Firestone Airbag install

[AH64ID]

Going to be putting my bags on the truck on monday...



Quick question for those of you that have installed them yourselves... When I installed the firestone bags on my toyota the kit components were top quality, all except the hardware was cheap china junk and I ended up replacing it all with good ol USA stuff half way thru the install... So does the Dodge kit have the same crappy hardware? (I would look in the box but wont have time for a day or two). . I just want to know if I need to plan on going to the hardware store first.

 

[Garlic]

The kit I bought for the 07. 5 was a 'No drill' mounting kit. The bag mounts replaced the bump stops so the bags are on the inboard side of the frame, all of the hardware in the kit was of high quality, from the loctite on the retaining bolts to the air fittings (They we nickel plated brass). The new kit fit perfectly and lined up exactly with the axle mounts.

The kit that I had purchased for the '96 was sort of universal and the mounts had to be cut apart and modified for the my truck and for the hitch mount points, there were a bunch of holes that needed to be drilled in the frame. . The 96's are also set outboard of the frame (No overload springs) and with no air in the bags they are at a natural height, at 5K capacity you put 5-10 psi in them and the rear goes up 2" and it rides like a buck board. The 07. 5 is set up with an automatic load leveler valve and runs 0 psi with no load in the bed. I have yet to tow with the new one and the valve installed but I am looking forward to a stock ride height with the camper on it. I hope your installation goes a smoothly as mine, about an hour with regular hand tools.

 

[AH64ID]

Thanks, thats what I was hoping to hear.

 

[Regcabguy]

The Firestone kit will only include one u bolt per side for attaching the bottom of the bags to the axle. I went to the Carli's which are way better built at a way higher price. The new Pacbrake bags look very well built but they include only one tie down u bolt per lower side also.

 

[Regcabguy]

U bolts

The Firestone kit will only include one u bolt per side for attaching the bottom of the bags to the axle. I went to the Carli's which are way better built at a way higher price. The new Pacbrake bags look very well built but they include only one tie down u bolt per lower side also.

 

[DKupec]

U-bolts

The PacBrake bags I got for my 08 have two U-clamps on each side that hold the bottom plate to the axle tube. It's the same for all of their 3rd Gen kits from what I have seen.

 

[AH64ID]

Dang bajabob those are not cheap in the least...

I know with my toyota tacoma that the airbags were designed to travel more than the OEM suspension so that you could obtain full flex w/out damaging the bags... The bags on the dodge are larger and the travel on the suspension is much less.

 

[JGoss]

I had a hard time with the push-lok fittings on the ride-rites. I installed the kit one night, and the next morning neither bag had air so I replaced with compression type fittings with good luck.