Thursday, March 6, 2014
Things to Know About Air Suspension
Air suspension systems have been installed in vehicles since the late 1950s. Air suspension has several different functions. It keeps the vehicle as level as possible on varying terrains and raises or lowers the vehicle on off-road and luxury vehicles. On high-performance models, the air suspension will adjust the stiffness of the suspension to increase the handling ability of the vehicle.
Disabling
Some vehicles that are equipped with air suspension, primarily Lincolns and Fords, must have the system disabled prior to lifting the rear of the vehicle. The system is disabled by flipping a switch. This switch is typically located in the trunk of the vehicle; er to your owners manual. Failure to disable the system can result in the air suspension failing and the rear of the vehicle will sit very low until it is repaired; this repair is quite expensive as well.
Replacement
On some air-suspension equipped vehicles, the air ride system can be replaced for a standard suspension. This is typically performed when the suspension system fails and requires a complete overhaul. The replacement system will have two standard shocks and a spring to replace the air bags.
Aging
As air suspensions age, the air bag can become dry and start to crack. These cracks can lead to leaks and even breakage. A routine inspection of the air suspension system should be performed at every major service interval to catch problems before they occur.
Mechanics
The air suspension system is a relatively simple system mechanically. It consists of only three main components: compressor, air bags and struts. The compressor runs off of electricity and it is what provides the supply of air. The air bags are simply rubber sacks that fill with air to raise the vehicle and drain to lower the vehicle. The struts are there to simply absorb the hard impacts and protect the bags from sudden compression from a hard bump. While the mechanics are simple, the electronics of the newer systems are extremely complex.
History
The air bag was first put on a production car by Cowey Motor Works of Great Britain in 1909. The idea did not catch on at the time because the system leaked. Firestone created the first properly functioning air suspension system for an experimental line of vehicles known as the Stout-Scarab in 1933. Air suspension became available on nearly every American-produced vehicle in 1958.
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