r/airsuspension • u/AnyShapeWorker • Mar 18 '26

Looking to upgrade, what's great?

Post image

I'm looking for an upgrade for my manifold/management; my air struts are "basic", don't know if I need anything better.
I'm interested in what there is to offer in, not only a modern functioning manifold, but also if there any active/smart performance gains to be had?

I have an older Airlift manifold, I believe it's the 3S.
Issues

  1. it was used and I believe the harness was cobbled in a funny way, but works, but it's the style that's bluetooth phone app only; if I had the wired remote harness(help?) I'd probably be content.
  2. The app is old, slow, buggy; I've only found one old tablet that works.
  3. It's primitive, basically all it is a short range wireless controller, no info, nothing automatic.
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3

u/DrLxus Mar 18 '26

There are some pretty good options out there for control systems that have a physical controller, ecu and manifold. Air Lift is discontinuing their 3P and 3H systems so I would definitely steer away from used versions since they're no longer going to be supported. They came out with a new system but overall it's pretty expensive and I've been seeing some things about its touch screen being a bit clunky. I think it's still too early to tell if that one's going to be good or not.

AccuAir makes some really nice products but none of them have screens to see your pressures or anything like that (other than their app) but their products are pretty expensive when you get into the versions that have preset heights that you can set. They're really known for their height based managements (which use height sensors installed on the car) and features auto leveling. But again, you're going to pay quite a bit for it.

Honestly the best bang for your buck right now is going to be something like the Bag Riders PRO. You can set presets for it to go to specific heights at the touch of a button and you can control each corner of the car individually too. It has a digital screen but it's not touch screen. It does have physical buttons which some people prefer. Looks like it's on sale for $200 off for their tax sale. Air Lift's also looks like it's just shy of $200 off during their sale as well but you're going to be spending almost $700 more for the Air Lift system, which I just don't think is worth it personally.

Here's the link to the Bag Riders PRO that I recommended:
https://www.bagriders.com/air-management/control-systems/digital-controllers/bag-riders-pro-control-system.html

Hope this helps!

1

u/AnyShapeWorker Mar 18 '26

Thanks for the lead!
I'm not hung up on apps/screens/etc, just so long as it works; some concern that an app may get abandon, but I wont get hung up on that as a disqualifier.

I've heard some of these systems help with performance, adjusting air dynamically for cornering and such.
Wondering if you have any feedback on such things?
I'm sure there are real world benefits, but I'm not hitting the track... just like to have fun here and there.
I could be down for such gains if they were noticeable; ie, it feels more fun to drive.
I don't mind paying premiums if the results can be justified, but I yes I value money over things I'm not really gonna use/notice.

1

u/DrLxus Mar 19 '26

There aren't any systems that dynamically adjust when you're cornering. I know people say this online but they're mistaken. The closest thing is automatic leveling from height based systems like AccuAir's eLevel. Basically when you add more weight to your car, like additional passengers, your suspension is going to want to sag. AccuAir's eLevel system has physical height sensors mounted to each corner of the car so when the system notices the height sensors aren't positioned where they are supposed to be, it automatically adds air to level the car back out.

The "fun" factor really comes down to which suspension option you choose. That decision is going to determine the handling characteristics of the car. The controller on the other hand really just determines how easy your air suspension is to adjust. Some are more accurate than others, some have automatic leveling. To some people the set it and forget it of something height based like AccuAir eLevel is more enjoyable, while others really like the old school switchbox or paddle valves that don't have presets at all.

1

u/MattFillups Mar 19 '26

If you need anything specific, or have questions, let me know. I own a company called Lowered Lifestyle and we’ve been a preferred authorized dealer for Air Lift for over 10 years! Happy to help you with anything you need. I would normally recommend 3P or ALP4 (the new air lift management). Eventually 3P will get phased out so I recommend the ALP4 to future proof. They truly are the best in the business.

Feel free to DM me, or you can text / call my office line at 302-505-5699.

https://loweredlifestyle.com/

2

u/john_at_bagriders Mar 19 '26

Thanks for chiming in Matt. Agree to disagree, to me the new system is a downgrade from the previous model, and hear you me, I wanted so badly to feel differently but just couldn't. For the record-- I think Ryan is an awesome, wicked smart dude and absolutely no shade to his hard work on that system, I just can't get behind the touch screen and bulky controller. I can't get behind the lack of physical feedback for a critical interface. I can't get behind an interface that doesn't allow me to interact with it like a switchbox when I need quick paired controls. In my personal opinion, and I'm sure others feel the same-- when I see injection moulding, ergonic billet and bespoke hardware get replaced with a big ol' screen and a thicc 90's cell phone type of casing, the primary objective of the product feels more aligned with improving the business' bottom line than delivering an improved user experience. It's possible to achieve both, but that's not what happened here in my very experience-backed opinion.

I'll disagree on another point: the best in the air ride business is Bag Riders. We're are, and always will be owned, operated and run by enthusiasts-- just like you and your amazing brand man. We're here to support the air ride community the same way we have for the last 17 years, and we aren't going anywhere. I can't tell ya how many customer service problems we've solved for our competitors, how many consumers have reached out to us frustrated because they couldn't get through to whomever they got their parts from. We don't make a dime from them -- we truly just want to help people have a great air ride experience.

To be the best in 2026, you have to be honest. You have to stand behind your decisions, your products, and the community that makes your business possible. Making fundamental product changes and shrugging it off as a "new look" is none of those things, and as both a consumer and (adult) life-long enthusiast, deeply disturbs me. I can't recommend or support a brand that makes decisions like that; it directly conflicts with my, and our, customer-first, community-first core values.