Air Ride Technologies' CoolRide Air Suspension System - Slam Dunk

Street Smarts
While on-track performance is important, many owners will be concerned with the characteristics of such a suspension on the street, and rightfully so, because that's where most Mustangs spend their time. So, after making all the connections, we put Ice Box to the test.

Naturally, we got the anticipated drop, and what a drop it was. With the air dumped from the system, our Mustang sat on the ground-OK, about 11/44 inch off it. After charging the springs with air (which takes only about 2 seconds if the tank is full), our Mustang was ready to be driven. We started out with about 100 psi in the bags, which proved to be far too stiff and put the car way too high.

Lowering the pressure instantly improved handling and ride quality. Prior to the install, the Mustang would pound over imperfections in the roadway; it now absorbs the bumps without any drama. There is also much more control and a feeling that the front and rear are connected.

We questioned the folks at Air Ride about picking the best struts and antiroll bars, and they told us that any parts will work. But we know better. Just like any suspension, we'll have to test to see which is quickest on the track and the smoothest on the street. However, before we make any changes, or run any hot laps, we're going to get the Stang's front end aligned.

"Before setting the front-end alignment, drive the car and find the most suitable pressures and ride height," Voelkel says. "Then have the car aligned using that ride height." He also says the vehicle can be raised or lowered a small amount without upsetting the alignment too much.

After a few miles, we determined it rode best with 80-85 psi in the front and roughly 65-75 psi in the rear and with the valving in the rear shocks set on soft, or about three clicks from full loose. This produced a comfortable ride, even with the meaty 18-inch Nitto tires, without any tire rub and with good compliance over rough portions of roadway. We were also impressed at how low we could get the car while maintaining good ride quality. Even with the soft setup, the Mustang cornered well. It was hard to tell such an exotic suspension lie underneath, but it rode as nicely as some of the best coil-spring suspensions we've tested.

Nevertheless, it was strange to dump air and lower the car to soften the ride. Normally, you would want taller, softer springs to give a smoother ride. But lowering the car softened the spring rates and smoothed the ride, until we went too low and caused tire rub. As for straight-line acceleration, there is no apparent advantage to this type of system.

Overall, we found the system to be moderately difficult to install, but easy to use and adjust. If we had a gripe, it was that the directions could have been more detailed, and the tech line could have offered better recommendations for matching the springs to a proven combination of struts and antiroll bars. When contacted, the guy we spoke to stated "whatever you had should be fine." Not what you want to hear after you've spent thousands on new springs and rear shocks.

With the project completed, we learned it's best to adjust the springs when the car is sitting on flat ground, not on an incline or while the vehicle is moving. And as with any new springs, the Air Ride air springs may require that you install new struts and antiroll bars to maximize ride and handling both on the street and on the track. Next we'll get an alignment and then it's off to the track.