What's the difference of the American, German and Air Suspension?

There are significant differences between the American suspension, German suspension and Air suspension, and the following is a detailed comparison of these three suspension systems:

I. American Suspension

Structural characteristics:

The guide arm is welded from several steel plates and has an ‘I-beam’ design. The front bracket is relatively small. The contact area of the guide arm and axle is large, and the lateral support performance of the vehicle is good.

Performance characteristics:

Large stiffness, relatively poor smoothness. Suitable for better road conditions, relatively short airbag stroke. Low cost, relatively simple structure.

II.German suspension 

Structural features:

The guide arm is like the traditional steel plate spring structure, generally one piece or multi-piece, direct forging and shaping. Load bearing performance is better, the shape of the guide arm can be bent, the airbag stroke is relatively long.

Performance characteristics:

Superior damping performance and better adaptability to road conditions. Suitable for complex road conditions and heavy-duty transport. High reliability and long maintenance cycle.

III.Air suspension

Structural characteristics:

It is mainly composed of airbag, guide arm, control valve and so on. The airbag can be automatically adjusted according to the vehicle load and road conditions to provide the best suspension effect.

Performance characteristics:

High ride comfort, can effectively reduce the bumps in the vehicle driving. Suspension height is adjustable, which is convenient for the vehicle to maintain the best attitude under different road conditions. Suitable for a wide range of loads and road conditions, with a wide range of adaptability.

In summary, the American suspension, German suspension and Air suspension of trucks have their own characteristics and applicable scenes. When choosing, it is necessary to consider them according to the specific needs of use, road conditions and load requirements.