All posts by Air Suspension Pro
Drop Kits, what you need to get the job done!
Lowering your car or truck requires general knowledge of the specific chassis suspension components, and what aftermarket components are needed to get the drop your looking for. In this write up we will touch on a few of the more standard suspension types, the vehicles they will be found in and the drop suspension parts that are used.
Most later model cars use struts to suspend the vehicle. Some vehicles, even SUV’s can have front and rear struts. Another fairly common configuration is having struts in the front of the car or truck and then an alternate configuration in the rear like coil springs or even leaf springs.
This information is very good to know when considering converting your classic or late model vehicle to a custom air ride suspension system.
Below you will find the exact replacement components for your vehicle depending on the current suspension components that your car or truck uses. In some cases we can substitute coil springs for strut or trailing arms and coils for a custom 4-link kit that will be more accommodating. Knowing this would require a lot more information about ALL the suspension components that have been used in the production of passenger vehicles from the beginning, but for now we will stick with the basics (struts, coils, leaf springs).
Leaf springs are deleted to either go with a 4-link kit and coilovers or air bags. 4-links hold the rear straight axle centered and from shifting either front to back or right to left. Once your axle is free floating on links you can add the replacement suspension (coilovers or air bags). Below you will find a picture of both options to get an idea how this is accomplished.
Air Struts, how they work and do you need them?
The direct answer to this is YES, you absolutely need them if your vehicle is currently utilizing strut as a factory suspension component. If you absolutely do not want a strut assembly and are willing to do a lot of fabrication work then installing a bag is also a possibility as long as your not substituting a McPherson strut. You will know if your front struts are McPherson by simply verifying whether you have an upper control arm or don’t.
McPherson struts allow the spindle and strut to move simultaneously and has the ability to spin with the steering. This allows all the entire vehicle suspension structure to rest on the strut and lower control arm. Alignment is then achieved through your strut adjustments or the lower control arm. In this case no upper control arms are necessary. A general picture of this is represented below:
The alternative top this type of suspension which is seen in larger vehicles and trucks is the double wishbone style suspension. This is easily distinguished by the upper and lower control arms.
These double wishbone suspension configurations are generally stronger.
Which air valves are better? Single Brass Valves or A Solid all in one Air Engine.
There are many questions one may ask themselves when considering a complete air ride suspension kit.. One of these constant questions is should I go with an air engine which will house 8 different valves in one solid unit (capable of controlling my entire system) or do I purchase 8 independent valves (also capable of controlling the lift and drop of each corner of my chassis)? Surprisingly there are pros and cons to both which we will explain in detail. Air engines to begin are an extremely easy way of installing a complete front, back, and side to side system due to there integrated configuration. One central area to wire your switch controller as well as only 5 fittings for the connection to your tank and bags. These simple facts make air engines less prone to leaking due to less fitting use which means less connection points for which they can leak and if they do, then finding the leak is usually a piece of cake. The one and only problem with some of these valves is that if one valve is damaged or becomes defective then the entire valve engine needs to be swapped out which can cause down time which is not a good thing for a daily driver. Some air engines will allow certain parts to be rebuilt or tested and can be dismantled making down time much less, where others are completely sealed units like AccuAir which can be a bear and needs to be completely removed and swapped out with a different unit all together. (Pictures of these two configurations can be seen below:)
Other then this air engines are a great way to get thing with your aftermarket custom air ride system up and running quickly.
Brass independent air valves can also have there ups and downs, as they are a great way to save on your overall cost of your kit and will allow your installation to be customized to your liking. Some installers / customers may choose to conceal these separate valves in there wheel well or other convenient places which make them a preferred item for there installation. A downfall to these independent air valves is that there are many more air connections to each of the individual parts like air bags alternate valves for bumping and filling the air bags and the air supply which can be prone to leaking. Like the valve engines, these valves can also be rebuilt to accommodate a quick and easy repair without swapping the entire part out. It all comes down to personal preference, and what you believe will be the best option for your project.
Turbocharger Safety
A recent story crossed our desk that we found a little worrisome. We have several cars and trucks that we’ve enhanced over the years with some great add-ons, such as custom HALO CCFL projector headlights, turbochargers and trick exhausts. We also own a large cabin cruiser and, guess what, we’ve souped up that bad boy as well. Well, a recent press release alerted us to a potential safety hazard with certain replacement marine turbochargers manufactured by an obscure Russian firm. The company released two Alert Service Bulletins last June covering the ships refitted with their turbochargers. Luckily, our boat’s add-on twin turbos came from a different source of aftermarket parts, one that we’ve used for years and trust.
Apparently, there was a defect that affected the safety and safe operations of these Russian turbochargers. All vessel operators of Lloyd’s Register-classed ships fitted with these turbos were notified to take certain precautions:
- No personnel should go near the turbocharger when it is operating at 60 percent or greater engine load.
- The inspection and maintenance schedule specified in the turbocharger operating manual should be strictly followed.
- All records of inspection and maintenance activity related to the aforementioned turbochargers should be retained for later review by Lloyd’s Register.
For those of you unfamiliar with the design and function of turbochargers, these are turbines consisting of a wheel and housing that converts engine exhaust into power that drives a compressor. The exhaust gas experiences a drop in temperature and pressure within the housing that results in the kinetic energy needed to turn the wheel. Axial turbos direct gas flow in the axial direction only, whereas for radial flow models, inflow is centripetal. Radials are used for wheel diameters of 160 mm or less. Above 300 mm, axial turbos rule.
In marine applications involving diesel engines, a pulsed turbocharger is used, configured with twin-entry turbines. This allows for the optimization of exhaust gas pulses, and a high pressure is quickly attained. In this case, both the pressure ratio and the efficiency rises at the same time, a definite plus for low-speed torque. Cylinder interference is avoided by connecting the three cylinders to one exhaust gas manifold. The twin-entry turbines then supply separate gas flows through the turbine.
Turbochargers get hot, and in a ship’s engine room, that can spell trouble. Fire is a definite safety risk when surfaces on a ship get hot. Therefore, marine engines are fitted with water-cooled turbo housings or housings that have a coating of insulating material. Before the advent of water-cooled housings, a few turbocharged ships were lost at sea due to fires and explosions. Also, there was the safety hazard to engineers who frequently suffered burns by inadvertent contact with super-hot turbochargers. The industry worked hard to design the proper solutions to these safety hazards, and cooled housings are now the rule in marine applications. We’re not sure whether the Russian parts firm got the memo.
The bottom line is to only by aftermarket parts from someone you trust, whether it’s for your vehicle or you boat. If you’re looking to equip your current vehicle chassis with custom HALO CCFL projector headlights, you have options. Check out some of the aftermarket shops that offer this system at reasonable prices.
Valve types, what’s best for my air ride system?
There are many types of valves that can be used for FBSS air suspension. These aftermarket air valves come in many different styles like brass, plastic, single valves, 3 way valves, and even all in one units that can control 4 bags in one sealed unit. These larger valve blocks which control your entire vehicle are referred to as air engines, 8 valve blocks, or VU4 Valves. When choosing your valves be sure to consider your location. In some cases it is more economical to install all the air management components in the same location. Having your air valves, tank and compressors in the same general location keeps your installation clean, easy to service, and avoids long runs of air line that can get damaged. The 3 standard air valve assemblies we offer at X2 Industries, are single brass air valves, large speed controllable air engine manifolds, or the smaller VU4 manifolds.
The stand along independent valves tend to be the old school method of valving your air suspension system. They are a very durable way to outfit your air ride system, as they have a very basic system of components so failure is slim. They use a magnetized plunger and diaphragm to open and close to allow air to travel, very simple, hence the reliability. As for the valve blocks or 3 way valves, there are many more pieces to wear out which will need replaced if they go bad. These valves include seals, o-rings and other components that might create problems in high humidity, freezing areas which will require an extremely efficient water/moisture removal system.
Be sure to ask a lot of questions when considering your options, as they will both work but only one might work better for you!
Aftermarket Projector Headlights, and how they work.
Many custom car enthusiasts may be wondering what the big deal with projector head lighting is. Visibility during the night is an extremely important safety factor when purchasing a vehicle especially considering more accidents happen during the evening hours. Many of these custom looking factory projectors are found on luxury vehicles in today’s market.
Unlike traditional dual filament bulbs, most factory projector headlights use a cutoff shield to limit light for your vehicle’s low beam output and mechanically move the shield allowing more light to pass through for the high beams. This setup is very common if you purchased your vehicle with the projector system installed from the manufacturer, this allows for a cost effective bulb replacement, as there are only single filament bulbs that utilize the mechanical shutter.
This is not the case with aftermarket; most of the custom projector systems on the market today include a dual filament bulb or High Intensity Discharge Conversion Kit that has a high and low beam, minimizing the mechanical parts in these lights. This design makes it more cost effective to build and limits the overall maintenance that the owner will need to do to keep them running efficiently.
Air Ride Controllers and Switch Boxes.
Looking for a switch box and cant decide what style to choose? Do you need auto ride height adjustment on the fly, or are you just wanting your switches for show? Is cost a factor? These are all things that you will want to consider when purchasing a new controller or switch box.
Computer control modules offer an integrated digital control system with, pressure or mechanical sensors at the wheels. This allows the computer controller to adjust the vehicle to an exact ride height for a easy to adjust one touch setting. This can be a custom stance that you preset or you may feel you want to manually adjust it but either way this system will keep the vehicle nice and level for a clean look, increased control and handling capability.. Check out some of these sweet custom controllers now!
Standard controllers offer adjust-ability for a supper great price, these controller will either allow you to control each wheel independently or you may have a switch controller that will adjust the front, back, or the sides together. Some switch controllers offer an all up all down feature, but depending on the switch controller a bunch of relays may be required to get this done. Are you building a switch controller or want a custom controller fit to your exact needs? Let us know I am sure we can help!
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Get your slamed ride even!
In some cases the front end of these air ride kits will not lower you to the point that the back is at.. If this is the case with your vehicle and lowering capability’s then an additional lowering spindle or alternate custom drop component would be required to get this fixed. It would all depend on the vehicle type and how low you need to go.. In some cases you can trim the front bag brackets to compensate. Either way your even slam job is definately doable with the right custom parts!