In this video we get up close and personal with Kevin Aguilar’s airbagged ’00 Chevy S10 in order to show the ins and outs of air ride. If you are considering air ride and wondering if air suspension is worth it, or are just curious on how these systems work, we dive into all of the components and modifications needed to make a vehicle lay flat on the ground.
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Although adjusting the height of a vehicle was popularized with the introduction of hydraulics on lowriders, truck enthusiasts prefer airbags. In the lowrider scene, hydraulic suspensions are a quick way to make a car go up and down and even hop on command. Well, custom trucks are more about cruising low than getting airborne and airbags are a better way of getting there.
These systems use compressed air to inflate rubber "bags" that replace conventional springs, which have a fixed height. To drop a vehicle with this setup, the air is released from the system and the bag deflates to compress the suspension. Airbags also provide a smoother ride as long as they are used in combination with shock absorbers to prevent a vehicle from bouncing vigorously. They can be also be very reliable as long as they are mounted away from hot components like an exhaust and sharp objects that might puncture them.
To help share our experience with air ride, we discuss the history of this truck and how it got to this level of customization. Afterwards, we pull it into the garage and show all the pieces that make a vehicle like this function in depth. We also go over the air suspension maintenance required to keep an air ride suspension functioning—plus, we install a new set of VIAIR compressors.
Once we inspect and return this truck to tip top shape, we take it on a test drive down Pacific Coast Highway to evaluate the ride quality. Since there are many pros and cons to running an air ride suspension, we share our personal experience of almost two decades using air suspension to help you figure out if air suspension is right for you.
Want to learn more about how to slam a truck like this? Check out our full story on the 5 basics of airbag suspensions.
https://www.drivingline.com/articles/slam-it-5-basics-of-airbag-suspensions/
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