Attention: TDR Forum Junkies RAM AIR SUSPENSION – 1500 Truck Owners - We Want Your Input
Straight to the point. The folks at Ram Truck Engineering read your comments in our Issue 89 article about the Ram factory air suspension packages (pages 18 – 21). As they further refine these three distinct air suspension options (yes, the 1500/2500/3500 trucks all work a little differently), they would like your further comments and suggestions.
Here is the format we will use. The Ram folks and I have made separate areas for each truck – 1500/2500/3500. There is an introduction/principle-of-operation area (for folks like me who didn’t bother to read their Owner’s Manual). This is followed by a description of the time delays that are programmed into each system. Next (again for those like me that did not read the Owner’s Manual), they give you the proper way to hook up a trailer. Follow this data which is in your Owner’s Manual (yep, I learned something new), and you will better understand the design parameters of the air system. Finally, “The Request for Input.” Here is your chance to tell the Ram staff the good/better/best or good/bad/ugly from your perspective.
Thank you for your participation.
Ram 1500 Four Corner Air Suspension
The 1500 system is a four corner closed air system. Non Rebel variants have 4 customer selectable ride heights (entry/exit, normal, off road 1, off road 2) and one automatically obtained height (aero).
Rebel variants have a higher normal ride height, which is similar to the traditional off road 1 ride height. Therefore the customer selectable heights are entry/exit, aero, normal, and off road 1, while the automatically obtained height keeps the name aero. Both systems also have 3 modes that modify the suspension behavior, each intended for a specific use case(s):
- Tire Jack Mode – Maintains current ride height selection and prevents any automatic adjustments of height. Intended for situations where one or more of the tires will be lifted off the ground or for trailer load bar distribution adjustments (see "Hooking up a Trailer with a Weight Distributing Hitch").
- Transport Mode – Lowers to entry/exit ride height and prevents any further automatic adjustments of height. Intended for strapping down vehicle for transport.
- Wheel Alignment Mode – Adjusts suspension to normal ride height for wheel alignment procedures.
The current ride height of the vehicle is monitored by level sensors at each of the four corners. When the ride height at one or more corners moves outside the target range due to loading or unloading of the vehicle, the air bags are inflated or deflated respectively. To provide the customer with a more traditional “steel suspension like” experience, a 20 second delay in the time to begin leveling was added. The engine should be left running when loading the vehicle if auto leveling is desired.
Another feature of the auto leveling system is the ability to lower the vehicle to a more aero dynamic ride height while at highway speeds. This is the aforementioned aero ride height. If desired, this feature can be disabled in the suspension settings.
Key Off Strategy
The vehicle will make adjustments after the ignition is turned off to maintain the correct ride height. This key off strategy was implemented to minimize both energy consumption and customer annoyance. The following sequence of events will occur when the ignition is turned off and the vehicle ride height is set to normal.
5 minutes after key off – Air suspension system will wake up and vehicle will raise and lower to maintain desired height. The compressor is allowed to run.
8 minutes after key off – Air suspension system will wake up and vehicle will raise only to maintain desired height. The compressor is allowed to run.
10 minutes 30 seconds after key off – Air suspension system will wake up and vehicle will raise only to maintain desired height. The compressor is allowed to run.
101 minutes after key off - Air suspension system will wake up and vehicle will raise only to maintain desired height. The compressor is not allowed to run. No additional adjustment will occur after this leveling event.
Door Open Strategy
Any request to lower the truck by the owner or by automatic leveling will be prevented while the doors are open. This is to protect the doors from being lowered on to a rock, curb, or something of the like. Please note that the tailgate is not included in this strategy and the vehicle will still lower with the tail gate open.
Trailer Hookup/Unhooking
With the 1500 system’s entry/exit feature, the four-corner suspension can be commanded with the key fob to lower the vehicle, thus dropping the rear end and its hitch from a trailer-in-tow. Likewise, while the truck is in park, entry/exist can be commanded which drops the vehicle for easier trailer hookup.
Hooking up a Trailer with a Weight Distributing Hitch (all trucks)
- Set air suspension to normal ride height. No action is required if already in normal ride height. NOTE: The vehicle must remain in the engine running position while attaching a trailer for proper leveling of the air suspension system. NOTE: For Ram 2500/3500 trucks equipped with rear air suspension, normal ride height or alternate ride height can be used.
- Position the truck to be ready to connect to the trailer (do not connect the trailer).
- Under radio suspension settings, turn on jack mode. Jack mode will be canceled and procedure must be restarted if the vehicle is driven at speeds above 5mph (8kph).
- Measure the height of the top of the front wheel opening on the fender to ground, this is height H1.
- Attach the trailer to the vehicle without the weight distribution bars connected.
- Measure the height of the top of the front wheel opening on the fender to ground, this is height H2.
- Install and adjust the tension in the weight distributing bars so that the height of the front fender is approximately H2-H1)/3+H1 (about 1/3 the difference between H2 and H1 above normal ride height
).
[*]The truck can now be driven. Jack mode will be canceled when driven at speeds above 5mph (8kph).
Request for 1500 Input
Ram truck engineering wants your input on the delays implemented during the auto leveling strategy to provide the “steel suspension like” behavior. When replying please include the following information:
- Length of time owning a Ram truck with the factory air suspension system
- Typical usage in which you interact with the air suspension (type of trailer being hooked up/unhooked, type of loads going the bed, etc.)
- Suggested delay time
- Description of why does the delay time need to change or why should it stay the same
Note: This delay is in addition to the amount of time it takes the system to assess the change in height, actual response times to applied loads will vary.
Post Your Input Below
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