2nd Generation GE8 Specific Suspension & Brakes Sub-Forum Threads discussing suspension and brake related modifications for the 2nd generation Honda Fit (GE8)

Air Bagged Fit?

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Old 04-04-2010, 01:25 PM
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Air Bagged Fit?

Wondering if anyone has or knows anyone who has installed air bag suspension on a Fit (GD or GE) or any other subcompact car? My wife is sick and tired of the hard ride on my GE and wants to get rid of it. I'm hoping that if I can smooth out the ride it'll help change her mind. I don't care quite so much about ride height/wheel gap but I would like to keep the tighter handling qualities. I know it's probably not going to work well, keeping both handling and ride quality, but I would like to try.

Anyone have any ideas on what I can do to smooth out the ride? Thanks!
 
  #2  
Old 04-04-2010, 01:30 PM
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Check out BlueCell...I believe he is on bags.

Man...your ride is stock and she's complaining?
 
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Old 04-04-2010, 02:46 PM
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Before doing anything extreme see how it feels if you drop the tire pressure down some... I have Conti Pro Contact XL rated performance touring tires with max load rated at 1279 lbs at 51 PSI, compared to the stock tires of the sane size that my car was equipped with at 1102 lbs at 51 PSI.... I have after market springs that are slightly stiffer than stock but I have dropped my tire pressure to 27 in the rear and 30 front and it has made a big difference..... I have gone as low as 24 R 27 F with the only noticeable difference being slightly lower in the quickness of response when making directional changes.... If you lower the pressure too much you will notice that the outer edges of your tires will wear down faster and the steering will feel heavy at low speeds like when you are parking..... I know there are a lot of people using much more air in their tires to save gas but I really haven't seen a drop in my fuel mileage and have over 200 miles on this tank with the fuel gauge at the 1/2 mark and my car is supercharged..... Tires with profiles as low as the Fit will not need much air pressure added or removed to begin to feel a difference.
 
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Old 04-04-2010, 08:23 PM
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I'll check BlueCell...thanks! And yeah, she drives an Altima and thinks that's as hard a ride a car should have!

I've got 39psi in all 4, filled by the dealer. Don't wanna go lower than that and sacrifice uneven tire wear and gas mileage. I do know that trick tho...had a Civic w/o PS! Thanks tho.
 
  #5  
Old 04-04-2010, 08:32 PM
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I think u will be ok if u drop to 32 psi that's what you should be at anyhoot it's stamped in the door unless urs is different than mine I noticed a drop in mpg about 3-4 mpg so I roll at 40psi all around I have tried all the way up to 80 all around the best ride I found is 32-34 psi and anything over 45 is too ruff and I got wise mpg agin 40 psi is best all around for me
 
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Old 04-04-2010, 10:10 PM
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I had filled my tires a few days ago when the temperature was lower and using a different gauge than normal.... Today when I checked them with my dial gauge the fronts were 40psi and the rears were 37 psi.... A change of less than 20 degrees ambient temperature appears to have raised the tire pressure 10 psi...There is a Fit enthusiast in California that has found that he is actually getting better mileage using less air pressure and I got a 37.5 average on my last tank after dropping the pressure which was only 1mpg off of my pre supercharger average when I was putting over 40 psi in my tires.... We are keeping track of our mileage averages and plan to post them when we have enough data which ever way it goes.
 

Last edited by Texas Coyote; 04-04-2010 at 10:13 PM.
  #7  
Old 04-05-2010, 04:34 PM
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Alright, so BlueCell said bags don't help the ride so that's a no go. In my experience aftermarket shocks and coilovers make the ride firmer too. I'm gonna try taking some of the air out and see how that runs, but in the mean time does anyone have any other ideas?
 
  #8  
Old 04-05-2010, 04:55 PM
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There is one thing I have done to a few cars I have owned because of chronic back pain.... Consider sheepskin seat covers, I have one on the drivers seat of my car..... On occasions when I have had to have someone else drive me from medical procedures I wish I could have found a matching seat cover for the passenger seat.
 
  #9  
Old 05-14-2015, 12:32 PM
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I applied the front/rear weight distribution ratio to front/rear air pressure based on 32 pounds front, and arrived at 25 PSI rear. I've been running that rear pressure for 140K miles with no additional wear and the handling is amazing...
 
  #10  
Old 05-14-2015, 02:38 PM
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I put Air shocks on my GK, and can be done on the GE or GD just as easily. Ride is much more spongy, but that's good. Did it not because of the stock ride, but because I tow a trailer with my FIT.




 
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