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Debunking Common Myths About Air Suspension
We here at Switch Suspension have been living that air bagged life since 2012, and we’re not going back anytime soon. But we do hear from a lot of people that say they don’t want air suspension for one reason or another. While nobody needs air suspension, it bothers us when we hear things about the concept that just aren’t true; these common myths about air suspension being this way or that — we hate it.
So with that in mind, we’re going to do some mythbusting today. Let’s set the record straight and address some of the common myths about air suspension.
Myth #1: Air Suspension is Unreliable
We hear this one all the time: “Why would I want to bag my truck? It’s just going to break.” We wouldn’t want to have a vehicle that breaks all the time too, which is why it’s fortunate this is a myth.
Your air system’s reliability comes down to the installation. If your air bags rub against the chassis, the wiring is hanging down and you have loose fittings everywhere, then yes, it’s going to be unreliable. But if it’s installed correctly, this just isn’t an issue. Yes, it will require more maintenance than a stock car, but so will anything custom. It all comes down to who put it in and their competency, so always make sure to double check everything before you go down the road.
Myth #2: Your Air bags Will Fail
We had a customer come in once with his C–10. It was in storage for a long period of time, and while leaks had developed, he was still able to get it to the shop so we could do some upgrades. Now, it’s a daily driver.
As long as your air bags aren’t rubbing against anything, you will be just fine. They can last for years without replacement, no problem. Sure, in the philisophical sense everything will fail, but it’s more likely you’ll have a shock go out before your air bags do.
Myth #3: Air Suspension Requires Too Much Maintenance
With a properly installed air suspension setup, you have a few things to do. If you have a water trap, you should empty that regularly — just open a valve, let the air and water out, and you’re good. Draining the tank once a month is a good idea, or more often if you live in a humid climate. That’s another 15 minutes or so of work. Otherwise … well that’s pretty much it.
Every car needs maintenance. You get your oil changed every ~3,000 miles, so why would you think air suspension was maintenance free? There are things to do, but in a setup that’s installed correctly (noticing a theme?), it’s no more than 30 minutes a month. Besides, there are factory vehicles with air suspension. If they required extra service, nobody would buy them. Yet we see them on the road every day.
Myth #4: Air Suspension is Just For Show
One of our customers drives a 2020 Mercedes-Benz E350. It’s a sedan that’s air bagged on 20-inch wheels with low profile tires and it looks super clean hovering over the ground. Every day he takes his car to pick up his kids from school, and if he needs to go on a road trip, it’s his vehicle of choice. Why not? He drains his tank regularly and made sure all of his air lines and wiring was properly installed. What does he have to worry about?
We have lots of customers who drive their bagged cars and trucks every day. It’s not just for show vehicles by any means, and if you want evidence, just stop by our shop sometime and see what our employees drive.
Nothing is Perfect, But Air Suspension is Close
We love air bagged vehicles, and we’re going to keep on building them for years to come. While they’re not for everybody, we do think that if they’re installed properly, you won’t have the problems everyone talks about. But if you do have questions, feel free to give us a call. We’re here all the time to answer them and set you down the right path.
