Modern aftermarket air suspension kits are used for everything from heavy towing and load levelling to off-roading and sports luxury performance. That’s because factory-stock suspension setups rarely do as much to boost a vehicle’s ride quality, handling, and even safety in a single step.

If you look past the chromed airlines, polished aluminium air tanks, and dashboard switches that are aftermarket air suspension trademarks though, you’ll quickly discover that the muscle behind each system comes from their heavy-duty airbags. These tough, air-filled bellows are responsible for the firm but feather-like support that allows drivers to adjust their ride heights and firmnesses to precisely where they want them. And that’s why if you’re contemplating all the ways that an air suspension setup could benefit your car, ute, or wagon, you have to know what to look for in an airbag.

Trust BOSS Air Bags to Safely Maximize Your Suspension’s Capabilities

From the amount of vibration they transmit to their impact on fuel economy, heavy lifting is only one of the characteristics that today’s aftermarket suspension kits are measured by; that’s why it’s no coincidence that high strength, multi-strand suspension airbags are the only choice for either standard air suspension, or load assist suspension systems. The airbags used in modern systems have to be just as capable of dampening the hard-riding characteristics of oversized tyres as they are at compensating for overworked shock absorbers; and fortunately, airbag manufacturers like Queensland’s BOSS understand just how central reliability, as well as strength, has to be for the latest generation of airbag suspension products.

BOSS has been an industry leader in pneumatic ride-assist systems for more than 2 decades, and they’ve mastered the art of designing and building rugged airbag suspensions that are engineered to:  

·   Eliminate stresses on factory shocks and springs when transporting heavy loads;

·   Balance trailer and tow vehicle ride height differences due to uneven towbar heights; and,

·   Improve ride quality and stability when off-roading, or navigating tough stretches of sealed or unsealed highways.

BOSS’s innovative, extra strong cord angle weaving process is the starting point for all of their ute and car suspension airbags, and they’re built especially to take on the toughest driving and towing conditions Australia has to throw at them. These bags won’t allow you to increase your vehicle’s gross vehicle mass (GVM) or registered towing capacity, but they do make it possible for you to safely and reliably maximize your load-carrying capacity without sacrificing ride quality or drivability.

Airbags That are Built to the Toughest Proprietary Standard

Consistency is everything when you’re talking about airbag construction, and every BOSS airbag is seamlessly moulded using its proprietary blend of cured natural rubber. 4 high-tensile steel support cords are moulded into each bead ring end to prevent clamp separation when the bag is fully extended, with an additional 9 support cords at central sections on double- and triple-bellow configurations. The result is up to 26 reinforced steel cords on triple-bellow bags, together with a further array of hardened features that include:

·   6mm corrosion-resistant steel end ring plates;

·   Ribbed and laminated inside texturing for extra strength; and,

·   Ballistic woven wall reinforcement.

With a recommended working pressure of 5-160psi, a test pressure of 480psi, and a burst pressure of over 600psi, Boss airbag suspension bellows are virtually indestructible. That’s dependability you can count on to improve ride quality, regardless of your task or terrain.   

You Get Premium Quality Content and Performance From Each BOSS Airbag Kit

BOSS suspension airbags are suitable for all types of 2WD and 4WD vehicles, trailers, and caravans, with each individual per-wheel airbag kit consisting of:

·   A single-, double-, or triple-bellow suspension airbag;

·   Zinc plated top and bottom end caps; and,

·   All stainless steel countersunk bolts and hardware.

Each kit is designed to be used in either 2- or 4-bag standalone supplemental, or complete bag-over-strut configurations. In the supplemental role alone, BOSS’s sturdiest bag kit, the Extreme Series 2, boasts a 5200lb per-pair capacity rating with an extended height of over 380mm; that’s an industry leading amount of additional pneumatic support which, depending on how you decide to set up your air bag suspension system, offers almost unlimited ride-height and load level adjustments.

BOSS Bags Help Reduce Costly and Dangerous Parts Wear  

Although it’s easy to tout the benefits that air suspension airbags and ride-assist systems offer when it comes to supporting heavy loads, it’s important to remember that shocks and springs aren’t the only components that airbags help to protect. Every part of your suspension is interconnected, and if you routinely find yourself hauling loads where weight is a persistent concern, air bags can be a crucial part of preventing a host of load-related problems that include:

·   Excessive tyre wear. Air bags help to offset the cumulative effect that uneven loads can have on oversized or improperly inflated tyres, while also helping to prevent spontaneous tyre failure from happening.

·   Premature brake replacement. With the ability to automatically level loads, air bags are an essential part of preventing disproportionate back and front braking applications that would necessitate premature brake replacements. 

·Unresponsive steering. Air bags are able to restore the stability and predictability that’s inherently lost when driving with either unevenly distributed loads, or when a vehicle’s shocks or springs have already been weakened.

The fact is, investing in top-quality BOSS air bags is the best way to avoid costly, and potentially dangerous situations that can arise from driving with an overwhelmed suspension system, especially if you’re towing a trailer. The risks are simply too high not to make them a priority.  

The Final Word

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that factory suspension systems are designed to give the best balance of performance, for the widest range of owners. And it doesn’t matter if it involves off-roading or heavy loading: pushing your vehicle’s suspension beyond its “best balance” parameters can be detrimental.  

With high-strength, multi-strand suspension airbags from BOSS, you can be confident that your suspension has the support to safely handle any situation that you put your vehicle through. BOSS has everything you need to make sure your suspension stays firmly on solid ground.