Driving on a Bed of Air With Air Suspension
A car's suspension product is like a public school teacher: overworked and under-appreciated systems. It has to support the weight of the car, including passengers and cargo, while allowing the wheels and tires to maneuver down and up to minimize impacts from cracks, bumps and the other numerous imperfections in the road. Your suspension also prevents excessive body squat and dive during acceleration and braking. There are a number of suspension systems on the market, but without question, air suspension remains the most popular.
Air shocks are powered by an engine-driven or electric air compressor and continue to be incredibly popular the type of in the know. The compressor pressurizes air and uses it to replace conventional steel springs. An aura bag suspension provides a smoother ride and it is fully adjustable, allowing drivers to tweak each wheel's air pressure individually and even tilt the automobile side to side or tailgate to cab to level it out. The air cushion softens the contact between the axle and the frame to reduce bottoming out, plus they provide between 500 - 5,000 lbs of load-leveling capacity depending on your vehicle and also the kind of air suspension you receive.
Most air compressor kits are a complete solution for upgrading your suspension, including the air compressor, manifold, wiring harness, control box and some that even have a 5-gallon air tank that fills with 200psi in under 40 seconds.
A performance grade air suspension kit is the Road Runner of the auto world: virtually unbeatable. And also, since we live in the time of tech, many air compressors could be controlled with a wireless remote from the cab of your vehicle. This innovative system makes adjusting your air springs from inside (or outside) your cab simple-just push a button, and you're off. Plus, the wireless design means you won't have a nest of wires running through your cab.
Many air suspension systems feature advanced diagnostics to provide complete control of your air shocks. In addition, many systems provide a setting for user-defined memory, allowing you to quickly switch between your most often used settings.
One word of recommendation: you shouldn't be tempted by generic parts. When it comes to your suspension system, the best kits are the ones that have been personally-tailored to your unique make, model and year, providing all the components necessary for a quick and easy do-it-yourself installation. Nothing's worse than getting half-way through a suspension upgrade only to find out the kit you ordered is missing some key element, such as the air compressor or even the air lines.
