How many of you have an air ride system and are tired of dealing with the tedious process of setting the height of your vehicle with those little pressure gauges and rocker switches? For some, it's the nature of the game; but for others, it's something they'd probably rather do without. Many of you obviously like the idea of airbags, but there are just as many who feel these systems are too much of a hassle. Well, our friends over at AccuAir have developed a system that solves all the hassles. Their Precision Ride Height Control System promises to bring all of our cars to the 21st century, and we're about to illustrate exactly how. As responsible automotive reporters, we are constantly looking for new products to explore and share with our readers. When we got an offer to go along on an installation with AccuAir, we couldn't pass up the chance. Bob Bruhn's '49 Packard fastback, still in assembly, was the perfect candidate--with the body off of the chassis, the installation of AccuAir's height sensors would be easy to illustrate and understand. Some of you may recognize Bob Bruhn's name from his most recent ride on the show circuit; his '40 Ford sedan, "Mirage." After seeing the AccuAir system demonstrated at a recent show, Bob knew that he had to have it. "These guys came up with a product that has all of the features, along with the quality that I was looking for."
First, we have to tell you a little about the system and how it works. It uses a small onboard computer that reads four sensors mounted at each corner of the suspension that determine the height of the car. You still have manual control over your bags, but the system gives you the ability to save any three of your favorite heights and re-obtain them at the touch of a button. Next to each of the three height buttons is an indicator to let you know which of your saved heights the vehicle is currently at. The benefit for those of you that wish to avoid excessive tire wear and poor handling is the fact that you can now have the vehicle aligned at one of the positions and repeatedly obtain that ride-height for the life of the vehicle. Having preset heights is especially useful when approaching an obstacle like a speed bump, when a higher stance can be obtained by hitting only one button. An "all-down" function airs the vehicle down at the touch of a button for parking lots. The system has a "lift on start" feature that can be disabled if it is not preferred. It allows you to tee into the starter solenoid wire with any of the three position wires so that when the vehicle is started it automatically obtains the position it was wired into. "The key to our system is the fact that it bases measurements on height, not air pressure," states Dustin Heon, design engineer for AccuAir. "If you load the vehicle with passengers or groceries, the system automatically compensates." The great part is that AccuAir's system is designed to complement all other air ride packages on the market. You have the option of using the standard rocker switches and adding a few extra buttons, or eliminating those switches and gauges and using AccuAir's state-of-the-art billet aluminum control panel, which is backlit with fiber optics. The backlighting comes on with your headlights, and can be ordered in any color you prefer. Just when you thought that they had thought of it all, they also include a key fob remote that triggers all of your favorite positions from a distance.
Bob decided to go with the 4-way Deluxe System that includes the billet aluminum control panel and the keychain remote. To eliminate clutter inside of the car, he decided to mount the control panel in the trunk. This means that he will set and save his favorite positions from the trunk, but bring the car to the positions from inside the car by remote. AccuAir owner, Reno Heon, remarked, "We tapped holes in the back of the control panel, and sized it to take the spot of a standard stereo face so that it can mount on a dash or console. But, to hide all presence of an Air Ride system, some people prefer to leave it under the seat and pull it out when they're ready to drive."
Understanding sensor mounting is key to installing the AccuAir System. The position sensors they use have a total travel of 3 1/4 inches. Most airbag suspensions move the tire a total of 6-9 inches. So, a mount location for the arm's pivot point that moves only 3-3 1/4 inches must be found to mount the lower ball stud. AccuAir Technician Mike Hoke warned, "A sensor can be smashed or pulled apart if caution and precise measuring are not part of your repertoire."
Although having the body off the frame was nice for the sensor installation, it made completing the wiring system installation impossible. The guys decided to finish the wiring once the paintwork is finished and the body set back on. Reno assured us that the wiring part of the installation is a breeze. "If you can install a stereo system, you can install this. We supply you with plenty of color coded wire to get out to your destinations."
That old phrase, "You get what you pay for," is a saying that the AccuAir system stands by. You can look forward to seeing their systems operating on many of next year's pro-built cars. Although they are concentrating on the control system portion of air ride, they can also supply you with solenoids, compressors, tanks, and plumbing. Reno hinted toward some new designs on the bag itself, along with plans toward active suspension to get old cars to handle and drive more like new OEM cars. One thing is for sure--these guys show all signs of keeping us on the edge of new suspension technology.
 Bob's "Packrat" chassis sits...  Bob's "Packrat" chassis sits ready to eat up the AccuAir Deluxe System. The quality and attention to detail don't stop at the product itself. |
 Each part was unpacked from...  Each part was unpacked from its custom-cut foam case so we grabbed the owner's manual to give the pieces a quick look over. Let's just say that nothing should be flashing 12:00 when you get done reading this thing! |
 The first task for the installation...  The first task for the installation was to find a good spot to mount the sensors, one that would give them distance from heat and moving parts. Starting with all of the air out of the bags, the AccuAir boys measured for a prospective mounting point on the frontend. The sensor needs to travel 3 1/4 inches, so a measurement was taken from a stationary point on the frame to the target mounting point on the control arm; this measured 5 1/2 inches. |
 To find the total travel...  To find the total travel of the prospective mounting point, the bags were raised to max pressure so the arm was up against its upper bumpstop. A measurement was taken from the same stationary point on the frame to the same target mounting point on the control arm. This point measured 8 3/4 inches, not bad for their second try. The two measurements gave them the desired travel (8 3/4 - 5 1/2 = 3 1/4 inches). |
 The arm was then drilled and...  The arm was then drilled and tapped at the established point to fit the 5/16-16 stainless ball stud, which comes with the kit. |
 With the bags again fully...  With the bags again fully emptied, the sensor was popped onto the lower ball stud. While holding the sensor fully compressed, Reno marked the upper mounting point on the frame. He leaned the sensor forward by an inch to avoid possible collision with the tie rod when the Packard makes sharp turns. |
 After drilling and tapping...  After drilling and tapping the frame for the upper ball stud, the process was mirrored for the passenger side front. |
 With the sensor in place,...  With the sensor in place, the AccuAir crew ran the vehicle up and down throughout the range and moved the steering from side to side to make sure that the sensor was free to operate properly. |
 Now it was time to get to...  Now it was time to get to the rear. The four-link makes for some easy sensor mounting, but head engineer Art Langtry explained, "If your car has suspension, our sensors can be mounted. We've installed on everything from leaf-spring setups to GM A-bodies." They decided to mount the sensor to the lower link and to the inside of the frame (the sensor sleeve was loosened and rotated 180 degrees to make this possible). Similar to the front, they needed to measure to find a point on the moving arm that traveled 3 1/4 inches. This is the measurement with the air out of the bags and the rearend sitting on the bumpstops. The measurement is 9 3/4 inches. |
 Here, with the frame aired...  Here, with the frame aired all the way up, they got 11 3/4 inches (11 3/4 - 9 3/4 = 3 inches). We were told that 3 inches would work, but they moved the lower mount further back by about 1/2 inch and remeasured to get the 3 1/4 inches of travel, which is the measurement desired for optimum results. |
 Here, the holes are being...  Here, the holes are being drilled to mount the lower ball stud for the rear sensors. As on the front, once the lower ball studs were in place, the frame was lowered so that a mounting location on the frame could be marked. |
 On the rear you can see that...  On the rear you can see that spacers, supplied with the AccuAir package, were used to keep the sensor moving vertically and to space it away from the frame. The guys again ran the air on the vehicle up and down to verify their measuring and to make sure that the sensor did not overextend or crush itself. |
 Mike played with some potential...  Mike played with some potential mounting positions for the ECU and other air ride system components in the trunk. The AccuAir crew suggests mounting the ECU away from extreme heat or moisture. |
 The AccuAir control panel,...  The AccuAir control panel, which connects with a simple 6-foot-long RJ-11 phone-style cable, makes for a nice alternative to rocker switches. Mike shows how simple the control panel plugs in. Keep in mind that AccuAir's Basic System comes with a wiring connector that allows you to wire in your own buttons, switches, and indicators. |