Air Suspension vs. Coils - Long Term Durability vs. Real Capability

[Michael Gary Scout]

So the Traveler and Terra are planning to offer optional air springs with active damping and a solid rear axle, and I wanted to open a more grounded discussion around when air suspension actually makes sense for a vehicle like this - and when it may not.

I'm not anti-air suspension. I am, however, someone who intends to own one of these long term, use it off-road for real, and tow with the Terra Harvester setup.

Here's what I'm thinking and I'd genuinely love input from others - especially anyone with long-term ownership experience on modern air systems.

Why air suspension could make sense for Scout

There are legitimate advantages that are hard to ignore:

• Load leveling for towing or heavy cargo without rear squat
• Variable ride height
• Potentially excellent ride quality when tuned well
• Packaging flexibility with a solid rear axle

For a mulit-role vehicle that will tow, road-trip, and see trails, that's compelling on paper.

The concerns

Where I hesitate is long-term durability and failure modes - especially outside warranty.
Across Ram, Jeep, GM, Rivian, etc., the patterns seem consistent:

• Small leaks = compressor overwork = cascading failures
• Moisture intrusion and cold-weather issues
• Valve blocks, height sensors, and software calibration becoming the weak links
• When something does go wrong, repairs aren't trivial - or cheap

Specific questions I think matter for Traveler/Terra

These are the things I'd personally want clarity on before choosing air vs. steel:

• Is air suspension truly optional across the range, or will certain trims/packages require it?
• If equipped with air:
  • Can the system fully isolate corners (no cross-flow) for stability off-road?
  • Is there a manual or mechanical fail-safe if the system faults?
  • Can the vehicle remain driveable at a fixed height if air control fails?
• Cold-weather strategy:
  • Desiccant/dryer serviceability?
  • Compressor placement and protection?
• Long-term service philosophy:
  • Are air springs modular and individually replaceable?
  • Will replacement parts be reasonably accessible outside a dealer network?
• Non-air alternative:
  • Will there be a coil-spring or steel-spring configuration tuned specifically for off-road durability and towing?
  • If so, is that configuration receiving the same level of ride damping development as the air option?

Where I currently land (open to being convinced otherwise)

If Scout can execute a simple, overbuilt, serviceable air system - great. I'm listening.

But if the air option adds complexity without a clear durability advantage, I'd personally lean toward a well-tuned steel suspension with quality dampers, especially for a vehicle I expect to keep over a decade.

The fact that Scout is pairing this with a solid rear axle tells me durability is already a priority. I'm curious how far that philosophy extends into the suspension choices.

I'm posting this in good faith - not to criticize, but because I think this is one of those decisions that will define how these vehicles are perceived five or ten years from now.

Would love to hear:

• Scout team input (as much as you can share)
• Owners with long-term air suspension experience (good or bad)
• Anyone else thinking through the Traveler/Terra decision with similar priorities

Looking forward to the discussion.

 

[MountainDad]

I have EAS on my 2017 Land Rover Discovery 5. I had one pre emptive recall to replace the brass connectors on the valves - never had a failure and to my knowledge, no one on the forums I frequent seem to have had failures. Modern LR's (2014+/-) have generally had very solid EAS performance. I now have 90k miles with hard offroad driving, -20F nights and 100F+ days. No issues. If any manufacturer knows EAS, it's Land Rover - and perhaps Volkswagen, who used them on their V8 and V10 Touaregs in the 2k's to early 2010's.

Some LR3/4 owners (2k's to ~2010-12 era) have had issues with leaky valves well north of 100k miles that cause the vehicle to sag to the bump stops when parked, and wear out the compressor over time, but LR addressed this in the most recent generation. That is a fairly easy repair. And, there are plenty of aftermarket options for compressors from ARB and others.

My experience - my LR's EAS has got me out of lots of tough spots, but it's also got 4 wheel independent suspension. EAS on a solid axle is useless aside from maybe auto leveling F/R for towing. It does nothing for ride height on solid axles, whereas on IS you do get additional ground clearance when you need it, but then relax to a normal driving height for street driving and highway cruising. My LR also kneels like a camel in "access mode" which my 75 year old mother likes - watch a video of a camel sitting down and getting up...Land Rover mimicked the order on purpose to reduce load on the compressor, and because they do have a British sense of humor. It is also handy in low-celing parking garages.

Land Rover puts their vehicles through rigorous testing in development, and they keep testing after rollout - that's how they discovered they should preemptively replace the EAS valves. I would expect nothing less of Scout Motors.

 

[maynard]

So the Traveler and Terra are planning to offer optional air springs with active damping and a solid rear axle, and I wanted to open a more grounded discussion around when air suspension actually makes sense for a vehicle like this - and when it may not.

I'm not anti-air suspension. I am, however, someone who intends to own one of these long term, use it off-road for real, and tow with the Terra Harvester setup.

Here's what I'm thinking and I'd genuinely love input from others - especially anyone with long-term ownership experience on modern air systems.

Why air suspension could make sense for Scout

There are legitimate advantages that are hard to ignore:

• Load leveling for towing or heavy cargo without rear squat
• Variable ride height
• Potentially excellent ride quality when tuned well
• Packaging flexibility with a solid rear axle

For a mulit-role vehicle that will tow, road-trip, and see trails, that's compelling on paper.

The concerns

Where I hesitate is long-term durability and failure modes - especially outside warranty.
Across Ram, Jeep, GM, Rivian, etc., the patterns seem consistent:

• Small leaks = compressor overwork = cascading failures
• Moisture intrusion and cold-weather issues
• Valve blocks, height sensors, and software calibration becoming the weak links
• When something does go wrong, repairs aren't trivial - or cheap

Specific questions I think matter for Traveler/Terra

These are the things I'd personally want clarity on before choosing air vs. steel:

• Is air suspension truly optional across the range, or will certain trims/packages require it?
• If equipped with air:
  • Can the system fully isolate corners (no cross-flow) for stability off-road?
  • Is there a manual or mechanical fail-safe if the system faults?
  • Can the vehicle remain driveable at a fixed height if air control fails?
• Cold-weather strategy:
  • Desiccant/dryer serviceability?
  • Compressor placement and protection?
• Long-term service philosophy:
  • Are air springs modular and individually replaceable?
  • Will replacement parts be reasonably accessible outside a dealer network?
• Non-air alternative:
  • Will there be a coil-spring or steel-spring configuration tuned specifically for off-road durability and towing?
  • If so, is that configuration receiving the same level of ride damping development as the air option?

Where I currently land (open to being convinced otherwise)

If Scout can execute a simple, overbuilt, serviceable air system - great. I'm listening.

But if the air option adds complexity without a clear durability advantage, I'd personally lean toward a well-tuned steel suspension with quality dampers, especially for a vehicle I expect to keep over a decade.

The fact that Scout is pairing this with a solid rear axle tells me durability is already a priority. I'm curious how far that philosophy extends into the suspension choices.

I'm posting this in good faith - not to criticize, but because I think this is one of those decisions that will define how these vehicles are perceived five or ten years from now.

Would love to hear:

• Scout team input (as much as you can share)
• Owners with long-term air suspension experience (good or bad)
• Anyone else thinking through the Traveler/Terra decision with similar priorities

Looking forward to the discussion.

Great post! Thanks for this!

 

[cyure]

So the Traveler and Terra are planning to offer optional air springs with active damping and a solid rear axle, and I wanted to open a more grounded discussion around when air suspension actually makes sense for a vehicle like this - and when it may not.

I'm not anti-air suspension. I am, however, someone who intends to own one of these long term, use it off-road for real, and tow with the Terra Harvester setup.

Here's what I'm thinking and I'd genuinely love input from others - especially anyone with long-term ownership experience on modern air systems.

Why air suspension could make sense for Scout

There are legitimate advantages that are hard to ignore:

• Load leveling for towing or heavy cargo without rear squat
• Variable ride height
• Potentially excellent ride quality when tuned well
• Packaging flexibility with a solid rear axle

For a mulit-role vehicle that will tow, road-trip, and see trails, that's compelling on paper.

The concerns

Where I hesitate is long-term durability and failure modes - especially outside warranty.
Across Ram, Jeep, GM, Rivian, etc., the patterns seem consistent:

• Small leaks = compressor overwork = cascading failures
• Moisture intrusion and cold-weather issues
• Valve blocks, height sensors, and software calibration becoming the weak links
• When something does go wrong, repairs aren't trivial - or cheap

Specific questions I think matter for Traveler/Terra

These are the things I'd personally want clarity on before choosing air vs. steel:

• Is air suspension truly optional across the range, or will certain trims/packages require it?
• If equipped with air:
  • Can the system fully isolate corners (no cross-flow) for stability off-road?
  • Is there a manual or mechanical fail-safe if the system faults?
  • Can the vehicle remain driveable at a fixed height if air control fails?
• Cold-weather strategy:
  • Desiccant/dryer serviceability?
  • Compressor placement and protection?
• Long-term service philosophy:
  • Are air springs modular and individually replaceable?
  • Will replacement parts be reasonably accessible outside a dealer network?
• Non-air alternative:
  • Will there be a coil-spring or steel-spring configuration tuned specifically for off-road durability and towing?
  • If so, is that configuration receiving the same level of ride damping development as the air option?

Where I currently land (open to being convinced otherwise)

If Scout can execute a simple, overbuilt, serviceable air system - great. I'm listening.

But if the air option adds complexity without a clear durability advantage, I'd personally lean toward a well-tuned steel suspension with quality dampers, especially for a vehicle I expect to keep over a decade.

The fact that Scout is pairing this with a solid rear axle tells me durability is already a priority. I'm curious how far that philosophy extends into the suspension choices.

I'm posting this in good faith - not to criticize, but because I think this is one of those decisions that will define how these vehicles are perceived five or ten years from now.

Would love to hear:

• Scout team input (as much as you can share)
• Owners with long-term air suspension experience (good or bad)
• Anyone else thinking through the Traveler/Terra decision with similar priorities

Looking forward to the discussion.

My concern coming from a 2013 Wrangler and intending to keep my Scout just as long is which way is going to give me the most longevity with the least amount of maintenance required.

 

[speedrye]

Definitely standard springs/shocks, though I expect front and rear coils with no leaf springs. If I want to add air bags later, I can, but I'll modify the suspension regardless to my preferred shock valving and spring rates. A simple SLA suspension up front and 4-link with panhard bar in the rear and I'll be happy. Sway bar disconnects will be a waste in my opinion since the Scout won't have the power or gearing to do real rocks.

 

[pwrofgrayskull]

Definitely standard springs/shocks, though I expect front and rear coils with no leaf springs. If I want to add air bags later, I can, but I'll modify the suspension regardless to my preferred shock valving and spring rates. A simple SLA suspension up front and 4-link with panhard bar in the rear and I'll be happy. Sway bar disconnects will be a waste in my opinion since the Scout won't have the power or gearing to do real rocks.

I’m looking for longevity and easy maintenance as well as very easy to modify. I’d say that puts me in the coils and shocks camp.
I hope you’re wrong about rocks because I intend to put mine in the rocks. It would be disappointing for the Scout to not be able to handle rocks and ledges and obstacles because my current vehicle walks through most situations with little to no theatrics. I like my vehicles to be very non-dramatic on off-pavement obstacles so I can keep it easy on the skinny pedal. I don’t enjoy “powering through” obstacles. I don’t enjoy breaking things. I don’t enjoy trail fixes. I just want to enjoy nature, the views, and the trails…and then drive home. I’m putting a lot of hope in the Scouts being very capable.

 

[R1TVT]

Sway bar disconnects will be a waste in my opinion since the Scout won't have the power or gearing to do real rocks.

Where are you getting this information? Sounds like pure speculation since I don't think power has been released and torque should be really good - particularly if combined / sw-tuned with a Rock-crawl mode.

How much horsepower will Scout® vehicles produce?​

Updated over 4 months ago
We’ll be sharing horsepower specifications as we get closer to production. Stay tuned for updates.

What level of off-road capability will Scout® vehicles have?​

Updated over 4 months ago
Scout® vehicles are designed to be highly capable off-road, featuring high ground clearance and excellent approach, departure, and breakover angles. They are projected to come standard with dual-motors for four-wheel drive, a solid rear axle, a locking rear differential, and off-road drive modes. Plus, the bumpers and rockers are separated from the body and are designed to act as protective elements.

For even more capability, customers will be able to select an optional off-road package, which includes off-road tires, special shock tuning, a locking front differential, and more. Scout vehicles will also offer a front sway bar disconnect, designed to improve wheel articulation, comfort, and traction on uneven terrain – offering the best of both on-road and off-road handling. Final details will be confirmed as we approach production.

 

[speedrye]

Where are you getting this information? Sounds like pure speculation since I don't think power has been released and torque should be really good - particularly if combined / sw-tuned with a Rock-crawl mode.

How much horsepower will Scout® vehicles produce?​

Updated over 4 months ago
We’ll be sharing horsepower specifications as we get closer to production. Stay tuned for updates.

What level of off-road capability will Scout® vehicles have?​

Updated over 4 months ago
Scout® vehicles are designed to be highly capable off-road, featuring high ground clearance and excellent approach, departure, and breakover angles. They are projected to come standard with dual-motors for four-wheel drive, a solid rear axle, a locking rear differential, and off-road drive modes. Plus, the bumpers and rockers are separated from the body and are designed to act as protective elements.

For even more capability, customers will be able to select an optional off-road package, which includes off-road tires, special shock tuning, a locking front differential, and more. Scout vehicles will also offer a front sway bar disconnect, designed to improve wheel articulation, comfort, and traction on uneven terrain – offering the best of both on-road and off-road handling. Final details will be confirmed as we approach production.

Basic math and an understanding of electric motors' limitations. They don't have enough torque down low, so they have to rely on wheel spin instead of fine control. I know, I know, electric motors have all of their torque from zero rpm... and it's not enough. Take an offroad buggy and look at the wheel torque after a low first gear ratio multiplies by a low transfer case crawl ratio multiplies by a low diff ratio and even with only a 100lb/ft of torque at low RPM, they're putting a LOT more torque to the wheels than EVs are.

To be fair, my idea of real rock crawling might differ from others. In my world, one slip of a tire and you're rolling sideways off a ledge. Wheel spin is really bad, and EVs have lots. In off-camber situations, one spinning wheel will wreck you because that spinning tire is pretty much on ice.

Every Rivian, Cybertruck, etc video shows the problem. Very capable generally, as I expect the Scout to be, but it's not going to be capable enough to need sway bar disconnects unless the stock suspension is poorly designed with little articulation. Hopefully I'm wrong.

 

[speedrye]

I’m looking for longevity and easy maintenance as well as very easy to modify. I’d say that puts me in the coils and shocks camp.
I hope you’re wrong about rocks because I intend to put mine in the rocks. It would be disappointing for the Scout to not be able to handle rocks and ledges and obstacles because my current vehicle walks through most situations with little to no theatrics. I like my vehicles to be very non-dramatic on off-pavement obstacles so I can keep it easy on the skinny pedal. I don’t enjoy “powering through” obstacles. I don’t enjoy breaking things. I don’t enjoy trail fixes. I just want to enjoy nature, the views, and the trails…and then drive home. I’m putting a lot of hope in the Scouts being very capable.

I haven't seen anything stock or near-stock that'll touch a Rubicon in the rocks, unless you're a 4-door. In that case, a 2-door Rubicon is better, haha. Solid front axles are simply superior to most anything independent.

 

[Michael Gary Scout]

I have EAS on my 2017 Land Rover Discovery 5. I had one pre emptive recall to replace the brass connectors on the valves - never had a failure and to my knowledge, no one on the forums I frequent seem to have had failures. Modern LR's (2014+/-) have generally had very solid EAS performance. I now have 90k miles with hard offroad driving, -20F nights and 100F+ days. No issues. If any manufacturer knows EAS, it's Land Rover - and perhaps Volkswagen, who used them on their V8 and V10 Touaregs in the 2k's to early 2010's.

Some LR3/4 owners (2k's to ~2010-12 era) have had issues with leaky valves well north of 100k miles that cause the vehicle to sag to the bump stops when parked, and wear out the compressor over time, but LR addressed this in the most recent generation. That is a fairly easy repair. And, there are plenty of aftermarket options for compressors from ARB and others.

My experience - my LR's EAS has got me out of lots of tough spots, but it's also got 4 wheel independent suspension. EAS on a solid axle is useless aside from maybe auto leveling F/R for towing. It does nothing for ride height on solid axles, whereas on IS you do get additional ground clearance when you need it, but then relax to a normal driving height for street driving and highway cruising. My LR also kneels like a camel in "access mode" which my 75 year old mother likes - watch a video of a camel sitting down and getting up...Land Rover mimicked the order on purpose to reduce load on the compressor, and because they do have a British sense of humor. It is also handy in low-celing parking garages.

Land Rover puts their vehicles through rigorous testing in development, and they keep testing after rollout - that's how they discovered they should preemptively replace the EAS valves. I would expect nothing less of Scout Motors.

I really appreciate the detailed response. That is exactly the kind of long-term, lived experience I was hoping to hear.

Your point about modern Land Rover EAS (post-2014) is well taken. They’ve clearly learned from earlier generations, and 90k miles with real off-road use, wide temperature swings, and no issues is meaningful data. The preemptive replacement of known weak points is also an important detail; it speaks to a mature system and an OEM that understands where failures tend to originate.

I also appreciate the nuance you added around solid axle vs independent suspension. That distinction matters and often gets glossed over. On a solid rear axle, air’s value proposition really does narrow to load leveling, ride quality tuning, and convenience features, rather than meaningful gains in articulation or ground clearance the way it can on IFT/IRS platforms. That aligns with how I’ve been thinking about it as well.

Where this ties back to Scout for me is less about whether air suspension can be dependable in principle (clearly it can), and more about how Scout chooses to implement it:

• Whether known wear items are modular and serviceable
• Whether failure modes degrade gracefully rather than strand the vehicle
• And whether the system is designed with long-term ownership and off-warranty realities in mind

Land Rover’s approach – find weak links, revise components, and continue testing post-launch – is reassuring, and I agree that if Scout follows a similar philosophy, air becomes a much more defensible choice.

I’m also glad you called out that air on a solid axle is not useless, but very purpose specific. For someone towing or hauling regularly, that alone may justify it. For others, a simpler steel setup might still be the right call. Ideally, Scout gives buyers both well engineered options without forcing one philosophy over the other.

Thanks again for taking the time to write that up. This is exactly the kind of context that makes these discussions valuable.

 

[pwrofgrayskull]

Basic math and an understanding of electric motors' limitations. They don't have enough torque down low, so they have to rely on wheel spin instead of fine control. I know, I know, electric motors have all of their torque from zero rpm... and it's not enough. Take an offroad buggy and look at the wheel torque after a low first gear ratio multiplies by a low transfer case crawl ratio multiplies by a low diff ratio and even with only a 100lb/ft of torque at low RPM, they're putting a LOT more torque to the wheels than EVs are.

To be fair, my idea of real rock crawling might differ from others. In my world, one slip of a tire and you're rolling sideways off a ledge. Wheel spin is really bad, and EVs have lots. In off-camber situations, one spinning wheel will wreck you because that spinning tire is pretty much on ice.

Every Rivian, Cybertruck, etc video shows the problem. Very capable generally, as I expect the Scout to be, but it's not going to be capable enough to need sway bar disconnects unless the stock suspension is poorly designed with little articulation. Hopefully I'm wrong.

I see what you’re saying now and I have to agree. I have witnessed countless situations where a Rivian (I’m not picking on Rivian, I just happen to have seen it with R1Ts on rougher trails the most graphically) will unfortunately have egregious wheel spin over certain not-really-that-difficult obstacles only to have the next off-road oriented stock vehicle behind them have little to no wheel spin over the same section of trail even without the use of lockers. It makes certain situations either completely not enjoyable, not advisable, or sometimes downright dangerous or impassable. Impassable or impossible, you choose.

If that’s what you’re getting at, then yes I am also concerned with this. It would severely limit my off road excursions in my area and would really make me think twice about a purchase if the Scouts have that level of performance. I slow crawl 99.9% of all obstacles currently and I’m not ready to give that up. I don’t get a thrill from beating on vehicles off road.

I’m betting and hoping that Scout will offer a high level of off-road capability. I want them to be extremely capable. I hope they’ve got some things up their sleeves that we haven’t caught wind of yet.

I wish I had been a fly on the wall in some of their early meetings so I could know which exact vehicles they benchmarked.

 

[pwrofgrayskull]

I haven't seen anything stock or near-stock that'll touch a Rubicon in the rocks, unless you're a 4-door. In that case, a 2-door Rubicon is better, haha. Solid front axles are simply superior to most anything independent.

Agreed. The only vehicle I’ve witnessed and experienced that would be somewhat close is a Bronco Raptor. Still, it struggled and needed a locker on one obstacle that sticks in my mind because the Rubicon had just walked right up it (no lockers). I was baffled.

Side note: the size of the Raptor makes it…not as enjoyable in many off road situations. It’ll do the skinnier stuff for sure, but then you’re painting the wheels and flares with all kinds of Rocky Mountain pinstriping which is painful.

 

[speedrye]

I see what you’re saying now and I have to agree. I have witnessed countless situations where a Rivian (I’m not picking on Rivian, I just happen to have seen it with R1Ts on rougher trails the most graphically) will unfortunately have egregious wheel spin over certain not-really-that-difficult obstacles only to have the next off-road oriented stock vehicle behind them have little to no wheel spin over the same section of trail even without the use of lockers. It makes certain situations either completely not enjoyable, not advisable, or sometimes downright dangerous or impassable. Impassable or impossible, you choose.

If that’s what you’re getting at, then yes I am also concerned with this. It would severely limit my off road excursions in my area and would really make me think twice about a purchase if the Scouts have that level of performance. I slow crawl 99.9% of all obstacles currently and I’m not ready to give that up. I don’t get a thrill from beating on vehicles off road.

I’m betting and hoping that Scout will offer a high level of off-road capability. I want them to be extremely capable. I hope they’ve got some things up their sleeves that we haven’t caught wind of yet.

I wish I had been a fly on the wall in some of their early meetings so I could know which exact vehicles they benchmarked.

I'm expecting something in the range of a 4Runner or FJ. Minimal mods to have lots of articulation in the rear with the front suspension being the limiting factor. Hopefully the width of the Scout will allow a little longer front suspension arms. Still, the low-slung battery weight should really be a benefit, allowing more off-camber stuff without as much chance of rolling. Pucker factor might be high, but stability should be good. Probably not as good as a Rubicon still, but respectable. Front and rear lockers should really help minimize wheelspin. Either way, I suspect I'll be fine with what they're doing as I don't do much of anything needing solid front/rear axles any more.

 

[pwrofgrayskull]

I'm expecting something in the range of a 4Runner or FJ. Minimal mods to have lots of articulation in the rear with the front suspension being the limiting factor. Hopefully the width of the Scout will allow a little longer front suspension arms. Still, the low-slung battery weight should really be a benefit, allowing more off-camber stuff without as much chance of rolling. Pucker factor might be high, but stability should be good. Probably not as good as a Rubicon still, but respectable. Front and rear lockers should really help minimize wheelspin. Either way, I suspect I'll be fine with what they're doing as I don't do much of anything needing solid front/rear axles any more.

I’ve owned both a 4Runner and FJ. Pucker factor on those can be really high in the tougher stuff. I don’t enjoy teeter-tottering with one of the front tires saluting the sky. That’s not really my cup of tea. I’m hoping for closer to Rubicon level capability, so hopefully I’m not barking up an unrealistic tree. Time will tell!!

 

[speedrye]

I’ve owned both a 4Runner and FJ. Pucker factor on those can be really high in the tougher stuff. I don’t enjoy teeter-tottering with one of the front tires saluting the sky. That’s not really my cup of tea. I’m hoping for closer to Rubicon level capability, so hopefully I’m not barking up an unrealistic tree. Time will tell!!

I just don't see anything with an independent front suspension doing much better, though with no engine up front on the Scout, they might be able to do longer upper and lower control arms, giving us a long-travel front. Still won't match the solid axle, but we wouldn't be losing as much.

 

[pwrofgrayskull]

I just don't see anything with an independent front suspension doing much better, though with no engine up front on the Scout, they might be able to do longer upper and lower control arms, giving us a long-travel front. Still won't match the solid axle, but we wouldn't be losing as much.

Very true.

 

[Chavannigans]

We have discussed this in a few threads already.

Im firmly in the Airbag camp. I have had airbag springs on my last 3 Offroad SUVs and loved the leveling benefits and ride quality.

I recently imported some long travel airbags from Australia for my lifted Lexus GX470 and it rides like a cloud now compared to my overextended factory bags that I tricked up by messing with the level sensors.

If you want to do desert prerunning, coilovers will still be the way to go. They probably won't handle the rapid cycling for hours at time as well as steel does.

For overlanding and slow technical crawling Airbags are still my top pick.

You can lower them to fit into garages. You can raise them to clear obstacles. You can level it if your vehicle is your sleeping platform. It will auto level when you tow or have it loaded with gear to maintain your steering geometry. It's also fun to raise and lower them when you're bored.

My last set lasted for about 215k miles, before one blew. But that was my fault because I used long travel shocks with overextended bags and one came out of its perch when the rear axle articulated climbing over some rocks. When the vehicle leveled out the spring didnt go back into its perch and got crushed between the body and rear axle. Whoopsie!


Semi trucks designed to last hundreds of thousands of miles use them. They aren't fragile as some may think.

 

[cyure]

We have discussed this in a few threads already.

Im firmly in the Airbag camp. I have had airbag springs on my last 3 Offroad SUVs and loved the leveling benefits and ride quality.

I recently imported some long travel airbags from Australia for my lifted Lexus GX470 and it rides like a cloud now compared to my overextended factory bags that I tricked up by messing with the level sensors.

If you want to do desert prerunning, coilovers will still be the way to go. They probably won't handle the rapid cycling for hours at time as well as steel does.

For overloading and slow technical crawling Airbags are still my top pick.

You can lower them to fit into garages. You can raise them to clear obstacles. You can level it if your vehicle is your sleeping platform. It will auto level when you tow or have it loaded with gear to maintain your steering geometry. It's also fun to raise and lower them when you're bored.

My last set lasted for about 215k miles, before one blew. But that was my fault because I used long travel shocks with overextended bags and one came out of its perch when the rear axle articulated climbing over some rocks. When the vehicle leveled out the spring didnt go back into its perch and got crushed between the body and rear axle. Whoopsie!


Semi trucks designed to last hundreds of thousands of miles use them. They aren't fragile as some may think.

See I think of them as fragile. I don’t know why I have that impression but I do.

 

[Chavannigans]

See I think of them as fragile. I don’t know why I have that impression but I do.

Balloons

 

[Chavannigans]

This is what Chat GPT barfed up for me when I asked "how long do air springs last on semi trucks?".

Short answer: a long time, if they’re doing their normal job.

Typical lifespan on semi trucks​

Most air springs (air bags) on Class 8 semis last:

• 500,000 to 1,000,000 miles
• Roughly 8 to 15 years in real service
• Often replaced due to age or abrasion, not sudden failure

In many fleets, they’re still holding air when the truck is retired. They get swapped because rubber eventually ages, not because they’re fragile.

---

Why they last that long on semis​

This is the important context people miss.

• They carry constant heavy loads
• They cycle continuously, not occasionally
• They’re designed for:
  
  • Heat
  • Ozone
  • Road grime
  • Salt
  • Millions of compression cycles

A semi air spring lives a harder life in one year than a pickup helper bag sees in a decade.

---

What actually kills air springs​

Across commercial fleets, failures usually come from:

1. Dry rot / age
   
   • Rubber compounds slowly harden over time
   • This is measured in years, not miles
2. Abrasion
   
   • Misalignment
   • Rubbing on brackets
   • Debris trapped between folds
3. Improper installation
   
   • Overextension at full droop
   • Pinched lines
   • Poor bump-stop integration

What doesn’t usually kill them:

• Carrying weight they’re rated for
• Daily cycling
• Normal ride-height changes

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Translating this to a Scout Terra use case​

Your situation is much easier on air springs than a semi:

• Lower duty cycle
• Lower sustained loads
• Cleaner environment
• Intermittent use (solo vs family trips)

If you added air springs or air helpers to a Terra:

• Expect 10+ years of service easily
• Many owners replace them once per ownership cycle, if ever
• Failures are usually slow leaks, not catastrophic events

And even if one fails:

• The truck remains drivable
• You’re not stranded
• You’re back on the factory springs

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Key takeaway​

Air springs aren’t a consumable like brake pads.
They’re closer to shocks or leaf packs in lifecycle.

If they can survive a million miles under a semi, they’ll laugh at:

• A pop-up camper
• A hitch-mounted motorcycle
• Weekend trips and family vacations

If you want, I can:

• Compare airbags vs helper springs for your exact load patterns
• Talk air-only vs hybrid (spring + air) setups
• Or explain how to spec air pressure so you’re not overworking them

This is one of the least risky parts of your plan.