Air Springs VIC (Pty) Ltd. Air Suspension Solutions for Australian Vehicles

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Slide-on campers are an ideal way to discover Australia but users must ensure that the vehicle to which they are fitted can handle the extra load to protect steering, braking and vehicle durability.

Many suppliers of these versatile campers use air helper springs to ensure vehicle safety is not compromised when campers are fitted. One such supplier is Freedom Off Road - the Australian distributor for Northstar Slide-On Campers - a leading brand in the market.

Freedom Off Road supply and fit Airbag Man Ride-Rite® air helper spring kits, sourced from All Air Suspension, to reduce body roll, enhance driver control and overall stability when the campers are fitted to a wide range of 2wd and 4wd utes.

"It is the only product and the best product that does the job" says Mr Ian Swallow of Freedom Off Road at Penrith, Sydney, who is happy with the kits because they have never let him down during five years' extensive use.

While fitting campers adds weight and sway the host vehicle, the Airbag Man Ride-Rite kits support the added weight and counter added movement to maintain vehicle handling and safety. The Ride-Rite kits, incorporating world leading Firestone Ride-Rite Air Springs, are used in conjunction with the original rear axle leaf springs. Each kit is designed to suit a particular vehicle, ensuring an easy bolt-on fitment.

Airbag Man air spring kits have been widely proven throughout Australia, where they are used in applications such as 4wds, trucks, utes, SUV's, vans in all manner of applications. Across all applications the kits are particularly suited to vehicles with varied loads, heavy loads and towing loads, and provide flexibility that leaf springs can not.

"We must ensure that the vehicles are supported adequately and the Ride-Rite does this. Customers have never questioned our use of the Ride-Rite or asked for an alternative since there is no need to consider anything else" says Mr Swallow. "You never compromise quality and safety and this is what the Airbag Man Ride-Rite kits give us - they are worth every dollar" says Mr Swallow.

"Installing the Ride-Rite kit is simple and the maintenance involved is minimal. Adjusting the suspension height is quick and easy with either in-cab controls or with simple and economical external inflation/deflation tyre-type valves to adjust the levels as needed" says the All Air Suspension spokesman.

Ride-Rite springs can be inflated by most compressors or optional onboard compressor systems, using only a very small volume of air. They can handle up to 7 bar (100 psi) of pressure and up to 3000Kg of load (subject to vehicle and axle weight ratings).

Kits are available for almost all utes and light trucks, to suit all manner of users including tradesman, farmers, mobile workshops, mine service contractors, spraying contractors, recreational camper bodies, motorhomes, and vehicles towing caravans or trailer boats. Removal and fitting of bodies such as campers is made mush easier as the air springs can be adjusted to raise and lower the vehicle, often eliminating the need to wind the jacks.

Airbag Man also have kits available to suit coil sprung vehicles, the kits come in two styles, Coil-Rite® and On-Air®. Coil Rite kits act as a helper springs for the vehicles existing coil springs whilst the On-Air® kits replace the vehicles coil springs with heavy duty air springs, providing a fully adjustable air suspension. Custom built shock absorbers are also available to complement all of the air spring kits, to get the best out of your vehicle.

All Air Suspension says one of the big attractions of air helper suspensions is that it can iron out difficulties presented by unevenly loaded vehicles by putting additional suspension support where it is needed.

"Weight distribution often varies on work and leisure vehicles. A feature of these kits is that you can control the weight at different points. Individual adjustment of each air spring allows the user to choose different pressures on each side of the vehicle if the load is uneven from side-to-side."

Kits are supplied with all parts required in the box, allowing easy bolt on fitting by mechanics or equipped end users. Each kit consists of two Firestone air helper springs, vehicle specific bolt-on brackets, air line tubing with separate tyre-type valves, and step-by-step fitting instructions.

Also available are the Airbag Man Air-Rite® air control kits. These kits can be tailored to suit customers individual requirements but generally contain a 12-volt air compressor, air controls, air fittings and air line tubing. Kits are available to inflate not only the air helper springs, but also tyres.

Single and Dual Control Kits can provide in-cab or remote adjustment for unbalanced loads, including back-to-front and side-to-side loading problems. Automatic height control kits are also available for users who require regular height changes or large weight changes.

All Air Suspension is NSW and ACT distributor for Airbag Man air helper suspensions, based in Queensland. Ride-Rite kits are manufactured for popular leaf-spring vehicles, including 4wds, utes, vans and light trucks operated throughout areas ranging from the suburbs to the Outback.