| II) COMPONENT BREAKDOWN |
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| The following
is a list of components that make up your typical air suspension system. You can
click the topic heading to learn more about the individual part. This page serves
as a quick and easy way to learn the function of each part. Compressors: Either belt driven or electric. Belt driven compressors can put out much more air volume than your standard 12v electric compressor. The purpose of the compressor is to compress air for use in airing up the vehicle. Pressure Switches: Controls the cycling of the compressor(s) and the pressure level inside the tank. Some are adjustable, some are fixed. A typical pressure switch is rated at 110/145psi. Air Tanks: Store the needed air reserves for airing up the vehicle. Come in all different shapes sizes and colors with different port variations. Typical tanks have only three ports while higher end tanks can have 8 ports or more and be finished in chrome or powdercoated to your liking. A drain valve located on the bottom of the tank is used to drain the inevitible water build-up. Solenoid Valves: Control the inflating and deflating procedures. There are literally thousands of valves on the market today. Most are used in industrial applications to control gasses and liquids for machine automation. Air suspension valves for use in a fast bag system must have a high flow rate (Cv) and operate off 12v solenoids. Check Valves: Allows air to flow in only one direction. Useful for isolating the compressors from the pressure switch. Air Lines: Come in a variety of sizes and pressure ratings. Most fast bag systems use at least 3/8" tubing with faster systems using dual and quad port bags running 1/2" to 3/4" supply lines. Measured in Outside Diameter (OD) and come in Department of Transportaion (DOT) approved and non-DOT flavors. Fittings: Special Push-To-Connect (PTC) fittings are used in many air suspension applications. They come in DOT and non-DOT varieties. Other types of fitting can be used as well, such as compression fittings. Switches: Control power to the solenoids for airing up and dumping the vehicle. Most are three-way momentary switches similar to power window switches. Wiring: All wiring must be able to handle the high current demands of the system. Relays (see next topic) should be used whenever current becomes excessive. Relays: Relays allow low current switching of high current devices. They can also be used as sensors and wired to create "logical" systems. Typical areas where a relay would be used would be to control the compressors and/or supply voltage to the solenoids. Dryers and Oil/Water Separators: Dryers and Oil/Water separators are used to eliminate water and unwanted particles from clogging the valves and causing them to stick or leak. Gauges: Used to indicate system pressure and/or bag pressure/vehicle height. At least one gauge should be used to measure system pressure. There are digital and analog gauges available. A typical low-tech 160psi gauge runs about $10. Air Bags: These are the heart of your system. Care must be taken so the bags have free unobstructed travel throughout their entire range of motion. Many fast bag systems use dual and quad port bags to maximize the amount of air that can flow into and out of the bag. The amount of travel varies from bag to bag and some bags are actually "struts", called airstruts. Additionally, each bag has a recommended weight rating for the vehicle, similar to the way a coil spring is rated. |
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