AIR RIDE VS. HYDRAULICS: Everything you need to know | The Bottom Line
When going extremely low with a vehicle, adjustable suspension systems get the best results as you can raise them up for drivability. However, there is some debate on what type of system works best. Fans of traditional lowriders know that hydraulics can work effortlessly while truck enthusiasts claim that air ride is where it’s at. To help get a better understanding of each, we pit our personal ’00 Chevy S10 with air bagged suspension against a ’70 Monte Carlo that’s running a fully juiced system.
Our special guest, Saul Vargas has heavy roots on the lowrider scene and explains some of the differences between air versus hydros. This includes installation, cost, weight difference, maintenance and ride quality.
0:23 Intro with Kevin Aguilar
1:20 Saul Vargas’ ’70 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Lowrider
1:45 History of Adjustable Suspensions
2:35 Hydraulics VS. Air Ride Setups
6:01 Old School Lowrider Components
9:01 Cost Difference
9:52 Air Ride Vs. Hydraulics Maintenance
11:23 Nitto Tires on ’00 Chevy S10
12:01 Comparing Ride Quality
13:33 Final Thoughts
Are you itching to learn more about how air ride works? Check out this previous video where we explain it all.
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Bro u don’t need to talk like the shrimp from shark tales slow down🤣
Shouts out to Saul Vargas 💪🏽
In my experience airbags were a lot smoother compared to hydrologic that’s the advantage hydraulics no matter how high you got it it was always bouncy but when it came to airbags it was smoother almost Lexus style suspension
Air ride cost more! Unless you buying junk
I really like hydraulic on cars
I heard it was because the police tried to ban lowered trucks, so what they did was cruise low n slow, and when they passed a cop they would go up
Funny when the dude with hydros thinks he’s all that and cant even drive speed limit on the freeways while the dude with air goes by doin 80😂😂
If its not bouncing.. Then it’s not a Lowrider.
Relax bro slow down. You talking way to fast. You to exited eshe
Um um um um
1800 for a basic kit. Hahaha thats funny. You can pick up a 2 pump setup on the low end at 800.00 new.
I go Low rider Hydraulic pumps setup,, hitt the switchest
Make the car hop it,, I love low riding I am into that,, today I 👀 see the 7 lowrider vehicles they park at gasoline store 🏪,, they guy hoppin is car,, when up to him, told him can I hitt the switchest,, I told 2 times can I hitt the switchest he didn’t wanna to hitt the switchest,, told me, go ask someone else to hitt is switchest I ask all the lowrider cars owners this guy he owns green 69 Chevy Caprice with 72 gold spoks and I ask the another guy can I hitt ur switchest,
He tryin to fixed is front hydraul was waiting for him to hitt is switchest all the car clubs about leave and he just left, man that sorry hey I never have a chance to ask that person to hitt is switchest on is nice L.R. vehicle 🥺🥺🥺
Actually the real reason they started making hydraulic setups was cuz they were tired of getting pulled over by bored cops for their cars being too low…..so hydraulics made it possible for them to raise the car to legal height at the time without being harassed by 5-0
The bags on his truck are slow asf I’d get tired of losing mins of my life waiting lol. Step up your lines and solenoids or block bro
I spent over 3k on just the suspension and stuff and that was leaving out a few things but I got top of the line everything and that was not including install even though I did it all myself which saved a few more grand
we get what we all pay for! tight wats get the junk! car buff vatos we get expensive stuff!
I bet that dudes wife loves him 😅😅😅😅😂😂🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽
I have a couple people holding me back from getting my first lowrider cause they said after hydraulics the suspension became really bad like he said every little bump was bad, its that true?
Ain’t nothing Like subscribing to a channel like this
Lost me when you said A&H were about the same in weight. I can hear my batteries laughing. Most people have a 6-8 battery setup and use centennials. Each weighs about 60lbs, so on the low end you’re at 360 in just batteries. What one component that is necessary for ar to function weighs that much? Not knocking ar, I like it. I’m actually going to build another lowrider but with ar, weight difference being one of the reasons
This guys knows nothing about the history of his truck and prolly didn’t even build it 🤡
hydraulic would be best and long lasting…as long you have money, everything just plug and play, as long you have strength and tools to make it done…just like install water cooler for PC…slow loop, high loop, slow fan , high fan…same….but you cannot used computer part cause it not strong enough…the best one get cars part that work for cars…find expert to get jobs done.
-:lowrider module, lowrider air ride blueprint, airbag modul blue print (for exchange find the black guys who looking problem with me…btw this technology origin from whiteman, for real doe, black guys play resistant by feed him while He still alive…oppa~, oppa ganam style Samsung , ayong ….if you get you get it, I’m fucking teleport with all them with 1970 fucking Impala!)
Can you add hydraulics to a heavy bulletproof car? Would the weight of the bulletproofing prevent it
I dont know what air suspension he’s running but he lost me when he said A&H are the same weight. I cant speak for every brand of air suspension but airlift makes kits with performance and handling in mind. Airlift suspension components are as follows:
1. the performance series struts with adjustable camber and damping with the bellows, which weigh less than my stock struts and springs.
2. The Airlift Manifold(brain) is maybe 10 lbs.
3. Viair Compressor(s) you can go with one compressor. Two of them still weigh less than one battery
4. Air tank and hose lines, which together weigh next to nothing.
5. Hand-held 3P controller, which is smaller and lighter than any cell phone.
The whole air suspension itself weighs waaaay less than 6-8 car batteries alone and thats not factoring in the weight of the hydraulic system.
Air suspension is also relatively small. I have airlift 3H suspension in a 5th gen 2SS Camaro and I still have plenty of room in my trunk to install amps and subs if i wanted.
Obviously, hydros are better suited for big body cars and trucks because I can’t imagine having to drive around hauling 6-8 car batteries in the trunk of a sports car. I’d be terrified to drive on the highway.
The only power needed for air suspension is a 12 volt connection to one stock battery. My old sound system needed more power.
have they ever thought about going into lithium instead of 6 big heavy AGMs
This guy has no idea what he’s talking about making a video there is a huge difference between bags and switches all around SMH WTF
Fluid over air….all day everyday. 13s to the concrete
Air ride all day drive the coast
I put hydrolics on my bike sa
You didn’t just bring a lowrider, that’s an iconic car in the scene, a beutifully done Monte. This said, you can use that beutiful old school aircraft set up but hide a set of accumulators, with shut off valves if you hop it, so that the ride will be as comfortable as a stock car, and definitely just as much as air bags, if not even more, I’m not kidding nor exaggerating, I understand old school guys are a bit suspicious about it, and are used to their cars being on the uncomfortable side of things, but hydraulics historically got a bad rep because of this, but with today’s experience and technology there is no reason for your car’s suspension being as stiff as a skateboard 😅, particularly if it’s a cruiser being driven consistently, diffrent story if it’s a hopper.
Other that accumulators there are diffrent ways of making it comfy, shocks for instance, it might sound like a given, but for decades Lowriders seldom used them, and they make A TON of difference, as they remove all the "bouncyness" from it, same thing with airbags, to me shocks are a must, and if you couple them with accumulators you’re ride is in stock car territory . There’s also another trick, we call it fluid displacement in the UK, which consists in having a full set of coils mounted on a remote frame, each connected to a corner, it’s basically a remote suspension set up that gives you full coil lenght on each corner while still allowing you to lay frame, since they are mounted in the trunk, or wherever you wish.
Then there’s a new company, can’t remember their name, that offers cilinders that have shocks incorporated in a single unit, so hydraulic ram and shock all in one, they offer it with an electronic control unit that is infinitely tunable, with height sensors and all. It’s just as expensive as you’d imagine though, but it’s also next level for a show car or truck. I think Finnegan here on YT had them installed on his C10, or was it Roadkill? Anyhow, you can check it out there if you wish.
So these are the most common ways to get the most out of hydraulics, but it’s one of those things where your imagination is the limit, for me there is nothing cooler than the sound of the pump’s electric motors spinning when hitting the switches to rise your car, or to look at how the set up was plumbed and what kind of dump was used, I love the Adex obviously, besides looking badass there is nothing better as far as quality, particularly for competition, and Andy Lodi has decades of experience and is a real stand up guy always ready to help, I remember when I was "a kid" he always replied politely to my stupid newby questions, he’s a legend in the game but very relatable guy, and his product is absolute top quality which you fully pay without a moment of hesitation. There are quite a few other cool dumps from the aircraft surplus world, Whittakers are my favorites, Ruano’s hydraulics being the specialists here, restoring them in his garage and offering an amazing product, you should definitely look him up on Insta, he’s another great guy , the lowrider community can most certainly pride itself of being the most no nonsense, no ego BS, super talented and humble people group of guys.
Hydraulic for fans air for driver
A shot of whiskey for every “you know”
Saul needs to run a museum about low riders
A few things that weren’t talked about is on a hydraulic setup they also have consumables. The hydraulic lines if it’s not setup with hard lines. Those lines could end up failing. Has happened 2-3 times on my friends car. Also most of the time you have to cut holes in the frame for the shafts. Atleast in old schools. My 63 I would have had to cut a 2” or so hole where the shock bolted to on the frame.
I had to put the speed to .85 to be able to understand him lmfaooo
Got a dodge dakota 94 two pumps air is smoother. But i love the bounce. I grew up in the 90’s dragging frames killin tires. after i got my first set of hydraulics and got all the attention they bring the ride was the last thing on my mind
I prefer Hydraulics over air ride suspension because if the air line blow’s, your car will drop heavy and could ruined your car… With the hydraulics lines or pump goes out, your car won’t drop at all, it’ll just stay in the same position, you just won’t be able to use it until you fix or replace your hydraulic system… It’s alot safer with Hydraulics than air ride
Very informative. Congrats on 100K subs!
Hydraulics can have a smooth ride if you use stock coils most guys use 1 ton or 2 ton coils also no more than 2 batteries I know I had my 76 glasshouse like that and it almost felt like a Cadillac
I had a lowrider 1987 Mazda B2000 with 2 pump 10 switch setup riding on reverse 13’s. Every setup has a sweet spot where the ride is super smooth. If you ride locked up it will always be more bouncy. For my truck tapping the front and back switches 2 times was the best ride like being on air. Mind you I had 6" cylinders up front and 8" cylinders in the rear. I used brackets to mount them so I did not have to cut out the fenders. All the hoses were ran on the frame.
Get off my phone North.
If your gonna go bags don’t go cheap like the ones I seen on his truck! Sorry bro but slam specialties bags are the best quality I don’t run shocks and it doesn’t bounce around at all
I went air ride my first time out. Big mistake. Went over to hydros. Never looked back
I don’t think your review was all the way true hydraulics ride like shit you need to reinforce your car or you’re gonna break it once you have a leak fluid goes everywhere .. with air suspension your ride way better if you have a leak it’s nothing but air not fluid. You don’t have to cut your car up like you do to put hydraulics in it.
Nice monte !
You didn’t bring up the difference of hydraulics you have the advantage to control individual corners of the vehicle! if it’s set up that way vs airbags most installs are just set up to go up and down wether as all 4 tires go up and down or if you control the front or rear to air up or deflate. Plus I haven’t heard of a lot of people talking about being able to control while driving compared to hydraulics. IMO
I had an 87 regal with 4 pumps 10 batteries 16 switches. It’s bounced crazy!
Now on my Roadmaster I’m thinking air ride! What y’all think about ride quality?!
I have an honest question. Ive seen Lowriders with hydraulic pumps catch fire, can air rides catch fire as well or are they safer?
Fluid is how I do it….
Bahs are for nerds