1/4 vs 3/8 Air Line For Air Suspension

To connect all of your air suspension components together and distribute air through the system, you will need a air line. Air line is DOT approved hose or tubing that transports air from the compressor to the air struts. When purchasing air suspension air line, you will notice that you can choose between two common sizes: ¼” and ⅜”. Other sizes such as ½” can be purchased, but the most popular kits include ¼” or ⅜”. So how do you know what size you need for your kit? Today, we will look at what the differences between the two lines and which one is best for your setup.

What Factors Determine What Size Air Line I Need?

The size of your air line will determine a few different things for your air suspension kit. First, it will determine how fast you can air up or air down. The larger the air line, the quicker air can flow to your air struts. Secondly, it will affect how accurate you will be at getting to a specific height. With air line that is too large, it may be harder to fine tune your suspension as your air out speed will be quicker. Lastly, you will need to consider the type of valves you are using. This will affect how much air can flow through your system.

Air Out Speeds

The first thing we are going to look at is air-out speeds. You can get up to 50% quicker air out speeds by using ⅜” line over ¼” line. This is due to the increased area where air can travel through your system. If air out speeds are important to you, you might want to choose a ⅜” air line. If air out speeds are not as important, a ¼” line will work just fine

Accuracy Of Specific Height Levels

While a larger air line can help you air out quicker, getting to a specific height can be more difficult. This is due to the air flowing too quickly to pulse your system to your favorite ride height. This can easily be offset with pressure or height sensors, but if you do not have these and want to adjust your ride height at a more granular level, ¼” air line might be best.

Types Of Valves You Are Using

The types of valves that you are using in your system will also determine what size air line you need to use. If you are using ¼” valves, there is no need to use 3/8” lines as the valves will still restrict it. Ideally, you will want to match your valve size to your air line size to ensure your system works as efficiently as possible.

If you need more information about air lines or simply need a few questions answered, fill out our contact us formhttps://accuair.com/pages/contact. Our air suspension experts will be happy to assist you in picking out the right components for your vehicle’s air suspension system.