The most comfortable ride you'll ever have is going to be in a vehicle with an air suspension system. Sure dampers and springs can do a good job too but the most luxurious vehicles ever made rely on air suspension and that isn't just for show.
Nonetheless, air suspension is becoming more mainstream nowadays and not just for ride quality. If you own a ute or a different vehicle that you use to tow or move around heavy loads at the back of it, then you'd probably want to use load assist air bags to keep the load in place. This system works much like air suspension.
Benefits of Load Assist Kits
Versatile
A load assist airbag suspension system is also known as a load-assist kit and it makes use of many components that are found in an air suspension system. This is quite a versatile air bag suspension system that allows you to change ride height according to the load you're towing or carrying. You can also adjust the system so that it's more forgiving when driving over bumps.
Ease of Use
All it takes for you to decrease or increase ground clearance is the press of a button. That is if the load assist airbag suspension system you got has the option to do so. Some would require you to use a switch but nevertheless, the operation is almost always an easy one. No need to use tools to crank down a spring and get your hands dirty during the process.
Control
The fact that you control how damped of a ride you'll have and how low your centre of gravity is going to be, meaning you get better control over your experience on the road. No matter the weight your vehicle needs to be pulling it will do so with ease and with less body roll than usual.
What to Look for in Load Assist Kits
Capacity
When you're searching for a load assist kit you should first ensure that it has a sufficient load capacity rating for your vehicle. Meaning it needs to be compatible with your ute's load-carrying capacity. For instance, if your ute has a GVWR of 925 kg you should go for a kit that has a slightly higher load capacity rating. There are kits that can handle as much as 2200 kg of weight.
Pressure
Since air needs to be moved around and stored, a load assist airbag suspension kit needs to be able to generate enough pressure in order to be able to do so. A kit that has higher maximum pressure than most is going to be more customisable and it will provide both lower and higher ground clearance than most other kits. These are usually going to be kits that can provide up to 7 bar or 102 PSI of pressure.
Setup
Another factor you should consider with a load assist airbag suspension kit is the setup difficulty. While this isn't an easy task, it sure shouldn't be one where you shouldn't spend a whole week installing it. While you'll definitely need a helping hand and some time to set up the kit, it definitely shouldn't take ages to do so, even for a beginner.
Use
If you are new to using a load-assist kit, then you should definitely veer into more user-friendly solutions. This way you'll have a kit where you won't need to ask people or search online on how to raise or lower your vehicle down.
Installing a Load Assist Kit
Removal
1. In order to get in the new, you need to first remove the old and this requires jacking up your vehicle and placing it on jack stands. Once the first step is out of the way, you then need to continue by removing the tyres.
2. If the suspension kit is for both the rear and front remove both the shocks and struts. Otherwise, only remove the components that will be replaced. In case the load-assist kit comes with an air compressor, you'll also need to remove the spare tyre in order to make space for it.
Installation
1. Once everything is out, you'll then need to place the rear and front/ rear or front air bag suspension. Detailed information on how to do this is typically provided with the kit in the form of an instruction manual.
2. Once the load assist air bags are in place, then you need to set up the air tank and the compressor too. Both of them usually go where the spare tyre sits. Again, refer to the instruction manual in the kit on how to do this properly.
3. Once both components are mounted, you'll need to wire the compressor with a relay and a fuse that provide it with battery power. If you have an auxiliary battery you can hook it up to it instead.
4. Before you finish with the installation process, make sure to check if the kit works properly by trying out its functions. Check for air leaks too and take care of them on the spot. Once you've done all the above you're ready to hit the road.
