The Future of Air Ride Systems

The Future of Air Ride Systems

When Mercedes introduced a hydraulic suspension in 1999 called Active Body Control, it was only offered on cars, not SUVs. The 2016 Mercedes Benz GLC features an optional full-support, multi-chamber air suspension system and electronically controlled, continuously adjustable damping.

Air Ride SystemsWhen Mercedes introduced a hydraulic suspension in 1999 called Active Body Control, it was only offered on cars, not SUVs. This is because it is difficult to displace enough fluid to control the movements of a suspension with longer travel and a higher center of gravity. Air was the only option.

The 2016 Mercedes Benz GLC features an optional full-support, multi-chamber air suspension system and electronically controlled, continuously adjustable damping. The Air Body Control suspension combines excellent driving stability and sporty agility with optimum comfort and off-road capabilities. Specific characteristics are pre-selected according to the settings of the driving dynamics program selected by the driver and are controlled by sensors that measure suspension travel and vehicle dynamics.

In Sport mode, the occupants feel as if they are sitting in a sports car with a high level of lateral dynamics due to the tauter connection of the chassis, which is additionally lowered by 15 mm. Comfort mode offers the opposite ride experience, and is tuned to isolate the passengers. To ensure maximum driving safety in this mode, the spring and damper forces adapt within 60 milliseconds in response to sudden evasive maneuvers, for example.

When the GLC is equipped with the Off-Road Engineering package, Air Body Control optimizes the wheels’ surface contact, ensuring progress in off-road terrain, by raising the driving level by up to 50 mm and providing for particularly soft basic tuning. Additional benefits of the system include reduced rolling during cornering, automatic level control, and lowering of the load compartment sill for convenient loading and unloading.

The first thing you will notice is the size of the inlet and dump valves. These valves are what allow the suspension to react in 60 milliseconds. Also, the dual chambers in the air bags allow the pressure to be managed more effectively and reduce compressor run time.

 

You May Also Like

Chassis Parts and Alignment Angles

Knowing why the adjustment is required is critical to performing the total alignment.

An alignment angle doesn’t change randomly. There is a cause-and-effect relationship between external and internal forces that can alter the geometry of a vehicle’s suspension. Having the alignment reading for only one angle on one corner is just like knowing the temperature without knowing if there is a tornado outside.

Suspension Upgrades – Selling Shocks and Struts

The question customers fail to ask is, what is “best” for their vehicle?

Air Ride Suspension Diagnostics

The key to understanding the logic of air ride systems is using service information.

Steering Angle Sensor Operations

It is important for the ABS/ESC module to receive two signals to verify the steering wheel’s position.

Chassis Alignment

The source of the complaint can be the angles, electronics or tires.

Other Posts

Mercedes 4MATIC Diagnostics

The Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC all-wheel drive (AWD) systems have been around for a while now.

Laying Out Your Shop for ADAS/EV Repairs

With so many vehicles equipped with some form of ADAS, rethinking your electronics layout or plan might be in order.

Broken Springs

What is the cause for the failure? Why does it occur with specific vehicles?

The Importance Of ADAS Calibrations

Following best practices and using appropriate equipment ensure customer satisfaction and safety.