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Old 04-17-2008, 05:43 AM   #1
waldo238
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Air Bags

I have tried to find the answer I need through the search function but it comes back with nothing. I would like to know from the people who use air bags about how much air you put in them. Do you just put in enough to be level? As I am going to Florida next Thursday I will be toting and extra person and am concerned about the extra weight and possible sag on the truck. I have a set of Air Lifts coming Friday.
 
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Old 04-17-2008, 09:13 AM   #2
ols1932
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You'll get varying answers to this. I use 50 psi in ours.

Orv
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Old 04-17-2008, 09:31 AM   #3
waldo238
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Are you loaded heavy, average or light. Would be putting a level on the bed rail of the truck something worth doing to get the air presser to what I want?
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Old 04-17-2008, 10:18 AM   #4
MacDR50
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I was think about this the other day as we received a complaint here at work from a member of the public regarding one of our trucks driving with high beams. On checking I discovered that the truck (Chev 2500) was carrying a heavy load and the driver said knew he was sagging a bit aft. I suggested the spirit level test but even when parked on level ground (harder to find than you might think) the box of the unloaded truck wasn't level. Our mechanic suggested a variation of the old headlight adjustment procedure. We haven't tried it yet but it goes something like this. Find a nice flat plumb wall next to a level surface you can drive on. Drive up to the wall leaving about 25 feet from your headlights to the wall. Turn on your headlights on low beam. Typically the bright spot of the light on the wall is located about five centimetres below the centre height of the headlight. You can measure to see where yours are. Mark this location with tape or by some other means. (BTW High beam headlamps are normally aimed so the bright spot is centred at the same height as the headlamp.) Now load the truck with your normal payload. If the centre of the beam raises over the mark you made, inflate your airbags until they bring the beam centre back down being careful not to exceed the maximum pressure allowed for the bags. The truck is now close to the same horizontal level it was unloaded. If you want to be more accurate you can actually measure the centre height of the headlight and the beam centre to maintain the 5 centimeter difference or the distance you measured unloaded. This will account for the overall settling of the truck under the weight of the load.

I would be interested if anyone has tried this or has some suggestions. I suppose it would also work at high beam.
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Old 04-17-2008, 10:32 AM   #5
waldo238
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Good tip, I wonder if I could also do it by measureing the bumber hieght and adjust from there?
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Old 04-17-2008, 12:15 PM   #6
Glass Guy
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I usually set mine so the truck is level with the Montana hitched and loaded, Roman
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Old 04-17-2008, 12:20 PM   #7
rogue
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What I have been told and do for your head lights is: on as level of ground as possible, measure your back bumper from the ground. Hook up and measure again. Now put air in the air bags until your rear bumper is back as close as possible to that hight position when unloaded. So if your load changes on trips you can still get the right height.

For driving I have a compressor, tank, gages and switches in the truck. So I can adjust each side, add or release air as needed. Its not often, but sometimes it helps to either add or remove air for a better ride or handling. Since all most all of my driving is during the day I really use this process. I start out about 25#-30# unloaded which increases once loaded to about 45# (guess) when loaded. With out a load I run about 5# in the air bags. But again its not a specific amount as much as it is the ride and handling. And while going down the road if you look at the gages they are bouncing between 25# and 55#.
Bob
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Old 04-17-2008, 03:47 PM   #8
AZCampinfool
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I use the same method as rogue. Seems to work well, is simple, and I don't get flashed by other drivers.
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Old 04-17-2008, 05:33 PM   #9
mtheo
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I run very little to none when empty, and the go up to about 40 psi when hauling the trailer. I think mine stated up to 100 psi. max, but would not guarranty that. 40 psi levels the truck out nicely when I'm carrying things in the back of the truck, fire wood, tools, generator and ect. along with the trailer.
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Old 04-17-2008, 06:01 PM   #10
dsprik
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50-55 psi with my Air Lifts. I never get flashed. I don't pull at night...
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Old 04-18-2008, 12:08 AM   #11
Bob Pasternak
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Neither of our trucks have needed airbags to level it. Besides, if we are out so late as to need lights, we've done something wrong. I only want to turn my head lights on is to check them and in rain or bad weather. We try to be off the road about 4 PM.
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Old 04-20-2008, 05:02 AM   #12
capn chris
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I use bumper height measuring method (before vs. after). 30# empty = 55# hooked up. Run 5-10# not towing.
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Old 04-20-2008, 07:05 AM   #13
sreigle
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I had them on two trucks and aired them so the truck rides level when hitched. When not hitched the trucks rode tail high. I also adjusted the air pressure when on roads providing an undesirable ride. The change in pressure helps but does not eliminate the unpleasant sensations. It makes a big difference, though, or did for us. I do not have airbags on this Dodge.
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