airbags

[Sakanuts]

Does anybody out here run air bags, with a little on board air compressor on a 3500 Dually? Plan on pullin a large fiver, didn't know if this could be overkill, or what the doctor ordered... If so, what works, and what doesn't.

 

[snug]

I have them on mine with the on board compressor. The bags were installed after one leaf was removed from each side. I have had a few heavy trailers on, and it rides nice, and there is no sag.



Good luck!



Doug

 

[CLAYTON]

I don't have a 3500 put I slapped the Firestone bags on my truck and it took about 45 mins never having done that before. I still need a compressor but for now I have the valve coming out the bumper by the license plate. I put a T valve on so each bag gets the same amount of psi.

 

[MMiller]

I've got the airlift bags on my truck. Compressor and all. Drawback is the compressor only lasted 1 year. I have been taking an 5 gallon air tank with me. Kinda incovenient, but adequete. AS you can see in my readers ride I tow pretty heavy. The truck is sitting level with quite a bit of pin weight. . I did not add the air bags because the truck needed it. I lifted the front end of the truck and then when loaded it would sit down on the overload springs putting the lights in the trees. The truck had no problems with identical loads before, just did not like the truck sitting the way it did loaded. The thing I like the most is when you need to carry heavy loads the truck will sit level, when its empty the truck will sit level and ride nice. Don't need a stack of extra leaf springs.





Michael

 

[Turbo Thom]

I install the Kerlderman Air system on mine with a 4 gal tank and compressor. The tank is overkill for the bags but not for the air horn too. I love the way it rides with the fiver now. The air system really takes the shock out of the fiver. A lot smoother and no sway.



. . Preston. .

 

[Bill Stockard]

I haul a very heavy slide in truck camper (over 4K) and have Air Lift 5000s air bags on my '03 3500 DRW with the in cab controls and air compressor. When the camper is loaded with the minimum 5 PSI in the bags, the overload springs barely touch the frame mounted overload spring stops. I use the air bags to raise the truck frame slightly to keep the overloads from slapping the stops. The noise is annoying.



The air bags on the '03 3500 are only a year old with 10K miles on them; however, the air compressor and air bag controls were taken off my previous '00 3500 with nearly 4 years and 50K miles on them and I haven't had a problem.



Unless your 5th wheel has a very heavy king pin weight and depending on what year your truck is, you probably won't need the air bags. If your truck's rear end sags with the 5th wheel hooked up, you'll need the air bags to raise it back to level.



Bill