iLIFT - Intelligent Suspension Lift Systems - New Product Introduction

liftnot · 12 November 2013

Spent a few hours to ck out this system today, don't want to repeat what everybody already said, I was expecting to see a high quality automotive system/product but Steven has taken it to the aerospace realm. A very thorough SDLC was carried out over many years of one-man Skunk Works in Hawaii and now its show time. I can appreciate all the fine detail issues and nuances that were addressed and solved properly not just shown on a spec sheet but with real results.

I don't have a lift system and was curious what the fuss was all about. for those of you who do have a lift system, the differences are apparent and important. Compare to the other known system(s) out there, even the KW HL$ $y$tem can not compare(ask around), IMO, KW should stick with what they do best => making dampers.

The more I study the system, the more I realized it takes a different type of person(focus, driven AND detail) to develop something like this NOT for making money as their 1st goal but to find the best solution for the on going problem at hand. In this case, the product ended up being the best on the market and I believe it has the potential for more.

If you are looking for a bargain system, look else where, this is for those of us who understand "you get what you pay for" and have learned that lesson over time. You will get a killer deal of "the other systems" and you will have to put up with reliability, corrosion, performance, speed, time, programming/lack of, etc. that Steven have already addressed and built into the system.

There will be copiers out there but this time, is not easily done. The "i" in the iLIFT is quite fitting. Great job Steven....we lost Don Ho but you made Hawaii proud again

Like they say in the Mainland: If you have the best, you don't need to worry about the rest:wink:

iLiftSystems · 14 November 2013

I just returned home in Hawaii last night after 7 weeks driving across the country and driving over 10,000 miles in my "iLIFT" NSX demo car (aka my test mule).
On the road I frequently did not have internet access to reply to the posts on this thread.
Now that I'm home I again have the ability to post on Prime.

I need to catch up on a bit of sleep, a lot of paper work and to build the iLIFT(R) Systems for people who ordered they while I was travelling.

Thanks to everyone who was kind enough to share their impressions and experiences with the iLIFT(R) Systems.

I'll reply to the posts shortly.

stevenlee · 14 November 2013

docjohn said:
Hey steve I thought of a funky theme song for your system...the old disco song with the lyric "last night a dj saved my life".....could be " the ilift saved my lip" :biggrin:

Hey Doc, I never thought I'd grow up to be a saver of lips.
I guess if lips are getting hurt every day, it's a noble calling to fulfill!

It was great seeing you again at NSXPO and to finally be on the track at VIR with the you track guys.:smile:

- - - Updated - - -

RYU said:
Was very nice meeting you here in LA Steven. Very nice product!!

It was nice finally being able to meet you too. Wish I had more time to spend in LA. Looking forward to seeing you again!

- - - Updated - - -

I think I enjoyed meeting and talking to CDX_NSX even more than he enjoyed meeting me.
Let me explain..... I arrived at the restaurant at 5PM on Monday and and started talking to some of the Primers who came to see the iLIFT on my car. CDX has a immaculate car with lots of mods.... something I can really appreciate. He is almost as fanatical as I am.
I worked secretly for many thousands of hours over several years to develop an Intelligent Lift System that is also invisible and un-noticeable.

He obviously knew a lot about lift systems and asked more questions than anyone else who has ever seen the iLIFT system. It was immediately apparent that he was more than casually interested in the iLIFT and how it works. He really wanted to know every detail of the iLIFT(R) System and how it works. It was gratifying to me to see that someone really appreciated the many details and features I developed for the iLIFT Systems.

After having a light dinner we move out to the parking lot to look at and discuss cars and lift systems.
He showed me his existing lift system which was the first time I saw some of the components. We were both surprised at how different the components are and how differently they function.

We talked in the parking lot about lift systems and cars until 1:30 in the morning.
We both learned a few things from each other. For example, he explained how and why he sometimes wants to raise the rear of the car only. After hearing his reasons, I decided to add a rear only lift feature to the iLIFT Systems.

I was able to devise a method for raising the front only, or the front followed by the rear, or the rear only, or the rear followed by the front using only the OEM cruise control switches on the steering wheel (or a single rocker switch). Other systems use different switches for controlling the front and rear of cars.

It was exciting for me to meet someone who was so enthused about my invention!
I am grateful to CDX for his interest and for sharing his comments about the iLIFT (R) Systems.... and for his input on making iLIFT(R) an even better system!

Thanks a million CDX_NSX!!!

CDX_NSX said:
It was great meeting Steven and seeing the iLift system in person yesterday. We spoke at length about it and I have to say that I am thoroughly impressed by Steven's fanaticism for creating a product with function, reliability, installation and user experience all holding equal importance in his development philosophy. Anyone who has seen Steven's NSX can appreciate his goal in making changes and improvements that seem almost unnoticeable. This is how it is with his iLift system. In my conversation with him, it became quickly apparent that his goal was to create a product that would function seamlessly with the car and driver. An example is the integration of the iLift controls with the factory cruise control switches without having to sacrifice the cruise control function. Another is the ability to switch modes from fully automated, to manual, to completely shut off (what Steven likes to call the Race Mode) using the same switches.

The "cups" of Steven's system aren't made of the conventionally used aluminum, but are made of a composite material that lends itself to a design that provides for reliability. Into this design, he has included multiple levels of protection from grime and the elements to ensure longevity. It achieves 3 inches of lift while imposing only half and inch of height above the spring.

Equally impressive, if not even more so, is the filtration device that he developed to remove moisture from the system. Anyone familiar with pneumatic suspension systems would know the importance of removing moisture from the compressed air. Up until now, systems like these use water traps to remove moisture from the air before it enters the tank. However, these water traps are not able to remove all moisture from the system because as air cools and condenses in the tank, moisture is formed again, and water begins to build up and is pushed into the valves and pistons which forces degradation. Steven's filtration device, which he spent a year developing, virtually eliminates this problem; again for the purpose of longevity.

The iLift also has many (many) programmable functions and parameters that allow the user to personalize it to his or her own preferences; from system pressure adjustments to front/rear weight biases; from sensor sensitivity to system on/off thresholds. The amount of thought, not to mention time, that went into each use and function of the setup is difficult to fathom for what we normally perceive to be something that simply lifts a car up and drops it back down. However, Steven's thought process in creating the iLift system is clear when you realize that it was much of his goal to allow for a better driver's experience when you get in your car to cruise down the boulevard or hammer it down the track; that you can confidently drive it like it was riding at stock height even if you had it slammed and tucked.

There are many details in the iLift that address problems that other existing systems have that when taken in their totality, make a noticeable difference in a system's ownership as well as overall user experience.

I have on my NSX a system that is sold by another vendor, and when comparing the two, the difference in the level of execution is glaring. If I were to do it all over again, considering the value of each dollar spent, choosing Steven's iLift system would be the easy choice.

In my conversation with him last night, Steven said a few times that he wanted to have a system that had elegance. I think that he's achieved it in both form and function.

Really a great product, Steven! Who knows? I might just do it all over again.

iLiftSystems · 14 November 2013

liftnot said:
Spent a few hours to ck out this system today, don't want to repeat what everybody already said, I was expecting to see a high quality automotive system/product but Steven has taken it to the aerospace realm. A very thorough SDLC was carried out over many years of one-man Skunk Works in Hawaii and now its show time. I can appreciate all the fine detail issues and nuances that were addressed and solved properly not just shown on a spec sheet but with real results.

I don't have a lift system and was curious what the fuss was all about. for those of you who do have a lift system, the differences are apparent and important. Compare to the other known system(s) out there, even the KW HL$ $y$tem can not compare(ask around), IMO, KW should stick with what they do best => making dampers.

The more I study the system, the more I realized it takes a different type of person(focus, driven AND detail) to develop something like this NOT for making money as their 1st goal but to find the best solution for the on going problem at hand. In this case, the product ended up being the best on the market and I believe it has the potential for more.

If you are looking for a bargain system, look else where, this is for those of us who understand "you get what you pay for" and have learned that lesson over time. You will get a killer deal of "the other systems" and you will have to put up with reliability, corrosion, performance, speed, time, programming/lack of, etc. that Steven have already addressed and built into the system.

There will be copiers out there but this time, is not easily done. The "i" in the iLIFT is quite fitting. Great job Steven....we lost Don Ho but you made Hawaii proud again Like they say in the Mainland: If you have the best, you don't need to worry about the rest:wink:

Thanks liftnot for sharing your observations and comments about the iLIFT Systems.
And thanks for coming back yesterday morning to help Nick and me to work on my clutch engagement.

When we first met, I didn't know that your were a design engineer for a major automobile manufacturer.
Knowing that you were an automotive design engineer makes me appreciate your kind comments and observations about the iLIFT (R) Systems even more!

Steven Lee

Rusted_nailz · 14 November 2013

Will this be a proprietary system or will you sell the ecu/air management separate for those who already have a air cup kit?

iLiftSystems · 14 November 2013

Rusted_nailz said:
Will this be a proprietary system or will you sell the ecu/air management separate for those who already have a air cup kit?

The iLIFT(R) Systems are integrated systems. They are NOT kits comprised of generic components.
The iLIFT(R) Systems work very differently from kits that are assembled from commercially available components.

I originally started developing lift systems with commercially available components but found that they lacked the quality, performance, features and size and weight requirements that I wanted. I realized that I would need to design, engineer and manufacture most of the components to get the size reduction, features and high performance that I wanted to offer. During years of development, I kept finding additional ways to improve the system, and that required more customization of the system and its components.

Our iLIFT(R) uses a highly developed and specialized ECU to control the system. It does much more than simply raise and lower the vehicle. For example, it also operates the patent pending filtration system that removes contaminants and moisture from the air supply.

The ECU is not currently compatible with other lift systems because the iLIFT(R) Systems use the air very differently from any other lift system that I know of.
The iLIFT(R) System actually uses the compressed air two times to improve efficiency and performance. (Think of it as the free energy used to power turbos to create more power using the "free" energy in the the exhaust.)

I suppose that we could develop an ECU for other conventional types of lift systems but that would only solve some of the issues that we are aware of in conventional lift systems. It wouldn't improve the speed or efficiency of the other systems to the same level as an iLIFT(R) System because our cylinder and piston assemblies work differently than other systems. They require less air pressure and use air from the air tank differently. They also offer many other advantages such as a a proprietary bump stop and multiple levels of contaminant protection to protect the cylinder bore and seal from the road splash that tends to get into the cylinders and seals in other designs.

Our ECU controls our proprietary solenoid valve system and they work together to prevent any loss of air pressure in the tank even if an air line were to be disconnected or develop a leak.

An Intelligent ECU alone is not enough to upgrade another system to the same level of intelligence and performance that is made possible through a fully developed and integrated system such as the iLIFT Systems.
The ECU alone would not provide: the higher efficiency, ability to use a smaller tank and compressor, ability to use full length coilover springs, contaminant protection to the cylinder bore and seal, contaminant protection to the shock absorber shaft and seals, and the elimination of water in the air tank and air system.

After spending many, many hundreds of thousands of dollars developing the iLIFT(R) Systems, I'm not currently planning to take on the task of developing an ECU to work with other systems.

One of the first iLIFT(R) Systems sold was to another NSX owner in the Seattle area. He posted his review on this thread. Perhaps you could contact NSXRAY1 and see the system in person.

liftnot · 14 November 2013

Rusted_nailz said:
Will this be a proprietary system or will you sell the ecu/air management separate for those who already have a air cup kit?

Rust,
You should contact NSXRAY1 in Seattle. iLIFT is an "aerospace" quality system unlike any other on the market even the KW HLS. It has gone thru quite a few iterations so its not a v.1.0 technically. Guessing you are close to Umbrella , once you check out the iLIFT, you would wish you should've save your money for the iLIFT. If you have a lift system right now, it would be even more apparent.

ChrisK · 18 November 2013

Stopped by Steven's house the other day to catch up on some of the feedback he received on his trip and to share his thoughts on improvements. I also did some software user adjustment fine tuning while I was there. Anyway, he showed me a batch of tanks that was under construction and also some of the Chinese made tanks he tested earlier that failed. Kind of amazing how thin the metal was on those tanks. I think he said they failed around 400 psi. That is a lot of PSI, but I sure wouldn't want a tank to fail on my NSX near my thin aluminum fender. The gauge of the aluminum on his tanks are easily 3-4x as thick. I don't know the exact gauge of the aluminum used, but you could clearly see how much thicker it is. I think he said it was pressure tested to 1000 psi, so that sounds like over kill, but I'm glad he feels it is reasonable overkill for his products.

iLiftSystems · 21 November 2013

ChrisK said:
Stopped by Steven's house the other day to catch up on some of the feedback he received on his trip and to share his thoughts on improvements. I also did some software user adjustment fine tuning while I was there. Anyway, he showed me a batch of tanks that was under construction and also some of the Chinese made tanks he tested earlier that failed. Kind of amazing how thin the metal was on those tanks. I think he said they failed around 400 psi. That is a lot of PSI, but I sure wouldn't want a tank to fail on my NSX near my thin aluminum fender. The gauge of the aluminum on his tanks are easily 3-4x as thick. I don't know the exact gauge of the aluminum used, but you could clearly see how much thicker it is. I think he said it was pressure tested to 1000 psi, so that sounds like over kill, but I'm glad he feels it is reasonable overkill for his products.

Chris, you make a good point about the importance of using high quality air tanks in vehicles.

We hydro-statically test each individual tank to over 1,000 PSI. That assures that they have a much higher safety margin than many of the foreign air tanks that are commonly used.

Here's a photo of a the pressure gauge on the hydro-tester being used today to test the latest batch of tanks we received from the welder.

This is a photo of a foreign made aluminum tank that burst well below the 1,000 PSI standard that we established as our minimum burst pressure for tanks that we use.

Here's a photo of tanks that were hydro-tested today.
In the background you can see our 3 sizes of finished tanks:
1/2 gallon tank is suitable for front only lift systems on lighter vehicles.
3/4 Gallon tank is suitable for NSX front and rear lift systems. This size is included on all NSX Custom fender mount iLIFT(R) Systems.
1 gallon tank is suitable for heavier vehicles with front and rear lift systems.

This photo shows the difference in size between our small tank and a 3 gallon tank that is commonly used in other air lift systems.
We are able to use air tanks that have only 1/4 the capacity of the tanks commonly used by other lift systems because our lift systems use air much more efficiently than other systems. The benefits of this include: the ability to use a much smaller tank that doesn't take up much space (and can even be completely hidden inside an NSX fender), the ability to use a smaller and lighter air compressors, smaller and lighter valves, etc. Another advantage is faster performance due to the relatively small amount of air needed to operate the iLIFT systems.

Steven Lee
Manager
Stealth Innovative Systems, LLC
Ph. 559-464-5438

NSXRAY1 · 22 November 2013

There have been questions around how the tank is mounted. Sharing a pic of the tank installed on my car. The tank is mounted with three 1/4 bolts. One in the trunk wall and two in the bottom sheet metal flange.

There will be some NSX owners that may cringe at the fact the product is drilled into the car. But in order to make a great omelet you have to crack a few eggs. :smile:

iLiftSystems · 22 November 2013

NSXRAY1 said:
There have been questions around how the tank is mounted. Sharing a pic of the tank installed on my car. The tank is mounted with three 1/4 bolts. One in the trunk wall and two in the bottom sheet metal flange.

There will be some NSX owners that may cringe at the fact the product is drilled into the car. But in order to make a great omelet you have to crack a few eggs. :smile:

View attachment 107595

The iLIFT(R) tank uses only one 1/4 inch hole that goes into the trunk for mounting. That hole is plugged by the mounting bolt.
Honda put a large (approximately 3 inch x 4 inch) "breather hole" in the side of the trunk to allow air to escape to allow the trunk to close properly. It is covered by a loosely fitted rubber flap.

nsxinkl · 26 November 2013

Will this kit fit nsx with turbo kit (hence no space to mount the air tank inside the fender liner) and SOS accusump kit in the trunk?

iLiftSystems · 27 November 2013

nsxinkl said:
Will this kit fit nsx with turbo kit (hence no space to mount the air tank inside the fender liner) and SOS accusump kit in the trunk?

We make custom NSX iLIFT(R) Systems to fit in either the right or left rear fender.
The tank needed for the iLIFT(R) System for FRONT AND REAR lifting of the NSX is only 3/4 gallon capacity because that is all that is needed for these highly efficient systems.
We also have a universal mount system that might fit well into your trunk.
We are developing another mounting solution specifically for NSX's with both rear fenders occupied.

Please post a photo or send a PM or email with a photo of your trunk.
Is your Accusump tank mounted as shown in the SOS website?
I'm sure we can find a way to fit an iLIFT(R) System into your car that will occupy VERY LITTLE space in your trunk or elsewhere.

Steven Lee
Manager
Stealth Innovative Systems, LLC
email: [email protected]
Ph. 559-GO-ILIFT

nsxinkl · 3 December 2013

Yes my accusump is mounted in the trunk as shown on SOS website. Is there still space in the trunk for the iLift tank? At the moment I can still fit my golf bag in the trunk. I would love to be able to fit my golf bag even with the iLift tank installed.

iLiftSystems · 19 February 2014

Due to popular demand, we finalized development of a custom NSX Trunk mounted iLIFT(R) System.
Some customers have other components (i.e. aftermarket intake systems) in their rear fenders but they still wanted a clean, space-saving iLIFT(R) system in their cars.
This iLIFT(R) NSX trunk mount system takes very little space in the trunk and it is available for lifting the front only or the front and rear of an NSX.

The price for the NSX trunk mounted Semi-Automatic iLIFT(R) system for raising the front only is $3,245.

The Semi-Automatic iLIFT(R) Systems are activated by pressing the "ACCEL" cruise control button (or an aftermarket rocker switch that is provided).
The system will automatically lower the vehicle after you have passed an obstacle and drive away from it.
It can also be lowered by manually pressing the "DECEL" button or the rocker switch.
The iLIFT(R) Systems are very intelligent. The OEM cruise control functions still function normally to activate the cruise control system on the NSX.

You can upgrade the system to add rear lifting for $1,000 and/or fully automatic lifting and lowering (with ground clearance sensors) for $1,000.

All iLIFT(R) Systems include the patent pending iLIFT(R) filtration system that eliminates contaminants and moisture from entering the air tank and other components. This means that it eliminates the issue of water condensation and build-up that is common with virtually all other air lift systems. It also prevents condensation from washing away lubricants from the seals in the lifting components for superior performance and longevity.

This compact system is powerful enough to raise the front and rear of the NSX.

The system mounts with custom brackets into 3 OEM mounting points in the trunk.

The iLIFT System is so compact that it is takes very little floor space in the NSX trunk.

We also created videos showing the NSX automatically raising itself when an obstacle approaches the car and a video demonstrating the use of the cruise control buttons to manually raise and lower the car.

Here's a video of the NSX raising over 3.5 inches with the iLIFT(R).

P.S. The iLIFT(R) System was awarded its first patent on December 31, 2013.
We received notices that 2 more patents are being approved.
Several additional patents have been filed and are Patent Pending.

Let us know if you have any questions or if there's anything we can do to help you get an iLIFT(R) System on you car.

Steven Lee

vivanshah · 5 April 2014

Will the trunk mount kit still allow a flat tire to fit in the trunk?

iLiftSystems · 18 April 2014

vivanshah said:
Will the trunk mount kit still allow a flat tire to fit in the trunk?

That is a good question. Unfortunately we do not have any stock wheels laying around to test. We don't anticipate it would fit but we are unsure.

Thank You,

Daniel Lee
Stealth Innovative Systems, LLC
http://iLiftSystems.com
559-GO-ILIFT (559-464-5438)

socold57 · 19 April 2014

what kind of compressor is that . super small

iLiftSystems · 19 April 2014

The compressor shown IS very small. We tested a lot of different compressors (over 10) in our search for a small and light weight compressor.
We offer 2 different compressors but everyone seems to want the small compressor shown in the photos.
Our systems were designed to be highly efficient, thus we can use much smaller air tanks and air compressors.
The iLIFT(R) Systems use air differently than other systems. Our systems actually recycle the air to use it more than once.

Steven Lee
Manager
Stealth Innovative Systems, LLC
http://iLiftSystems.com
559-GO-ILIFT (559-464-5438)

NSXBOX · 19 April 2014

Steven.
Will this work for other cars ? Also do we need to send our shocks over. I got vrh on my car so far so good. But thinking for my other car.
Thanks

iLiftSystems · 20 April 2014

NSXBOX said:
Steven.
Will this work for other cars ? Also do we need to send our shocks over. I got vrh on my car so far so good. But thinking for my other car.
Thanks

NSXBOX,

The iLIFT(R) Systems were designed to be very versatile and to fit on virtually any car that has space to accommodate the cylinder and piston assemblies. The assembly measures only 5 inches in diameter by 3.3 inches tall. It is necessary to use coilover type springs with inside diameters ranging from 60mm to 65mm.
The iLIFT(R) cylinder assemblies have fit all coilovers that we've encountered so far.

Last week the iLIFT(R) system was installed onto an Audi R8.
This week an iLIFT(R) System is being installed into a Porsche Carerra S.
The iLIFT system is capable of lifting over 6.000 pounds, however we recommend that the iLIFT(R) Systems be used on cars weighing up to 4,000 pounds.

It is NOT necessary to send the coilovers in to us for assembly.
The iLIFT(R) cylinder assemblies have been designed to be easily installed onto your coilovers.
Each iLIFT(R) System includes a custom tool to facilitate the installation onto your coilovers.
You simply remove the coilover from your car and remove the top mount. From there it takes less than a minute to install the cylinder assembly using the installation tool.

The iLIFT(R) offers these benefits not found on other systems:

Patent pending filtration system to eliminate condensation and moisture from the system.
Contaminant protection to protect the cylinder bore, seals, shock rod and shock seals.
Proprietary bump stop that does not rub against the shock rod (eliminates wear on the shock rod).
Cylinder and Piston assemblies add only about 1/2 inch to the top of the suspension's coil spring. This means that it is usually possible to use the existing, full-length coil springs. You don't have to buy shorter springs and loose suspension travel. iLIFT(R) Systems maintain the full performance of the suspension system.
Highly efficient and compact design. The air tank, compressor and valves can fit into the rear fender.
Low current draw.
Custom, proprietary components were developed specifically for the iLIFT(R) Systems.
Patented iLIFT(R) Systems use an intelligent ECU to control the system. The ECU is highly configurable with over 30 different parameters that can be customized to your car and your personal preference.

The Hawk · 21 April 2014

Thanks to Steven and Daniel I have the iLIFT system on my 2002 NSX. After being in storage from the middle of October to the middle of April, ( long winter )there was enough air to lift the front end twice without the compressor running. This means there was no air leaks after 6 months. Just another reason to put the iLIFT on your car. This is by far the best system on the market.

iLiftSystems · 21 April 2014

The Hawk said:
Thanks to Steven and Daniel I have the iLIFT system on my 2002 NSX. After being in storage from the middle of October to the middle of April, ( long winter )there was enough air to lift the front end twice without the compressor running. This means there was no air leaks after 6 months. Just another reason to put the iLIFT on your car. This is by far the best system on the market.

Thanks for the feedback!

The iLIFT(R) system was designed to keep air in the tank even if there were leaks elsewhere in the system.

For example:
Compressors are known to leak air (back flow) if the compressor's check valve isn't working 100% effectively.
With the iLIFT(R) System, you could completely remove the air line from the compressor to the tank with no loss of air in the tank.
This design saves air and more importantly, it prevents unnecessary running (wear and tear) of the compressor to replace the leaking air from the tank as is common with conventionally designed compressed air systems that don't have the iLIFT(R) anti-leak design.

FF Drifter · 24 April 2014

Steven, are you guys planning to come out to NSXPO 2014?

synergy004 · 24 April 2014

Pmed you Steve!

iLIFT - Intelligent Suspension Lift Systems - New Product Introduction

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