The only “pro” to AHC is a very soft squishy ride. If you drive mainly highway and are looking for comfort, it’s fine. Everything else is a “con”. I’d be very surprised if you get more than one response saying different. (I’ve been wrong before, just don’t tell my wife!)
I’m not sure this is accurate. I’ll be the one response to present an opposing view:
AHC can be tuned softer or firmer according to performance or preference (and also dialed from ‘comfort’ to ‘sport’ on th fly) and can be adjusted according to load capacity. It is easy to add lift from 1/4” to 2.5” and anywhere in between (and also select from lo/n/hi settings as necessary) and maintain a fully functional system. As long as pressures are kept in spec and fluid is flushed every few years it is a low cost system and very rugged. New springs/spacers are cheap and last as long as traditional suspension parts. Globes (very expensive but not as much as a swap to conventional setup) may need replacing every 10-15 years but rarely (never?) suffer sudden failure that would leave you stranded.
There are several here on Mud with AHC on 10-15 year old armored/lifted expedition rigs, still going strong. It offers the possibility of greater clearance (in hi mode) while maintaining a lower ride height at other times compared to a conventional setup, for less stress on driveline components.
Another plus is that the ride height stays as set. If vehicle is overloaded, it does not sag or lose height as with conventional springs; it’s self-leveling and you won’t lose clearance if you add drawers in the back or load up your rack. True, if pressures are too high it can fail to maintain its hi or n setting and revert to n or lo but this is preventable by maintaining proper pressures.
If not maintained (fluid flushed, pressures kept in spec) then it can give poor results, but usually in these cases the system still can be saved. To my knowledge actual failure is uncommon. More often lack of understanding in the system leads it to be poorly maintained and abandoned rather than serviced.
If import tariffs push prices up enough to be prohibitive (replacement globes) then that’s a separate issue and is a major con. If the ride’s too squishy then adjust the pressures.
Full disclosure: my AHC rig is fully stock and I’ve driven it for less than a year.
@joseywales is probably right - I’m ready to be blasted.
Everything above is what I’ve learned the past years reading this forum. Still, once dialed in I am happy with it compared to conventional suspension trucks I’ve had in the past. It allows me the performance I want off-road without my family complaining about the truck being too high to climb in and out of.
that can wreck a rig
