Air bag suspension?

[voodoo44]

I am considering buying a truck with an airbag suspension and I know very little about them can anybody explain them to me and any pros and cons of them.

[69face]

i'll try pros: adjustable suspension, decent ride quality, looks awesome when parked
cons: system failure(lines burst, bags burst, leaks, faulty valves, faulty compressor, broken guages)

[voodoo44]

Thanks.....So you can adjust the ride hieght?.....and set it on the ground when parked?....also how often do the cons happen? Are they common if the system is done right?

[C10-Driver]

It depends on the system, but on most you can control the ride height from inside the truck. I would say failures are not common at all if the plumbing is done right. Make sure your lines are well routed so that they aren't being pinched or come into contact with the exhaust and you should be fine. Next time you pull up behind a gravel truck or semi, take notice of what is holding the load up... Air Bags. If they were prone to failure, I don't think they would install them on every rig on the road. Go for it... I love the bags on my truck.

[voodoo44]

Thanks......good to know.

[N2TRUX]

If a system is properly installed you should almost never have a failure. Keep in mind that most big rigs, commercial buses and large motor home ride on air suspension. It's reliable if applied properly.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

If a system is properly installed you should almost never have a failure. Keep in mind that most big rigs, commercial buses and large motor home ride on air suspension. It's reliable if applied properly.

I agree. My 68 short-fleet had rear air bags & was used daily for 5+ years w/o any failures. I kept the truck low & added air when I wanted to tow a car on my trailer. When it was just a driver, you purged the extra air back out.

Properly installed is a must have. Quality components are too.

[ENHANCED AIR RIDE]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

If a system is properly installed you should almost never have a failure. Keep in mind that most big rigs, commercial buses and large motor home ride on air suspension. It's reliable if applied properly.

What he said!!! Yeah my Dually has been bagged since 99 no problems.
Consider it like compressors are an alternators and bags are like tires. Better products usually yield better results. But most problems arise from poor installations, seen it time and again here.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by ENHANCED AIR RIDE

Consider it like compressors are an alternators and bags are like tires. Better products usually yield better results. But most problems arise from poor installations, seen it time and again here.

Excellent comparison!

[voodoo44]

Cool thanks for the input guys keep it coming.....So Scoti it sounds like you system doesn't have its own compressor?....is that the most common setup?....some have their own compressor right?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by voodoo44

Cool thanks for the input guys keep it coming.....So Scoti it sounds like you system doesn't have its own compressor?....is that the most common setup?....some have their own compressor right?

The first two years of limited use (adding air), I didn't have a compressor & only used schrader valves. After that, I installed a 'low end' installer kit from ART w/a basic compressor, tank, pneumatic paddle switches, & dual needle gauge.

My budget (and many others as well ) determined the set-up for me.