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If you're new to the world of air ride suspensions, or even if you're an OG who wants a refresher, it's nice to know what you should and shouldn't do with your setup. After all, there are some mistakes that are easy to make, and if there's a way to stop them from happening, why not, right?
So let's take a moment to go over the do's and don'ts of air ride suspension.
Do
- Maintain your setup. Check regularly to make sure you're not dragging any lines or rubbing through anything.
- Check your bags regularly. This falls into the first rule, but take a look at your bags. Make sure they haven't shifted or twisted around, leaving them vulnerable to rubbing.
- Drain your tank(s). Having a water trap on your setup is a good way to maintain your tank year round. But no matter what you should get that water out of your system. Drain the tank(s) every few months or so.
Don't
- Adjust your setup excessively while driving. Look, distracted driving is a problem even in a stock ride, but it can be worse with air suspension. If you have manually-adjusted valves, lift it up to go — then leave it. Don't spend a bunch of time messing around with things because you could get into a wreck.
- Forget to fix that line. Ever grab a cheap zip tie to fix a hanging line then forget to fix it? Yeah, go back and fix it the right way.
- Put too much pressure into your system. Your bags have a maximum PSI rating, as does your tank and valves. Don't goose the system with more pressure because something will break.
- Overload your bags. Towing and airbags is fine, but make sure your bags are rated for the appropriate load. This is particularly important if you have a cantilever setup of some kind, as you won't have the same weight ratings.
- Take apart your setup when there's pressure in the system. Well, not unless you want to send that fitting into the wall like a bullet, anyway. Seriously, working on your system while it's under pressure is a bad idea.
Now get out there!
Airbags have their pros and cons, but ultimately it's pretty easy to keep them well maintained and functioning well. You just need to follow a few simple tips and you'll be good to go. Enjoy!
