2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission long travel air bags

[LVJUNIOR]

I keep tearing my airbags when I go offroad. I need an airbag with more travel but can only seem to find the Carli bags. They dont make a kit for our truck and $900 is crazy expensive for a set of air bags. I doubt they make the actual bags. Has anyone found a source for the long travel airbags other than Carli?

 

[AEdelheit]

Have you looked into Semi airbags? I know people who have ran them with great results.

 

[LVJUNIOR]

I have looked at a few but I was looking for 12" of travel. I think I may end up going that route from what I have seen they are only around $150 per bag

 

[Bob4x4]

Good luck with that... ... ... . 20k axle wt vs 4-6k wt.

Carli had the bags built to his specs,even revised them to work better from his first version. The shape of the base is a big design issue on the big rig bags to determine how they work for different apps. I am thinking maybe even more important with less wt if you want to keep a good ride.

Carli never offered a kit for the 2nd gens because there are so many frame variations... ... ... ... ..... but there are some 2nd gens running them. He may sell you just the bags if you wanted to fab your own brackets

 

[ed9824v]

what about limiting straps?? I know that will limit travel

 

[AEdelheit]

Any travel you limit that can be used also reduces performance. If the OP just has a standard airbag setup and straps it do the bags don't break he would probably loose 5" travel, when driving through baja that is a lot of performance loss

 

[ENafziger]

The bags are stamped "Airride by Firestone" on them as they come from Carli. However, I presume that Carli has them built to their specs, and it would neither be allowed nor ethical to try to bypass them.

I have an old 1st gen that I'm probably going to put bags on in the spring. I've been looking at this company:

airbags airsprings

These bags have a true 10" travel, load rating of 2600 lbs (appropriate for light duty trucks), and also have a rating of 500 psi maximum pressure. They are a little larger diameter than the Carli bags... but presumably, that would allow the same weight carrying capacity at lower pressure (i. e. better ride).

Mounting the bags slightly inboard would allow a 10" travel air bag to provide 12 - 14" of wheel travel under cross-articulation. Of course no bracketry comes with these bags, but for $89, it may be worth the effort of fabbing something up. They also build custom bag setups, and could probably build something with even more travel if you called them.

The other option is to design a mechanical means to let the axle droop without pulling the bags apart. I've seen this done with the upper mount of the bag being a tube-in-tube design, and also with a cantilevered setup in some regards similar to Thurens cantilever rear suspension. There's pics around somewhere... I'll see if I can dig them up.

--Eric

 

[LVJUNIOR]

I would be interested to see the pictures of mechanical options. My friend had quick release brackets to disconnect when offroad but I need the bags to handle the road offroad at times like last year when I had 5 elk in the bed.



I found bags that look very similar to the Carli bags

Alumalift Air Springs - Arnott Air Suspension Systems



Replacement 11/9000 SLEEVE body fits only our STRUT, comes with hardware and seals Sleeve Bag Air Spring Diameter 4. 50" Closed 5. 75" Extended 12. 75" 2500lbs /per axle 150psi rated



but they still are 2" short. I guess I could put the limiting straps inboard of the bags so they limit the full axle droop without limiting the side to side articulation

 

[ENafziger]

I found bags that look very similar to the Carli bags
Alumalift Air Springs - Arnott Air Suspension Systems

Replacement 11/9000 SLEEVE body fits only our STRUT, comes with hardware and seals Sleeve Bag Air Spring Diameter 4. 50" Closed 5. 75" Extended 12. 75" 2500lbs /per axle 150psi rated

Hmmm... those do look remarkably similar to the Carlis, but only offer 7" and 8" travel at most it looks like.

What's the technical difference between an air bag and an air spring?

--Eric