sway bars or air bags?

[gfresh]

I live in a very winding and mountainous part of the world. I'm now pulling a 7500 lb boat/trailer. I don't know the hitch weight of my load but do know that I sway and tilt more than I want to. The boat doesn't wander at all behind me, the truck just tilts some in the corners. Do I stiffen up the rear end with air bags or an anti sway bar?

 

[WestTN]

Those two choices do two different jobs. Air bags will provide extra support for the load. Anti-sway bars reduce sway only.

 

[gfresh]

Don't airbags stiffen things up too? Stop or reduce the roll?

 

[crobertson1]

I think air bags will stabilize the swaying if they are not connected with a common hose for filling. In other words, if you fill each bag indepently, they will help. If the air can be forced from one bag to the other because of load shifting, they won't help. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me.



Correction: I had a major brain fart I guess. I was thinking of the valve on my rear bumper for the air hose. I have air bags on my truck for ride height control and are filled with seperately with in cab controls. I believe that is the best way to go. There are pictures of my setup in my "Reader's Rigs" gallery.



Incidently, I can perceive no ride quality loss with my air bags.

 

[AH64ID]

I think air bags will stabilize the swaying if they are not connected with a common hose for filling. In other words, if you fill each bag indepently, they will help. If the air can be forced from one bag to the other because of load shifting, they won't help. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me.



I have air bags on my truck for ride height control and are filled with a common hose, so no stability help for me, which wasn't important for me.

Correct. .



I would plumb them independently, the air can't flow between them as fast as needed so if you get into a lean it will hold that longer than the truck is in the corner.

 

[Matt400]

IMO you want a sway bar, air bags will sacrifice empty ride quality even when aired down to 5 psi.

 

[PSpychalski]

DO NOT Manifold both bags together. Separate fill lines. Baaad JUJU if you do!

 

[CDonaldson]

I live in mountaneous country too. Lots of ups and downs, turns, etc ranging in altitude from 3K to 9K all the time. It is really hard to feel the gravity, seat of the pants stuff, that goes with the driving conditions, especially when towing.



I actually have both - air bags and sway bar. I installed the sway bar first (helwig) it controls sway excellently. New Mexico has quite a bit of crown on their roads, trailers are more prone to sway due to the crown. Even with a sway control on the weight distributing hitch, sway can be an issue. Between the trucks inherence to a little sway and the crown, I figured it was better to install the sway bar, glad I did.



I installed the air bags second, the body roll, bobbing in/around turns and I just didn't like the way the truck was pulled down by my TT or my GN, our softer ride suspension doesn't really cut it when towing, especially heavy stuff.



My air bags (firestone ride rites) are plumbed up seperately. I really like the fact that they can be adjusted for different load capacity. They put an end to the body roll/bobbing in/around turns. I recently purchased an in-cab air control and plan on installing it real soon, just have to figure out where to mount it, not very many choices in our cab for mounting it.



I have been very pleased with the combination.



CD

 

[wcjp]

I'm running both airbags and sway bar. They work great. I run the bags at 80psi when fully loaded.

 

[DonTX]

For what it is worth, I have airbags plumbed together. I was not in favor of that and preferred them separately, but did a quickie to my in cab controller. The only load I currently carry is a truck camper, empty weight about 3800 lbs. In experimenting, about 45 lbs in the air bags dramatically improves the ride. I would think that in a corner, the outside bag would be compressed, the air going to the inside bag, worsening the situation, but in reality I cannot detect any of that happening. I am upgrading my compressor this month, and still toying with separating them. Has anybody actually experienced their ride both separate AND connected?

One other reason for separating them, my rig sits low on the right side for some reason, I think my camper is not evenly distributed, and this would allow me to level from side to side as well.

 

[LBARTLETT]

My recommendation is to start with sway bars, if that doesn't do it then you can always add air bags however, I use Timbrens on the rear of my 1 ton, much cheaper, less hassle, no leaks, punctures and no ride effect on the truck when unloaded, easy to install, just my opinion

 

[AH64ID]

My recommendation is to start with sway bars, if that doesn't do it then you can always add air bags however, I use Timbrens on the rear of my 1 ton, much cheaper, less hassle, no leaks, punctures and no ride effect on the truck when unloaded, easy to install, just my opinion

Timbrens are decent, but not adjustable and not much cheaper... Timbrens run $220-250, airbags run $250-275...

 

[Bob4x4]

IMO you want a sway bar, air bags will sacrifice empty ride quality even when aired down to 5 psi.

:-laf mine don't

 

[gfresh]

I ordered a rear Hellwig swaybar. I will post some thoughts after I install it and try it out. I remember my '98 Dodge 2500 CTD had a swaybar from the factory (it also had overload springs - maybe these items were part of the camper/towing package).



Does anyone know if a Hellwig rear swaybar will interfere with an aftermarket differential cover, like the Mag Hytec? Hmmm... I just when to the Mag Hytec website and it says this... "Fits with most factory suspension systems and aftermarket anti-sway bars". I hope the Hellwig's in the "most" list.



Mag-Hytec

 

[CUMMINZ]

One thing to remember about Timbrens or air bags, they do not operate anything like a sway bar. With load on the rear, both Timbrens and air bags are always pushing upward. When the top of your load wants to tip to one side the side being tipped toward is acting like a pivot or seesaw. The side that load is coming off of is simply throwing upward.



A sway bar is different. The side that is gaining weight is wanting to go downward. That also makes the otherside of the swaybar want to go down. A counter action.



If anyone tells you that a Timbren or airbag helped their sway it is probably because they had original springs that were on the weak side and either pair of new lifting agents helped stiffen the ride. They would have done much better with a sway bar.

 

[AH64ID]

If anyone tells you that a Timbren or airbag helped their sway it is probably because they had original springs that were on the weak side and either pair of new lifting agents helped stiffen the ride. They would have done much better with a sway bar.

My springs had about 14K on them when the bags were installed, and it made a noticeable difference. anytime you increase spring rate you decrease sway, and as the bag compresses the psi increases which increases the spring rate further. . And the nice thing about bags is that as the load decreases, as in a tight corner when top heavy, the spring rate decreases.



Bags are not the end-all be-all to sway, but they do a darn good job of helping it. . Which is nice, with bags you get load leveling and sway control, with a sway-bar you just get sway control... Now depending on your load size both are a very nice addition. .

 

[Garlic]

Bags and Sway bar on the '96. Perfect combo. The bags are tied together and a manual fill valve is out side on the left. This unit has hauled enough to get me into alot of trouble. The bags were set up so that at no load there is 0 psi in them. They are 11 years old with 170K mile on them and I have had no problems with them (They have also seen 125 psi and the nose was still high). The 07. 5 I took the easy road. Ride rites, onboard air and an auto level control, it is all hands off, I am thinking about a sway bar but have had no justification to get one yet, Yea I've over loaded this one too.

 

[AABEN]

sway bar is what i would put on first.

 

[gfresh]

I got the Hellwig #7651 last week, got out all the tools and set to work tonight putting it in. IT DOESN'T FIT. Apparently I have the 11. 50 axle, for that you need the Hellwig #7658. Argh!!! I live in Canada and now have to drive 60 minutes each way to mail this back and I don't have the original packaging anymore. To be continued...

 

[Matt400]

Apparently I have the 11. 50 axle, for that you need the Hellwig #7658.

Thanks for the heads up cuz I would like to add one. I had bags and pulled them off, didn't like the empty ride.



Post back and let us know how you like the fit and function of the 7658