Air springs?

I use my 2012 Outback for hauling cases of beer and wine in summer for work and it’s taking a toll on the suspension.  I’ve put upwards of 3 kegs, 30 cases of beer, and 10 cases of wine in the back at once and with that load I’m pretty much on the bumpstops the whole way, upwards of 120 miles. I don’t think I want overload coil springs in the back full time as I’m happy enough with the ride and handling as is when it’s unloaded.  I drove 25000 miles last two years on my sales route and spent maybe 1500 of them overloaded so it’s not constant.

Is there a way to add helper air springs to cars like the Outback? Other thoughts and solutions?  Two kids in daycare ate up my budget for a replacement vehicle. 

Air lift makes a red "load bag". Its an air bag that fits inside the coil spring. 

I keep meaning to buy a set for my elky.

In reply to Dusterbd13 :

+1

I put a pair of those in the rear of my Wrangler to help with the sag from towing my 4 wheeler in my small utility trailer. The sag was ridiculous and made towing on the highway a PITA. It helped 1000% with the sag and porpoising. I'm sure they have a kit that will fit an Outback. I paid about $100 on Amazon.

Edit: It looks like they don't make a specific kit for Subarus but here is the link to order the correct size bags:

https://www.airliftcompany.com/workshop/air-lift-1000-universal-air-spring-kit/

Will those work on a coilover rear suspension though?

Your budget should include that wear and tear. Either you aren’t getting compensated enough from employer, or you aren’t charging enough for your own business. YOU don’t pay for wear and tear, the CUSTOMER does. 

Unfortunately not. They slip inside a coil spring:

I did find this on eTrailer:

https://www.etrailer.com/Vehicle-Suspension/Subaru/Outback+Wagon/2012/CSS-1094R.html?vehicleid=201211894

Trackmouse said:

Your budget should include that wear and tear. Either you aren’t getting compensated enough from employer, or you aren’t charging enough for your own business. YOU don’t pay for wear and tear, the CUSTOMER does. 

I get mileage reimbursement at $0.50/mile for work miles and that’s paying for this upgrade and my new shocks as well as all my gas and mileage and tires and other maintenance. Gas is $3.25 for regular here. Its the second mortgage cost for day care that’s killing me.

stanger_missle said:

Unfortunately not. They slip inside a coil spring:

I did find this on eTrailer:

https://www.etrailer.com/Vehicle-Suspension/Subaru/Outback+Wagon/2012/CSS-1094R.html?vehicleid=201211894

 

Thanks, that looks promising. 

I've had two sets of those airbags inside coils and they failed immediately.  I think if the coils are pristine they might be fine, but the rust in mine destroyed the airbags on its first 5 mile trip.  YMMV.

For what you describe, you might have luck with the rubber dogbones.  They are X-shaped pieces or rubber, urethane, or aluminum that you put between the coils.  They work by removing that one coil from active movement thereby increasing spring rate slightly.  They will affect unloaded driving but only slightly.  They're $7, they work, and they can't really fail.  Air systems are so wonderful when they work, but they are very prone to malfunctions.

In reply to Curtis :

That is strange, I used a set in my Rustang ( it never missed a winter) for 6 years and they were still good when I took them out for autocross. There is a minimum pressure that needs to be maintained. Maybe the newer ones are made thinner.

Take a page from the Drag Week guys and jam a half-inflated football in the coil-spring?

NickD said:

 

Take a page from the Drag Week guys and jam a half-inflated football in the coil-spring?

You sure can't beat those Franklin footballs  

skierd said:

Trackmouse said:

Your budget should include that wear and tear. Either you aren’t getting compensated enough from employer, or you aren’t charging enough for your own business. YOU don’t pay for wear and tear, the CUSTOMER does. 

I get mileage reimbursement at $0.50/mile for work miles and that’s paying for this upgrade and my new shocks as well as all my gas and mileage and tires and other maintenance. Gas is $3.25 for regular here. Its the second mortgage cost for day care that’s killing me.

You should get a higher reimbursement? Isnt the tax rate $0.54 these days?

Not a huge help maybe but every little bit does help

Not that it's much help to you, but a lot of BMW wagons have air suspension in the rear that adjusts to keep the ride height level at all times. My 540it has that and it's awesome for hauling heavy stuff.

Dusterbd13 said:

Air lift makes a red "load bag". Its an air bag that fits inside the coil spring. 

I keep meaning to buy a set for my elky.

this. we use them on the Sequioa primarily for towing, and they work great.

NickD said:

 

Take a page from the Drag Week guys and jam a half-inflated football in the coil-spring?

Tom Brady's car?

Problem is that he cannot fit an airbag in the rear suspension.  It is strut suspension and there is no room for any extra parts.

93gsxturbo said:

skierd said:

Trackmouse said:

Your budget should include that wear and tear. Either you aren’t getting compensated enough from employer, or you aren’t charging enough for your own business. YOU don’t pay for wear and tear, the CUSTOMER does. 

I get mileage reimbursement at $0.50/mile for work miles and that’s paying for this upgrade and my new shocks as well as all my gas and mileage and tires and other maintenance. Gas is $3.25 for regular here. Its the second mortgage cost for day care that’s killing me.

 

You should get a higher reimbursement? Isnt the tax rate $0.54 these days?

Not a huge help maybe but every little bit does help

Tax rate is $0.54 or $0.56 I think, can't remember as I only deal with it once a year when I do my taxes.  Regardless, I'm getting reimbursed, it's covering the repair/upgrade, and we've budgeted for wear and tear. I'm just at the point where the wear has become tear and while I'm in there I'd like to make things last a bit longer.  It was 4 years old when I bought it with 32k miles and now it has 82k, it's at the point of needing stuff.  

Hey Hal, tell me about that borla muffler.  I'm glad I'm not the only fool driving one of these that wouldn't mind hearing the engine a little. 

pjbgravely said:

In reply to Curtis :

That is strange, I used a set in my Rustang ( it never missed a winter) for 6 years and they were still good when I took them out for autocross. There is a minimum pressure that needs to be maintained. Maybe the newer ones are made thinner.

 

I put a set in my 96 Impala SS rears to help a bit when I switched to a bigger boat. Installed them on afternoon, inflated them to test, checked the next morning and the PSI was spot on, drove it to town 5 miles and was amazed at how it didn't affect the ride qualiity.

That's because somewhere early in that 5 miles the right bag blew. Not just a pinhole, a rip about 4" long.

I returned them and got new ones.  They lasted the same exact amount of time.  So I got credit for them and upgraded to better ones.  They lasted about 100 miles.  No heat.  The Exhaust was 8" away but I put the heat shields on anyway

Curtis said:

pjbgravely said:

In reply to Curtis :

That is strange, I used a set in my Rustang ( it never missed a winter) for 6 years and they were still good when I took them out for autocross. There is a minimum pressure that needs to be maintained. Maybe the newer ones are made thinner.

 

I put a set in my 96 Impala SS rears to help a bit when I switched to a bigger boat. Installed them on afternoon, inflated them to test, checked the next morning and the PSI was spot on, drove it to town 5 miles and was amazed at how it didn't affect the ride qualiity.

That's because somewhere early in that 5 miles the right bag blew. Not just a pinhole, a rip about 4" long.

I returned them and got new ones.  They lasted the same exact amount of time.  So I got credit for them and upgraded to better ones.  They lasted about 100 miles.  No heat.  The Exhaust was 8" away but I put the heat shields on anyway

I put a set on my 92 bounder front end last year and they’ve been great. They were pretty thick plastic, actually a pain to install 

skierd said:

Hey Hal, tell me about that borla muffler.  I'm glad I'm not the only fool driving one of these that wouldn't mind hearing the engine a little. 

Originally posted by Malibuguy.  who is the one who did the work on mine.

being an exhaust fabricator for a living & I get a lot of work from the Scooby crowd, and often when they go against my suggestion...they end up coming back for what I suggested.  

Id say if you can get you hands on a genuine oe take off or replacement muffler, go that route for ultimate fit and quiet, aftermarket "stock" replacements are usually pretty much junk and often flow less then stock and not last more then a couple years.  If not, a Borla ProXS ($90~) will work great, be mellow, not overbearing & smooth.  

Sound is a little louder and deeper than stock but not objectionable at all.  Most people won't even notice the difference.  Reason I changed  was to get the muffler back up out of the way after the lift kit install.