Air Spring Load Ratings
3/18/2014
When we engineer our air springs, we obviously want to be sure that they can handle anything you can throw at them*.
So, how do our engineers determine just how much each air spring kit can handle?
Hold on, it’s about to get real science-y in here…
The load rating for each Air Lift air spring is a combination of two things: the pressure and the diameter.
Obviously, the higher the pressure, the greater the load the air spring will carry. The diameter is important because that is the factor that determines the air springs load support at a given pressure. This means that the larger the diameter, the larger the surface area to which the pressure is applied.
For example, a 6-inc- diameter air spring has a surface area of 28 1/4 square-inches. Apply 100 lbs. of pressure, and the result would be 2,825 lbs. of force.
100 PSI x 28.25 sq inches = 2,825 lbs.
Bellows Style Air Spring Load Ratings
Taking a closer look, bellows style air springs change diameter as they extend and compress. The spring will be at its greatest diameter when compressed and smallest diameter when fully extended.
Because of the diameter change, the air springs ability to support a load will change as the air bag compresses and expands. The load support will increase as the air spring compresses and vice versa. This is a feature designed to create a build up of spring rate when hitting a bump or adding more load.
