Air v/s Hydro
"What Makes You FLY?"
by Donnie Babb

On a daily basis the phone here at gauge rings and someone will ask this same question. What is better for my vehicle, Air or Hydraulics? Well, our next question is always; what exactly do you want to accomplish with your suspension?  A lot of people want to hop, some just cruise and there are a few others that want to dance the doors off .  To help answer the question, this month we are taking the top air and hydraulic vehicles in the U.S. and laying them out side by side to show you the difference between air or hydraulics. .

Vehicle #1 belongs to Rob Robertson. Rob is the owner of RNL Custom Suspension and holds the title of Radical Dance Lowrider Magazine World Champion 2005. His Chevy S10 is an absolute hydraulic monster. The truck is so powerful it will hop 4+ Feet in the air and flip right onto the side with no problem. Rob has spent many, many countless hours perfecting this vehicle to dance the way it does. Since the success of the Chevy S10, Rob has started building other hydraulic vehicles to conquer the Lowrider Magazine 2006 Tour. Just a few short weeks ago Rob took all three hydraulic machines to Tampa, FL for the 2006 Lowrider Magazine Tour Season opener. Needless to say, Rob bitch slapped all the competitors and stole first place with all 3 of his Pro Hopper Powered vehicles in their respected classes. This means that Rob is already qualified for the finals, with all 3 vehicles, for the 2006 Las Vegas Supershow in October 2006. (Does anyone smell a repeat?) To learn more about Rob Robertson and RNL Custom Suspension make sure to check out his official web site http://www.rnlcustom.com

Vehicle #2 belongs to Gauge Magazine’s own Matt Petro. Matt has been building his project s10airdancer for several years. The objective behind this project was to build a SEMA show quality dancer that would be able to dance with the big boy hydraulic trucks. Obviously, this is a very radical modification for an air suspension. Every weekend for the past few seasons has been a massive testing ground for the truck and the manufactures that sponsor it. Weekly reconstructing to different bags, different valves, different psi rating, different suspension adjustments,etc… Working hand and hand with the manufactures through this madness has done nothing but improved air suspension products and created a massive buzz all across the show scene.  Air Dancing is an up and coming addition to our wonderful sport, keep an eye out for it in 2006. Make sure to check out the official web site for the Project S10 Air Dancer at www.projects10airdancer.com