5500 C&C under load

[jelag]

My 5500 is on its first long trip loaded... it's an auto... .



Driver is reporting almost 12 mpg and it went through the scales at 19,450 lbs



He says the truck blasts up the hills but can't see the road at night because of the squat...



Before we put this truck into service we added a 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 square tube block between the overloads and the bumpers so that the overloads would come on sooner...



Driver hates the seat... to hard but loves the nav system, and radio...



I gave a good friend at pacbrake a call and we're going to try and convince the engineers to do something sooner than later for air bags...



BTW, we have not seen it re-gen yet... but its been mostly driven down the highway. .

 

[2Bear]

Hi Jelag,



Why are the seats so hard - leather or cloth ?



Ray

.

 

[HBarlow]

Jim,



Please keep us posted on the Pac Brake air bag issue. I'm waiting for a new 3500 cab and chassis ordered a month ago.



I hope that the factory suspension will be adequate for a CM flat bed, my 70 gallon Transfer Flow tool box, some boxes full of tools and gottahaves, and the 3600# kingpin weight of my fiver. If it turns out to be too soft and settles too much like my 3500 p/u I'll be pm'ing you for a complete air bag setup including compressor, etc.



I studied long and hard but couldn't talk myself into the teeth jarring ride of an empty Ram 4500.



Harvey

 

[jelag]

The truck has the premium cloth seat..... 60-40 I think... . but its a lot harder than my 04, 04. 5, 05 with the same seating...

The new cloth however in the 5500 looks more durable and easier to clean... . But time will tell...

Harvey... . I've had to put air bags on all my 3500 duallys..... we've put the spacers on the overloads but were unhappy... The air bags allow us to level the truck... .

Bill @ pacbrake tells me they have some samples that are a lot larger and heavier than the HD bags used on the 3500... he's sending me a drawing and I'm sending back dimensions... But this might take a while...

 

[JasonCzerak]

Let the seats break in.



Mine in my 04. 5 are about ready to be re-stuffed and the lumbar fixed, I broke that shifting in this 3rd really fast woops

 

[HBarlow]

The truck has the premium cloth seat..... 60-40 I think... . but its a lot harder than my 04, 04. 5, 05 with the same seating...



The new cloth however in the 5500 looks more durable and easier to clean... . But time will tell...



Harvey... . I've had to put air bags on all my 3500 duallys..... we've put the spacers on the overloads but were unhappy... The air bags allow us to level the truck... .



Bill @ pacbrake tells me they have some samples that are a lot larger and heavier than the HD bags used on the 3500... he's sending me a drawing and I'm sending back dimensions... But this might take a while...

Jim,



The rear spring sets on Gen III duallys are longer than on my Gen II, designed for a softer unloaded ride, I guess. As most owners know, this makes them too soft for routine heavy towing.



The spring sets on the new 3500 cab and chassis trucks are different designs and I'm hoping they are strong enough to be loaded within their rated load of 9,350# without sagging and bending as my current dually pickup has done.



A friend and fellow TDR member who hauls a heavy slide-in camper with his Gen III dually has sent me some photos of what happened to his "other brand" air bags. The axle brackets the bags ride on were not strong enough and they deformed with use. I'll ask him if he would be willing to send you the photos so you can share them with your friend at PacBrake. Possibly they can consider the challenge when designing theirs.



Harvey

 

[jelag]

Harvey

2 of my 3500's had Air Ride bags and we know exactly what your saying... They saw my 3500 and went back to redesign their mount... . and I've changed out my hardest working truck with success... so no photos are needed... sitting here in a box is the upgrade for my other trucks... . like the cobler, my kids (trucks) go with upgrades (shoes)... but it will happen... .

Thanks for the note...

 

[WMonroe]

Any pics of the truck with the new bed you made? Loaded pics?

Will

 

[jelag]

Trucks now in Canada and won't get back until tomorrow... I'll take some and post them... . but the driver is guessing it might be resting on the rubber bumpers. . and it's just under gross at 19,500

 

[Russknh]

Torquelift the mfg of the superhitch has come out with a neatrubber contact pad which is designed to bring the contact helpers in much sooner. I am trying a set on my 08 with my Lance--so far I love them, purchased thru towshop on the internet--call and talk to Dick a fellow Dodge guy it cuts down on sway also if you have a tall load

 

[Cattletrkr]

... . but the driver is guessing it might be resting on the rubber bumpers. . and it's just under gross at 19,500

That's not good news for those of use who plan on going way over the rating. I was hoping to not have to add a bunch of springs or whatever.