B&W Turnover Ball and Firestone Airbags installed!

[SleeStack]

This Saturday I finally got around to installing the B&W TO ball gooseneck hitch and the Firestone bags on the 3500.



First was the B&W. Install was pretty easy, but it helps if you have a friend or an Overhead lifting device to hold the reciever plate up in the hole as you install. It also helps if you have someone topside to get tools and such for ya. It took about 4 hours for the install (although I admit to about 30 minutes of nail bitting measuring/remeasuring before putting a 4" hole in the bed). I also installed the front (1"x2" bar) crossmember upside down and had to take down the whole thing to flip it the right way. There is almost no way to get a torque wrench up inside the underside to torque all those bolts so your results may vary. I have some tired arms after putting it all together. Keep the small L-bolts aligned in the frame holes as you tighten everything up (you will know what I mean when you install one). One of mine got slightly off center and I had to loosen things down all the way to straighten it up. All in all about a 3 out of 4 wrench job.



The airbags were MUCH easier. Did the whole job in about 30 minutes a side. Very good instructions, and easy install and they work great. Follow the instructions and install the pushlock airfitting on the top of the airbag before installing the bag in the truck. It will make your life easier.



Neither component interferes with the other at all.

 

[MamthTorq]

Hey Slee, thanks for the info, I will be installing mine next week. Did you take any pics during the install?

 

[SleeStack]

Nope sorry. Was too busy wrenching. The B&W comes with adequate instructions. I am a visual guy though, there could have been more pictures instead of descriptions. Drilling the holes for the safety chain brackets was interesting. The passenger side is directly over the exhaust on my truck and there was NO way to drill things from the bottom side. So I drilled the driver side from the bottom. Then measured/remeasured, eyeballed, gesticulated, etc, etc and drilled the other two from the topside using a small bit to insure I made the measurments right. Then finished with the 1/2" bit. You will need a 1/2" bit, and a 4" hole saw to do the install. You will have to "notch" the bottom edge of the bed material in the passenger wheel well to allow access to pass a large angle iron through (the rear crossmember). Make the cut out a little bigger than they suggest, as mine scrapped off alot of the paint on this piece when I pushed it through. A Sawzall with a small metal cut blade works nicely for this step.



I also went through and shot the wheel wells with some Duplicolor bedliner black to cover all the grey hitch parts that are now visible in the wells.

 

[MamthTorq]

Slee, thanks, sounds like between your input and the instructions I should be able to giter done! The paint sounds like a good idea too. Thanks again!

 

[wyosteve]

One suggestion from when I installed my B&W. Since I didn't have any help available to pull and hold the center piece in the hole, I laid a 2x4 across the bed then took a nylon ratchet strap and wrapped it around the 2x4 and hooked the other end to the locking tube in the hitch. Ratchet up the center piece and it will hold it into place to secure the bolts.

 

[Winston Wolf]

Recently installed my B&W too. Very nice fit, nice product, instructions ok, but yes, could have had better graphics.



I'll add a few tips that might be helpful depending on what you have available.



I removed my tailgate and put a few towels over the rear of the bed/bumper. Then I pulled up my engine hoist with lift arm extended to hold the hitch in the raised position.



Drilled the 4" hole with a Milwaukee Super Hole Hawg and a new Lennox hole saw. After driling a small pilot hole, went through that bed like butter in about 5 seconds.



Also, waited to Line-X until after the install. The top of the B&W is Line-x'ed and gap between hitch and bed at the 4" hole is nicely filled in.



Lastly, I did not like the locations of the safety chain loops. They would have come through the bed right at an edge of the formed bed ribs. Seemed like a really awkward place to have them. I relocated them by drilling from the top and centering them in a "valley" between the bed ribs on both side of the 4" hole.

 

[GWBourne]

did you get a kit for the firestone air bags? i have the same truck as you in a 6 shooter 2wd version, and am looking into the air bags. i didnt do the instal on my truck because of certian reasons. i did have the bed arma coated after the B&W and i have seen pictures of it all. it looks great. but i would like to instal the firestone airbags once i get home.



thanks

Grant