Pacbrake airbags installed!!

[EricBu12]

Well between snow storms, rinsed off the snow and installed bags today. . Not too bad of a job and so far first try no leaks. . tested at 90 psi. The 44" measurement is how high the wheel well is when aired up to 90 psi.



Set it at 10 PSI for minimum. I drilled the bumper to mount the valves next to the license plate. makes room for the sticker.

 

[EricBu12]

Air still holding. . had a small leak at the valve stem, opened it with a tool and resealed it. . no leak. . will check it in the next few days but so far i am luck as no leaks on the lines or nothing. .

 

[EricBu12]

OK Bags installed, how much air do I use?

My 36' 5th wheel has about a 2800# pin and my 1 ton has the overloads. . it was just engaging the overloads before the airbags. . How much air pressure should I put in to help level the truck? 30? 40?. . add the air before or after the load is on the truck? #30 before or around 70 after?

 

[NIsaacs]

I would start with a minimum of 10# empty, then hook up. It will probably be enough, if not just add till the truck is level. Don't use any more than you need. As the truck ages, the left side will become slightly lower than the right side due to driver weight and fuel tank. If you change out to a larger tank, this will become more apparent. So you will need slightly more air in the left side. Rather than using your eyeball to level, actually measure front and rear wheel well distance. I use the top of the tire rather then the ground.



You will get the feel of the truck with different loads and soon know what works the best. They are a great suspension upgrade with less air usually being better.



Nick

 

[AClayton]

I don't know if I'm doing it right... ... . but I've had my PB bags for several yrs with no problems. I hook up to my Raptor and before I set the pin weight on the truck I air up to 50#... ... ... that lifts the RV off its landing gear and then I hit the switch to raise them into traveling position. If I'm traveling with my atv's in the garage, then I only need 30# in the bags. I have the 2. 5" leveling kit on my truck so the bags are used to maintain my truck at level ride height... ... which allows for about 3" of suspension deflection until my overloads contact and start making a difference in ride.


Again... ..... don't know if it's right or not but I park my RV, add air to bags to raise my truck a little. On my rig, the landing gear works very slow and I'm impatient! So after my landing accepts the weight, I go in to my truck and release all the air out of the bags... . which lowers the truck and relieves its weight from the pin of the RV. In most cases, I only need to cycle the landing gear a short bit before I can pull away from the rig.

When you need to disconnect your RV when the nose is very high adds a whole new plan to execute. I think you have been RV'ing long enough to already know this part of the equation, but I wanted to tell you that in this situation, I drop the air out 1st and use my landing gear to do the work.

This sounds like it is a huge deal, but once you do it enough, it becomes second nature and I have gotten really fast over the years. Sometimes I am done and sitting in my lawnchair sipping my favorite beverage long before my friends have even parked their rigs!

I hope I didn't over-answer your question, but the word of thumb is to use enough air to raise the truck a bit over the contact point of your overload springs.

Alan

 

[Jim W]

I have an on board air compressor and controller installed with my air bags on my truck. I always run my air bags at 10 psi when I am not carrying a load in the bed whether it is the 5er or a load of gravel or such.

I will hitch up the 5er and than inflated the bags so the truck is level. I inflated one bag at a time usually the truck will level out around 35 to 40 psi of air in the bags. When carrying a load in the bed like dirt or gravel more air is required in the bags to level the truck out. I do notice the air compressor running from time to time after I have loaded up the truck to keep it level especially if I am towing out west in the mountains. So when you are towing the 5er I would check the air bag pressure daily to insure the 5er is level.

Jim W.

 

[NIsaacs]

I have the 2. 5" leveling kit on my truck so the bags are used to maintain my truck at level ride height... ... which allows for about 3" of suspension deflection until my overloads contact and start making a difference in ride.



I hope I didn't over-answer your question, but the word of thumb is to use enough air to raise the truck a bit over the contact point of your overload springs.



Alan

Looks like we posted opposite preferences When a truck is used for only one or two specialized loads, it is easier to have a happy medium.



However if you haul all types of loads, you should custom fit each load to your truck. I don't like leveling kits. They offset the original rake designed for adding weight to the rear. I also prefer to have the overloads do most of the work. I feel it makes the truck more stable and spreads the stress over more frame distance. This becomes more apparent with a bumper pull.



With goosenecks and fifthwheels, the weight is carried in a small area all inboard of the springs/airbags, so by design the weight is stable. But, if you use a bumper pull or haul a large overhead camper, the weight becomes more outboard and requires a stabilizer to help with lean and sway. The air bag can aggravate this condition with too much air.



Nick

 

[BIGNASTY]

Looks like a nice setup I have Firestone looks about the same. Something My instructions said to MAKE SURE YOU HAVE NO AIR IN BAGS WHEN TRUCK IS LIFTED WITH WHEELS OFF THE GROUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Other than that I like mine

 

[MLee]

Looks like a nice setup I have Firestone looks about the same. Something My instructions said to MAKE SURE YOU HAVE NO AIR IN BAGS WHEN TRUCK IS LIFTED WITH WHEELS OFF THE GROUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Other than that I like mine

My Pac-Brake bags says not to suspenend axles without support, or dont let them just hang on a hoist. This puts stretching strain on the bags.



Mine also says to maintain a minimum of 10 psi.

I found on mine if I start with 18psi before load, When hooked up the pressure now is 27psi, so it will grow. They also recommend to add air before you add the trailer. Let out air as needed to level the unit. There is not much air in the bags and just a touch of the valve core means a lot. Just go easy on the release.

 

[EMAC2]

Looks Good!

 

[RonD]

I had PacBrake bags on my 05 for 5 years, when I towed I ran them at 22psi, when empty I took all the air out, didn't hurt a thing. My new truck has Firestone's, I wish I had bought PacBrake, there a better product, and nicer to install, but those I run all the air out when empty, with 10 lbs, the empty ride is harsh.

 

[AClayton]

I had PacBrake bags on my 05 for 5 years, when I towed I ran them at 22psi, when empty I took all the air out, didn't hurt a thing. My new truck has Firestone's, I wish I had bought PacBrake, there a better product, and nicer to install, but those I run all the air out when empty, with 10 lbs, the empty ride is harsh.

I do to... ... ... and have never had any problems to date. One time my mechanic even forgot to strap the rear before he lifted the truck on the lift. That was 3 years ago and still working with no leaks... ... ... ... the Pac-Brakes are tough bagsOo.

 

[JJPage]

With my setup, I use 25lbs before I hookup to my 5vr to level my truck. But what I discovered, I was not utilizing my overloads or minimum at best. The ride felt "tippy" with the airbags and regular spring pack. I had some 2" stock, so I cut 4, 3" lengths and remounted the pads to engage the overloads earlier. This resulted in a much more stable ride, I really like the extra stability and the truck is not always bouncing off the overloads(except sometimes when empty).



Here's a couple of pics,



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[JRBurton]

I have a 15000# 5th wheel. I set mine at 40 - 43 psi for hauling. Work great wouldn't be without them.



John

 

[EricBu12]

Heres a pic with the trailer hooked. Set the bags at 25# before hook. Sits nice and level.
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[Bill Stockard]

With my setup, I use 25lbs before I hookup to my 5vr to level my truck. But what I discovered, I was not utilizing my overloads or minimum at best. The ride felt "tippy" with the airbags and regular spring pack. I had some 2" stock, so I cut 4, 3" lengths and remounted the pads to engage the overloads earlier. This resulted in a much more stable ride, I really like the extra stability and the truck is not always bouncing off the overloads(except sometimes when empty).



Here's a couple of pics,



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You made a set of Torklift Stable Loads and saved over $100.



Bill

 

[JJPage]

You made a set of Torklift Stable Loads and saved over $100.



Bill

Thanks, at first I was going to build blocks to go under the center of the spring packs(overloads) to raise them closer to the pads. Then I thought, why not bring the pads closer to the springs, plus I can have these on/off in 1/2 hour.



Never heard of Torklift, is this what they do?