What Is an Air Suspension?
An air suspension is a type of active suspension system. Unlike the more traditional passive coil suspensions, active suspensions adjust the resistance to adapt to changes in the road. In an air suspension, the resistance is provided by pressurized air pumped into and out of the air springs.
How an Air Suspension Works
There are a few steps that need to happen in order for an air suspension to work. These include:
Mechanical ride height sensors at each wheel take a constant reading of the road height and send this information to the suspension control module.
The active suspension control module - or the computer for your air suspension - uses that data to determine how much air each spring needs to keep the ride level. It then instructs the compressor on how much air to generate based on that data.
The air compressor generates pressurized air and pushes it into the reserve tank. Meanwhile, air from the reserve tank is pushed out of the tank and into the supply lines.
Air travels through the supply lines and into the air struts, where it inflates them to provide suspension resistance.
Why Is Your Air Suspension Important?
Your car's suspension is one of its most vital components. It serves several purposes.
Handling
Your car's suspension is the link between its body and the wheels. It allows you to control where the car is going and helps keep it balanced going through turns. A quality air suspension provides a good balance of responsiveness and shock absorption.
Comfort
The air suspension in your vehicle is also what makes it comfortable to drive. Because it can respond to changes in the road surface, it eliminates much of the shock from those changes. Without it, you'd feel every bump or dip in the road.
Safety
Your air suspension is also one of your car's primary safety features. In addition to allowing you to handle your vehicle and keeping it on the road, it also allows it to stop safely.
Your brakes are what stop your wheels from turning, but it's your suspension that absorbs much of the force of bringing a vehicle to a stop quickly. That's why cars with worn out air suspensions can take much longer to come to a stop, even if the brakes are in good working order.
Advantages and Drawbacks
Air suspensions have become increasingly popular over the last few decades. As the technology behind them continues to improve and get more affordable, more manufacturers are using them in their vehicles.
While these systems have a lot of clear advantages, they do have some downsides as well.
Air Suspension Pros
Comfort: The feel an air suspension provides for the driver is unrivaled. When working properly, it should offer a smooth, cloudlike ride.
Adaptability: Active suspensions are responsive, meaning they can adjust based on what's going on with your car. This doesn't stop with changes in road surfaces, either. Modern air suspensions can also redistribute your car's weight as you go around corners.
Wear and tear: An air suspension in good working order will minimize the impact of driving on your vehicle. That can translate to a longer lifetime for many other parts.
Air Suspension Cons
Durability: Because they use moving parts and flexible materials, air suspensions are prone to wearing out over time.
Expense: Repairing or replacing air suspension components is a costly endeavor. Some specialty components such as air struts or a compressor can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Complexity: With so many parts, it can be hard to find the source of an air suspension problem. This can translate to having to pay more in general for labor than you would with a traditional passive suspension.
Easy Fixes for Air Suspensions
The best time to fix your air suspension is the moment you notice a problem. Air suspension issues, like most car issues, only get worse over time. There are a few things you can do to fix your air ride a little more easily.
Look for Early Warning Signs of a Bad Air Suspension
The sooner you spot an air suspension issue, the easier it is to fix. There's also less of a chance that the problem has spread to other parts of your vehicle. Here are a few things to look for:
Sagging appearance: Your car should either be level or slightly higher in the rear than in the front. If any part of the vehicle sits lower than it should, you probably have an air suspension problem.
Long stops: If your brakes are in good shape but your car takes longer to stop than it should, the suspension is likely to blame. This is a huge safety risk, so be sure to jump on it if you notice this.
Noisy compressor: You'll hardly be able to hear your air compressor if things are all good with your air suspension. If you hear it running or struggling, there's likely a problem.