240SX Air Suspension - What You Need

As one of Nissan’s most iconic vehicles of all time, the popularity of the 240SX has grown exponentially over the past 2 decades. Gone are the days when you could purchase an S-Chassis parts car for a few hundred dollars. It is getting harder and harder to find one with matching paint and all of the correct parts for less than $5,000. While many of these cars see their fair share of drifting events, many 240SX owners are choosing a more unique route with air suspension. Today, we are going to look at what it takes to bag a 240SX and what parts you need for a bagged 240SX.

Does the Nissan 240SX Have Air Suspension?

With the 240SX year models spanning between the late 80s and 90s, it is pretty obvious that they did not come equipped with air suspension from the factory. However, they did feature a sport MacPhearson setup in the front and independent rear suspension for better handling. While this was great for the everyday driver, many are switching to air suspension for a more customizable ride height at the push of a button.

What Do I Need To Add Air Suspension To My Nissan 240SX?

When choosing air suspension for your Nissan 240SX, you can buy a complete kit for convenience, or you can piece together your own kit using the high-quality parts you want for a better system. At AccuAir, we supply you with everything you need for a long-lasting, high-quality air suspension kit for your Nissan 240SX.

Air Compressor

Starting with the first component in the air suspension system, an air compressor will be needed to supply your system with air. An air compressor takes outside air, compresses it, and then sends it to your air tank where it will be stored to use at your discretion. Many air suspension users choose to go with 2 compressors for quicker air-on-demand. This is why we here at AccuAir have put together a VIAIR Dual 485C air compressor kit to make things easier.

Air Tank

The air tank on your air suspension kit is one of the largest components as it will store all of the compressed air your system will use. AccuAir manufactures some of the highest quality air tanks on the market. Our ENDO air suspension air tanks allow tanks to be built modularly with all precision machined aluminum components and a bolted construction. This provides a weld-free and leak-free tank. The aluminum body also prevents rust from forming when moisture is present in your air tank.

Air Lines

The air lines in your air suspension system are the veins in which air is supplied to each component. They are found from your compressors to your air tank, from your air tank to the manifold, and from the manifold to each air strut. These air lines can be hard or made from ABS material, depending on where they are used.

Valve Manifold

A valve manifold is a manifold that electronically controls the air delivery in your system. These manifolds are constructed of aluminum blocks in most cases and house electronic solenoids, valves, and fittings to easily install your air lines. What you will want to look for when purchasing a valve manifold is whether you need a 2 or 4 corner unit. A 2 corner unit will be for front or rear setups only, whereas a 4 corner unit (such as our VU4) will supply air to all 4 corners for a full system.

Management System

An air suspension management system is going to be the brains of your air suspension system. The air management system allows you to easily control the entire air system to adjust your ride height at the push of a button. While you can go old school and simply install switches, AccuAir has made it much easier and more convenient by introducing air management systems that allow for Bluetooth, wireless, and pre-programming features.

Air Struts

As the only part that will be replacing factory components on your 240SX, air struts are used to replace your stock shocks and struts. Air struts look very similar to your factory struts and even bolt up in the same location with little to no modification needed. These air struts feature a rubber bladder instead of a coil spring. This rubber bladder fills with air to raise the vehicle and deflates when you want to lower your vehicle. AccuAir offers a variety of air suspension air struts for you to choose from.

Water Traps/Filters

With any compressed air system, there is the chance of condensation buildup due to the air heating and cooling. Moisture in your air suspension system can cause rust in steel tanks, freeze air lines in colder climates, and cause other issues throughout the system. In order to reduce the chance of damage and keep your air suspension system performing at its best, we suggest installing a water trap or filter to filter out any water before it enters the rest of the system.

Ride Height Sensors

The last component on our list is ride height sensors. Ride height sensors are not a necessary component for an air suspension system (as there is an option for pressure-based), but they can make your life a lot easier when trying to get to your favorite height levels. Ride height sensors measure exactly where your vehicle is in relation to the ground, giving you real-time metrics on how high or low your vehicle is. This also allows for you to pre-set heights for one-touch air raise and lowering of your vehicle. This eliminates the need to constantly pulse your system to get to your desired height.

Air Suspension Management For Nissan 240SX

If you are ready to add air suspension to your 240SX, AccuAir can help supply you with the best air suspension components available. With a large catalog of high-quality air suspension components, our team can help you build the best 240SX air suspension kit that meets your budget and functional needs. Give us a call today or shoot us an email to talk to one of our air suspension specialists.