spot" some say it will feel close to stock. i have never owned a mini truck but many of my friends have. your best bet would be to test drive them and see how you like thwm

Repped...

Yeah, I am going to try them out because I have never ridden in one. My first car was a custom 85 S-10 that was lowered on springs/blocks...just no air suspension.

big mac
08-25-2009, 11:43 PM
i have never owned one either but like i said my friends have and i rod with them, i think the ride is very good at the sweet spot

Barefoot
08-25-2009, 11:49 PM
i had a friend back in the day who had a bagged accord. it rode ok not the best not the worst. the only major problem he had was every morning or after letting the car sit for a few hour it would i guess leak air. he would have to wait 10 15 minutes to fill the tank before he could move anywhere.

DynamicSound
08-25-2009, 11:53 PM
i had a friend back in the day who had a bagged accord. it rode ok not the best not the worst. the only major problem he had was every morning or after letting the car sit for a few hour it would i guess leak air. he would have to wait 10 15 minutes to fill the tank before he could move anywhere.

That is what I am kind of worried about. I don't want to go on a long drive and lose air to the point where I hit the road...or like you said, can't raise it.

Barefoot
08-26-2009, 12:05 AM
That is what I am kind of worried about. I don't want to go on a long drive and lose air to the point where I hit the road...or like you said, can't raise it.his wasnt so much a problem while the car was running. just when no power was going to the pump to refill the tank. on the other hand if your driving an the pump just dies out of the blue your fucked.

DynamicSound
08-26-2009, 12:52 AM
his wasnt so much a problem while the car was running. just when no power was going to the pump to refill the tank. on the other hand if your driving an the pump just dies out of the blue your fucked.

Yeah, not too long ago a customer told me a friend was driving down the road and the pumps failed or something and the entire car just pancaked at about 40mph. I don't want to see a thread in the WL about some dumbass's truck going splat on I-85. :lmfao:

JITB
08-26-2009, 12:59 AM
I know alot has changed for air bags, and the quality has increased alot. BUT i also have heard form alot of people that have bags for the first time, and they usually break something...lol.

DynamicSound
08-26-2009, 01:02 AM
I know alot has changed for air bags, and the quality has increased alot. BUT i also have heard form alot of people that have bags for the first time, and they usually break something...lol.

LOL, that would be me. One day I would be pulling off lines wondering what they are.

dallasb84
08-26-2009, 01:17 AM
ive bagged about 5 s10s........

if your in experienced.... look under the truck at the c notches.... especially if its covered up in the bed.... usually people will cover up b.s. work with really nice sheetmetal. i dont get it.

but... chances are if a non trained eye accepts the look of the welding and fabrication than chances are the works just fine.... if the welds look like bubble gum then you know somethings up.

second... for a bagged vehicle as a dd, expect to pay money for tires as they wear pretty badly and un evenly.

check out the condition of the bags as well..... they do pop. especially firestones...lol

the pump should be a big oasis. not some cheap chinese chrome dinky little thing.


if your okay with waiting a few minutes every morning so you can pump your shit up. then bags are pretty much alot of fun.

you can do alot with em. like three wheels. you can hop. you can haul ass hit the dump and shoot sparks all over the road. lots of fun shit.

swapping over to scuba is fun as hell too.

anyways air bags are sweet as long as the job isnt some hack job backyard stuff.

the ride can be good especially if the suspension has shocks installed. more than likely you cant tell.

hope this helps

DynamicSound
08-26-2009, 01:24 AM
Thanks for the info.

The having to wait a few minutes is not that big of a deal and I won't be doing anytype of tricks in it. I will have to really inspect them. Both trucks are show quality from the photos, so everything looks great, but it will be a matter of getting into it to make sure.

So when you turn the vehicle off, does it automatically lower?? And when you turn it on, it fills the pumps and your raise up??

Jiggity96
08-26-2009, 01:32 AM
mini truckin is a bug that will bite really hard

there are many options slam specialties bags provide more lift and are reliable

engine driven compressors can fill air tanks in fractions of the time

scuba tanks and nitrogen=no wait but please install slow downs as to not run 5500 psi

i go to many minitruckin shows and have seen that possibilities are endless even on a daily driver application

dallasb84
08-26-2009, 01:54 AM
well.

your pumps are usually turned on with a "power system" switch and then a presure switch will kick on the pump.


id go ahead and bag the g35.

fuck a s10

deathrex
08-26-2009, 02:03 AM
ive built bagged s-10's oasis compressors are the best. fills the tanks fast. i dunno what the other guy was talking about waiting 10-15minutes to fill up a tank. and who ever said their pumps failed and it just pancaked lied to you aswell. not gunna happen unless you loose the air in the bags, like popping a bag or a valve getting stuck on open letting the air out. ummm with winter coming up be sure to empty your water seperators haha made that mistake before. they ride pretty good when you get the "sweet spot." tires will wear like a bitch for sure. but all arround alot of fun to own. definately a bug that will bite and hard. but so worth it. and like dallas said check thoes welds on the notches. people will do hack jobs and cover them up. or break them dragging lol. definately do not be afraid to get underneith the truck and poke arround.

DynamicSound
08-26-2009, 07:45 AM
Thanks guys.

Personally, I do not want a bagged ride, but if I am going to pay X amount of money for the stock Xtreme, it would make sense to get the "show truck" for the same amount.

F8d2Blk
08-26-2009, 07:59 AM
The stock suspension on the extreme is also very nice and compliments the truck very well too. Drive both and decide.

TSiFTW
08-26-2009, 07:59 AM
Bags are great. If all fittings are tight and done right you will not have to wait every morning. Hell mine will hold air for weeks, unless a fitting leaks. Your tires dont go down every morning and neither will your bags. That is most important after making sure the fab work is good is take a bottle of soapy water and jack the truck all the way up, fill the tank all the way up and spray all fittings down and make sure they don't leak. As far as the ride goes, as long as you don't ride either all the way up or almost all the way down the ride is perfect. Definitely rides better than most all the Hondas that have been dumped and have nasty camber. And the tires will wear down but there is a spot where the camber will be almost right. That is where I try to drive mine at the most. And yes it is an addicting thing. It can change a person. You will love it.

DynamicSound
08-26-2009, 05:37 PM
well.

your pumps are usually turned on with a "power system" switch and then a presure switch will kick on the pump.


id go ahead and bag the g35.

fuck a s10

I tried to rep you, but it tells me I have to wait...even though I am not sure if I rep'd you before :thinking:

THEONE
08-26-2009, 07:45 PM
bags are fun and no there is no long wait to fill the tank most of the trucks i did in the past would fill the 9 gallon tank enough to get it up and down the road in right at a minute.
and bags dont break unless you over fill them or they are old as hell or improperly installed .there is a yellow s-10 rolling around in alpharetta that i bagged over 4 years ago and he has my old bags that were 2 years old at that time and still no problems.

my only problem was even with a water seperator in line on the pump in the winter the valves would freeze and then i was stuck so i mounted all my valves under the hood problem solved.

and run seperate valves to each corner like f,b,s,s if a bag does bust you wont loose total control. you will enjoy bags.

Mr. Clean
08-26-2009, 07:55 PM
this thread is making me want a truck so bad. i've always loved bagged s10s, i'm just too broke lol.

BITCHING
08-26-2009, 08:05 PM
thinks for the info cas i have looking at buying a bagged truck

98strat
08-26-2009, 08:40 PM
I am bagged and drive mine pretty much daily. As far as reliable it all depends on the equipment used and the installation. I am not on bags but cylinders since there is no room for an actual bag. The ride defiantly has a sweet spot.

As far as valves i am running 8-SMC valves and 2-viair 380 compressors. Since i do not need the volume of air i use a 3 gallon tank with 200psi of reserve air. I can lift and dump the car 3 times before i refill which is at 165 psi. As far as having to wait in the morning i have no leaks and am on the road in 15 seconds of starting the car (just long enough to hit the switches). I have had a line blow out of a fitting when i first did the install 3 years ago. The fitting was defective and this happened within the first couple drives. Front right corner dropped to the ground but stopped and fixed it on the side of the road. Always keep a couple union fittings and a couple spare feet of airline in case something does happen. My car has been driven to Chicago, Savannah, and Nashville all on the air ride with no issues.

If your not sure what your looking at see if someone locally who i good with s-10's can come with you to check out the quality of work. Even though the truck may be show quality it could be a hack in a candy wrapper.