2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Softer ride--any Kelderman trucks out there?

[geusterman]

Well, took my wife on a two day 1000 miler empty and that was about it for her. I knew it when I told her I needed her Suburban for the day and she said "no" that she had a doctor appointment. I said "you can take my truck" and got a good 60 seconds of silence. You guys know what it means when a woman is silent. It is a BIG deal. She said " we need a backup car" and I immediatly started thinking Duramax or VW TDI as my solution. Well, I like my Doggy. Then I thought "Kelderman" or some such. THAT looks like a pretty big deal (Kelderman set-up) but a lot cheaper than the other solutions. I have a 2500HO and I admit it is a brute. She calls it Magilla. Anybody successful creating a quality (permanent) nice ride for a Dodge??? Thanks, George

 

[barry kelderman]

Funny you ask, the dual bag rear system for the short bed Dodge Ram 3/4 ton was actually designed on my truck a few months ago and has recently become available, see their web site for more info at keldermanmfg.com and if you go to the truck air ride page my truck is the top right one. .

The front air ride system will definately help the ride, although the front does not ride too bad due to all the weight in the front, the front bags are usually installed for people using snow plows, etc. in order to keep there front end from sagging, the rear system is where you get the nice ride from, since the rear springs are so stiff and there is no weight in the back you usually get the hard bumps and jolts pretty severely depending on the road you are on, this is hard on your truck and usually shakes some bolts and other things loose in time. I am running the system that has the air pressure adjustment in the cab so i can add and remove air as needed for load, i currently run around 20-25 pounds for a nice level ride. It rellay smooths out the ride and you can watch the rear tire in your mirror as you go down the highway and watch it bounce up and down and the air pressure gauge needle also bounces up and down but you hardly feel the bumps because the bags are taking most of the punishment. I actually gave a friend of mine at work a ride and he could tell the difference in 200 feet ! and he was the 2nd truck to have it installed, he hauls his antique tractors to tractor pulls and says his wife will actually go with him now because the truck rides so much nicer. .

Also if you haven't noticed i may be a little prejudice because i am a Kelderman also and my uncle owns the place but i swear by them, i get calls from him every now and then to give people test rides, if you go to the web site you can watch some air ride videos that actually show the system working under the truck as it drives down the road... ... Barry

 

[DBR]

I have had the rear Kelderman Air Ride on my 2001. 5 3500 for about a year and a half. It was installed at Kelderman in April of 2001 while my wife (girlfriend then) and I were traveling back home (Wisconsin, Illinois) to visit our families. The folks at Kelderman were very hospitable and the town of Oskaloosa and its surrounding areas were wonderful. We stayed at a nearby state park as suggested by Kelderman, which turned out to be a nice little side trip for our vacation. Being from the Midwest, we may be just a bit partial but overall the experience was a very enjoyable one.



The Kelderman Air Ride system itself has performed as advertised, removing the harsh ride and bounce-back so much that I now drive my dually instead of my 2500. The only problem that I have had is an ever elusive air leak. The funny thing about the air leak is that it goes away when you have a load in the pick-up. I just returned from a two-week vacation towing the trailer and all of the stuff one would take on a vacation and the system held air with no problem. Now that I am back home in the Pacific Northwest, the Kelderman has decided to go on strike and now the system depressures overnight. Go figure. Don’t quite blame the thing I get a little whiney when I get back here as well. I did use snoop on all the fitting before going on vacation and didn’t observe any leaks, so I thought it might be the gauge in the cab, I’ll figure it out sooner or later. That is one nice thing about the Kelderman system, if for some reason you lose air pressure, your just back to stock, so no worries about being in the middle of nowhere with no suspension. The Kelderman does get my vote as well as their hospitality!

 

[geusterman]

Hi Barry. Do you think you could put a 36 inch extension in your hitch for overhanging things (campers/snomos) so you could still tow a trailer? That is one question. Second is--does the front Kelderman coil spring replacement ride nicer that the coils or is it to beef up the front for plows and not as good a ride? Two questions for ya! Thanks, George

 

[drees1]

Kelderman

Where do I get more info on this Kelderman set up. Exactly how does it work and install / cost?? I have '96 3500 with camper spring package.



Doug Rees

 

[jhurst]

Doug- try http://www.keldermanmfg.com/



Good luck



Justin H

 

[geusterman]

Well, I just ordered the standard model (hitch) from Jeff Kelderman after a nice, forthright conversation with him. There are some overload contact issues that will have to be worked out because the system allows the spring to travel farther than it has before. GE

 

[Lordsman]

Questions, questions...

I have a few questions.

Does this setup raise the rear of the truck?

What is the load rating of the new receiver? Seems like a receiver load would pull down against the air ride bags maybe causing separation.

I have the overload bags on now for use with my slide-in camper,

can I keep them on?

Thanks.

 

[barry kelderman]

Re: Questions, questions...

Originally posted by Lordsman

I have a few questions.

Does this setup raise the rear of the truck?

What is the load rating of the new receiver? Seems like a receiver load would pull down against the air ride bags maybe causing separation.

I have the overload bags on now for use with my slide-in camper,

can I keep them on?

Thanks.

with the rear bag system you can adjust the ride level you want from the back end being lower, level, or higher whichever you prefer. .



the new receiver and air bag system is one piece, it is built from steel and is way heavier and thicker than the stock hitch, also the bags are between the frame and the bag frame and teh air bag assembly that is hookes to the rear springs so the bags are actually being squeezed and not pulled apart, the bags have stops bulit into them so if you lose all the air the bags go down and the stops inside meet and then you are back to just the springs as before you installed the air ride system



you can keep your overload bags as long as they are between the center of the spring and the frame, the kelderman system hooks on at the rear of the rear leaf springs



see

www.keldermanmfg.com

for more info

 

[geusterman]

Yeah, what Barry said with a little, ahem, clarification. Ride hieght is really not the purpose of the Kelderman. Ride nice is. So Jeff was saying today, BARRY, that the adjustment for hieght is small and the goal is to keep the swing arm about level no matter the load. Air bags on the axle are cheap fix for an overload problem that should be fixed from a spring point of view. More overload springs. Then you have real suspension for your load and good ride. Barry?

 

[barry kelderman]

you are right george, the arm that connects between the rear of the truck and the spring should be level, this gives the bags the most travel in both directions.

So in effect if you put some weight in the back of your truck or put on a trailer with some tongue weight the truck will sag, then all you do is put more air in the bags and get the bar back level to get a smooth ride again...

as you can see in the pic mine is pretty level and they are designed so that when you have the arm level your truck should be pretty level...

 

[geusterman]

Thanks Barry. I have really kicked this thing around since buying my HO in June. It was too noisy and rough riding to be my daily driver. I have thought all the way from buying a VW TDi for a daily and parking "Magilla" to what I am embarking on. Because I don't have good feedback for what kind of ride I would get from a cpmplete "respring" I have opted for the Kelderman because there is enough happy campers. Speaking of campers, I will deal with additional springing when the camper goes on. I was going with the Mor/ryde to avoid an air system but with Rancho's going on and the adjustability factor of Kelderman heavy or light I opted Kelderman. So this month I will have Rancho 9000X's, Kelderman Class V air ride and a new Gear Vendor so I can cruise at 1700 rpm and 80 mph!



Another project is QUIET! Got hood insulation, Noise Killer, mats, ear muffs, db meter, and then it gets a flatbed and I think I am going to build my own camper. George

 

[RADdodge]

More Qestions...

This thread sounds like an infomercial, but I like it. There was another thread about the Kelderman system that addresses some of these issues. My questions are 1) What is the load rating of the 2 bag system’s tow hitch? 2)Who can install a Kelderman 4 link system? 3)Does Kelderman have dealers nation wide?

 

[geusterman]

I'll tell you what I know--the hitch is heavy duty and Jeff Kelderman said it was being certified as a Class V. They rate it right now at 10,000. The only issue here is that I cannot attach a TorkLift hitch if I make my camper too long but would have to have a longer tongue on any trailer I pulled in combo. So be it. The four link was developed for hotshotters and actually is not quite as nice a ride as the spring/air combo. According to Kelderman's. Lastly, anybody handy or any good shop can put on the Class V one and you would have to contact Kelderman about their 4 point. I see some shops on the web sell it so maybe one is close to you. George

 

[777 MECHANIC]

If these bags are used to raise the rear end a little higher than stock, will it still ride softer than the springs unloaded. Mine rides like a tank.

 

[geusterman]

777--ditto the tank ride. Go to the Kelderman site and as a mechanic you will see real quick how it works. The "bagged" swing arm becomes the rear shackle and the bag can be soften for empty driving and filled for heavy loads--supposedly making any situation a nice one according to those who have them. GE

 

[Dave MacArthur]

If you are looking for a cheap and easy way to make your truck ride like a Cadillac, try loading about 800/1000 lbs or so in the bed. I use sand bags spread out during the winter and what a difference! If you just want to use it as a daily driver and don't need all the bed space load something heavy in there and try that. Also, even if you have a brand new truck, the OEM shocks are pretty bad. I changed over to the Ranco's and they made a big difference. I am going to try the Bilstiens next though as the Ranco adjusters froze up pretty early and I think the shocks themselves are shot now. Has anyone tried the Velvet Ride shackles that have been advertised in the TDR magazine? I'm sure that those fuel tanks that go in place of the spare tire probably help quite a bit also (at least when they are full).



Dave.

 

[Hummin Cummins]

All I have to say about the Kelderman thing is....

YEAH BABY I GOTTA GET ME THAT

 

[geusterman]

Well, my Kelderman kit came today. Black iron and pump and hoses and switching. Gonna mount the switch under front seat as no real place on dash to mount. Will mount Rancho switch to front seat as well. Out of the way. No clutter. Bad enough having the trailer brake on the dash. Kelderman going in next week. My simple truck getting a little complicated here. Any tips on compressor mounting? George

 

[barry kelderman]

George,



They mounted my compressor on the transfer case skid plate on the top side of course... i will try and get a pic for you today