Air suspension system drastically improves your vehicle’s performance by eliminating the uncomfortable bumps & imbalanced speed during turns. The world of car lovers understands very well how important it is to see something out-of-the-box to improve their performance instantly.
However, there are some hard rules about installing an air suspension kits instead of the classic spring suspension. The airbags absorb all kinds of disturbance while driving giving you a comfortable ride height & experience. But this experience can be not so fulfilling for you if you don’t see the dos & kodon’ts of the air ride suspension.
Drive with us into this article and let’s find out the very necessary dos & don’t of air suspension systems.
What is an Air Suspension System?
Suspension systems are to prevent shocks from uneven roads or maintain the car’s height when you have used a heavy load on it. The traditional suspension system uses springs which adjust the circumstances to an extent. However, airbags came into the market as a powerful replacement for spring coils. Along with the other components like height sensors, compressors, electric pumps, airbags, and airlines which make the air suspension automatic & customized. These products are sold with specific build and instruction such as 2001 dodge 2500 air bag kit to match with vehicle requirements.
Dos of Air Suspension System:
1. Maintain Your System Regularly:
Maintaining your system is important. So don’t take things lightly when it comes to air suspension. Do check every now & then that you’re not dragging any line or rubbing through ground clusters.
2. Check Your Bags Periodically:
Airbags are the most important part of the suspension. Each time you’re out for a drive, make sure to check if your bags are shifted or twisted around. This can cause them to rub surfaces or other components which can be damaging.
3. Drain Your Tank:
Having water trapped in the tank is a good idea at most. However, don’t leave it for always as it will slowly damage your system process. You must get the water out of the tank every few months or so.
4. Pay Attention to Air-Spring Load Capacities:
Not all air spring systems are right to fit all. Different air springs are meant to deal with different motives. Double-convoluted air springs are good with independent front suspensions whereas Sleeve-type air suspension works well with solid rear-axle suspensions.
5. Utilise the Power of Shock Absorbers:
When using a conventional air suspension system, make sure that your shock absorbers don’t bottom out before the air spring bottoms out. This can damage the shock mounts and may create dangerous handling. If you use an air-spring-over-shock component, there’s no need to worry about this.
6. Assemble Air-Line Fittings with Thread Sealer:
A leaked air-line fittings will make the whole air suspension system faulty. Some air suspension systems come with a locking compound system which helps tighten the suspension system. However, you will still need Teflon tape, or a paste to make the system leak-free.
Don’ts of Air Suspension System:
1. Don’t Adjust Your Setup Excessively while Driving:
This is for all manual air suspension users. Since you don’t have a smart system for adjusting height, it would not be a good idea to adjust the set-up multiple times while driving. Just lift it significantly and move on. Spending a bunch of time will highly hamper your journey and you may get late in your next meeting.
2. Never Forget to Fix the Zip Line:
You will see several loose zips in your system. They are there to fix some hangings. Make sure you have fixed it before driving. Leaving them open may cause some unwanted accidents.
3. Don’t Push Too Much Pressure on Your System:
All the air spring suspension systems come with a maximum pressure limit. You can check their PSI ratings for it. Your job is not to exceed the pressure on the system as directed by the guide. Doing this continuously will break something that may cost you hundreds of dollars at once.
4. Overloading Your Bags is Not A Good Idea:
Towing loads with airbags is completely fine. However, you must care not to overload it. Use appropriate load for the system to make it long-lasting. This is extremely important when you’re using a cantilever setup. Note that the cantilever setup doesn’t use the same weight ratings.
5. Never Work on the System When There’s Pressure Inside:
Maintenance is the key to using the air suspension system for longer periods. But here is a golden tip for you. Never work on the system when it has trapped pressure inside of it. Such courageous actions may result in unwanted circumstances and harm you physically.
6. Don’t Expect Air Suspension System as a Cure to Other Suspension Issues:
Air springs were a golden modification when launched. However, as car lovers, we must understand that they’re not magical stuff. For them to work properly and support the car’s driving & comfort, all the other components must be in good functioning conditions as well. Make sure to check whether the ball joints, shocks, steering parts, bushing etc are working well.
7. Don’t Use Single Airline for Paired Air Springs:
We have seen many people who make this mistake. Surely, it’s a clever idea to attach two air springs with one airline. This makes the work easier for all. But such ease will compromise the car’s performance. Separate airlines for each air spring will utilize the passing air completely and also allow custom adjustments to the levelling of the car.
Conclusion:
Air suspension has several benefits over the traditional system with a few drawbacks as well. However, with an installed airbags system, anyone can improve their car’s performance by multiple times. The airbags are a great alternative to spring coils as they are more agile, light, and offer more comfort while driving.
There comes a guide for all air suspension users with specific dos and don’ts. For detailed information, you may go to an expert on the subject. In this article, we have put some of the most important Dos and Don’ts for you. Hope this article has poured some light on the subject. If you’re interested in knowing the benefits of using air suspension over coil suspension, read our dedicated article here.
