Magnetic Ride Control vs Air Ride Suspension

Joseph Garcia said:

You've had phenomenal luck with your OEM active suspension still intact after 20 years. I hope that you did not just jinx yourself.

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Alfie94 said:

Hello all!

First time placing an order for a GM vehicle - I am in the midst of placing an order for either a 23 Suburban or 23 Yukon XL. Understanding Magnetic Ride Control is the standard suspension on the higher level trims and they do already ride smoothly, I was wondering if Air Ride Suspension provides an EVEN better ride quality?

A source of confusion has always been does the Air Ride Suspension replace the Magnetic Ride Control if selected as an option? Or is it an add on and works hand in hand with the Magnetic Ride Control?

Any feedback or explanation will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

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Joseph Garcia said:

So, now we are making 'short bus' digs at fellow members, huh? I've had about enough of this Facebook-type shit now.

I have a son who who rode a short bus, and I find your comments totally despicable. I have quite thick skin, but when you tread on making fun of folks who have disabilities or anyone in my family, direct or indirect, my skin becomes quite thin.

This Forum is made up of mature adults, who don't judge 'why' a member posts an observation or comment. We can, and do, respectfully disagree with each other when we feel that we should/need to, but we do it in a respectful and professional manner. We do not reduce ourselves to childish gibberish and insulting comments in this Forum. That is what Facebook and X are for, and I suggest the you give them a try.

@Fless , @soulsea

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Antonm said:

Or,,, if the flat is on the front, once you have the spare tire out,,,lower the jack, and move it to the front.

Did you ride the short bus to school maybe, these aren't hard concepts or advanced logic we're talking here, pretty simple stuff that you don't seem to be grasping.
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Joseph Garcia said:

So, now we are making 'short bus' digs at fellow members, huh? I've had about enough of this Facebook-type shit now.

I have a son who who rode a short bus, and I find your comments totally despicable. I have quite thick skin, but when you tread on making fun of folks who have disabilities or anyone in my family, direct or indirect, my skin becomes quite thin.

This Forum is made up of mature adults, who don't judge 'why' a member posts an observation or comment. We can, and do, respectfully disagree with each other when we feel that we should/need to, but we do it in a respectful and professional manner. We do not reduce ourselves to childish gibberish and insulting comments in this Forum. That is what Facebook and X are for, and I suggest the you give them a try.

@Fless , @soulsea

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Polo08816 said:

Better question: has any auto manufacturer been able to make an Air Ride suspension that was more reliable than its traditional coil spring/strut/shock setup?

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Antonm said:

Most 18 wheelers/ class 8 trucks out there have air suspension on them, and they go for literally millions of miles, so yeah, air suspension is a proven technology that's used literally everyday on vehicles that if they don't work, cost the companies money.

Down time and cost of repairs are metrics any decent trucking company tracks, if that data showed a certain technology cost more in repairs or caused more equipment downtime, they sure as heck wouldn't use it because they only care about money, not driver comfort.
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Polo08816 said:

You're talking about a different Class of vehicle (Class 8) which have service life designs that are radically different from passenger vehicles.

Let me be more specific. What passenger auto manufacturer (for Class 1 to 3 vehicles - or less than a 14,000 GVWR) has been able to make an Air Ride suspension that is more reliable than its traditional coil spring/strut/shock setup?

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Polo08816 said:

@Joseph Garcia I just let him keep digging that hole deeper by continuing to talk/type.

Same with subject interviews - there's no real need to yell or argue with a subject/target/witness/etc. You just let them continue talking while being recorded so it can be played back later. You keep asking them clarifying questions so they become more and more locked into their story/version. It makes it harder to walk back later on when that recording shown to another audience.

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Polo08816 said:

You're talking about a different Class of vehicle (Class 8) which have service life designs that are radically different from passenger vehicles.

Let me be more specific. What passenger auto manufacturer (for Class 1 to 3 vehicles - or less than a 14,000 GVWR) has been able to make an Air Ride suspension that is more reliable than its traditional coil spring/strut/shock setup?

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Antonm said:

Please present the data you have to says the traditional coil spring/ strut/ shock setup is more reliable,,,I'll wait.
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Even with the benefits of an air suspension system, Driving Tests New Zealand suggests several drawbacks. Some of these disadvantages that so and so reports include:

• The initial costs of purchasing and installing an air suspension system — air suspension can also sometimes reach three times the cost in repairs as a leaf suspension system over 10 years' time
• Fuel overheads for running compressors for occasionally pumping air to the correct pressure
• Fuel efficiency can suffer from the heavier weight of air suspension over the weight of leaf suspension
• An air suspension system's vulnerability to air leaks can result in malfunctions

Some of the drawbacks of air suspension systems are because of some of the mechanical issues they can be vulnerable to. Several of the common issues with air suspension systems that can require repair include:

• Rust or moisture damage from the inside that can lead to the air struts or bags to malfunction
• Failure of the air suspension tubing connecting the air struts or bags to the air system
• Air fitting failure resulting from initial fitting or infrequent use
• Compressor burn out due to air leaks in the springs or air struts from the compressor constantly engaging to maintain the proper air pressure

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Air Suspension Advantages and Disadvantages | Blog

Discover the air spring system, including the benefits of air suspension in cars and the disadvantages. Find out more today with GMT Rubber.

www.gmtrubber.com

Air Suspension Disadvantages​

1. Cost

One disadvantage of an air spring system is the cost to buy, which is higher than a traditional spring suspension system. Only luxury cars tend to have a built-in air spring system as standard. However, the cost of installation could be offset by the resale price, which is generally higher than cars with a steel spring suspension.

1. Maintenance

Another air suspension disadvantage is the cost of maintenance. In the short term, air suspension cars are reliable but tend to see longer distance travel and time on the road where frequent repairs may become necessary. Not repairing your suspension isn’t really an option; if your suspension is broken your car will tilt to one side while driving. You can replace the air spring system with a cheaper, traditional steel spring, but you would lose the known benefits of air suspension cars – so you’ll probably understand that the cost is a necessary evil.

1. Mechanical issues

Air suspension systems are also prone to mechanical issues. Your suspension may suffer malfunctions from rust or moisture damage from the inside, or an air fitting failure of the air tubing connecting to the air system. Leaks in air springs are also common and could lead to compressor burn out.

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Strutmasters

Strutmasters is the best way to save and get your air suspension, air suspension conversion kits, air struts, electronic suspension, hydraulic suspension, or magnetic suspension fixed.

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Air Suspension Disadvantages​

While pneumatic suspension systems have many clear benefits, they also have a few notable drawbacks. These include:

• Expense: Air suspension systems have far more components and more expensive components than passive suspensions. This means they’re more expensive to buy in the first place and also more costly to repair and maintain.
• Complexity: Due to the amount of components in the system and the intricate nature of how they function, working on them is more difficult and time-consuming. That complexity also makes it more difficult to diagnose the source of issues. And, in general, more parts means more things that can go wrong.
• Lack of durability: Even as technology has improved by leaps and bounds over the last few decades, air suspensions are still relatively fragile compared to passive systems such as coilovers. The use of moving parts, computers, and flexible materials means they tend to wear out faster and are more susceptible to breaking.

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For shoppers interested in a used car, the bigger drawback of the feature is maintenance costs. While air suspension is great when it works, it can be expensive to fix. And it’s not a feature you can simply forget about: If it breaks, the car can tilt to one side while moving. That said, many drivers replace broken systems with more traditional steel springs — a cheaper fix, but one that removes an important feature from the vehicle. Find a used car for sale near you

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Polo08816 said:

Before we begin, let's be clear. MOST people who are proponents of the Air Ride system make the argument that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. It's certainly a valid argument; but I've never seen them make the claim that Air Ride systems for Class 1 to 3 vehicles are more reliable than their traditional spring/strut/shock configurations.


Let's begin the Googling for you:

is air ride reliable - Google Search

Here are some of the results on the first page results - none (except you) make the claim that Air Ride is more reliable than spring/strut/shock configurations:

https://www.caranddriver.com/research/a31994163/air-suspension/

Air Suspension Advantages and Disadvantages | Blog

Discover the air spring system, including the benefits of air suspension in cars and the disadvantages. Find out more today with GMT Rubber.

www.gmtrubber.com

Strutmasters

Strutmasters is the best way to save and get your air suspension, air suspension conversion kits, air struts, electronic suspension, hydraulic suspension, or magnetic suspension fixed.

www.strutmasters.com

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