This short article will compare airbag helper springs with Timbren SES helper springs. Read on to find out why Timbren SES helper springs provide more stability than an Airlift product.
Types of airbag suspensions – sleeve and bellow
Sleeve-style air springs are designed for lift and ride control. The internally mounted sleeve is covered by a bag, made of flexible, heavy-gauge rubber. The bag is crimped into the spring mount on one end and swaged onto the opposite end, sealing the contents inside.
When air is compressed into the spring, the two-piece sleeve extends, lengthening the assembly to achieve the desired ride height.
Sleeve style air springs are extremely well suited for applications when space is limited, and loads are light. Sleeve-style air springs are perfect for utes, custom street rods and track cars.
Bellows-style air springs are made from heavy-duty, reinforced rubber which is configured with either one or more convoluted chambers.
These air bags are typically larger than sleeve-style air springs, giving them greater load-handling capacity. Because of their size and shape, bellows-style air springs can lift the same weight with about half the air pressure of sleeve-style springs.
The most popular bellows-style air spring configurations include single, dual, and triple chamber design. Bellows air springs are great for heavy-duty applications as long as there is plenty of space for proper installation.
Pros and Cons of airbag suspensions
Pros:
Load leveling: Both Timbren SES and an airbag system will improve vehicle handling and overall performance by reducing suspension sag. Keeping a truck level gives you:
- Reduced body roll and sway
- Improved steering
Ride quality: In general, both airbags and Timbren springs are designed to improve ride quality in both loaded and unloaded situations.
*The Electronically Controlled Air Suspension also features height sensors (height-control valves) used to automatically control the vehicle's ride height.
Cons:
What are the negatives of an air bag suspension?
Technology: Fundamentally, a Timbren SES system uses Aeon® hollow rubber springs. They do not use compressed air. When the load is applied, the shape of the spring begins to compress and expand. However, airbags are rubber bags designed to hold air. The bag expands just like a balloon as air is forced into the rubber bladder.
Installation: Airbag helper springs have a lot more components than the Timbren SES kit. Therefore, the average airbag kit can take up to 8 hours to install, whereas the average Timbren kit takes less than 30 minutes.
Adjustability: The most obvious difference between Timbren SES and air bags is the manner in which they adapt to various road and load conditions: Airbags can be manually altered to maintain ride height and, to some degree, driver preference. Timbren rubber springs, on the other hand, automatically adjust to variable loads and road conditions.
Maintenance: With Timbren SES, the hollow rubber springs require zero maintenance. Any tweaking or adjusting is done during installation.
On the other hand, airbag maintenance must be performed as often as required to ensure the airbag doesn’t dip below 5 psi. This is to make sure that the airbag isn’t damaged. In other words, the bladder that holds the air may start to leak which would dramatically compromise the effectiveness of the entire system.
Price: Most Timbren SES kits cost about $300.00. Airbag kits are priced somewhere between $1,000 and $2500. As you can see, cost is a major drawback for the average consumer!
Alternatives to airbags: Airlift 5000 vs GMRTT15S
A quick observation suggests that Timbren SES products have the best price and the most capacity. And if you were to take a closer look, you’d notice that Timbren SES wins big points for:
- Stability - safety is designed right into a Timbren SES kit.
- Reliability - Timbren’s hollow rubber springs are an ‘airtight’ system engineered to fill you with confidence as you navigate the highways and byways.
Timbren SES upgrades aren’t vulnerable to malfunctioning like an airbag system. In fact, a Timbren SES system is completely bulletproof. (Quite literally!)
At the end of the day, an Airlift 5000 can’t provide you with the kind of stability that a Timbren SES severe-service kit can. For example, Timbren SES part # GMRTT15S is designed specifically for top-heavy loads like a truck camper or a 5th wheel trailer. Maximum stability means maximum safety.
Here’s the thing:
A Timbren SES severe service kit uses a single-convoluted Aeon® rubber springs. Designed exclusively for truck campers, these springs resist weight more aggressively to keep your vehicle level and your ride smooth. The result? No more white-knuckling it down the highway — you get a safe, stable handling of your top-heavy load.
Satisfied Timbren customers highly recommend Timbren SES suspension upgrades for your ute.
“Whether we’re towing with our 4Runner or our Toyota Tundra, our Timbren SES kit has been a game changer. Reduced all sag in the rear plus helps the tow rigs gain maximum control. Over a year with SES and we would never go back.” @ClicOutdoor
For more information about Timbren SES products, visit Timbren.com
