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We’ve been putting air suspension into cars for over a decade now, and some of the guys at our shop have been doing it even longer. That also means we’ve seen a lot of trends come and go. Lately we’ve noticed a rise in air suspension in trucks and SUVs, which may come off as odd. After all, some of the first bagged vehicles were trucks. How does that make this a trend? Well, let’s find out.
A History Lesson
One of the first bagged trucks out there was a Toyota pickup owned by Jayson Pang. Both Jayson and Brian Jendro would install a set of bags from a truck stop onto that truck in the early 1990s, and soon many many others would follow. Trucks were an easy first stop for airbags, anyway. Fullsize models had lots of room for big bags, and you could modify the rear frame however you like to fit a large variety of models. Basically, you had lots of options.
SUVs followed since they are basically trucks with a shell on the back (or they were back in the 1990s), and you could do many of the same things. Cars were a little bit harder, as many of them used struts instead of separate coil springs and shocks. But eventually those came around and now there are bagged cars all over the place.
This then became the trend. Cars are “easier” to bag because many of the suspension kits bolt in. You don’t have to install a four link and spindles to get your 2010 Audi on the ground, and the air management can be shoved in the trunk. As a result, people who wouldn’t normally be interested in air ride started to take a look. And once Accuair and other companies with ride height sensor systems came into being, a lot of folks got onboard. It was a big shift.
They Never Left
So what about trucks and SUVs? Well in one sense, they’ve never left the air suspension scene. We do installs on them all the time, no matter what year or make they happen to be. But we have seen a rise in the kinds of air suspension they want, which does make a difference.
For example, we’ve done custom installs for folks with disabilities. They need to get into their SUV or truck easily, and their mobility issues cause them difficulty with something stock. We’ll come in and install an air bag setup that’ll lower their vehicle down and then raise back up when they need to get moving. It gives them more accessibility as well as the freedom to drive whatever they want.
We also do a lot of work with rear air bag helper kits. These allow truck and SUV owners to supplement their stock rear suspension and give the vehicle more load capacity. It’s almost mandatory to get something like this if you want to tow heavy trailers or fifth-wheels, and as a result we see a lot of these kits leaving our shop. They’re pretty great.
We’ve Got You
If you’re looking for any of the parts listed here, hit us up. Stop by the shop, DM us online or just give us a call. We can help sort out what you need versus what you don’t, plus ask any questions you may have. It’s what we’re here for.
