Shackles and Airbags for soft ride ?

[HKnutsen]

I am driving a 97 ram 2500 CTD long box which most of the time is empty, and occationally with a Bigfoot 9,5 camper. I am looking for a way to soften my ride when empty, without sacrificing the needed load capacity I need for my camper. As far as I can see from posts in this forum, I have basicly 3 options; Full air suspension, kelderman 2 bag system, and shackles in combination with airbags.



I have noticed that my leaf springs are sagging a bit. With only 200-300 lbs load, it sits on the overloads.



I think that full air suspension might be a bit too expensive and I am not sure that it will be the best solution for a soft ride when empty.



Kelderman 2 bag system looks promising, but a bit expensive, and I am a bit conserned that my sagging leaf springs could be a problem. I am also uncertain how it will handle my camper without the overloads.



I therefor wonder if velvet ride shackles, no overloads and airbags would be the right solution for me.



I am grateful for any comments.

 

[RustyJC]

What shocks are you running? Adjustable shocks made the biggest difference for me in firming up the damping when towing a heavy 5th wheel and softening up the ride when running empty. Admittedly, shocks won't do anything for ride height, but they will do a lot for ride quality.



Rusty

 

[nps]

You suggest you want some additional help when loaded, and softer ride when empty. Agree with Rusty. Rancho 9000's work well for me - softest setting when empty and hardest setting while loaded.



For additional spring capacity while loaded you can also look at Timbrens rubber springs. They replace the bump stops and leave about 1" gap between the axle and spring when empty to preserve ride quality. When the truck squats the 1" gap they contact the axle and begin to support the load.

 

[y-knot]

You sound like me about 4 years ago. I wanted the same thing, a softer ride when empty and still have the capacity to tow a heavy load.

Hear is what I did. I removed the rear over-load spring pack, this is what causes the big jerk when going over speed bumps or anything similar in an empty truck. I then installed the BFG velvet ride shackles, and added a pair of (Air Lift or Firestone) air bags. The Kelderman system is awesome, and very well designed, but it is also very, very expensive. If money were no object, I would have gone that way, with a complete system. Unfortunately, money is an object, and I did what I could on a more reasonable budget. I installed an on-board air compressor w/tank and automatic controls. The rear air bags are fully adjustable from the cab, as they should be for best results. I have found that different roads need different air pressures, as do different loads. Usually I run about 25-30psi in an empty truck, that is just enough to take the weight off the springs and allow the truck to ride much smoother. Removing the overload spring packs, allows the rear suspension to travel further. The Spring stops, mounted to the frame, limit travel.

The BFG velvet ride shackles, take the small bumps out of the ride, they are easy to install and cost less then $200. I also installed a expansion tank in-line with my rear air bags, this allows for a larger volume of air. Which makes the bags all the more comfortable. How it works is as the rear suspension moves, the rear air bags compress. This compression, causes the rear air bags air pressure to rise, or spike. By adding the tank, that spike is more controlled. The air has a place to expand, which reduces the spiking pressure and makes for an even better ride.

Shocks... . I would stay completely away from the Bilstien shocks, they are good but very stiff. If you have to have them, then get the ones for trucks under the 8700lb. limit, they ride better. I am currently experimenting with some Fox remote reservoir shocks, time will tell if they help or not, I hope to have them on in the next couple of months (they have been sitting in the garage for over a year,to busy).

If you go with the air bags, make sure you budget enough for an air compressor, and not one from Air Lift or Firestone, those are garbage. Get a Quick-Air I or II, they do a great job. Also, when setting up the auto controls, do not just set the air compressor up to run on a low tank air pressure. Instead, make it run on a combination of low tank pressure, and engine oil pressure. That way the compressor only kicks on while the truck is running, otherwise it will run the battery down in the winter, As temperatures fall.

Good luck with your new project, the end results are well worth the time and effort.

 

[Turbo Thom]

There is a new style air system I've staring handling called made by Talon. I've sold Kelderman for 3 years now but I wil have to say, these folks at Talon have done their homework. They do not make lift kits, just tow packages. The smoothest system I've ever had the pleasure to ride in. May be something you want to look into .



. . Preston. .

 

[SAGIDON]

I installed the velvet rides and it made a huge difference...

IMO

very happy with them

 

[NoSeeUm]

Mind putting up a link to the Talon factory site?



Jim

 

[HKnutsen]

Thank you very much for helping out a Norwegian with stiff suspension (and poor english) This was very useful information.



Can I conclude that my sagging leaf springs are no big subject if I am going to use airbags?



Am I right if I say that the combination: Shackles, leaf springs (no overload) and airbags might be the most robust solution? (I am driving all over Scandinavia, and would not like to be stranded due to a breakdown in an airbag)



I have an american collegue. I think he will have to bring his big duffel bag when he is going to see his mother this summer

 

[Loren]

HKnutsen,



Well, for sure your English is a lot better than my Norwegian, in spite of my grandmother. She didn't even teach her kids Norwegian, and certainly not her grandchildren.



In my opinion, your most effective solution will be the airbags. I used the Firestone Ride-Rite bags on my 1995 truck while pulling a heavy trailer and liked the flexibility. They weren't too expensive and provided a good result. They are relatively simple to install. I'm sure you could do it yourself.



I installed the Velvet-Ride shackles on my 2000 model truck and was disappointed. Many others have liked them, but I didn't notice enough of an improvement to justify the work of installing them. The cost is reasonable, but they are a job to install. If I had to do the job again, I think I would remove the bed rather than work from underneath. If you do remove the bed, you should replace the bolts rather than reuse the ones you remove. Check the Dodge service manual for details.



I can't comment on how effective it would be to remove the overload leaves from your springs. I've never done that. I think that if you install the airbags, you won't need to do anything at all to your springs, but that's just a guess.



Good luck,

Loren