Anyone running airbags?

[Bill Stockard]

Thanx Uncle Bill,



The PDF you referenced is for a 4WD, is there any difference in the install of a 2WD?

Those instructions cover both the 2 and 4-wheel drive kits. The only difference is in the air bags... double convoluted for 4WD and single convoluted for the 2WD.



Bill

 

[Bill Stockard]

has anyone ever tried this. The local Heavy duty truck shop recommends this over the bags. They say they don't blow out, dont need air, are completely out of the picture when unloaded so it does not affect the ride.



Vehicle Suspension Kits - Timbren Suspension Enhancement Systems

Yep, I have them on my truck. So far, they have worked very well. I haul a heavy slide-in truck camper. When driving empty, the ride is the same as factory since they don't limit the rear suspension travel like air bags. I have also installed taller overload spring bump stops to transfer the weight to the overload springs sooner when loaded which helps eliminate sway when hauling a high center of gravity load.



Bill

 

[AH64ID]

When driving empty, the ride is the same as factory since they don't limit the rear suspension travel like air bags.

While the Timbren's have less of an effect on an unloaded suspension the airbags don't limit travel in day to day driving. The axle can articulate far further than you see unless your planing on some 4wd trails, even then the OEM suspension is the biggest limit as the bags will stretch to the limit of the shocks, they will limit a little on compression but if they are at min psi they will limit less than the Timbren's.

 

[bheiting]

The one problem I have with my slide in camper is the bags(PacBrake) reduce the effect of the overloads, causing more sway. The bags, by their nature, do counter sway some what, but not enough. I've seen some recommend the adjustable Rancho shocks for this. Has anyone used a higher quality adjustable shock?

 

[AH64ID]

I used rancho adjustable years ago and didn't think they were anything special and wouldn't waste money on them.

Have you seen these?

Torklift.com | Home of Torklift International

I would run something like that and put just enough air into the bags that the overloads have about . 5" of compression. But honestly I am not sure that springs will work as good as a hellwig swaybar.

 

[bheiting]

I used rancho adjustable years ago and didn't think they were anything special and wouldn't waste money on them.



Have you seen these?



Torklift.com | Home of Torklift International



I would run something like that and put just enough air into the bags that the overloads have about . 5" of compression. But honestly I am not sure that springs will work as good as a hellwig swaybar.

Those do look interesting. I have the Hellwig sway bar on and it doesn't make much difference. It's mounted so close to the differential that it's not very effective. I have a Four Wheel camper and occasionally do some sight seeing off road. I would think an adjustable shock would allow more wheel travel. Has anyone run this Torklift set up with a camper?

 

[MuddFlapp]

Yes, becuase as you compress the suspension the airbags compress, decreasing the volume and thus raising the pressure in them.

This is also how they help with sway. As the truck rolls in a corner the inside airbag compresses and increases pressure and the outside bag expands and looses pressure. You have added spring capacity to the inside and removed it from the outside and you stay more level than without bags.

Run as much pressure as you need to get the truck sitting where you want it. I have found that 1. 5" low from empty is the best ride height for handling, cornering, etc.

My bags are connected in a common fill line. Sounds to me like this will have an effect on the stabilizing ability. Am I right?

 

[NIsaacs]

Yes, a common line will make your sway worse. As the low side bag compresses, the air is forced to the high side bag which will jack it up even higher.



The only time a common line to both bags helps is off highway when you are empty and don't have a sway issue. The common line will assist your ride when one side or the other hits an obstruction. When this happens, the air compresses on the bump side to ease your ride and adds it to the other side to assist in keeping a level ride. Does that make sense?:-laf



Nick

 

[AH64ID]

My bags are connected in a common fill line. Sounds to me like this will have an effect on the stabilizing ability. Am I right?

Yes, a common line will make your sway worse. As the low side bag compresses, the air is forced to the high side bag which will jack it up even higher.



The only time a common line to both bags helps is off highway when you are empty and don't have a sway issue. The common line will assist your ride when one side or the other hits an obstruction. When this happens, the air compresses on the bump side to ease your ride and adds it to the other side to assist in keeping a level ride. Does that make sense?:-laf



Nick

Exactly, the only time a common line is a good thing is when the truck is needed to have lots of rapid axle articulation. The rest of the time the common line is a poor setup, and honestly why so many people think airbags suck.



Every person I have talked to that hated their airbags, especially with a slide-in, had them plumed to a single port.

Those do look interesting. I have the Hellwig sway bar on and it doesn't make much difference. It's mounted so close to the differential that it's not very effective. I have a Four Wheel camper and occasionally do some sight seeing off road. I would think an adjustable shock would allow more wheel travel. Has anyone run this Torklift set up with a camper?

I ran the 9000's on a couple of Toyota's that I used extensively off road. They had no effect on travel, in fact if you made them softer the truck wasn't stable off camber. I switched to a non-adjustable shock valved for the application and it was better on and off road.

 

[mpaulson]

The spacers that are on the website that AH64ID gave us do work good for lift and helping stability. I have made my own set that are 3" thick out of steel that just slip onto the tips of the overload leafs, this way I can just take them off when not hauling the quads. As for the comment on the sway bar, I forget what brand I have, but it is 1 3/8" in diameter and it made a serious difference in the swaying of my top heavy load. I do have air bags also, but they are on a common line. My sway bar does add some movement to the truck when empty that can be anoying. On a road that has side to side dips or imperfections, the truck follows it like a race car and I get jerked from side to side with the road. I'm actually going to take off one of the links to the bar for winter as I only need this support in the summer while hauling the quads for camping.

 

[AH64ID]

I bet if you were to plumb your airbags separately you would really cut your sway down.

 

[Barry]

Well, I did not realize when I started this thread it would create such an ongoing conversation about air bags. Thanx to all who have posted.



I have made up my mind to order a set of ABs from Geno's probably after the first of the year. But, for the moment, if I buy one more thing for this truck, I am going to be sleeping in it... ... ..... and winter is coming.

 

[GAmes]

I recently discovered, after leaving the warmth of TX, that my bags lose pressure overnight when the temps fall below freezing. No big deal since I have on board air, just wondering if that is normal.

 

[FFL8N]

For those of you that have on board air, what compressor are you running? Do you have an air tank and if so where did you mount it?

 

[GAmes]

I'm using a compressor from an '85 Caddy. Maintenance free and pumps up to about 110 psi. I mounted a 2 gallon tank on the outside of the frame, under the passenger door.

 

[JFought]

pac brake with compressor, i run the ex brake and bags.
i put a 5 gallon tank on outside of frame, under driver door.
hangs down about 1 inch below frame

 

[FFL8N]

I have the AMP electric steps on my truck. Not sure if I can get an air tank in behind them or not. I will have to take a closer look.

 

[mpaulson]

I recently discovered, after leaving the warmth of TX, that my bags lose pressure overnight when the temps fall below freezing. No big deal since I have on board air, just wondering if that is normal.

I have had this problem in the past and it was always the fittings that you just press the nylon tubing into, the tube contracts a little in the cooler temperatures thus the leak. On all bags that I have installed on my trucks since then, I toss those fittings in the garbage and buy my own, the ones with the furls and insert in the tube and have not had any problems since. Maybe those fittings work in Florida, but not always where it freezes.

 

[RonD]

For whatever it's worth, I installed PacBrake air bags on my 2005, they worked very well, I just installed Firestone air bags on my 2012, they work fine also, but the install on the first set are much easier, and a little more thought went into there install plan, if I had to do it again, I would have bought the PacBrake bags, the big issue I had with the Firestone bags is they have this hole for this truck, and that hole for that truck, and this spacer for another truck, I thought they were model specific, there not really, end of the story, they take twice as long to install, in my case, but they work fine

 

[AH64ID]

I recently discovered, after leaving the warmth of TX, that my bags lose pressure overnight when the temps fall below freezing. No big deal since I have on board air, just wondering if that is normal.

Perfectly normal. If I leave 5 psi in my bags at the end of summer they are 2-3 by winter, and the opposite in the spring. It's the same effect air temp has on your tires.

It's not just freezing air, its cooler air.

Here is the pressure change based on starting at 100psi at 100°, and the only thing changing is temperature.

100°F = 100 psi
80°F = 96 psi
60°F = 93 psi
40°F = 90 psi
20°F = 86 psi
0°F = 82 psi