airbags

[okierver]

just ordered airlift 5000 airbags for the tv. will install next weekend then see if it makes a difference with the monty pulling it memorial day weekend.

[maximo]

I put the Firestone 5000 air bags on my 2002 F250 7.3. Pulling a 2011 Big Sky 3580RL. Had the air pressure at 30#. Good ride. After the trip I had not reduced the pressure in the air bags and almost bounced the passengers in the rear seat out of the truck when I hit a bump in the road. I ran the pressure down to 5#. I did not install the air bags myself, I had a tire shop do the work, $445 out the door.

Frank

[richfaa]

We installed the airlift 5000 bags on our 08 F-350. We did not need them to increase any weight rating but to level up the truck when towing. The rear of the truck dropped @ 2 1/2 inches and we we
leveled that up.. It made a big difference in handling and ride quality on our tow up from Florida.

[indy roadrunner]

I have them and I think you are going to like them. May take some experimenting to find the right pressure.

[jackel1959]

I had Firestone Ride-Rite air bags on my 2002 Ford towing our 3455SA. I ran the pressure at 27-30 psi and it kept the truck at the right attitude and I still had good ride quality. Drop them down to 5 psi when not towing which will greatly improve the ride quality.

I will be installing the same system on the new Dodge when it arrives. I was going to go with Timbrens, but decided to stick with something I had experience with. When I install these I will put a "T" fitting so that I will only have to air up or down from one valve.

Jack

[bncinwv]

We can definitely tell the difference in the ride quality with towing, well at least we can on the first trip after the installation. I have been leaving them at about 7-8 psi when not towing and checked the pressure when I had the Montana on it and we had right at 19-20 psi. It is still a one-ton truck and still has the suspension of a one-ton truck, but the Firestone's do smooth the ride out substantially. I did the installation myself and it was a piece of cake on our Chevy.
Bingo

[kingdaddy]

Gotta concur with the others on this one...you will really like the "bags". Firms up the rear end (that didn't sound right! ) when towing the Monty.
Experiment a bit to find the right pressure for YOUR truck and trailer combo...for mine I inflate to about 40 psi UNLOADED and then with the trailer on it, the pressure typically goes to about 60 psi.
I don't drive with 40 psi unloaded for long though! Like everyone else, I drop to 5-10 for normal driving.
With the rear springs I have (not stock) and the air bags, I feel I get the best of both loaded and unloaded performance.

[sreigle]

Don't have them on this truck but did on the prior one and a couple of trucks before that. If you get the incab compressor and controls then you can adjust the ride on the fly. I found it helps when you encounter those concrete freeways where the rig wants to lurch a bit. I had to just experiement with changing the pressure a little up or down until the ride smoothed out. It didn't totally eliminate the movement but made it far more tolerable.

[washley1]

Been thinking about these things for a year. One question...do you run the pressure up BEFORE you hitch up or can you do it after?

[kingdaddy]

You can do it before, just be aware that your unloaded pressure will increase once you put the trailer on it.
How much increase might vary somewhat...for example though, on my truck with my trailer (pin weight around 2k I think) I have been putting around 40-50 lbs empty and it goes up to around 60-70 with the trailer.
Truck is pretty level and the ride is excellent!

[nailbender]

quote:Originally posted by jackel1959

I will be installing the same system on the new Dodge when it arrives. When I install these I will put a "T" fitting so that I will only have to air up or down from one valve.

Jack

Jack, I don't have air bags, but I have considered getting them. Like you, I was going to install a T fitting for the convenience of filling the bags. But a T may not be the best to use. With a T, air can transfer from one bag to the other when more pressure is applied on one side, as in going around a corner or a turn. That would cause the TV to lean even more in a turn. Two valves won't be a convenient, but when I install my, I will use two valves.

[jackel1959]

Don,
I never even considered that possibility with a "T" fitting. I am also going to e-mail Firestone and see what they have to say. Depending upon their response I may stick with the individual fittings. You gotta love the MOC!!! More to follow.

Jack

[maximo]

My Firestone 5000 air bags were installed by a Firestone dealer and they used two air lines, no tee. I could not see the two stems to fill the bags with air and asked where they were. The stems replaced the two bottom bolts that hold the license plate and have a acorn nut on them. For what it is worth I would agree that two lines would be better tham using a tee. I do not know how they hook the line using a built in air pump.

Frank

[richfaa]

Our goal was to level up the truck and that happened with 20 psi of pressure in the air lift bags without the 3400 attached. it is a bumpy ride solo and we reduced to 5 psi.

[kingdaddy]

Mine are also set up as individual air lines (no "T")

[bncinwv]

I have a T connection and am curious and a little befuddled as to what is being said regarding the pressure shifting to the other side?? The pressure in the system is going to be the same regardless of turn straight, bump, etc. That is the nature of air and fluid flow. In the case of individual lines, the same thing would apply, the pressure is going to be the same on both sides. I fail to see where a turn depressing an air spring is going to put any lean into the truck. If this were the case it would apply regardless of whether the system is connected or not. Why wouldn't the side towards the outside of the turn compress more due to the additional weight shift, which would then result in less weight on the inside spring and a resulting raising of that side on an individually fed system??? This is my addled engineers brain working here, but I truly believe it is a non-issue.
Bingo

[kingdaddy]

Never really spent much time thinking this through (I've had airbags plumbed both ways on different vehicles) but I guess the thinking is that with the bags connected by a common air supply line (a T fitting), when one bag is compressed- e.g. in a turn- it will tend to "push" air to the other bag which will be slightly un-compressed. While that might technically be possible (or actually occur) I don't personally think it is enough to really matter in most cases, but some people swear it does.
I guess if you had dual gauges and could monitor each bags pressure, you could see the change as you went through enough of a turn to cause meaningful weight transfer.
Main benefit to individual lines IMO is to be able to adjust for unbalanced loads side to side. Seems to me it is not an issue since the pin weight is centered with our trailers.

[hookman]

With our application I don't think it matters as our weight is applied in the center of the box and then over to the frame. If we were carrying a camper that would be different as the weight is carried over the whole box.

[nailbender]

If I stood on two sets of scales and leaned to one side, the further I leaned, the more weight would be on one scale and less on the other. I know, I would fall before leaning very far, but my point is that weight transfers. Air bags are the same, the more weight on one side, the more the air wants to get out and with connecting bags it can. The number of times I would be adjusting the air wouldn't be often, so having two valves isn't a big deal.

It will be interesting to hear what Jack finds out from Firestone. Either way, air bags are good to have and help to level a TV.

[tspoon]

I put a tee in mine. When I went around a corner I could feel the camper tipping.
I put a shut off between them. Now I don't feel the tipping