6/26/2008 - Tech Articles

Closer Look: RideTech AirPod System

In the past, installing an air suspension system on your custom ride required hooking up a separate compressor system. Hooking up a compressor system meant running cables and air lines all over the place and then trying to hide them. And that meant lots of time, hassles, and headaches for the installer.

Fortunately, the experts at RideTech have come up with a better way--the RideTech AirPod System. The revolutionary AirPod System makes compressor installation a simple plug-in deal, shortens installation time from 10-15 hours to roughly an hour, and turns those headaches into happiness.

AirPod Advantage One: Simple Installation
The RideTech AirPod System comes pre-assembled with all the major components needed to get your air suspension up and running. The compressor, aluminum air tank, solenoids, pressure sensors, and ECU control module are all pre-mounted, pre-plumbed, and pre-wired within the main unit. You need to make just three wiring connections and four plumbing connections--up to 13 fewer connections than typical compressor system hookups.

The AirPod's pre-assembled main unit mounts inside your trunk with self-tapping screws or bolts and serves as the brains of the system. Simply connect your four air lines to the main unit's push-on style air line fittings and secure the lines with zip ties. Then, plug in the included power harness to the back of the main unit and make three simple connections: red power wire to battery, black ground wire to chassis point, and yellow switched wire to ignition. The final step is to plug the display/control unit into the back of the main unit.

AirPod Advantage Two: Easy Operation
The AirPod System features your choice of RideTech's RidePro e2(r) or LevelPro control systems. Both offer three programmable presets and manual settings for accurate control of your air suspension. The AirPod System with the LevelPro options includes four ride height sensors that allow the computer to actually measure the height of the vehicle and make air pressure adjustments to maintain accurate ride height presets under changing load conditions. These height sensors easily plug into the supplied wiring harness to give you the most advanced air suspension system available today.

A VFD (Vacuum Fluorescent Display) control panel offers easy programming and activation of the AirPod System. Programming the three AirPod pressure presets is just like setting the radio station presets in your car. Simply set the first preset to the desired inflation settings using the manual inflate/deflate buttons, then hold the preset button number one for six seconds. Repeat this step for the two remaining presets--RideTech recommends lowest ride height for Preset 1, normal height for Preset 2, and fully extended height for Preset 3.

Once the system is programmed, the display gives you push-button control of your air suspension system. To choose one of your preset settings, simply press one of the three buttons at the bottom of the display. You can view the settings for each preset in numeric and/or bar graph form by pressing and holding the button at the top of the display at any time. The display also allows you to make easy adjustments to pressure settings, compression trigger (the pressure at which the compressor turns on), inflation speed, and display light intensity.

AirPod Advantage Three: Clean Looks
Installation is clean, and the AirPod System's look is even cleaner because the amount of wiring and plumbing is drastically reduced compared to standard air suspension setups. The AirPod comes with a great-looking cover to hide all of the components and maintain a sleek appearance.

The overall size of the AirPod System also keeps your ride looking neat. There are two tank size options--three or five gallons--to ensure that the AirPod is right for your project. The three gallon AirPod System has a footprint of only 240 square inches (12 x 20 inches); the five gallon version is slightly larger at 12 x 32 inches. Either system mounts inside your trunk without using up all your valuable space.

Clean installation, a proven compressor system, and simple, push-button operation in a fraction of the normal installation time--that's the total AirPod Advantage.