The Truth About Air Bag Suspension Kits

Air bag suspension kits are a somewhat common choice for pickup truck owners who might need a little extra suspension support for towing and hauling applications. But it might pay off to dig a bit deeper before deciding that this set up is right for you. With brands like Air Lift and Ride Rite, air bag suspension technology has been around for years and many people just default to this type of set up because it is all they know. Doing due diligence by researching and you might find that perhaps other product such as the RoadActive Suspension kit might be a better match for your needs.

How Do Air Bags Work?

The air bag suspension system essentially works like a balloon. The concept is designed to resist the weight of the frame of the vehicle, pump air in to keep the truck from squatting, and let air out when you’re not towing. By doing this, the air bag suspension is essentially taking over for the factory leaf spring suspension with the sole goal of keeping the truck level when loaded. Keep the right pressure in the bags and you should never squat! However, people are beginning to find out that there are much better options for their applications, and here’s why.

Cheap Doesn't Mean Better - Either Does Expensive

Look at it this way: you’re purchasing a product to solve a problem that you have less than 10% of the time, yet that product could affect you in one way or another the other 90% of the time. Be careful with your choice. When it comes to airbags, whilst they can be one of the cheapest offerings (starting at only a few hundred dollars) they require manual adjustment every time you hook your trailer up, add weight, subtract weight, or unhook your trailer.

SEE OUR COMPLETE AIR BAG PRICE COMPARISON GUIDE

Going with the most expensive option with a compressor can set you back north of $1000 when all is said and done. Because of maintenance requirements, risk of leakages and the complicated nature of air bags suspension kits, the user experience is often much more labor/time intensive than many people anticipate, and might not even be best suited to what the truck owner is looking for. Many truck owners spend time researching, hoping to find a simpler, more well rounded solution for their problems, and leave happy after coming across RoadActive Suspension.

RoadActive Suspension offers a Better Solution

Ask any pickup truck owner that tows or hauls close to their max payload, or experiences rear squat, and they’ll tell you it can be white knuckle driving at times. Squatting in the rear due to a significant amount of weight is simply a cosmetic issue; sway from crosswinds, instability, body roll, excessive bounce - these all pose a real threat and is what really needs to be addressed. Much of this happens due to the leaf springs being in a flattened and compromised state due to heavy load.

A Smarter Choice for Truck Suspension

Why not work with the existing factory suspension and tackle the issue head on? RoadActive Suspension does exactly that! Instead of resisting the weight at the frame (like an air bag suspension), why not work with the existing leaf springs to strengthen and stabilize the suspension? Better yet, let’s strengthen and stabilize in a progressive manner, so that no adjustment or readjustment is EVER needed. The more force applied to the leaf spring, the more the Active Suspension system engages to strengthen and stabilize the leaf springs. While the air bag set up is designed to keep your truck from squatting, installing a RoadActive Suspension means more than simply keeping your truck level. Our #1 goal is to provide the most well rounded product, where handling and performance are just as important as keeping the truck level. Greatly reducing squat, sway and bounce, greatly improving stability and handling, and providing an unparalleled ride quality at all times - these are all benefits that thousands of RoadActive Suspension owners already attest to.