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I have two problems with airbags:
- Slamming your car to the deck when it's parked. It may be a personal failing on my part, but I just can't see the point. You can't drive it like that, so what's the point?
- The spring rate on airbags increases with ride height, which is totally the wrong way round. If you're on a nice smooth track so you can run low ride height, you want stiff suspension to go with it. Airbags, on the other hand, increase suspension stiffness with ride height. So when you're suspension's at its stiffest, the CoG is highest above the ground. That makes no sense.
If you want to adapt for heavy loads, then the answer surely is hydraulic self-levelling suspension with hydraulic rams. That way you can automatically adjust ride height without buggering up your spring rates. OK, if it's a 40-ton artic then maybe the stiffer spring rates with higher ride height is a good idea, but for an estate car I'm deeply unconvinced.
Of course the real answer is fully active suspension, but that's an entirely different story.
- Slamming your car to the deck when it's parked. It may be a personal failing on my part, but I just can't see the point. You can't drive it like that, so what's the point?
Brommers
Bobbo
Airbags aren't a waste of time but to be honest that one isn't how I'd like my own were I to build one. Also the whole point of airbags is normal (or whatever height you want) ride height. Parked height is just that.
Airbags are unbelievably comfortable and its pretty handy to be able to adjust the suspension if you regularly carry very heavy loads in the boot.
I'd really only change the wheels on that one to something smaller but a 6.3 V8 would be an excellent addition.