AIR RIDE VS. HYDRAULICS: Everything you need to know | The Bottom Line

When going extremely low with a vehicle, adjustable suspension systems get the best results as you can raise them up for drivability. However, there is some debate on what type of system works best. Fans of traditional lowriders know that hydraulics can work effortlessly while truck enthusiasts claim that air ride is where it’s at. To help get a better understanding of each, we pit our personal ’00 Chevy S10 with air bagged suspension against a ’70 Monte Carlo that’s running a fully juiced system.

Our special guest, Saul Vargas has heavy roots on the lowrider scene and explains some of the differences between air versus hydros. This includes installation, cost, weight difference, maintenance and ride quality.

0:23 Intro with Kevin Aguilar
1:20 Saul Vargas’ ’70 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Lowrider
1:45 History of Adjustable Suspensions
2:35 Hydraulics VS. Air Ride Setups
6:01 Old School Lowrider Components
9:01 Cost Difference
9:52 Air Ride Vs. Hydraulics Maintenance
11:23 Nitto Tires on ’00 Chevy S10
12:01 Comparing Ride Quality
13:33 Final Thoughts

Are you itching to learn more about how air ride works? Check out this previous video where we explain it all.

Looking for more lowrider action? Check out Lowrider today on Instagram.

[UnperfectNproud]

Actually the real reason they started making hydraulic setups was cuz they were tired of getting pulled over by bored cops for their cars being too hydraulics made it possible for them to raise the car to legal height at the time without being harassed by 5-0

[ajoann]

I had a lowrider 1987 Mazda B2000 with 2 pump 10 switch setup riding on reverse 13's. Every setup has a sweet spot where the ride is super smooth. If you ride locked up it will always be more bouncy. For my truck tapping the front and back switches 2 times was the best ride like being on air. Mind you I had 6" cylinders up front and 8" cylinders in the rear. I used brackets to mount them so I did not have to cut out the fenders. All the hoses were ran on the frame.

[mikepeace]

Bags are for lay n play. Juice is for clowning the guy with bags 😂

[harvcastrejon]

Bro I'm sorry but air vs hydro is NOWHERE near "close to eachother" in terms of weight!

[davidheether]

A few things that weren’t talked about is on a hydraulic setup they also have consumables. The hydraulic lines if it’s not setup with hard lines. Those lines could end up failing. Has happened 2-3 times on my friends car. Also most of the time you have to cut holes in the frame for the shafts. Atleast in old schools. My 63 I would have had to cut a 2” or so hole where the shock bolted to on the frame.

[Moneypit]

The first bag setup I put together was an adventure. I remember going into Truck Pro buying DOT air fittings and trying to explain to the older guys what I was doing. For what I paid back in 2000 -2002 I could have had a full accuair setup today. This was before everyone sold cheap ebay junk. Used SMC 3/8 with 1/2 DOT line. Manifolds built from 20+lbs of brass fittings.

[JoseMorales-wveh]

I prefer Hydraulics over air ride suspension because if the air line blow's, your car will drop heavy and could ruined your car... With the hydraulics lines or pump goes out, your car won't drop at all, it'll just stay in the same position, you just won't be able to use it until you fix or replace your hydraulic system... It's alot safer with Hydraulics than air ride

[raulsti]

I had an 87 regal with 4 pumps 10 batteries 16 switches. It’s bounced crazy!
Now on my Roadmaster I’m thinking air ride! What y’all think about ride quality?!

[darrintriplett]

I spent over 3k on just the suspension and stuff and that was leaving out a few things but I got top of the line everything and that was not including install even though I did it all myself which saved a few more grand

[blkeclipsel]

I dont know what air suspension he's running but he lost me when he said A&H are the same weight. I cant speak for every brand of air suspension but airlift makes kits with performance and handling in mind. Airlift suspension components are as follows:

1. the performance series struts with adjustable camber and damping with the bellows, which weigh less than my stock struts and springs.

2. The Airlift Manifold(brain) is maybe 10 lbs.

3. Viair Compressor(s) you can go with one compressor. Two of them still weigh less than one battery

4. Air tank and hose lines, which together weigh next to nothing.

5. Hand-held 3P controller, which is smaller and lighter than any cell phone.

The whole air suspension itself weighs waaaay less than 6-8 car batteries alone and thats not factoring in the weight of the hydraulic system.

Air suspension is also relatively small. I have airlift 3H suspension in a 5th gen 2SS Camaro and I still have plenty of room in my trunk to install amps and subs if i wanted.

Obviously, hydros are better suited for big body cars and trucks because I can't imagine having to drive around hauling 6-8 car batteries in the trunk of a sports car. I'd be terrified to drive on the highway.

The only power needed for air suspension is a 12 volt connection to one stock battery. My old sound system needed more power.

[carholic-szqv]

As an example of production vehicle, the lexus lx570 has an hydraulic suspension.

[donuzoka]

Ain't nothing Like subscribing to a channel like this

[justinkase]

What about hydros that are made to be slow and ride well? Something with accumulators of some sort and a modern control system for ride height? I know I've seen such a thing before. It has some sort of nitrogen-filled buffer in the line so that it had some give instead of being all liquid.

[neil]

A nitrogen charged accumulator inline with a hydraulic system will yield a way decent ride.

[michaelheimbrand]

Citroën dude here. I don't get why accumulators isn't more of a thing with the hydraulic lowriders. I mean, have a look at any old Citroën like the DS. It's of course not built for jumping around. But it has a true hydraulic suspension. There's only rams at each wheel. Ok, well... When we talk about "suspension". Hydraculics are stiff as steel of course. I saw that the car in the video had very small coils. What a Citroën DS has is a sphere or "accumulator" at each wheel. It's filled with nitrogen and is the suspending part of the system. The sphere also has two valves + a bypass on the inlet to work as a damper. -The clever bit with that is that when you load up the car, more hydraulic oil has to enter the sphere, compressing the gas more. And that also forces more fluid to pass the same damper. So voila' progressive dampening and suspension is a fact.

Now, I realize that jumping require the car to be stiff and undampened (?). A Citroën is very much the least jumpy car ever made. The DS rides better than any Rolls. But if I were into lowriders, I would put suspension spheres on all corners with cutoff valves. Then you have a lowrider when in that mode. And when just driving, you will have better ride than any luxury car ever made. Actually, Citroën already has all the parts needed. The "Hydractive" cars from the 90's are computer controlled and therefore has electric cut-off valves with regulator spheres on them. -Fun fact: When those valves O-rings goes bad, the system can act up a bit. Usually, it does random jumps now and then when switching modes when there is a lot of difference between the different sides.

Thanks for sharing. As a hydraulic nerd, I always wondered how those lowriders worked. I'm impressed that they are powerful enough to jump with only pump pressure. Must be a beast of a pump. I mean, a Citroën uses an engine driven pump with a 400cc accumulator and it still wants some seconds to adjust height.

The most hydraulic Citroën is the 1995-1999 Xantia Activa. It's like a VW Golf, but rides like an S-class and beats todays supercars in the corners. That one, you can have a lot of fun when tinkering. It has realtime hydraulic swaybars and can wave like a fighter plane if you want it to.

[Robert-jxnr]

I heard it was because the police tried to ban lowered trucks, so what they did was cruise low n slow, and when they passed a cop they would go up

[jonharper]

Fluid over air….all day everyday. 13s to the concrete

[chrishart]

Got a dodge dakota 94 two pumps air is smoother. But i love the bounce. I grew up in the 90's dragging frames killin tires. after i got my first set of hydraulics and got all the attention they bring the ride was the last thing on my mind

[randyrivera]

A shot of whiskey for every “you know”

[anwarallaire]

Lost me when you said A&H were about the same in weight. I can hear my batteries laughing. Most people have a 6-8 battery setup and use centennials. Each weighs about 60lbs, so on the low end you're at 360 in just batteries. What one component that is necessary for ar to function weighs that much? Not knocking ar, I like it. I'm actually going to build another lowrider but with ar, weight difference being one of the reasons