Air Suspension Myths
9/19/2013
I don’t have to worry about overloading my vehicle because I have air springs.
This is a myth – Air springs will not change the Weight Rating (GVWR, GCWR, GAWR) of your vehicle. Air springs simply increase your suspension’s ability to support heavy loads. Air Lift strongly recommend that you never exceed your vehicle’s Weight Ratings – meaning never load your vehicle with more weight than recommended.
Air springs are prone to failure and I’ll get stranded on the side of the road somewhere if they deflate.
This is a myth – Air springs are made of rugged, durable components and are built to last in even the most extreme towing and hauling situations. They are used on vehicles from semi-trucks to luxury vehicles around the world with great success and long life. Our sleeve style air springs have a burst strength well beyond the normal working pressure, while bellows style air springs are built like a tire with 2-ply fabric reinforced rubber. Both types are exceptionally strong and the durability proven by many thousands of satisfied customers over millions of miles.
For complete peace of mind, some applications feature an air spring with a jounce bumper built inside. These air springs can safely be run with zero air pressure* if necessary and eliminate squat, sway, bottoming out and even the harsh jarring on rough roads when loaded. They replace your factory jounce bumper with the benefits of an air spring and a jounce bumper combined into one.
*For the best ride and load support, you should always run your air springs with the minimum recommended air pressure. While it is safe to run springs with internal jounce bumpers with zero air pressure while the vehicle is not under load, to run them with zero air pressure under load could lead to excessive wear on the air spring.
Performance air suspension might get me low, but it ruins the suspension and makes it worthless on the track.
This is a myth – Performance air suspension has come a long way in the past decade. Performance air suspension kits are fully engineered to properly fit your vehicle, provide unmatched static drop and deliver ride and handling capability that exceeds factory suspensions. Performance air suspension kits are rigorously tested on the racetrack so that they can provide the perfect combination of spring and damper rates, whether you are cruising the boulevard or tearing into your favorite track. With performance air suspension you can get the lowest possible stance along with the versatility of cockpit adjustable ride height – something you can’t get with the common coil over.