Air suspension - what does it do?

[DriverOne]

Before I got the car I imagined the air suspension keeping the car level in turns, and doing other wonderful shock-absorbing things. However, if you've ever raised/lowered the car you'll know it takes several seconds to operate. What could it possibly do while driving with that slow a response? I'm sure I hear it sometimes while driving, e.g. when going up a hill, but of course I don't know for sure just from a sound.

So does the air suspension ever do anything dynamic while driving, besides lowering at high speed?

 

[pgiralt]

It also self-levels the car depending on the amount of passengers and cargo. The other use is to use the high or very high settings to get over rough terrain or steep inclines.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

Before I got the car I imagined the air suspension keeping the car level in turns, and doing other wonderful shock-absorbing things. However, if you've ever raised/lowered the car you'll know it takes several seconds to operate. What could it possibly do while driving with that slow a response? I'm sure I hear it sometimes while driving, e.g. when going up a hill, but of course I don't know for sure just from a sound.

So does the air suspension ever do anything dynamic while driving, besides lowering at high speed?

If the car were level while taking a turn, it would look awfully funny...

 

[DriverOne]

It would look funny? Why? I think cars that tip far over look silly!

I do hear various noises while driving around during acceleration & deceleration, and turns. Those noises are not the air suspension at work?

 

[ahm]

I used mine today to raise the car when we were routed onto the dirt shoulder for a few miles due to chip seal being laid down. While I did not raise my speed, being in high did lower my stress.

 

[HankLloydRight]

being in high did lower my stress.

Ain't that the truth!!

 

[flodrab]

If the car were level while taking a turn, it would look awfully funny...

you might want to pass your opinion on to Lotus ... they developed an active suspension system in the 80's to make their cars go flat through corners, and they cornered so well and gained such a competitive advantage that Formula 1 banned their use

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Before I got the car I imagined the air suspension keeping the car level in turns, and doing other wonderful shock-absorbing things.

there is such a system as you describe, however that's called an "active suspension" ... McLaren uses it on the MP4 ... it's computer operated, adjusting each corner individually via hydraulics ... cornering flat allows you to carry the most speed through a corner, with the most traction and control