Air Bags = A Stiff Ride

[AH64ID]

Well, Guess its gonna be off with the PAC Brakes (up for sale W/2k miles on em), replace with 5 leaf mini pack and the Carli Torsion sway bar kit on the front. . I have contacted and waiting on a reply from Thuren and Kore to see if a Softer VR coil W/out the lift would be possible. .



I could care less about the increase in lift from VR coils, just want a softer ride. . I Wonder if a 3" VR Coil can be trimmed off at the top to eliminate some of the height? If ya don't run off road real hard and put some softer Carli bump stops on ya should be ok I would think. .



Another option maybe to:



If adding a leveling kit, the "Thuren" (http://thurenfabrication.com/perfshackles.htm) performance shackles could be added to the rear and installed with the additional 1. 75" of lift on the rear which would retain some of the OEM rake and maybe solving the rear sage when towing??



Will report back if there is a solution!

Are you not going to have any sort of rear airbags installed at all?



The mini pack will support OEM loads, but when I called and asked they said it would ride lower than it did stock.



Is your main concern the ride or towing your 5er?

 

[AEdelheit]

The Kore VR coils are Wayyy stiffer then Dons, one thing you may want to look into and Don should know about is running 4th gen coils, they are almost the same spring rate as his and stock height, his shackles are awsome, raise the rear 3/4" and smooth out the ride but the truck does have a bit more leverage over the spring so it is a bit more affected by weight

 

[AEdelheit]

The Kore VR coils are Wayyy stiffer then Dons, one thing you may want to look into and Don should know about is running 4th gen coils, they are almost the same spring rate as his and stock height, his shackles are awsome, raise the rear 3/4" (overall adjustment is 1. 5" but only on back of spring so actual increase is 3/4") and smooth out the ride but the truck does have a bit more leverage over the spring so it is a bit more affected by weight

 

[rlawless]

Are you not going to have any sort of rear airbags installed at all?



The mini pack will support OEM loads, but when I called and asked they said it would ride lower than it did stock.



Is your main concern the ride or towing your 5er?

1 - Id rather not have the bags installed if there gonna cause the choppy/stiff ride I have now. .



2 - Do you mean the mini packs will ride lower when loaded/towing or empty?



3 - I don't tow as much as I used to, so for now I'm looking for a good DD ride. I still want to be able to tow without the Arrss dragging the ground or be way outta level. .

 

[AH64ID]

I certainly wouldn't describe my ride as choppy with bags. . what shape are your shocks in?

The mini packs will ride the same empty, but lower when loaded/towing since they are softer. They may also have more sway when towing due to the spring rate.

With the power mods you have you are probably going to want traction bars without the OEM lower "overload".

 

[rlawless]

I certainly wouldn't describe my ride as choppy with bags. . what shape are your shocks in?

The mini packs will ride the same empty, but lower when loaded/towing since they are softer. They may also have more sway when towing due to the spring rate.

With the power mods you have you are probably going to want traction bars without the OEM lower "overload".

Well, maybe not choppy, but seams like the leaf travel is not as long as before the bags. . I did have the overloads off for quite awhile then installed the bags, so that is probably why I think they are stiff... Without the over load it was a nice ride. .

With what you are saying about the mini packs I'm not so sure I wanna install them. . I lowered the rear tire pressure to 40 psi (think I can go 35 psi) and I was trying different pressures in the bags today and 7-8 lbs. seamed to ride the best. . I'm gonna run the bags awhile after installing some new shocks from geno's. . I still have the OEM shocks @ 56k maybe that's part of the problem LOL!! :-laf

I'm gonna deep six the front coils and mini packs Idea and put the Carli torsion sway bar on when I do the shocks. . I hate getting thrown around in the cab when exiting and entering driveway approaches. .

Thanks for you're input, Ya saved me some cash better suited for other mods. .

 

[Mark31]

Rlawless, I run 44 in my rear tires when empty. Any lower and I felt like the back end wanted to dance. I don't mind being thrown up so long as I land on the same line. "Soft" tires squiggle, dance, wander around in the road, and just have a vague feeling. Soft tires also build up heat from flexing, which load Range Es don't like, especially in hot weather. An over inflated E tire is safer to me than an under inflated one. If you know a tire expert, I urge you to get his opinion before you go any lower on pressure. I, like "Helicopter", encourage you to take a look at your shocks. Bilsteins certainly made a difference for me. Mark

 

[rlawless]

Rlawless, I run 44 in my rear tires when empty. Any lower and I felt like the back end wanted to dance. I don't mind being thrown up so long as I land on the same line. "Soft" tires squiggle, dance, wander around in the road, and just have a vague feeling. Soft tires also build up heat from flexing, which load Range Es don't like, especially in hot weather. An over inflated E tire is safer to me than an under inflated one. If you know a tire expert, I urge you to get his opinion before you go any lower on pressure. I, like "Helicopter", encourage you to take a look at your shocks. Bilsteins certainly made a difference for me. Mark

Yeah, I like "Helicopter" too, he always has good input and the facts to back it up. . And I thought I was OCD lol! Yes, I need new shocks. . Getting the Bilsteins 5100 from Geno's, unless I can talk Carli down to Geno's price when I get the Torsion Sway Bar from them. .

My Toyo tires side walls are very stiff. . @ 40 psi on the rear It still doesn't bulge the side walls. . But, I hear ya on the low pressure it could be a bad thing. .

 

[AH64ID]

I ran 55/40 on my 285/70 Toyo's empty, and they are slightly softer than the 285/75.