Hotchkis
Hotchkis Suspension and Handling Products
The experience of John Hotchkis and the entire Hotchkis Sport Suspension team ensures that you receive high quality products, engineered to perform, and designed to be strong. Hotchkis sport suspension controls many of the fastest street cars in the country. Numerous road racing, drag racing and autocross racing teams rely and win with Hotchkis Sport Suspension products.
For discriminating drivers who demand the best, the Hotchkis Sport Suspension engineering group has developed vastly improved suspension systems that dramatically increase the pleasure of your street or track driving experience. Serious drivers understand the benefits of a properly engineered aftermarket suspension include increased stability, improved handling, and maneuverability. Hotchkis suspension packages give you a comfortable ride as well.
Hotchkis Sport Suspension draws upon over 30 years of racing experience to develop the most effective bolt-on suspension systems available. Our suspension packages have been engineered to deliver the race-winning performance you demand while remaining comfortable enough for use on the street. Hotchkis offers a variety of products, including sway bars, strut braces, control arms, lowering springs, trailing arms, shocks, leaf springs, sub frame connectors, coilovers, panhard rods and more.
All Hotchkis suspension components go through an extensive development process that starts with the latest in computer-aided design, modeling, and engineering and ends with real world performance testing. Every Hotchkis component undergoes testing on the Hotchkis 600 ft. slalom, 200 ft. skid pad, and 14-turn Autocross course. Results from the ¼ mile acceleration and 60 to 0 mph braking tests are compiled. Complete data for stock and Hotchkis Sport Suspension equipped vehicles is gathered and evaluated. Performance gains are documented and any component not meeting Hotchkis engineer’s rigid standards of fit and performance are critiqued, redesigned, and retested.
Today’s vehicles are designed and engineered with extremely tight tolerances. Our engineer’s measure and then design with state-of-the-art CAD systems to ensure that Hotchkis suspension upgrades operate in their intended locations away from existing suspension and exhaust components. We strive to produce performance suspension that installs with little or no vehicle modifications.
Not only are Hotchkis Sport Suspension components engineered to fit properly, they are finished in appropriate great looking durable finishes including gloss powdercoating bright polish, colorful anodizing, silver zinc and gold cad. plating. We understand that Hotchkis customers are not only concerned with improved handling; they are also fanatics about excellent looking suspension products.
The Hotchkis Total Vehicle System (TVS) is a complete handling solution for your vehicle. Available as a Stage 1 or Stage 2 package, Hotchkis TVS kits are designed to deliver the maximum handling from your ride and make choosing the right parts for the job a breeze. No more mixing and matching parts – with a TVS suspension package every component is designed to complement the others and will work right the first time. These tuned suspension packages eliminate the poor ride quality and disappointing handling that often results from the use of mismatched components from multiple manufacturers.
Suspension & Chassis » Air Bags & Air Suspension Products
Air Suspension, Air Bags and Compressors
What is air suspension?
Air suspension is a style of vehicle suspension that incorporates an electric compressor that pumps air into flexible bellows (air bags) to a pressure that allows your vehicle to behave like it has springs. There are two basic types of air suspension. The first, which is most popular, is an air bag kit that does not include shocks, struts or integrated coil-overs. The second is an coil-over system with air bags integrated onto the top of the struts/shocks.
How does air suspension work?
Air suspension relies on air bags that essentially work like balloons that create a suspended barrier between your frame and suspension components. The adjustability makes this type of suspension popular.
Is air suspension good for daily driving?
Yes. In fact, many late model vehicles incorporate air suspension systems from the factory, as it can greatly improve the ride of the vehicle and driver comfort.
How long do air suspension bags last?
While each manufacturer has different specs and claims based on usage, Accesspeed customers have run their air bags up to 12 years. Most of the replacements we have seen have occurred from 85,000-130,000 miles. Keep in mind, some people only use their bags when hauling or towing, while others use theirs 24/7 in daily drivers.
Should I put air bags on my vehicle to increase payload and towing capacity?
NO! Adding air bags will NOT increase your payload or towing capacity. No aftermarket air suspension system on the market allows higher payloads or towing capacities. Your vehicle is rated at the factory, and specifications for payload, tow capacity and GCWR are set at a specific manufacturer-rated capacity.
Do airbags make it ride smoother?
This answer depends on your settings. Using airbags will allow you some degree of customization. For example, lower air pressure will be a softer, smoother ride. Increasing air pressure will give you better road feel and steering input, but with a stiffer ride.