Rear axle air suspension advice

[pelican]

I have a 3500KG Autotrail Ducato base motorhome and would like to fit a basic rear air suspension assist.
lots of different prices for kits on Ebay.
I would appreciate comments from people who have fitted or have this system.
Main interest is to maker for a smoother quieter ride.
I note that some kits have only one pressure guage others have two what is the advantage?
Some kits come with a plug in air pump otherwise I assume you have to go to a service station to adjust pressures.
Advice appreciated

 

[monkeybrand]

Two pressure guages usually mean you can inflate each side separately. I have not fitted mine yet but they can be inflated with a foot pump or even a bike pump.

 

[Jev88]

Spring or Alko torsion bar suspension?
Two gauges means different pressure each side. I would not want a system that doesn't have its own inflation pump. Most have a manual car tyre style port for emergency manual inflation with a stirrup pump or electric etc....

 

[pelican]

Spring or Alko torsion bar suspension?
Two gauges means different pressure each side. I would not want a system that doesn't have its own inflation pump. Most have a manual car tyre style port for emergency manual inflation with a stirrup pump or electric etc....

Thanks for reply leaf spring

 

[Lofty1]

If you have a twin gauge system with compressor you can use it to help with getting level on sites

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[1967bowesj]

Depends on how much you want to spend but this person is very helpful
Link

 

[Mikeco]

I fitted the Dunlop one, did not bother with the compressor as each side has its own inflation point and it’s only a minutes job to adjust the pressures.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Depends on how much you want to spend but this person is very helpful
Link

I have this kit. Order an additional gauge, one for each side on separate pipe runs, unless you're ordering a compressor as well.
Mike.

 

[Two on Tour]

I fitted an air assist kit about 5 years ago to our rear suspension which has transformed the ride and handling of our Autoquest 175.
It has an onboard air compressor and I can add or remove air from either side independently via the dash controls while on the move if we find the weather condition change i.e. it gets windy or high cross winds or the road conditions get a bit rough.
The kit from eBay delivered was about £350 and took a little over half a day to fit.

 

[IRHP]

I've read about a few with a single airline system and they say its fine. But it can increase rolling on corners, read this before deciding what you want. Some kit systems require removal of the axle spring u bolt when fitting other clamp on top. That makes fitting a bit simpler. What year is the Motorhome? Fiat redesigned the anti-roll bar on newer model and some have had difficulty fitting rear air due to the position of it.https://pacbrake.com/air-spring-inflation-systems-single-path-vs-dual-path/

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pelican]

I've read about a few with a single airline system and they say its fine. But it can increase rolling on corners, read this before deciding what you want. Some kit systems require removal of the axle spring u bolt when fitting other clamp on top. That makes fitting a bit simpler. What year is the Motorhome? Fiat redesigned the anti-roll bar on newer model and some have had difficulty fitting rear air due to the position of it.

Thanks for info. It's a 2009 Ducato

 

[IRHP]

Thanks for info. It's a 2009 Ducato

Should be simple enough. I just added a link in my previous post

 

[pelican]

I assume there is noticeable difference (smoother ride)

 

[IRHP]

I assume there is noticeable difference (smoother ride)

I wouldn't say much smoother. Definitely less wallowing in corners and more stable if windy or if passing big HGVs on the motorway

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

I assume there is noticeable difference (smoother ride)

Less clunky over lumps and bumps. Less rolling, firmer through corners, roundabouts. No swaying when passing/being passed by HGVs on motorways. Lifts the @rse end up, so ferry's are less traumatic, will it ground out, won't it?
Down side, the bike rack on the back end is higher up for short @rses like me, but some light weight ally steps solve that, and are useful to have on board in any case.
Mike.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pelican]

Less clunky over lumps and bumps. Less rolling, firmer through corners, roundabouts. No swaying when passing/being passed by HGVs on motorways. Lifts the @rse end up, so ferry's are less traumatic, will it ground out, won't it?
Down side, the bike rack on the back end is higher up for short @rses like me, but some light weight ally steps solve that, and are useful to have on board in any case.
Mike.

Thanks Mike just what I was hoping for

 

[bubble63]

Depends on how much you want to spend but this person is very helpful
Link

Just fitted that same system but I ordered extra pipe and a two gauge box, indeed the seller is helpful and fast!
i don’t understand why you would put a tee at the back and run one pipe forward, surely it would encourage roll not reduce it !?
i bought 10m of plastic conduit to contain the pipe and installed the gauges in the drivers foot well
I’m running on 2 bar pressure at the moment, that’s work in progress
the ride is improved but the van (it’s a PVC ) now has a back end that looks poised, it no longer drags its ar*e around on the bump stops
recommended

 

[Minxy]

There's nothing wrong with a single gauge one so long as you can isolate each side to prevent cross 'air' movement, our first one was like that and worked perfectly and was easy to adjust using a bicycle pump.

 

[Spanner]

There's nothing wrong with a single gauge one so long as you can isolate each side to prevent cross 'air' movement, our first one was like that and worked perfectly and was easy to adjust using a bicycle pump.

Like this setup I fitted

 

[pelican]

Just fitted that same system but I ordered extra pipe and a two gauge box, indeed the seller is helpful and fast!
i don’t understand why you would put a tee at the back and run one pipe forward, surely it would encourage roll not reduce it !?
i bought 10m of plastic conduit to contain the pipe and installed the gauges in the drivers foot well
I’m running on 2 bar pressure at the moment, that’s work in progress
the ride is improved but the van (it’s a PVC ) now has a back end that looks poised, it no longer drags its ar*e around on the bump stops
recommended

Sounds just the job a good value did you have to remove the U bolts on the axle?
Thank you for your time.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pelican]

Like this setup I fitted View attachment 715716

Very smart thankyou.
Where did you get the matching ply board

 

[Spanner]

Very smart thankyou.
Where did you get the matching ply board

Thank you, the ply was just an off cut I already had

 

[Guigsy]

Less clunky over lumps and bumps. Less rolling, firmer through corners, roundabouts. No swaying when passing/being passed by HGVs on motorways. Lifts the @rse end up, so ferry's are less traumatic, will it ground out, won't it?
Down side, the bike rack on the back end is higher up for short @rses like me, but some light weight ally steps solve that, and are useful to have on board in any case.
Mike.

Exactly the same when I put EasyTop suspension on my 2007 Ducato. No need for a compressor as a bike pump can inflate both sides in a couple of minutes. Not massively better ride comfort, except on the big potholes where it did help. But much less body roll. And harder to lift the bike on without a step!

 

[Gaz n Debz]

Like this setup I fitted View attachment 715716

My recently fitted setup is like this. I appreciate that the running pressure will vary depending on the load, but is the 1.8bar (ish) pressure yours is showing a ballpark figure to set it at until I've managed to get some miles in and get a feel for what it needs to be set at?

 

[NigelNovice]

I fitted an air assist kit about 5 years ago to our rear suspension which has transformed the ride and handling of our Autoquest 175.
It has an onboard air compressor and I can add or remove air from either side independently via the dash controls while on the move if we find the weather condition change i.e. it gets windy or high cross winds or the road conditions get a bit rough.
The kit from eBay delivered was about £350 and took a little over half a day to fit.

View attachment 715479

We have the same system, works great, find it handy if entering or leaving anywhere with a steep incline to lift the back end up to stop bottoming out due to overhang behind back wheels, just had to replace the switch as it seized up, 2 min job

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

My recently fitted setup is like this. I appreciate that the running pressure will vary depending on the load, but is the 1.8bar (ish) pressure yours is showing a ballpark figure to set it at until I've managed to get some miles in and get a feel for what it needs to be set at?

Perhaps a bit more, say 42psi ( 3.0 Bar). The bags are usually good for 5.5 bar. Pressure within also increases with temperature and leaning on pressure.
Mike

 

[activecampers]

This may help - this is my install below.
It was trivial really. Only issue is on older vans where the retained nut can be rusted so removing the old suspension helper can sheer the nut meaning its a challenge to get it off... Plan ahead, soak in penetrating spray before.

Always go for separate connections - 1 gauge is fine if selectable, 2 gauges better. Otherwise air can move from one to the other.

We don't use it to level, but the driving is brilliant and the rear can be controlled.

 

[the1andonly]

Heres my words of "wisedom" on the subject

Ducato semi air Suspension Fitting

Ducato semi air rear only Recently replaced my Bumpstops for semi air. it is the cheap variety that uses a top bracket that can be difficult to align and requires removal and replacement of the U bolt clamps. There are different versions that...

www.fiatforum.com

I run 2 gauges 2.3 bar each side. 3850kg C class.

 

[Spanner]

My recently fitted setup is like this. I appreciate that the running pressure will vary depending on the load, but is the 1.8bar (ish) pressure yours is showing a ballpark figure to set it at until I've managed to get some miles in and get a feel for what it needs to be set at?

Our rear axle weight is around 1950kg loaded and I normally run at 34psi on the airbags. I’ve recently uprated the tyres from 215/70/15CP tyres to 225/70/15 Hankook which has further improved the ride, a lot quieter too.

 

[donkey]

I noted you are seeking a smother ride. Before spending on air suspension, it may be prudent to look at your tyre pressures.
A 'search' on this forum will give you loads of reading on the matter.

Geoff