We've received quite a few calls recently regarding a load support kit for Ford Ranger PX. We have a Boss kit available on our website but we thought it's worth a blog post to make it more visible:
£625 + shipping.
Looking back to last year...
As we have mentioned before, late in 2020 we were asked by Workerbee TV to help Goblin Works Garage with their new show “Mod Shop” and supplied air suspension parts for a Mini.
The episode was first broadcasted in March but now you can watch it for free HERE.
Our office will be closed between 26th July to 30th July 2021 for our annual summer shutdown.
We will be back on Monday 2nd August. Orders placed during the week will be processed upon return.
If you require technical assistance for a product you are fitting then please email us at ENQUIRIES@AIRRIDE.UK using the subject ‘Technical’. Emails will be monitored sporadically during the week although only those relating to your technical enquiries will be answered.
We thank customers for their support and business during the last year and hope you are getting to enjoy your motorhomes, vans and cars this summer now that events are opening up again.
Continuing our mini-series of frequently asked questions, this blog post will be dedicated to maximum drop and lift.
In short, air suspension is not a magic solution for all problems - but it can solve many. Not every vehicle can be slammed right to the ground and not every vehicle can be made to ride like a Rolls Royce - but thats not always what customers want, and even if it is then there is usually a trade off between drop and ride quality.
AirRide specialises in aftermarket air suspension, that is, vehicles that were not originally fitted with air suspension. Our car kits are primarily designed to lower the vehicle. Our load support kits stabilise heavy vehicles. Our full rear kits are used for vehicles that need to be lowered while loading/unloading, nd to have the very best ride possible at all times.
The exact lift/drop range will depend on the kit, the vehicle and the application and customer requirements. For this reason, we wont usually quote specific minimum and maximum ranges.
One of the most popular questions we get asked is: what is the difference between full air suspension and semi air suspension?
Full air suspension actually has two meanings which is why we always ask customers for more information. Full can mean both front and rear or it can mean a rear air suspension solution where the entire metal spring is replaced by an air spring as opposed to an auxiliary air suspension which is fitted in addition to the existing suspension. This question is most relevant to Motorhomes, Vans and sometimes pickups.
Cars usually have full air in the sense that it is both front and rear and it becomes the entire suspension system. It is usually managed with a computer controller.
Semi air suspension which is also called load support, auxiliary air or sometimes supplementary or secondary suspension is installed in addition to your existing suspension and is aimed at heavy vehicles, such as commercial vans and motorhomes that are often at their weight limit. Load support improves ride quality and lifts the vehicle up but will not lower it.
If you need to lift and lower the vehicle then a full rear kit is required. It is used by commercial vehicles, limousines, museum vehicles, aviation transport vehicles, etc. It replaces your existing spring.
Air management for semi air suspension ranges from basic Schrader valves to manual on-board air (OBA) options.
Over the years our Boss Phil has done a fair few jobs for film and TV companies including supplying parts for Fast and Furious 2, Fast 9 (still waiting for the Covid delayed release) and for vehicles used on TV programs such as EastEnders and in the old days The Bill. A decade ago, he even worked on 3 episodes of Pimp my Ride UK. Most of our work is very much off camera as mentioned or even behind the camera such as airbags for tracking vehicles (often seen in the background crew shots on Top Gear/Grand Tour,,,) and AirRide delicate load solutions for outside broadcast units for various companies in trailer and van configuration.
Late in 2020 we were pleased to be asked by Workerbee TV to help Goblin Works Garage with their new show “Mod Shop”. Having seen the finished Discovery Plus show for the first time the MINI looks amazing and we are so pleased to see that the owner of the car was so happy he was moved to tears by the finished car.
The show can be seen by streaming Discovery Plus and we are told will also be on Quest/D-Max later in the year. Big thank you to Derek for the loan of tools and bolts we forgot to take and to Jimmy, Helen and Ant for making us so welcome. It was a fun experience to see how some of our favourite shows are actually made – particularly how many times you have to do the same bolt up and from how many angles!!! ?
As the evening draw in we often get asked whether air suspension works in winter, so we thought we might look at this question for you.
Air suspension is popular in the Baltic States and in Russia, where winters can be brutal, and the temperature can be anywhere between -10° C and -30° C. Some of the Motorhomes and 4x4's we supply air suspension for are used to get to ski resorts - so how do they do it? People imagine that the rubber will get too solid to work and the air will freeze? Surely this must cause serious problems with air suspension? It should be remembered that Range Rovers and Bentleys often come with air suspension from the factory as do most buses and lorries - do they have some sort of special parts?
Most of the common branded bags on the market are rated for use in temperatures between -30° C and around 70° C. Bags do behave noticeably differently as the temperatures increase or decrease and life expectancy might well be reduced (we simply don't have enough data to determine). Any problems are likely to come from water in the system which is a natural by product of compressing and pressurising air.
Therefore looking after your air suspension in winter is very straightforward: simply drain your air tank once a month to reduce the amount of water in the system. You might want to consider adding an extra water trap to further reduce the chances of problems or a cooling coil or dryer. Air contains a lot of evaporated water which condenses out of the air when it is compressed. It is this moisture that freezes. Additionally, you can run airbrake anti-freeze through the air pipes to further winter-proof your air suspension.
So in short, yes, air suspension can be used all year round subject to installing a good system using quality branded parts.