AirLift Bags = No Wheel Travel!

[crobertson1]

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I agree about having the controls. It would sure be a pain without them. My overload springs don't even come into play anymore, so I'm not sure what the point of removing them would be. They sure don't affect the ride because the airbags keep them from being used.

 

[Silver600]

... . And for those that are happy adding air bags on top of the overloads... ... ... ..... you don't know what you are missing.



Bob

On the 3rd gen you don't remove the overloads. The air bags install on the axle on the inside of the leaf springs not above them. The airbags on my SRW didn't allow the overloads to even come close to touching when they were inflated to keep me level with the 5th wheel hooked up. Not much of a point to removing them, the way I look at it they are there as a back up if the bag fails (which I have seen happen). The factory overloads will not effect travel with airbags at all.



On the 2nd gen the airbags install outboard of the frame to the top of the leaf springs if I remember correctly. In that case it would make since to remove the overloads to get more travel.

 

[Bob4x4]

On the 3rd gen you don't remove the overloads. The air bags install on the axle on the inside of the leaf springs not above them. The airbags on my SRW didn't allow the overloads to even come close to touching when they were inflated to keep me level with the 5th wheel hooked up. Not much of a point to removing them, the way I look at it they are there as a back up if the bag fails (which I have seen happen). The factory overloads will not effect travel with airbags at all.



On the 2nd gen the airbags install outboard of the frame to the top of the leaf springs if I remember correctly. In that case it would make since to remove the overloads to get more travel.

All the air bags I have seen are too short to work properly off-road,they will pull apart when the axle drops and not allow decent compression travel either. If you are happy giving up 1/2 your travel more power to you,but I like to use all the travel I can get.



Bob

 

[Nate]

It all depends what you use your truck for. I use my truck to pull my off road rig. Most "off road" my truck sees are rough dirt roads.

 

[jelag]

I have an 04, 04. 5 and 05, all 3500 quad cabs 4x4's... 2 of them are duallys...



All have air bags on them..... we use them to level the truck when we haul... .



The overloads are still on the trucks and jounce bumer has been removed... .



We reduce the air to 5 psi when empty and add air up to 100 psi when loaded... .



They work great for us.....

 

[Silver600]

All the air bags I have seen are too short to work properly off-road,they will pull apart when the axle drops and not allow decent compression travel either. If you are happy giving up 1/2 your travel more power to you,but I like to use all the travel I can get.



Bob

I don't mean to offend anyone, I was just trying to point out that on a 3rd gen truck removing the overloads will not affect the suspension travel. Airbag overload kits were never designed for offroad 4 wheeling, they are to stabilize heavy loads. I use them to keep my truck level with a heavy 5th wheel hooked up, if I had full suspension travel with that kind of weight on my truck it would do quite a bit of damage, the airbags keep the weight more evenly distributed across the rear axle.

 

[SRadke]

I think you guys are missing the point. With the AirLift you remove the rear bump stops which are 3" tall. In it's place you insert the 6" or so air bag which in turn you just lost about 3" of up travel.

Yes. That has been discussed before.....



https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78907&highlight=airbags

 

[Task125]

I left my overloads out when I put in recon kit deaver pack,For me the most off road my truck sees is a dirt road to my hunting cabin pulling my 57 willys or Quad,I much rather beat on my 3000. 00 truck than my 50,000

 

[KENNY]

Will installing airbags stop the swaying of my truck/camper?

 

[Lorenz]

Nope. If they're aired up your going to induce the ability to store more energy. When this energy releases it will add to the sway. Kinda like a pogo stick. Up and down w/o anything to stop the spring from punching back out and sending you skyward.



Quality shocks, that are correctly valved for what your doing is the best way to reduce sway.

 

[tandersen]

I have Airlifts with extended bump stops on the overloads. I have the in cab controls and yes I noticed the bags are pretty well compressed with my 5k camper on. Going down the road it works just fine and I do not do any off-roading with a dually and a 5k camper. That's why I bring my Jeep along. The bags are very helpful when parked for leveling also. I run 65# with the camper on and 5# with nothing aboard.

 

[steved]

Nope. If they're aired up your going to induce the ability to store more energy. When this energy releases it will add to the sway. Kinda like a pogo stick. Up and down w/o anything to stop the spring from punching back out and sending you skyward.



Quality shocks, that are correctly valved for what your doing is the best way to reduce sway.

While I agree with your statement regarding shocks, I have heard just the opposite in regard to airbags reducing sway... everyone that responded to this same question on the towing boards indicated that airbags significantly reduced body sway with a slide-in camper...



I have a set in the box that I will be installing next week, so it's not like I'm saying that this statement is from experience, but it was the answer I got on several towing boards...





steved

 

[Bob4x4]

While I agree with your statement regarding shocks, I have heard just the opposite in regard to airbags reducing sway... everyone that responded to this same question on the towing boards indicated that airbags significantly reduced body sway with a slide-in camper...



I have a set in the box that I will be installing next week, so it's not like I'm saying that this statement is from experience, but it was the answer I got on several towing boards...





steved

:-laf The Lorenze comment comes from running airbags on his bag equipped o'head campered truck. He no longer runs them but has some custom leaves. Most owners take the commercially available answer not the best way.



Bob

 

[Regcabguy]

Spring packs

:-laf The Lorenze comment comes from running airbags on his bag equipped o'head campered truck. He no longer runs them but has some custom leaves. Most owners take the commercially available answer not the best way.



Bob

Sean Lorenz significantly improved my truck w/camper's handling by revalving the Bilstein 7100's. If I could afford a custom leaf pack that would work unladen or laden that would be the way to go. Deaver added a leaf and restored my overload bottom leaf. My prior KORE mini-pak just weren't designed for that much high center of gravity load. I think the 3rd gens with their hydro-formed frames can handle weight better. Sean's got a unique full leaf pack available for you 3rd guys. Check out his website.

 

[Regcabguy]

E-rated tires.

I know this issue has been beat to death but I just replaced my "D" rated tires with "E"s. This made a considerable improvement in my freeway handling. Side sway and emergency handling has been enhanced. Off-road behavior is an unknown. I carry an air compressor with me and normally reduce air pressure off-road. Off-road to me with the camper is moderate dirt roads in Baja and an occasional desert run on established trails.

 

[zippinbye]

Where is this mounted?

 

[Regcabguy]

Viair

Where is this mounted?

If your referring to my air compressor,it's a portable Viair brand unit that connects to the battery and enables to re-inflate my tires to stock pressure after using it in the dirt. I bought it @Off Road Warehouse.

 

[RAlberg]

I know this issue has been beat to death but I just replaced my "D" rated tires with "E"s. This made a considerable improvement in my freeway handling. Side sway and emergency handling has been enhanced. Off-road behavior is an unknown. I carry an air compressor with me and normally reduce air pressure off-road. Off-road to me with the camper is moderate dirt roads in Baja and an occasional desert run on established trails.

What air pressure do you run with your camper off road?

 

[geusterman]

I would like to jump in here for some comments on my solution. I haul 4K of camper on a KORE (T-Rex) Race system. Because the truck is leveled, the camper sags the rear too much EVEN with 4 spring Deaver overloads and a 2. 5" spacer between the overload stops and the overload springs. I could build a 3. 5 or 4" block and jack up the truck to install before loading camper but what a hassle! So I am putting a 1000 lb air bag between the frame and on each end of the overload springs (actually near the end... the stops remain if the air fails). Two bags per side. These bags would allow about 4" of travel compression and about the same in extension while providing an adjustable stop for the overloads when hauling heavy. It is an experiment. The bags are here with some brackets to mod, an AirLift split control for camper leveling due any day and an Extreme Aire pump coming soon. What are your thoughts on this? George

 

[Regcabguy]

replacement springpack.

What air pressure do you run with your camper off road?

I drop 'em down to about 40psi. On the highway now I've got 'em at 65psi. The KORE Chase worked to my disadvantage by lifting the center of gravity and sending the weight rearward. Carli and Lorenz are working on(or already have) a replacement springpack that rids you of the blocks and is progressive in nature.