New 2015 3500 Aisin, Auto Level Rear Air First Impressions

[EHoxie]

Picked up my new truck Jan 2nd. 3500 SRW 4X4 Reg Cab Aisin Rear Air Suspension. It is used as a work truck towing a 20 ft 6500# gooseneck trailer most of the time and a 36 ft gooseneck horse trailer the rest of the time. The short trailer has about a 2000# hitch weight and gets towed about 35,000 miles a year on mostly secondary roads some of which are pretty rough. I replaced a 2012 SRW 4X4 Laramie Crew 68RFE. The short trailer transmits much more of the poor road quality to the truck the same as a shorter wheelbase vehicle rides worse on rough roads than a long wheelbase vehicle. My prior trucks have always been upgraded to Bilstein Shocks when new to help with ride quality. I have 1000 miles on the new truck, about 600 with the trailer. Empty the truck rides a little better than the 2012. Because it is a supplemental air suspension the truck needs a load on it to select the alternate ride height, the empty truck just doesn't weigh enough to settle down on the leaf springs. At normal or alternate ride height the two additional lower leaves at the front of the axle are not in contact with the main springs. These leaves only come into play on hard acceleration to control torque wind-up on the axle, on severe bumps and potholes , and on cornering for roll stability.

With the trailer the new truck definitely rides better than the old one, a very comfortable refined ride. If you hit a pothole or bump ( in this case a rough railroad crossing a little too fast :-laf ) and the secondary leaves make contact you will feel it but the truck handles it as a one ton truck should, no excessive bounce or sag. With the improved ride I am not planning to upgrade Bilsteins any time soon.

The aisin is a huge imrovement over the 68rfe. With the back roads and up and down hills the constant shifting and shift flare on the 2012 68rfe was very annoying, the aisin shifts fast and firm providing a much better driving experience.

Overall I am very satisfied with the way the new truck is performing.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Thanks for the post! I have a Dually with air ride on order.

Does the truck ride "level" loaded and unloaded? What adjustment in ride height is there? When hooking up to a gooseneck or fifth wheel can you raise and lower the truck height to make hitching easier?

 

[EHoxie]

Thanks for the post! I have a Dually with air ride on order.

Does the truck ride "level" loaded and unloaded? What adjustment in ride height is there? When hooking up to a gooseneck or fifth wheel can you raise and lower the truck height to make hitching easier?

Normal ride height the back sits a little higher than the front, alternate ride height the truck sits level. Whichever setting you select the truck will maintain that height up to gross weight capacity.
No you cannot raise or lower to assist in hitching

 

[Cummins12V98]

So it's one or the other nothing in between?

 

[EHoxie]

No there is no adjustment between the settings. There are 3 other settings available on the uconnect screen, Tire change mode, Wheel Alignment mode, and Transport mode but these are disabled when the vehicle is in motion.

 

[gsbrockman]

Question for EHoxie : Whenever this truck is in for servicing, in regards to lifting, does the truck require to be raised / supported by the rear axle, or can the truck be lifted by the frame and the rear axle be permitted to "droop" ???

 

[Apache]

The rear air suspension system is a definite improvement over my 13'.

Will be towing with it off road on the ranch next week.

 

[EHoxie]

Question for EHoxie : Whenever this truck is in for servicing, in regards to lifting, does the truck require to be raised / supported by the rear axle, or can the truck be lifted by the frame and the rear axle be permitted to "droop" ???

I would think it could be lifted by the frame. With the springs it has I wouldn't expect any more droop than the normal suspension.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Anything else to report on the new ride?

I just was told my delivery date of this Friday just changed to 2/26!#@$%!

 

[EHoxie]

Love the new truck. I haven't unhooked the trailer in about 3 weeks running 6 days a week right now.
Getting 11.8 MPG with this, my 2012 only got 10 MPG under the same conditions. Pulls great, the aisin trans is a huge improvement over the 68rfe.
On rough back roads the 2012 would splash coffee out of a travel mug with it in the cup holder, that doesn't happen in this one, love the supplemental air suspension.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Thanks! I like hearing positive comments.

 

[SnoKing]

Anything else to report on the new ride?

I just was told my delivery date of this Friday just changed to 2/26!#@$%!

So we will be home and able to go to diner in the new truck. Should be home 17th or 18th. Snoking

 

[Cummins12V98]

So we will be home and able to go to diner in the new truck. Should be home 17th or 18th. Snoking

Sounds good!

My sons truck is scheduled to be in on 2/16. At one time his was going to be delivered after mine. Heading back to SoCal Friday or Saturday be back around the 25th.