When you need additional load carrying capacity for your pickup truck, but don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a pneumatic airbag system, or you would simply rather have a less complicated solution to the problem, check out AirCell by Air Lift Corporation. AirCell is a microcellular urethane spring product that is designed to reduce sag and improve ride quality on heavily loaded pickups. The product comes in vehicle-specific kit form and includes easy-to-install brackets, long-lasting closed-cell urethane foam springs, and all necessary hardware to complete the installation. We recently installed and tested a pair of AirCells on the back of our '89 Chevy 2500 pickup. Our installation was performed by the good folks at DC Customs of Ukiah, California. It took under an hour to fit the new upgrade in place of the rear axle factory bump stops. Check it out.
Our Honest Opinion
For the price, ($239.11 at time of print) the AirCell product delivers exactly what we hoped it would. Our trucks loaded stance was altered significantly, allowing us to tow our trailer with more confidence and control. Because the truck does not squat down as much as it used to when we hitch up a trailer, the front suspension feels better and the headlights don't cause us issues at night. When unloaded, the AirCell springs are virtually unnoticeable. One added advantage we found was the fact that they actually soften abrupt forces such as speed bumps. We suspect the hard foam springs may soften up a bit over time, but during our week of testing they remained as stiff as they were out of the box. The only negative thing we could say about them is this; their white color goes away really fast and after a few trips, they start to look old and faded. However, their used appearance doesn't affect their ability to do the job we originally installed them for.
