Most overlanding enthusiasts equate air suspension to full-size pickup suspensions, which improve ride and handling when towing heavy trailers or hauling slide-in campers. Installing air-helper springs can also benefit the adventurous overlanding crowd who drive smaller vehicles such as all-wheel-drive CUVs (crossover utility vehicles) and smaller SUVs.
The suspension under these smaller rigs can be pushed to the limit towing some of the nicely outfitted off-road trailers or equipped with rooftop tent (RTT) systems typical of the overlanding scene.
AirLift’s 1000 air-helper-spring kit includes everything one needs for DIY installation. These are generally universal kits that fit a wide range of unibody vehicles with coil-spring rear suspensions.
Change of Attitude, Not Capacity
It’s essential to understand what air-helper springs, aka air bags, do and don’t do: They don’t increase the vehicle’s cargo carrying capacity, trailer towing rating, maximum tongue weight, or any other load-related limits. The GVWR, GCWR, TW, and GAWR ratings are set by that vehicle’s manufacturer and do not change regardless of what modifications are made to the car. Air-helper springs are also not a substitute for a weight-distribution hitch.
Air-helper springs only provide additional support to the factory suspension, so you can adjust a vehicle’s attitude to help lift-and-level the rear suspension as the air bladders are inflated or deflated.
Overlanding CUVs and SUVs, such as the popular Jeep Cherokee, can improve the ride and handling on- and off-road ride by installing AirLift 1000 air-helper springs.
Air Helper Springs To The Rescue
While RTT systems and loaded roof racks can add several hundred pounds to the vehicle and raise its center of gravity (creating more body lean when cornering), a trailer’s added weight on the receiver hitch also affects drivability.
That’s where air-helper springs like the AirLift 1000 kit (Air Lift P/N 60910) come to the rescue. Inflating/deflating the air pressure in the air bags allows infinite adjustment to the height of the vehicle’s rear according to the load and ride quality that best fits your needs. (These air bladders can support 1,000 pounds and handle 35 psi.)
Installing Air Bags Under A CUV
Installing air-helper springs inside the rear coil springs of today’s CUVs and SUVs is a relatively simple process most DIYers can handle at home when using a hoist or an appropriate floor jack and properly placed jack stands. The rear coil springs are extended as far as possible, and the air bladders are stuffed inside the coils.
The remainder of the install entails routing the plastic air lines from the bladders in the coil springs to a single inflation valve mounted close to the trailer hitch or on the bumper. The whole job can be done in less than two hours using the most basic hand tools.
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- The best way to install the air bags is to suck the air out of the polyurethane bladders and fold them up like hot dog buns before inserting them into the coil springs. Tying a heavy twine around the end opposite the air inlet helps pull the bags upward into the coil springs.
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- These particular bags can be installed with the air inlet up or down, whichever position provides the best way to run the air lines out of the coils so they aren’t snaking around sharp edges or making sharp bends. We mounted the Mazda CX-5 air-helper springs with the air line exiting the bottom of the CX-5’s lower control arm.
Driving Impressions: Air Lift 1000 Air Helper Springs
I’ve had the AirLift 1000s under my Mazda CX-5 AWD for about six months. During that time I’ve made use of their added suspension support on many occasions, from towing off-road trailers to towing boats to hauling firewood.
Without the air helper springs in play, with the heaviest of the off-road trailers hitched up, two of us inside, and the cargo area and roof rack filled with gear, the CX-5’s rear squatted nearly three inches, and the front raised up about two inches over stock height.
Such a load caused my vehicle’s handling to feel a bit soft and slow responding, plus there was an increase in body lean. The car also bottomed out a couple of times, going through dips on backroads without air-spring assist.
Inflating Air Springs Brings Balance
In each scenario, adjusting the air pressure in the AirLift 1000s, using a portable 12-volt Securide air compressor I keep in my CX-5, quickly brought the Mazda’s stance and handling back to close what it was from the factory sans a load.
On the times when there were just passengers and light cargo, keeping the bags inflated between 7 and 9 psi was the sweet spot for the best ride quality. When it was at max load and towing, 12 psi leveled out the stance and returned the ride and handling to a comfortable level. Leaving the air bladders inflated to 5 psi works great when there’s no real load to manage. Those air pressures would probably be the same for most cross-overs and similar-sized coil-sprung vehicles.
When your CUV is loaded, the air pressure inside the air-helper springs can be adjusted to level the vehicle and to the best ride comfort. For daily unloaded driving, AirLift recommends keeping a minimum of 5psi in the bladders, which I found suitable for everyday trips.
Final Thoughts About Air Bags
Is installing an Air Lift 1000 air-helper-spring kit in CUVs and smaller SUVs an absolute necessity for those who love exploring the backcountry and overlanding? No. But they allow you to fine-tune your vehicle’s suspension when towing or carrying heavy loads.
These simple, easy-to-install AirLift 1000 kits, which usually cost less than $150 from etrrailer.com, Amazon, and other sources, make a noticeable improvement in the ride and overall handling of coil-sprung CUVs that are being used to tow small travel or adventure-style trailers or are nearing the vehicle’s maximum load capacity with passengers and cargo aboard.
They are also maintenance-free. I have logged more than 10,000 miles since the installation and have seen no signs of abrasion on the bladders, and the plastic air lines have held firm to the fittings. On the off chance of a bladder failure, AirLift offers a Lifetime Warranty on the bladders to be “free from defects in workmanship or materials for the lifetime of the vehicle of original installation.”
AirLift | airliftcompany.com
Mobile Diesel Service | mobilediesel.co
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