What exactly is air suspension on a car and how does it differ from normal car suspension?
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In standard modern car suspensions metal springs, either coil or leaf, are used to suspend the weight of the vehicle and allow the components to move so the ride is smoother. With air suspension, the metal springs are replaced by hard rubber bags filled with air to do the same thing.
Air Suspension or Air Ride replaces the traditional springs and shock absorbers on your car with rubber air bags.
The air bags are inflated with an onboard pump, and are adjusted automatically to suit the driving conditions.
Air Ride makes the car much more comfortable to ride, there’s less bumps or vibration, they adjust automatically to suit different conditions and weight, and it’s better for fuel economy.
Downsides is that it’s more expensive and there’s a lot more than can go wrong. The air lines can rupture or wear out, the air bags wear out quicker than shocks and cost a lot more, and you’ve got a pump to consider as well.
As my Dad described it on his old car “it’s another stupid luxury car gadget that likes to break and costs you a fortune to fix”
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