AudiQC

Last year (March 2011) i had to change one of my front airbags and i went with Arnott's Gen I. I could hardly feel the difference compare to the left one which was still the OEM (original on my ar at 150k+). This spring the left one (front) blowed and i replace it with an other Arnott. All four corners still have the original OEM shocks. My feeling was, at that stage, that the Arnotts were a bit "stiffer" than the OEM airbags but i could live with it.....
This summer, one of my rear shocks was getting pretty soft. Knowing that my rear bags were to give away one of these days and having to change the shocks i decided to go for the big job...Change the shocks (New OEM) and airbags (the Arnotts).....
Well !!! i don't like it at all. They seem to be a lot stiffer and have a very funny action/reaction together with the new shocks. On rough road sometimes i feel like if the shocks were gone (like old worn out shocks.
If i could "start" again from zero....i would go with the OEM airbags and shocks ....nevermind the $$$...My ar is no more the past ar. Is it a bad installation ?? i doubt it!! What could it be ???
Because of the loading capacity of the ar may be Arnott's engineers have design it with a smaller diameter to sustain the extra weight when ever it is the case or there is something else....Anybody with an answer or some explanation are welcome to comment.

compusat

Hi,
from a year or so i own an allroad 2003, i take it as only 79K.. excellent conditions.
last week i had to change one airbag in the front left; very hard where i live to get parts; i think the workshop installed an Arnott Gen1;

my question is:

for the rear i undrestand from what i read that OEM airbags and shoks are prefered.. what is the best price/quality airbag to use in front, OEM, Arnott gen1 or Gen-II?

any answer is apreciated, thank you!

GTA_Driver

Maybe read the description on Arnott's site? Lifetime warranty is pretty telling.

fhaguy

just got arnott gen II for my 2005, 64K miles. love em. love the words "lifetime warranty".

all_Kobiwon

I just put on new Gen 2.5's with Bilstein shocks all the way around. I can't say the ride is really any firmer, however, do feel the car is smoother over bumps, no clunk what-so-ever. Only 3 months in on this new set-up, so time will tell if it was the way to go.

compusat

thanks for all ur answers;

here, about lifetime warranty:

http://www.arnottindustries.com/faq/...13&groupId=124

Kneale Brownson

Wonder what the limit is on the "lifetime" warranty.

AudiQC

Yet i am not convince that there is /are no difference between OEM airbags and the Arnott Gen 1 airbags....On my ar at least the rear ones are certainly different when coupled with new OEM shocks..and i must be even more different coupled with the bilstein shocks. The front ones seem not reacting the same what...I don't know why ???

GTA_Driver

You did get the new shocks, so that will make a difference.

I only go by having two new Arnotts gen I at the front, stock shocks. I feel no difference from previous OEM springs.

AudiQC

Yes i do agree that the front with the original shocks have very little or no diffenrence. But the rear with the new OEM shocks ...yes there should be a diffenrence compare with the old shocks(of which one was kind of worn out) and the old OEM airbags (which were not leaking). But now...it is like or almost like the shocks are not doing their job. When i hit a bump it springs up and sometimes knocks up. It is even worst in level 1. I don't like the feeling at all. Wrong installation of malfonctioning of either the shocks or the bags ??? I don't know !!!