Roadtamer air suspension install and first impressions

[ENafziger]

I WAS buying the best but that was 5 years ago... lots of improvements and you have captured the lot. I checked that sway bar... it is for the front! That twisted my head. I wonder if they have a similar one for the rear. Did you notice flatter cornering with the front sway?

Regarding the load... you were pretty squatted in those pics. Maybe you could have aired up more in your bags. I ride level at 15K, 33" Nittos, stock wheels. Tires get warm but not too much. Amazing really. Did the 19. 5's but too heavy... poor rebound. Like a steel train wheel. Back to light weight that cycles faster. Like to move up a couple inches to bear more weight. Tell me about the sway bar! Thanks, George<!-- google_ad_section_end --> <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Oops!! Sorry, I missed that you had a 2nd Gen! Yes, suspension technology has come a long ways in the past 5 years... it's kindof becoming like computer technology. Even if you have the latest and greatest, it will still be old in a few years!

Yes, I was talking about the front sway bar. These 3rd Gen trucks don't have a rear sway bar at all. The resistance to roll comes from a longer leaf spring.

Concering the squat... yes, I could've aired up the bags more. I only had 35 lbs in them at the time. I also could've dropped the 4" rear bumps some so that they would've come on sooner. My truck sits level empty, so any added weight will squat it some... unless you air up the bags to keep it completely level. I generally choose to let the truck sag an inch or two with weight on it, and that has worked out better. I over-inflated the bags once (before I had the rear bumps), and ended up blowing a bag on a 2,500 mile trip because I was trying to keep the truck completely level. Now that I have the rear bumps, it wouldn't be an issue at all. You can easily adjust the bumps to come in whenever you want, and set your own compression. The compression rate of the bumps ramps up MUCH quicker than the air bags.

With the rear bump stop kit, there is actually a heavy bar that ties the two bump mounts together. You can see something similar here, although this isn't the 4" Bilstein version:
Rear Hydro Pneumatic Bump Stops, Air Bumps and Hydro Bumpstops for Dodge Ram Suspension Systems

I've never had a problem with sway at all with this setup!

--Eric

 

[geusterman]

I am third gen. Given how heavy the front bar is (thinking of highway rolling... I am tall too, like and old sheep wagon) I would want that there... and add one to the rear to make it flatter on the corners. You think the Carli is flatter on the corners when loaded? I would think it better off road then ok on flat cornering on the highway because it is softer. An electronic disconnect like the Power Wagon would be ideal. George

BTW, your photo essay on the new Dynatrax hubs was excellent. No cussing or referals to how many beers you needed. I was pleasantly surprised at your enjoyment of the process and accomplishment.

 

[ENafziger]

am third gen. Given how heavy the front bar is (thinking of highway rolling... I am tall too, like and old sheep wagon) I would want that there... and add one to the rear to make it flatter on the corners. You think the Carli is flatter on the corners when loaded? I would think it better off road then ok on flat cornering on the highway because it is softer. An electronic disconnect like the Power Wagon would be ideal. George
BTW, your photo essay on the new Dynatrax hubs was excellent. No cussing or referals to how many beers you needed. I was pleasantly surprised at your enjoyment of the process and accomplishment. <!-- google_ad_section_end --> <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Lol, wow, ok, yes I see you're 3rd Gen now, and that you sold the 2nd. I need to start reading more carefully!!!

Hmmm... it's really hard to tell on high speed cornering if the Carli is better than the stock stabilizer or not. I "think" it's better, but I wouldn't feel right quantifying this as fact.

I'm sure you're aware of it, but Hellwig makes a rear sway bar kit for our trucks, although I've never tried it.

I think actually the Lazarsmith traction bars I'm running help alot with cornering ability and sway control more than anything. Mike (Lazarsmith) has posted some impressive numbers on the skid pad with these.

You're welcome on the right up! I try to give an honest overview, good, bad, or ugly!

--Eric

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

Man, I wish I would have found this thread sooner. My '04. 5 came with the Air Lift Road Tamer on it. Really rides much better than my '05 with same weight in bed and a camper on behind. Unfortunately that truck is now on it's third 6 speed transmission since I bought it, not counting the two transmission rebuilds for the guy I bought it from.

My problem has been that the u-bolts have come loose. Because I lease the truck to a guy to deliver campers with he, of course, doesn't pay near the attention to the truck like I do. Consequently the u-bolts would work loose and then the axle would shift side to side which would cause the drive shaft to wobble which allowed nearly all the transmission fluid to escape out the rear seal and then for some odd reason the transmission quits working. Funny how that happens!

I really believe the reason the u-bolts coming loose is two-fold: 1. the nuts are not serrated and 2. the guys who drove it have a much heavier foot than I do. With 100 hp injectors and a Smarty it has too much power even with the Smarty on 60%. I was really amazed to find that Air Lift recommends checking the u-bolt nuts every 10,000 miles. What??? That is once a month for me!!

I just discovered this morning that the u-bolts are loose and one is broken after having a used 6 speed installed yesterday. I had checked them recently and they were tight. The Cummins is just too mighty for the Air Lift Road Tamer. Unfortunately the transmission housing was ruined on this last one I took out. Grrrrrr... ...

So, now that I know what the problem is I have to decide how to fix the problem. The Air Ride kit on my truck required the removal of the rear spring hangers, so if I decide to put springs back on it will include finding some used hangers and bolting them on. Or put out the bucks for another air ride that hopefully won't have issues also.

My best advice: DO NOT buy a truck that has the Air Lift Road Tamer on it unless you are prepared to spend the time and money to replace it.

Godspeed,
Trent
________

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

After crawling under the truck I can now see that the rear spring perches are still in place which makes my decision much simpler; buy some used springs and put them on.

Godspeed,
Trent

 

[Scooby]

Mental note to self: don't buy truck from ENafziger if he advertizes it as a "garage queen"!



Wow - you are using that truck to it's potential! I admire that!



Do you mind PMing me and letting me know about how much you have invested in that rear set up? I'm like you - I'd rather spend more up front and get the quality and performance that I want than have to spend it in repairs later!

 

[ENafziger]

Mental note to self: don't buy truck from ENafziger if he advertizes it as a "garage queen"!

Wow - you are using that truck to it's potential! I admire that!

Do you mind PMing me and letting me know about how much you have invested in that rear set up? I'm like you - I'd rather spend more up front and get the quality and performance that I want than have to spend it in repairs later!<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Ah, don't worry, I won't be selling it! It's just now starting to get broken in a little bit... I think a truck likes to be used! :-laf I don't really abuse the truck, I just give it a work out every now and then!

All prices for items are in the public domain, so I don't think it's a problem posting here. These are just ballpark figures off the top of my head, so don't get upset if they are +/- a few percent now.

Carli LT rear airbags ~ $850
Carli 4" rear bumps ~ $1000
Lazersmith traction bars ~ $690
Carli rear full replacement leaves ~ $1100
Carli Bilstein 9100 2. 65 shocks ~ $2400 for a set of 4
Onboard air, 3 gallon tank, solenoids, check valves, digital control for air bag pressure, etc ~ $650

And, of course, the Toyo MTs help alot in almost all situations!

--Eric

 

[Scooby]

Thanks for the reply. That's a beautiful set up. I'm getting ready to dump a bunch of money in an SBC clutch, pacbrake and rear air bags to safely move (and stop) our fiver. Something like this may be a project for the future... .