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Video: 2015 Mustang Airlift Suspension

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By EditorTurner

Video: 2015 Mustang Airlift Suspension

’Bag It

Late Model Restoration drops a 2015 Mustang with Air Lift suspension

By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of Air Lift Performance and Latemodel Restoration

We got our first glimpse of a possible trend at this year’s Mustang Week in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. That trend is bagged S550s. You know 2015+ Mustangs with air suspensions. With the ability to raise or lower a car at the push of a button, air suspensions can instantly give your ’Stang that sick stance at a show or cruise-in, but return it to a driveable ride height with another push of the button.

One of the companies at the forefront of this movement is Air Lift Performance, and it has a new offering designed specifically for the 2015+ Mustang. This kit (PN AIR-98021; $3,250) offers improved handling and a whopping 4 inches of drop if you so desire. Having seen several cars slammed to the pavement in Myrtle Beach, we can say that bagged S550s look pretty awesome.

Here’s a quick overview of the system from our friends at Latemodel Restoration…

Want improved handling and up to 4 inches of lowering at the push of a button? Air Lift Performance offers all that in a single package for the 2015+ Mustang, and Late Model Restoration documented an in-depth video series on this system and its installation.
Want improved handling and up to 4 inches of lowering at the push of a button? Air Lift Performance offers all that in a single package for the 2015+ Mustang, and Late Model Restoration documented an in-depth video series on this system and its installation.

Now, if you’ve been considering jumping on the bagged bandwagon, you might be curious about how such a kit installs. Fortunately the LMR crew recently completed an install of the Air Lift system on one of the company’s in-house 2015 Mustang project cars, and they covered the details of this installation on video…

Thanks to the technology loaded into the Air Lift Performance AutoPilot V2 controller included in this system, you can setup your suspension to raise the ride height as soon as you start the vehicle. The controller also offers eight preset ride-height settings and constantly monitors the pressure of the system’s air springs, making adjustments as necessary.
Thanks to the technology loaded into the Air Lift Performance AutoPilot V2 controller included in this system, you can set up your suspension to raise the ride height as soon as you start the vehicle. The controller also offers eight preset ride-height settings and constantly monitors the pressure of the system’s air springs, making adjustments as necessary.

As you can see, the installation of the suspension hardware is pretty much a remove-and-replace operation. The only extras involved with the Air Lift kit are plumbing the air lines, mounting the tank, mounting the controller, mounting the air pump, and wiring the system. However, once that is done your days of manually adjusting the suspension are over.

With the kit installed, the LMR team put the company’s bagged S550 to the test and came away quite pleased with the results.

“Overall the handling of the 2015 Mustang GT with Air Lift Performance suspension kit is great thanks to the 30-way adjustable struts. We have ours set half way on the front and rear, so obviously there is a ton of room for improvement,” Landon Durham, of LateModel Restoration, said. “Whether you do take your car to a road-course track or an autocross event, having that 30-way adjustability is key. You can adjust your hardness or softness and get it dialed in as those tracks change.”

You can watch the full review video here…

We have a feeling we might be seeing more 2015+ Mustangs equipped with this suspension in the future. It’s definitely hard to argue with the results of great looks, improved handling, and push-button adjustability.

With the company’s 2015 Mustang on a lift and its suspension supported by jackstands, LMR video personality Landon Durham gets started by removing the stock parts.
With the company’s 2015 Mustang on a lift and its suspension supported by jackstands, LMR video personality Landon Durham gets started by removing the stock parts.
In front he removes the brakes an front struts and replaces them with the Air Lift strut. This unit includes the strut, air spring, and camber plate in one assembly, and it bolts in place of the factory strut. He torqued the camber plate fasteners to 31 lb-ft and the strut to knuckle bolts to 184 lb-ft before reinstalling the suspension and brakes.
In front he removes the brakes and front struts and replaces them with the Air Lift strut. This unit includes the strut, air spring, and camber plate in one assembly, and it bolts in place of the factory strut. He torqued the camber plate fasteners to 31 lb-ft and the strut to knuckle bolts to 184 lb-ft before reinstalling the suspension and brakes.
In back the system uses a separate air spring and shock, so Landon removes the factory shock and spring. With those pars out of the way, he installs the Air Lift adapters in the upper and lower spring perches, and slips the air spring into place. Then he swapped in the Air Lift shocks and reassembled the rear suspension.
In back the system uses a separate air spring and shock, so Landon removes the factory shock and spring. With those parts out of the way, he installs the Air Lift adapters in the upper and lower spring perches, and slips the air spring into place. Then he swapped in the Air Lift shocks and reassembled the rear suspension.
Obviously we are just scratching the surface of the install, but the rear suspension looks like this when you are finished. The kit’s instructions are quite comprehensive, and they include all the torque specs you’ll need to know, and you’ll always have LMR’s install video to refer to as well.
Obviously we are just scratching the surface of the install, but the rear suspension looks like this when you are finished. The kit’s instructions are quite comprehensive, and they include all the torque specs you’ll need to know, and you’ll always have LMR’s install video to refer to as well.

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