Hydraulic Suspension
- What is Hydraulic Suspension?
- What does Hydraulic Suspension do?
- Is Hydraulic Suspension available for all ride types then?
- Sounds Great, so how do I fit them to my ride then?
- How much does it cost then?
- What are the advantages of having Hydraulic Suspension on my ride?
- What are the disadvantages of having Hydraulic Suspension on my ride?
- The Law on Hydraulic Suspension
What is Hydraulic Suspension?
Hydraulic Suspension or “Hydraulics” for short is another form of suspension setup for modern day road vehicles. Unlike other suspension types Hydraulic Suspension uses four independent dampers filled with Hydraulic fluid which are controlled by a main control unit, normally found inside the vehicle.
What does Hydraulic Suspension do?
The four dampers in the Hydraulic System are individually controlled by a main control unit which allows each damper to be pressurized and de-pressurised to allow a sudden up and down movement at the flick of a switch.
That simply means you can move each individual shock up and down as much or as little as you like by pressing a few buttons. As you can imagine, this is why Hydraulics are so popular in the Modified car world.
Is Hydraulic Suspension available for all ride types then?
Tricky question there. Most Ride types will allow a Hydraulic Suspension setup to be installed but due to the difference in suspension types it can be tricker on certain ride types. The Hydraulic Suspension kits are a universal kit that can be tailored to fit your vehicle however if you have for example rear torsion bars or leaf suspension these will need adjusting or modifying to make the Hydraulics work to the maximum effect.
Sounds Great, so how do I fit them to my ride then?
Fitting a hydraulic suspension kit isn’t and easy job and does require a vast amount of technical knowledge and experience to get right. As the kits are expensive to buy and ultimately repair if incorrectly fitted it is much more cost effective to have these installed by the professionals.
How much does it cost then?
A typical Hydraulic Suspension kit fitted to your ride with no extra modifications should cost you around the £2000 mark.
What are the advantages of having Hydraulic Suspension on my ride?
The idea of having moveable suspension at the flick of a switch is what sells it to most people but what really makes Hydraulics ahead of the game is the speed it does it and also the fact that each shock is completely independent (depending on the kit you buy obviously). This means that while your back left strut is fully down the back righ could be fully up and the front two half up or half down, what ever you fancy really!
What are the disadvantages of having Hydraulic Suspension on my ride?
The cost of it! Hydraulic Suspension doesn’t come cheap and can be very expensive to repair should a kit be fitted badly or incorrectly. You have been warned! Make sure the installer of your kit has plenty of experience with fitting Hydraulics otherwise you may get stung!
The Law on Hydraulic Suspension:
No UK law states that having Hydraulic Suspension on your ride is illegal however it does lay entirely in the hands of your MOT or Vehicle inspector. If for any reason your vehicle runs the risk of causing danger on the roads to you or anyone around you then the inspector reserves the right to deem the vehicle unsafe. This shouldn’t effect you if you have had your Hydraulics fitted professionally though.