# Air Bags Underneath Cars **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 4, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524 "2004-05-04T21:02:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524/1 "2004-05-04T21:02:59Z")
My husband called my attention to a car next to us that made “inflating” sounds and the front and rear ends kind of lifted up a little bit. I asked why someone would want their car to do that, and he said it helps with handling in different situations. And he said most new cars are equipped with this. I think he’s full of shit. Does anyone have the lo-down on this? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524/2 "2004-05-04T21:11:56Z")
Could be air suspension. There’s a few cars that have it. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524/3 "2004-05-04T21:14:29Z")
It sounds to me like you’re talking about a lowrider. They use hydraulic cylinders, usually powered by a trunk full of batteries, to raise and lower the front or rear of the vehicle, or to make the entire car jump several inches off the ground. > **[How do they create the hopping cars you see in the movies?](https://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/trends-innovations/question294.htm)** > > I would really like to know how people can make their cars jump up and down with their front wheels like they do in movies like "Boyz in the Hood." ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524/4 "2004-05-04T21:27:34Z")
> [@](#): > > I think he’s full of shit. Had to laugh! Air controlled suspensions aren’t new at all. I restored a 1963 Mercedes-Benz with air ride, and getting the system right was more than an evening of work. That particular model, the 300SE had a ‘normal’ or ‘high clearance’ setting. An underdash knob when pulled, would elevate the vehicle ~3". While many high-end autos nowadays use ride leveling systems, I’m unaware of any which are air-based. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524/5 "2004-05-04T22:05:38Z")
Some Citroen cars are like this, to the extent that you can’t just start the engine and drive straight off, you have to wait for the compressor to raise the car up on the suspension. The advantage is that you get a very smooth ride (although cornering can be a bit wallowy. ---
**Author:** ![olefin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d78d45/32.png) [@olefin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/olefin)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524/6 "2004-05-04T23:59:01Z")
Lincoln has been using air suspension/ load leveling for many years. I’ve heard the compressor run on ours while parked in the garage. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524/7 "2004-05-05T00:18:12Z")
I owned a Buick Park Avenue that had a load leveler in the trunk area. When a certain weight was added to the trunk (the manual never said what that weight was ) the rear of the car , visibly, came up, and you could hear the air/hydraulics? noise. Basically the car was always level front to back, where a car without this feature would have its ass dragging. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524/8 "2004-05-05T04:01:47Z")
In the Buicks, it was simply air adjustable shocks in the rear, with a limit switch to keep the rear within a certain range. You could sit on a fender, and your weight would kick on the compressor. If a leak develops, though, it will run your battery down over a weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524/9 "2004-05-05T04:18:34Z")
The cars I valet at work often have these air suspensions. We have been counseled NOT to park a car so far back into a space so that the rear bumper touches the wall…the suspension would de-energize, and the car would “sink”, causing the bumper to rip off the rear-end. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524/10 "2004-05-05T12:49:05Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > My husband called my attention to a car next to us that made “inflating” sounds and the front and rear ends kind of lifted up a little bit. > > I asked why someone would want their car to do that, and he said it helps with handling in different situations. More or less correct, not really specifically to improve handling, but to level the car, which indirectly helps with handling. > [@](#): > > And he said most new cars are equipped with this. > > I think he’s full of shit. On this point you are correct. It’s not a feature on most cars by a long shot. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524/11 "2004-05-05T13:21:42Z")
Kalhoun, you best apologize to your hubby and report back that you did. 😃 How nice of you to say is he full of shit and then not know the answer yourself! Typical! I kid, I kid! ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524/12 "2004-05-05T13:42:32Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > It sounds to me like you’re talking about a lowrider. They use hydraulic cylinders… Actually, they also use… [air bags](http://www.ridetech.com/). Which use an air compressor instead of hydraulics. See, you can still learn something by watching the Discovery Channel. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524/13 "2004-05-05T15:21:12Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Kalhoun, you best apologize to your hubby and report back that you did. 😃 > > How nice of you to say is he full of shit and then not know the answer yourself! > > Typical! > I kid, I kid! Well, in all fairness to me, I only said I _thought_ he was full of shit. Turns out he’s only half full. I _knew_ this wasn’t standard equipment! I watch a lot of car shows with him (against my will, I might add) and I’ve only heard of this as a standard in Low-Riders. Good thing I didn’t tell him to his face! Phew! ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2004, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524/14 "2004-05-05T23:27:09Z")
Very popular with the Mob. You can toss a body in the trunk and drive around without that broken suspension look. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-bags-underneath-cars/243524/15 "2004-05-06T00:27:51Z")
> [@olefin](#): > > Lincoln has been using air suspension/ load leveling for many years. I’ve heard the compressor run on ours while parked in the garage. But is it _air_? I’ve never heard mine at all. Unless what I think is the fuel pump pressuring is really the suspension getting into shape. Aside from the ride leveling, Lincolns and other cars use the system for comfort control – I have Firm, Normal, and whatever the fluffy one is called (Luscious? Luxury?). Used with steering effort control, you can really get a different feeling and handling characteristics out of the same car. The load levelling scared me once, though. After five days of a really, really heavy load, the car wouldn’t settle back down. It looked ridiculous – picture a jacked up hot rod with “normal” size tires in the back. After I drove it a little, though, it dropped right back down. Come to think of it, though, it was completely silent.