Air spring with internal support member

An air spring assembly comprising a top plate adapted for mounting to a vehicle frame;

• a piston adapted for mounting to a suspension and a substantially hollow air bag wherein, during normal operation, the air bag is pressurized and the piston and top plate move toward and away from each other in response to forces acting on the suspension and vehicle frame;
• a support member pivotally mounted to the top plate inside the air bag for selective movement between first and second positions, wherein movement of the piston relative to the top plate is unrestricted during normal operation of the air spring when the support member is in the first position;
• an actuator for moving the support member between the first and second positions, the actuator being mounted between the support member and the top plate;
• and
• the support member, in the second position, forms a rigid support between the piston and the top plate whereby the movement of the piston relative to the top plate toward each other is restricted.