Rear Air Bags

[mpwalker]

Has anyone installed or used the air bag kit being offered by Geno's. Need to improve my ride on the rear and wonder if they would help. Do not need them for leveling just trying to improve the ride both empty and when towing. Pull 17,000 pounds with 05, 3500 dually, with 93,000 miles on it.

 

[BGlidewell]

Has anyone installed or used the air bag kit being offered by Geno's. Need to improve my ride on the rear and wonder if they would help. Do not need them for leveling just trying to improve the ride both empty and when towing. Pull 17,000 pounds with 05, 3500 dually, with 93,000 miles on it.

some shocks might help too, my bags helped a lot.

 

[wcjp]

I'm using the Pacbrake airbags. Seem to work great. I don't use them for empty ride quality.

 

[BILLVO]

Does anyone offer an equalizer bar for the rear of the 3rd gens and Why doesn't dodge put them on 3rd gens? My 05 is down right scary to pull trailers with. I usually take my 02 if pulling bigger loads cause the 05 gets really squirlly without an equalizer. I was thinking about the airbags from Genos too as the springs seem softer than my 02 also.

 

[DKupec]

Hellwig makes a rear sway bar for the 3rd gens. Summit Racing sells them.

I have the PacBrake Air Springs and I like them so far.

 

[Pacbrake]

Geno's is selling the Pacbrake brand, if I can answer any tech questions you might have feel free to ask.

 

[DGamelin]

I have firestones ride right on my 93. I use them for more load capability lower them down to 10lbs when not hauling. I have been using them on trucks and rvs since the 80s. I have never had a problem with one yet. On the class a & b rvs they worked great for keeping them off the over loads so they did ride a little better. On my pickups they work great for load not ride. I will put them on my 04. 5 eventually. I think there one called jetair ride makes a complete air ride system that replaces the leaf springs.



04. 5 3500 4wd cc dully 373 6speed 50k

93 2500 2wd xc 354 auto 250k

 

[Paddy McMahon]

Has anyone installed or used the air bag kit being offered by Geno's. Need to improve my ride on the rear and wonder if they would help. Do not need them for leveling just trying to improve the ride both empty and when towing. Pull 17,000 pounds with 05, 3500 dually, with 93,000 miles on it.

I have the pac brake air ride setup that Geno's is selling. It helps level the truck when loaded and helps out with the wash in the rear end when towing over 7-8K on my truck. I am very happy with this product. This system does nothing for the empty ride quality and has a downfall in off road conditions that it limits axle drop (articulation), but for keeping the headlights from pointing in the trees and stabilizing the vehicle under load it works wonders.

 

[Matt400]

Geno's is selling the Pacbrake brand, if I can answer any tech questions you might have feel free to ask.

Ok, here goes -

Many of us have lowered the rear some (1. 25") by pulling out the factory rear blocks, more on that here: Slide Show



Will the Pacbrake kit fit & function just as well with these removed?



I might want to also add the exhaust brake & if I do. . how long does it take for the pump supplied with the brake to pressurize the bags?

 

[jelag]

I own 4 trucks... 04, 04. 5, 05, & 08 5500. We have air bags on all of them except the 5500 and the kit is in the UPS for that truck...

We use the pacbrake compressor and nothing more than an air pressure regulator with gauge... we level the truck each time we change the weight in the trailers...

On the 08, we're installing a self leveling valve like we have on our Class 8 trucks with air suspension... we tow from 8500 lbs to 22K lbs of trailer weight and use the air bags to level the trucks. . works great...

Matt400... . we have the spacers out of 2 of our trucks... and the air bags work fine with the spacers out of our 3500 duallys.

 

[Matt400]

On the 08, we're installing a self leveling valve.

I like the sound of that. Is this an optional valve/kit available or something you are custom doing? I think I would rather have that then in cab controls.



Isn't it true that the 4x2's have no blocks in the back? If so then maybe the 4x2 kit is a better choice for 4x4 owners that have removed the factory blocks.

 

[Garlic]

I finally finished my Ride Rite install this weekend. I chose the Ride Rites because of 'No drill' mounting. Also bought the leveling valve kit, I created my own on board air system that I will probably up grade this summer. I haven't towed with the system operational yet but will in a week or so. I also have a Ride Rite set on the 96 with a manual valve and on board air to adjust the ride height. Both trucks still have all of the suspension parts intact. Love them. I've rolled throught the scales with the 96 at 10,500 pounds and 100 psi in the bags it sets level (Gravel for the yard).

 

[JBonpua]

Packbrake Air Bags

If anyone is interested, I have a brand new Packbrake airbag kit HP10002. Make me an offer or trade for a 3rd gen stuff. Thanks.



J.

 

[jelag]

On our 3500's we have a regulator to level the truck... . on our larger Class 8 (semi) trucks they have a self leveling valve that adds air or releases air as you change the load...

Since the 5500 has a different load every stop we are taking a valve like what our big trucks us... . I think their $50-60 and will plumb them into the air bag kit... the valve uses a swing arm to add or reduce pressure in the air bags... .

We've built the bracket to mount it to the frame and the other end has an eye on it... an it just bolts to one of the cover bolts on the rear end... One air in line, one air out line to the air bags and I think the valve has 2 exhaust ports on it as well... for the vent side.....

So 120 psi air from the tank to the valve, to the air bags...

I think this answers the questions... .

 

[Matt400]

we have the spacers out of 2 of our trucks... and the air bags work fine with the spacers out of our 3500 duallys.

Good to know, some searching located this post where trouble came up. And then there was this post where Firestone's worked ok.



It would be good to know what the difference is between the 2wd and 4wd kits because if its all about those spacers then it would make sense to install the 2wd part number on 4x4 trucks with the blocks removed.

Maybe Pacbrake Harold can chime in on that. .



mpwalker I read where a fella pulled some leafs out to soften the ride and then backed up that move with air bags to gain back some load carrying capacity, interesting idea depending on what the bags are capable of.

 

[JHardwick]

You're not going to gain ride quality while empty with air bags.

 

[AH64ID]

I have firestones on order... Both my dad and I have always had great luck with firestone.

 

[GSX600]

Empty ride quality will suffer if the spacer blocks are removed. Not enough clearance left.

 

[Matt400]

Empty ride quality will suffer if the spacer blocks are removed. Not enough clearance left.

Thats what I was thinking, I contacted PackBrake about that and they are looking into the question of using the 4x2 kit on 4x4's that have had the blocks removed.

 

[Pacbrake]

we are putting the truck on the lift this friday to check for clearance issues with the lowered trucks. At this point we are thinking we need the single bag and not the standard double rolled. I will let you guys know shortly.