OK, don't let the title of this verbal brawl sway you either way. Both forms of suspension have their ups and downs. Yes, hydraulics have their ups and we're about to show them to you. We ask you to clear your brain and start from scratch with some current info and myth-busting data. We feel a lot of mini-truckers will be quick to put hydraulics on blast, as they are more familiar with air. We are here to tell you, and show you, that air and juice both have their place in the mini-truck mecca. Keep in mind, we are addressing most of the pros and cons based upon the most common setups.
Air
Long the favorite of the average mini-trucker, the airbag is a staple of the mini-truck community. Airbags offer a good ride, and an even better ride when used with shocks and placed in the correct location to adequately compress the bag enough to get full suspension usage.
 |  Proof of reliability: Airbags...  Proof of reliability: Airbags are used in everything from freight trucks, tow pigs, trains, and OEM vehicles. | |
Juice
Hydraulics have been used on OEM vehicles since '55 and on lowriders since God knows when. They were the first form of adjustable suspension used on customs but took their direction more into the lowrider world. With the use of absurd coil springs, lowriders would make their vehicles hop to new heights and broken ball joints.
As you can see, hydros pimped...
As you can see, hydros pimped women back in the day too.
Proof of reliability:
Hydraulic suspensions have been used in production vehicles such as the Citroen. In '55, Citroen's Traction Avant was presented to the automobile world with height-adjustable hydraulic suspension. The MGF roadster, Austin Rover, and Metro have all used hydragas suspension, which is similar to but a more unorthodox method of hydraulics. Also, everything from heavy machinery, amusement park rides, and tractors uses hydraulics.