Kelderman Air Ride

[DLoughery]

Anyone running this on a newer truck? If so any pro's con's? My main concern is how durable is the 4 link setup.



Thanks... . Doug

 

[John - K5AWO]

well, the only draw back I can think of is cost... . but that is something I am going to look into myself. Either that or their lower cost airbag solution.

 

[SRadke]

Can we say STOUT. All of the parts in their kit are properly or over engineered IMO. The front control arms are twice the weight of the stock ones. The rears are made of the same material. I have seen nothing that concerns me with durability and I installed it all myself. I've also hauled a lot of weight with the seyup and it rides even better loaded than it does empty. Like John said, "the only drawback is cost". Pictures in my readers rigs.



-Scott

 

[John - K5AWO]

Scott,



Impressive photos. Thanks! Better even than the Kelderman materials I have here at home. I presume that you took the photos before you secured all the wiring? I didn't see any cable clamps or zip ties. Hope that air compressor motor has some dielectric grease on that connector



Nice job. How long did the rear end job take? I understand that the fronts can be done in about 4 hours?

 

[SRadke]

Yea, I've got things cleaned up a bit better now. It's one of those deals, the more you tweek a truck the more you have to go back and re-tweek in an attemp to find the "perfect truck" that you've always wanted. If a little work is good than more must be better. Just today I remounted my custom running boards that I had to remove to do the airide install.



The install was not easy. I understand why they charge what they do to install these things. 4 hours for the front? I spent 3 hours trying to swap a single control arm in the front. It seems the upper right rear bolt goes through the frame in just the right location where it becomes necessary to disconnect the exhaust from the turbo and push it aside to get the bolt out. Sounds simple right... . well not with an aftermarket 4" exhaust. With that I got to do the above plus loosen the first clamp, rotate the downpipe, pry, tweek cuss... . 3 hours later my bolt is in. As a first timer working alone on the shop floor it was two days for the full install including the compressor, solenoids, and gauges in cab. Kelderman does a full install in one day. I hope I never have to do another one but if so, I know what to shoot for



-Scott

 

[DLoughery]

SRadke,



Do you have any idea how much weight the Kelderman suspension adds? Also what do they charge for the install? Does it affect the ride height? I pull a goose neck and these Dodges sit pretty high allready. I don't really want the truck to sit any higher. Sorry for all the questions, I emailed Kelderman about a week ago and haven't gotten a response. Unfortunatly I haven't been able to call them durring normal business hours.



Thanks..... Doug

 

[John - K5AWO]

Kelderman will answer your email. I don't remember how long it took for my request, but it did come 3 or 4 weeks later. Price sheet is included with the video package.

 

[yogibear]

Doug, I've had the Kelderman 4 link on my trk. for over 110K now, and really like it! I don't think it adds any weight, if anything it may be a few lbs. lighter. Those springs are pretty heavy. You can adjust what height you want your rear to set, and it automaticly goes to that height no matter what weight you have on the rear. You should go to their factory, you are only about 200 mi. from them, its worth the trip to see their facility, and what all they build up there. I plan on going to the KC dyno on Sept. 26th if you want to see the system.



Larry

 

[SRadke]

Larry is right about the weight, I think it's actually a little lighter in the back. If I had to guess I'd put those leaf springs at 80-100 lbs each. They are over 4 feet long.



The easiest way to get your questions answered is to call Jeff direct. He doesn't get to spend a lot of time on the computer. The prices and install prices are all on their website.



As for height, he can do whatever you want. I wanted about 2 inches to clear my tires but still tow and settled on the 5" kit because I wanted the long control arms in the front. I do/have towed the goosneck with it since then but I do have to air down the back a little and watch it on uneven surfaces. If you want stock height, he can do that too.



-Scott

 

[DieselPuff]

Scott and Yogi,



Can you please comment on the unloaded ride compared to the stock suspension? Is it better, same, or worse? I plan to haul a 4000 lb camper with a Dodge 3500 SRW SWB truck on the weekends and have pondered which of Kelderman's systems to get. I understand this 4-link adds load capacity, but will it affect my empty ride quality?



Thanks in advance!

 

[SRadke]

Unloaded ride is similar to stock. I say similar becasue it's better in some ways, not as good in others. The airbags in this setup are so big I only run about 25psi to hold the back up empty and with a pin load of 2500-300 that ups to 45psi. Loaded it rides like a dream. No bumps, lots of axle travel, it's great!



If it's a smooth empty ride your looking for you need to install larger surge tanks. He supplies surge tanks with the kit to increase the realtive volume of the air in the bag but if they are increased in size the ride would be smoother. Tradeoff is larger tanks would tend to give you more of a floating feel and sway with a top heavy load.



-Scott

 

[DieselPuff]

Scott,



Thanks for the quick reply. As for the surge tanks when loaded, couldn't you install a valve to close off the surge tanks when you have a load and open when you don't? Seems you would get the best of both worlds.



Thanks again!

 

[SRadke]

I suppose a valve is an option. The catch is you always want some tank, the question is how much? The tanks supplied are about 4" dia x 7-8" long. I'm guessing, I didn't measure them. This is great while loaded, no complaints here. I would say they need to be bigger when empty. Also a bit stiffer shock helps while loaded, I run my Rancho 9000's on 2 empty and 5 loaded. It keeps things from bouncing a bbit better. I suppose two tanks with a valve to one that could be turned off would work? Seem's like a lot of extra work and plumbing though. Also more possibility for leaks.



-Scott

 

[DieselPuff]

Thanks Scott!

 

[DLoughery]

The easiest way to get your questions answered is to call Jeff direct. He doesn't get to spend a lot of time on the computer. The prices and install prices are all on their website.



I found the prices on the website but couldn't find anything on the installation price. I'll try to give them a call later this week and find out the particulars, I was just curious what they charge to install it.



Thanks... . Doug

 

[DLoughery]

Doug, I've had the Kelderman 4 link on my trk. for over 110K now, and really like it! I don't think it adds any weight, if anything it may be a few lbs. lighter. Those springs are pretty heavy. You can adjust what height you want your rear to set, and it automaticly goes to that height no matter what weight you have on the rear. You should go to their factory, you are only about 200 mi. from them, its worth the trip to see their facility, and what all they build up there. I plan on going to the KC dyno on Sept. 26th if you want to see the system.



Larry

Larry,



Would love to hook up with you to see your setup. Where are they having the dyno day here in KC?



Doug

 

[SRadke]

Doug, I sent you a PM but the prices are all on this page.



-Scott

 

[DLoughery]

Unloaded ride is similar to stock. I say similar becasue it's better in some ways, not as good in others. The airbags in this setup are so big I only run about 25psi to hold the back up empty and with a pin load of 2500-300 that ups to 45psi. Loaded it rides like a dream. No bumps, lots of axle travel, it's great!



If it's a smooth empty ride your looking for you need to install larger surge tanks. He supplies surge tanks with the kit to increase the realtive volume of the air in the bag but if they are increased in size the ride would be smoother. Tradeoff is larger tanks would tend to give you more of a floating feel and sway with a top heavy load.



-Scott

Scott,



Could you explain a little more what you mean by, not as good in some ways?

I'm either running empty or at max GVW, very seldom in between.



Thanks... . Doug

 

[yogibear]

Doug, the dyno will be at MC Racing, 4880 Merriam Dr. , Overland Park, Ks. , I hope I can make it.



Larry

 

[SRadke]

Scott,



Could you explain a little more what you mean by, not as good in some ways?

I'm either running empty or at max GVW, very seldom in between.



Thanks... . Doug

Sure. First, the poly bushings they use tend to transfer more vibration from the road to the truck than the stock rubber ones. I didn't notice this until I was on a rough road stuck in traffic at about 30 mph two months after the initial install. I beleive it is more a factor for the front setup.



Second, the suspension feels is diffrent. The small bumps you feel a little more than stock but the big stuff it soaks up better. The biggest advantage of this system is the added suspension travel and being able to maintain that travel under load. Overall, I'm very impressed with the setup.



-Scott