Resources Composition of Trail Air Suspension
Trail air suspension is mainly composed of electronic control unit (ECU), air springs, air struts, inlet and exhaust pipelines, compressors, solenoid valves, and height sensors, which can control the horizontal posture of the car and adjust the stability system of the car body.
Working Principle of Trail Air Suspension System
When the height sensor sends a signal to the ECU that the vehicle is not at the predetermined height, the compressor starts. The air is inflated to the airbag through the valve block and air pipeline. The valve block can adjust the flow of air. Excess air will be exhausted from the airbag back to the valve block through the same path.
Development history of Trail Air Suspension
Trail air suspension was born in the mid-19th century and was originally used for mechanical equipment isolation. It was not until 1901 that Americans designed, invented, and patented air springs to solve the comfort problem of vehicles. However, at that time, it was still a conceptual product that could not be mass-produced. Before the spring was mass-produced, the concept of air springs had already appeared. However, due to limitations in technology, materials, design, and processing level at that time, it was unable to achieve practical purposes, which led to the widespread application of coil springs and torsion bar springs that require relatively low material and processing technology standards.
Until the mid-20th century, the development of trail air suspension research and development work in the United States, its place of origin, developed rapidly and finally achieved practical application and mass production on Cadillac in 1957. At this time, the trail air suspension system already had a rudimentary function of vehicle height sensors and automatic balance. In 1960, the German luxury car brand Borgward launched the first passenger car P100 equipped with air suspension. Two years later, the Mercedes-Benz W112 platform equipped the 300SE model with air suspension and trailer suspension kits.
Comparison between Trail Air Suspension and Traditional Steel Spring
The suspension struts and shock absorbers of the trail air suspension system are similar to those of the traditional spring suspension system in terms of installation, except that the metal coil spring is replaced by an air spring. However, in terms of handling characteristics and shock adjustment, air springs and coil springs are still somewhat different. Air suspension and advanced trailer spares has some additional advantages, such as adjustable chassis height, improved driving comfort, and load balancing ability.
Today, as people's demands for driving safety and comfort continue to increase, more and more passenger cars are equipped with air suspension systems. Air suspension is a vulnerable component of the car and is often easily replaced. This also brings more business opportunities to repair shops!