Air Suspension Q&As

Questions and Answers about our Air Suspension kits

Can you bag any car?
Yes we can bag just about any car van or truck

Can you bag a car with torsion bar suspension?
Yes we have already bagged many cars with torsion bar suspension

Is air suspension legal and can i get an MOT with it?
Yes air is legal and MOT able, some cars now run on air from new, including Range rover,lexus,porsche,and many ambulances, busses and hgvs

How much?
A basic system currently retails for 1100 supply only or 1850 fitted (price correct at 21 10 04 subject to change without notification) but all systems are upgrade able at extra cost (see section on upgrades and extras)

What are the differences/advantages of air over hydraulics?
The advantages over hydraulics are that as air is compress able it will compress to give you suspension, hydraulic fluid is not compress able so will give absolutely NO suspension and you will rely on the tyre side walls for your suspension
It is also normally more compact and doesn't require lots of batteries to run it, the average front back side to side system will fit into an area the size
Of a spare wheel recess,

The systems run on a much lower pressures so are safer
And there is no messy oil to contend with should you get a leak

Can the compressor go outside the car
No. Compressors are not water proof and should never be mounted outside of your vehicle

Am i limited to the moves that i can do with air compared with hydraulics?
No you can do all the same moves with air as you can with hydraulics i:e front back, or front back side to side, corner to corner etc, you can also control things such as doors bonnets boots or amp racks with air ....you can even pump your tyres up with it,

Is there a guarantee?
Yes we give 12 months on all parts supplied unless it is deemed by us to have been incorrectly installed or abused

How long does it take to install?
If it is a kit in a box style that we have available then the install time is normally one day

Do DS engineering do installs as well?
Yes we will install your system weather it is a standard system off the shelf or you want a custom one off system designed just for your car

Can i install it myself?
If you have a sensible degree of mechanical knowledge regarding your car then you will be able to install one of our kits without any problems
All kits do come with full clear instructions as well

How fast is it?
A basic system will lift or lower fully in about two to three seconds, however when you have used the air reserve in the tank you will then have to wait for the compressor to recharge the tank's for the system to be back to full working speed

Can i run more than one compressor?
Yes you can run multiples of either compressor in a system and two compressor systems are becoming more popular, multiple compressor systems will charge the
Tanks faster

How long to refill a tank?
On a basic system the DC 2000 compressor will fill the tanks from empty to full in around three minuets but you will be able to raise the car somewhat long before that time as you will never need full pressure to lift a car up

What's the difference between a dc 2000 against a dc 5000 compressor?
The DC 5000 will fill the air tanks at twice the speed of the Dc 2000 this does not mean that the car will move faster just that the system will refill faster ready for use

Why should i go for a line upgrade or bigger valves?
The larger the lines and valves the faster the air will flow hence the faster the car will go up and down

Can i upgrade my system when new or later?
Yes you can upgrade at any time, it is often easier and cheaper though to up grade at the time of purchase, the most basic upgrade is side to side and this should be accompanied by a larger compressor

How do i make the car move faster?
The larger the lines and valves the faster the air will flow hence the faster the car will go up and down

Why do i want a bigger air tank?
Larger tank will give a longer time between refills, however it should be noted that each DC2000 should only fill a 2gal tank and each DC 5000 should only fill a 4 gal tank

Why do i want a divers bottle?
A divers bottle will give a permanent 150psi supply which means your car will move at its maximum speed until the bottle runs out this will make your car very impressive

Do i need an intake filter?
Yes if there is any chance of the compressor picking up dust/dirt or dampness from the surrounding areas
If the compressor is mounted in a clean dry area then it shouldn't be necessary

Why do i need a moisture trap?
All systems will attract a small amount of moisture from the atmosphere, and in the long term this may cause corrosion in the system and cause valves to stick

Are air struts bigger than standard dampers?
No air struts are based on standard strut diameters but will often give more clearance above the tyres than a standard strut

Can i have chrome or alloy tanks and braided lines?
Yes we can supply chrome or alloy tanks at extra cost these should not be confused with the cheap silver powder coated tanks on the market
We can also supply braided lines at extra cost

Are air cylinders any good?
Air cylinders are perfectly good and safe. They will ride harsher than bags but if used in conjunction with accumulators the ride will be first class
N:B all our cylinder kits come with accumulators, (many hondas will use cylinders)

Do DSE sell fast air or slow air systems
"slow systems" is a term used by some companies and refers to the style of valve used to control the system these are mechanical valves not electric
As a company we NEVER supply or install slow systems

Does it have three pre set heights or can i raise and lower it as i want?
The ride height is infinitely variable for raising or lowering and can be moved mms at a time if needed

Does it ruin my handling/what does it ride like?
No unlike hydraulics air will not ruin your handling, the ride quality will be as good as a standard car, but for the very best handling go for a front back side to side set up as the air is then not shared between each side so will handle even better

How low will my car go ?Will my car hit the floor?
This very much depends on the vehicle and the wheel tyre size used, but a car on air will go much lower than on any conventional suspension system

Can i hop it?
Yes cars can be made to hop on air however the system would have to be very radical and hence very expensive

How do i control it?
Each kit will come with a pre wired switch box that will have 2 switches (front back system) 4 switches (front back side to side system) or eight switches (front back side to side system including front pair rear pair left pair right pair switches) all switch boxes also have safety on and off switch fitted

Can i operate it from my car alarm or another remote control?
Yes you can, if your alarm or remote has enough channels then you can operate the whole system from it, you will need one channel for each operation i:e four to do up and down front and rear

What is the point of the switch boxes with more switches in?
Each kit will come with a pre wired switch box that will have 2 switches (front back system) 4 switches (front back side to side system) or eight switches (front back side to side system including front pair rear pair left pair right pair switches) all switch boxes also have safety on and off switch fitted

What powers the compressor?
Your cars own 12v battery will power the compressor (we recommend running the car at all times to maintain a stable voltage in to the compressor)

Do i need extra batteries?
Not normally this is not hydraulics ! Only a very large air system will require a separate battery to run it, however you may have to upgrade to a heavy duty battery if you are using a DC5000 compressor (we recommend running the car at all times to maintain a stable voltage in to the compressor)

How long will it last?
The components should last many years but in the unlikely event you need to replace anything we always keep a large stock of components in house

Can i put pipes on to the exhaust valves to feed them outside the car?
Yes this is becoming popular and gives a similar appearance to NOS purge jets

Do you have fitting centers?
Currently no, but we are intending setting up fitting centers around the country as time goes on

Do i need special air?
No you will use the air that is around us all the time, and as long as the compressor can get cool air to it it will work

Do i need to bleed the system?
No as the system is only ever putting in air from the atmosphere there is nothing to bleed

How reliable is it?
A correctly installed system will be very reliable and will give many years of good service

What if i burst a bag?
This is very un likely to happen and will only normally happen if the wheel or tyre is allowed to rub through the bag and this
Would be due to the wrong wheel tyres being fitted

What if i get a leak?
This is unlikely if the system is installed correctly but if you get a leak you should seek to remady it straight away so as to make the system safe again

Do you do universal kits?
No while we will sell separate components the universal "weld on yourself" kits are in our opinion dangerous so we do not sell them