Spring Air Spring Maintenance

Spring is here and is a great time to check on your air suspension installation.

Boss Air Suspension Airbags/ Air Springs require very little maintenance as they are designed and manufactured to last a lifetime under a vehicle. For best results, we recommend performing basic maintenance on your air bellows at least a few times a year.

Below are a few basic air bellow maintenance tips we recommend for the spring that you can complete in 5 minutes or less and could save you both time and money.

Check Air Pressure
When the vehicle is unloaded, check the air pressure in your air springs to ensure that the minimum recommended pressure of 5 PSI is maintained. Minor dips and increases in air pressure can be expected as the temperature cools and warms, but if you are consistently losing air, you may have a leak. If this is the case, perform a leak test by spraying soapy water (1/5 liquid dish soap and 4/5 water) on all valves and fittings.
Remember you can add a Boss Air Suspension Incab Air Compressor System to inflate and deflate your air springs with the touch of a button from within the cab.

Visual Inspection
Perform a visual inspection of the airbags under the vehicle to ensure nothing was knocked loose by road debris or obstacles.

Be sure to check:
• Exhaust system: Ensure the airbags are not closer than 50mm from heat of the exhaust.
• Airline: Ensure that all airlines are still securely attached to the vehicle. Re-tie any loose airline with zip ties. Inspect the hose for any chaffing or kinking and make sure it is not rubbing on the airbags as this can rub a hole in an air spring very quickly.
• Airbags: Make sure there is no evidence of rubbing on the air springs, take special note of any debris, cuts, deformities, or rubs that may lead to an imminent failure. There should be at least 20mm of clearance around the air spring when inflated to approximately 40PSI. Re-align the air spring possition if necessary. Also check the tension of the 6 bolts on top and bottom of the airbag and tighten if necessary.
• Mounting Hardware : Check all mounting hardware bolts and make adjustments if necessary.
• Compressors: If you have an air compressor installed, check the filter for debris and clean if necessary.

Airbag Cleaning
Use a garden hose to clean off salt, dirt, gravel or any road debris that may have collected on the air springs, fittings, brackets, or valves.
You can also clean the air spring with a soapy water solution. This will help expose problems hidden from normal visual inspection.

If you are having work done on the vehicle be mind full of the following:
• Protect the rubber from weld spatter. When welding, always ensure that the bellows is adequately protected.
• Do not paint the rubber bellows as the paint will attack the rubber. (This also applies to paint splatter).
• Make sure no solvents, chemicals or acids come into contact with the airbags as this will cause failure.

Performing these simple maintenance tasks above can ensure the longest life and best results of your air springs.