Everything You Need to Know about Air Ride System Replacement and Conversion
An air ride suspension is a type of car suspension that’s powered by an air compressor or pump. We will use the classic 69 Camaro air suspension as an example. 69 Camaro suspension packages are installed in place of conventional springs to provide a smoother ride and continuous drive quality.
They add functionalities like improved ride quality and height for off-road driving. Suspensions with a self-leveling feature will lift the rear end of the car up to evenly spread out the weight under loaded conditions. To say that air suspension kits can provide huge benefits to a driver would be a massive understatement.
Do air suspension systems fail?
As with all car components, air ride shocks and struts suffer from wear and will eventually require repairs or replacement. This is normally caused by damage or the rotting of the air spring. Furthermore, the dampener will often suffer internal wear and fluid loss.
My 69 Camaro’s suspension system is failing! What do I do?
There are different ways to return our hypothetical 69 Camaro’s faulty air ride systems to their former glory. They’re all based on either repairing the existing air ride system, or replacing it with old-school springs and passive stocks and struts.
Read on to find out about the pros and cons of each method.
Replacing your air ride
This approach simply removes our 69 Camaro’s old air ride systems and replaces them with new ones. The benefits of this approach are obvious - a brand new part is always going to perform better than an old one that has undergone repairs.
However, as with all part replacements, the monetary cost can be an issue. And while remanufactured units and new 69 Camaro suspension packages are available from aftermarket sources, some owners may still consider the price prohibitive.
Converting to springs and passive struts
Modern air ride systems are complex machines, and as a result have multiple points of possible failure. It’s easy to confuse the issues caused by a broken-down compressor or a leaking air bag with the problems that are actually caused by a stuck solenoid. The diagnostics alone can be expensive and time-consuming.
This is why it may pay off to do away with your air ride system, and just replace it with the more robust springs and passive shocks and struts. Depending on personal preference, the driver might even see this as the safer and more comfortable option.
The problem with conversion kits
Air ride systems are modern systems that raise the value of the vehicles that have them. If you plan to sell your 69 Camaro down the line, holding onto your 69 Camaro suspension packages may be well worth it.
69 Camaro suspension packages for your Chevy
Whether you intend to repair, replace, or convert your air ride suspension system, your best bet is Chimera Motors, Orange County’s finest classic car restoration company. Reach out to us at 714-907-0609 and our pleasant and skilled staff will help you chose the air ride option that fits your classic car needs.
