In this short article, we'll be exploring exactly what features you should be looking out for when it comes to choosing the right air suspension system for your vehicle. Pacbrake offers many different types of airbags and towing capacities for all sorts of situations. Although we have bags that can tow up to 7500 lbs, that weight might not be as necessary for every person needing an airbag. So to know which ones are good for you, consider a few things:
1. Consider intended use and frequency of heavy loads
Before diving into getting the air suspension that would make the perfect fit for your vehicle, ask yourself a few questions first: Are you frequently towing heavy loads? What types? (Trailers, boats, etc) Large cargo? Those with light duty truck infrequently carrying light loads will want to consider our ALPHA SD (Standard Duty) air suspension lineup, featuring sleeve-style bags offering up to 2,000 lbs of additional support. Got a light to medium-duty truck and carrying heavier loads more often? Then you’ll want to look at our ALPHA HD (Heavy Duty) air ride lineup with single and double convoluted bags offering up to 5,000 lbs of additional support. For those carrying the heaviest loads with high frequency, you’ll want our ALPHA XD (Xtreme Duty) air spring kits that add up to 7,500 additional load support. And finally, if you treat your truck to some pretty rough conditions or off-roading, have a constant heavy load, or have multiple drivers in your truck, consider our ALPHA PRO lineup with internal bump stops. These internal polyurethane bump stop will prevent damage to your airbags in the event of an air-down event from a puncture or if an additional driver simply forgot to air up your bags prior to loading and driving. Internal bump stops are a good insurance policy to be sure!
2. Never exceed your vehicle’s weight rating
While air springs add extra support to level your vehicle under heavy load, an important safety feature that improves steering and braking while reducing sag and sway, air springs do not increase your vehicle’s GVWR. So, don’t buy any suspension support products without knowing your truck’s GVWR, and don’t buy them thinking they’ll help you tow more than your truck is rated to carry or tow.
3. Look for high quality, high durability components
Keep an eye out for what to research by looking for traits such as:
- End caps: are they plastic or metal? Steel or aluminum? Plastic is more likely to crack and leak over time or during extreme temperature changes. And steel might rust. Pacbrake only uses inch-thick aluminum end caps for the ultimate in durability
- Air Connections: you don’t want to risk a leak, so look at whether the air connections are “tapped in” (formed as part of the metal end cap) or “pressed in” and glued. Pressed-in fittings are notorious for air leaks, so avoid if you can.
- Support Wires: support wires that go around the rubber air bag prevent blowout or deformation, ensuring that it continues to provide the load support you expect. Pacbrake air suspension kits use 20 support wires, the most in the industry.
- Tough, Powder-Coated Brackets: thin, lightweight brackets are more likely to buckle under pressure and you’ll want to ensure they are properly coated to prevent rusting. Pacbrake brackets are “tiger coated” silver to prevent rust and also prevent unsightly dings that become super obvious with the black coatings of the competition.
- Warranty: look for a Lifetime Warranty as a great indication of the quality of the product.
- Full product lineup: seeing that the manufacturer offers air spring kits for all the major brands going back several years. Ford. Doge Ram. GMC. Chevrolet. Toyota and more. Plus, do they offer air spring accessories like onboard air kits, wireless air controls and more? These are excellent indicators that they know what they are doing when it comes to load support and air management.
4. Consider ease of installation
Look to see if install manuals, videos and toll-free live human technical support are available. These benefits can avoid turning a 90-minute, stress-free install, into a mutli-day nightmare. Pacbrake offers all of the above. And good luck talking to a live human being with any competitors.
5. Factor in your budget of course
Air suspension can vary in price, so budget efficiently before purchasing. Consider The cost of the system, possible delivery charges and of course... tax. Pacbrake’s motto is “Better Built. Better Priced.”
Conclusion
These short instructions can be a great guideline for how you can choose the RIGHT air suspension for your vehicle!
Ready to Get Started? Contact Pacbrake Today
For more information on why a Pacbrake kit is so helpful when towing or hauling, and to learn more about getting one installed on your truck, contact us today toll-free at 1-800-663-0096.