Long vs. mid arm lift
03-14-2015, 04:47 PM
#51
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The benefits begin before we regard air springs as springs: Being able to lift/lower one side, to neutralize some of the angle of a steep side slope. The same, regarding steep inclines/declines. The bottom sits on a rock? Lift to 9”, get the Jeep off it, lower back to the 4” or whatever and keep going. None of this can be done with metal springs. We know the advantages of dual-rate, triple-rate, progressive-rate or coil-overs, over regular coils. Air springs do what each of those do, but much better, because not only they are truly progressive, they are exponentially progressive - something that no coil can do. I have yet to see a coils-based system that can ‘smoothen’ a trail so much, at high speed, and, at the same time, be so soft on roads at any speed. If properly done, than no, air springs do not have a ‘tendency’ to unload. I used them daily and offroad, they never leaked along 2 years. But yes, the chance is there, and metal coils never leak... so I agree with you that the downside is complexity and possible leaks. More complexity equals less reliability, that’s why they are not more common. No, there’s no fluctuation with temperature or altitude. If you set them to, say, 50 psi, be it sub-zero or a hot desert, sea level or 9000 ft. high, 50psi is 50psi. On my Jeep, the air springs system worked even better than usual, because of an additional expansion air tank for each wheel. However, I agree with you 100% on one thing -- that's not the debate here… 
Last edited by Ringer; 03-15-2015 at 03:11 AM.
03-15-2015, 09:18 AM
#52
So it sounds as though you know little about the properties of air in pneumatic applications. Air is compressible and temperature plays a favor in this. So although you set your shocks at 50psi, your system will not monitor this live, and therefore as the the suspension cycles and heats up the air you spring rate is changing. This is one of the drawbacks of air springs. I have run air bags, air shocks(nitrogen) regular shocks, and coilovers. I am also a Fluid Power Society certified pneumatic specialist, and work for one of the worlds largest pneumatic and hydraulic manufacturers. I have a fair background to compare to.
Four gauges, in the center console, showed the psi in the air springs. Going from sea level to minus 1350ft made a small change which I sometimes corrected by a touch on the air toggles, sometimes didn’t bother to. It was the same after hours in a hot desert.
So yes, temperature or altitude changed the pressure, but the changes were small and easy to adjust.
A rare nudge of a toggle was much less bother than deflating or inflating 4 wheels.
Not saying that air is a bad way to go or doesn't have its benefits, but is does not put a standard spring to shame as you stated previously.
That’s your words, which you try putting in my mouth, twisting what I said.
I said – “Air springs are exponentially progressive, and therefore outperform any metal spring” -- That’s a physical fact.
I also said -- “With a bolt-on lift, I can do 99% of the obstacles or slopes which I could do with the air springs system. So, my current Rubi has a bolt-on 4" lift...”
Much like the other debates in this thread, you must claim that science and numbers have nothing to do with it and you have a better feel for it.
What I do say is, that along 2 yrs of using an air springs system, corrections for temperature were rare and small. In those 2 years, the tires were deflated about 70 times, then inflated the same number. In the same 2 years, I had to nudge the air springs’ toggles 4 or 5 times (because of temperature changes) – that’s hardly a system deficiency.
With all due respect to physics, numbers and you, the drawbacks you point to weren't there.
Yes, except for fast sprints and occasional leveling of the body on steep slopes, it wasn't worth the complexity, so, on the current Jeep, I have coils.
Last edited by GJeep; 03-16-2015 at 12:22 AM. Reason: additions