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We do a ton of air suspension installations around here, and over the years we’ve learned a bunch about what to do if you want things to go well. On the surface it seems pretty easy, but there always seems to be one issue or another that pops up. If you want to minimize those kinds of problems as much as we do, then you’ll want to hear about some of our favorite tips.
Get Your Sealant Sorted
Every air system needs fittings, and when there’s a threaded connection between two components there’s a chance they’ll leak. If you’re joining two NPT (American National Pipe Tapered Thread) pieces, you have to use a thread sealant of some kind. It’s absolutely mandatory.
We recommend Loctite 545, as it’s the standard in the air suspension industry. It’s designed to harden once you’ve joined the two parts together, thus filling any gaps in the threads and ensuring they stay leak free.
If that doesn’t work for you, consider teflon in either tape of liquid form. Both work well, but make sure to only do a wrap and a half of the tape, moving against the connection. You don’t want it to come off as you’re tightening the fitting, after all.
Cut Your Tubing Correctly
It doesn’t matter if you’re using all Swagelok compression fittings or regular PTCs, if your tubing isn’t cut correctly you will develop a leak. While buying a specialized cutting tool may seem like a waste of money, if you’re using D.O.T. flexible air line or anything similar, you should get a plastic air line cutting tool.
You want your cut to be 90 degrees from the length of the tubing. Any angles in your cut can potentially cause leaks. This is because the mounting surface of the tubing isn’t lining up the way it’s supposed to, and the air sneaks through the gaps. Using a plastic air line cutting tool is cheap insurance against having problems down the line.
Speaking of …
Use D.O.T. Air Line
We carry and install D.O.T. approved air line for a reason. This stuff is rated to use on the road, which means it’s what you would install on a semi truck for their brakes or something similar. It also means you can use it with higher pressures, which is what we do with air bags. Basically, if it’s good enough for heavy-duty use, we want it for ourselves.
Now this isn’t critical, mind you. But when you’re doing your install, buying any old air line that you find on Amazon can lead you to a place where you’re redoing all of your hard work because they can’t hold the pressure you need. Get the right stuff from the beginning and you’ll be in a better place.
There’s Still More
We could go on about this all day, frankly. Keep some PTC unions around if for no other reason than you can fix a leak when you’re on the road. Use Union Tees with some spare air line and combine it with a PTC Schader Valve to let you lift your car or truck up with shop air the first time you give it a go. It’s a good way to test for leaks, or if you just need to move the car around the shop.
But instead of continuing further, let’s keep it simple. If you need more help, give us a call, send us an email, hit us up on socials or just stop by sometime. We’ve got a lot of tips and tricks to share, so if you have questions, ask. That’s what we’re here for.
