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DIY ride-on-air kit
Page 34
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• The answer to some suspension problems suffered by pickups and light vans might be found in a new air-suspension kit on the market costing less than £500.
The kit has been developed by Essex-based Phoenix Truck and Trailer Equipment, a company established in the supply of air-suspension kits and selfsteering axles to the truck industry.
The system is intended to cure many of the unsatisfactory characteristics usually present in the suspensions of panel vans, pickups, minibuses and ambulances.
These include rear ends sagging under heavy loads, excessive roll, poor ride and bad cornering behaviour.
Unlike full air-suspension, the system does not replace the vehicle's metal springs but acts as a ride helper, coming into play only when a load is being carried.
This allows the vehicle to continue its journey in the event of a system failure.
The installation uses the manufacturer's chassis and axle mounting-points, and since the brake load-sensing valve is also unaffected, Phoenix claims that type approval on the brakes and the manufacturer's warranty are not infringed.
The kit comprises a 12-volt compressor and an air tank mounted under the bonnet, with two air bellows which are installed above the rear springs.
The system is designed to be a DIY job, and is said to be within the capability of most small workshops.
Driving impressions
• We sampled the system on the company's demonstrator, a Ford P100 pickup loaded to its maximum payload with some hefty truck drive-axle springs.
Driving with the system switched off — it uses a cabmounted master switch — the vehicle behaved predictably, with a knobbly ride, plenty of roll around corners and some rear-wheel steering.
We then switched on the compressor, and the system reached operating pressure in slightly more than two minutes. Ride height was restored to approaching the unladen level, and the on-road ride was noticeably more compliant. Cornering was also more stable, although the rearsteer effect was still present.
From this admittedly brief test drive, it is apparent the equipment lives up to the company's claim of providing a cheap but effective system. While it cannot match the performance of full air-suspension set-ups, the Phoneix kit could offer an affordable alternative for some operators.