Who makes the best airbags?

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I'm looking to put airbags on my truck. Who makes the best quality kit and are any available that don't require drilling holes in the frame? I'm getting to much sway with the stock overloads and my camper on.

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2001 black dually,4x4, 6 speed H. O. ,loaded up and then some!

 

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I only foung two air bags, and the Firestone was by far the better. No way to avoid drilling the frame, but its a piece of cake to do.
However, while the bags conrol ride heigth and compression, they may not solve your sway problem. Are you sure you don't have a tire problem do to soft tire sidewalls?

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Charlie
Anchorage, AK
98. 5 2500QC 2WD Auto, Kondolay valve body & TC, VABox, elbow, 4" exhaust, PacBrake, Firestone airbags & Monroe Reflex shocks

 

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Dune Racer, I've got Air Lift bags. They are on the 2nd truck now, 375K mi. and no problems, not one leak. I tow 22K to 26K loads, and they work fine for me. The Firestone bags look good also. I can't see much difference in them.
Larry

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Y2K 3500 QC,SLT,4X2,White, 6spd,3. 54 lsd,Banks Stinger +,Pacbrake,Pilar mt. EGT & Boost,Amsoil air filter,all amsoil lube w/BMK-15 filter system,MagTec rear cover,putco boss rbs. w/ rear ext. &flaps,20K reese,100 gal. aux. fuel,fold up T cover,5K airlift bags w/comp. ,ranger 2950 cb pushing palomar 225 amp,phantom radar det.

 

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I had Air Lift air bags on a prior 4x I owned. I liked them very much.

After spending years on the www.HappyCampers.net website bulletin board, the consensus was the Air Lift air bags were superior to the Firestone counterparts although, I can't remember why.

 

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I used the Air Lift bags to control side to side sway on my Dodge when carrying a 1800lb cabover camper with very good results. I used Air Lift bags on my Toyota 4x4 for 6 years with some severe usage carrying a 1100lb cabover off road in Baja with no problems. I don't have any experience with the Firestone bags, but I do know they come from the factory on some motor homes, they probably are reliable.

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2001 HO 6 speed Regular Cab SLT 4x4 3. 54 anti spin 2500. Used for the daily grind and sneaking away to some secret Baja beaches toting a cabover

 

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Originally posted by DUNE RACER:
I'm looking to put airbags on my truck... . I'm getting to much sway with the stock overloads and my camper on.

<font color=blue> I've got a similar set-up and was facing the same decision myself a few months back, but held off on the Firestones pending my longterm analysis of the Roadmaster Suspension Upgrade. . The original thread was posted by TDR user "BuckarooBob" (I think) in the P&A forum a couple of months back. Preliminary feedback from other TDR members on this website has been very positive and the bonus of better handling (whether empty/loaded) may well cause you to at least reconsider your need for airbags.
<font color=black>



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JMc

2001 Flame Red Sport 3500 QC, 5. 9L 24v Cummins, 4x4 Auto, 3. 54/LSD, 155 inch WB, Agate leather, Camper Special & Trailer Tow Groups , Sliding Rear Window, WAAG sidetubes with dually kickouts, Line-X UTR Bedliner & underseal, Grover Airhorns, Lance 1130 slide-in Camper, 60 gallon Aerotank, RS9000s, Reese Titan class 5 hitch, Roadmaster XX, in planning stages... . Gauges, Mag-Hytec, Exhaust Brake, Psychotty Air, PrimeLoc, 4" exhaust, Injectors, Rickson 19. 5" wheels, , Bill K. VB & TC.

 

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I have tried several things. I have ended up with the Air Lift bags as my choice. A heavy duty item, should last forever, and easy to install... . my favorite things about projects!

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Rob Hanson
1999 "Big Red", 3500 SLT QC 4X4 6 spd, 4. 10 LSD, Braided SS fuel lines, Mag-Hytec Rear Cover, Cummins E-Brake, Blue Box, Bosch 275HP injectors, All-steel Cowl Induction Hood, Rhino, Rosewood Kit, Scotty System, SportComp Gauges, TorkLift SuperHitch, Teshonka Brake Controller, Rear Flood lights, Cobra CB, DeeZee Running Boards, BD 2WD Low kit, Air Lift bags and a Geno's "I tromped a Ford" decal. Member of BOMB! (WW NW Chapter)

MyPics.com (pics updated 8/21/00)

I'd rather be... .
Cummin than Strokin.

 

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I have the Firestone air bags and haven't had any problems with them. I haul oilfield supplies with a extended cab 3500 with a 10' flatbed. Whenever I would load a heavy load, I would go to a service station and put up to 100 lbs of air in the bags. When I put my compressor on and my dual gauges, I loaded 5500 lbs on my flatbed and carried it from South Tx to Mississippi. When I got there, they decided it was the wrong thing and I brought it back. With 100 lbs of air in the bags, going across La on I10 (which is an extremely rough cement road) the gauges would bounce all the way to 150 lbs constantly, occasionally pegging the needles. I haven't had a single airbag failure yet. In fact, I added another set of bags and have carried 8500 lbs(grossing 16860 lbs)so I am very satisfied with the Firestone's. I don't have overload springs or a rear sway bar, and I haven't had any swaying or cornering problems with any of my loads.

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1997 3500 club cab, 10' flatbed, 3:54, auto, 4 Firestone air bags, 252,000+ miles

 

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Thanks for the replies people. I had forgotton about the roadmaster springs. How do you guys using them like them? Do they support a load as well as airbags can with variable pressures/loads?

 

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best airbags? Bill Klinton and Al Gore!

 

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I have the Hellwig airbags and they work great. What's interesting is that with them, I'm using the Firestone in-cab control and the Air Lift compressor/reservoir. So I guess you could say I have a good combo. #ad


Rob

 

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I have not used the cabover since installing the Roadmasters, but my guess is they will help alot. They are a "must have" imo due to the improvements they make in the rear suspension. Much more control and smoothness when combined with good shocks (stock shocks are junk). I pulled my bags to install the Roadmasters and am going to try my next Baja trip without the bags.

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2001 HO 6 speed Regular Cab SLT 4x4 3. 54 anti spin 2500. Used for the daily grind and sneaking away to some secret Baja beaches toting a cabover

 

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Although I have the Air-Lift 5000 air bags on my 3500, carrying my 3000 pound Lance 1130 camper, I'd have to say that the replacement of the stock shocks with Rancho RS9000s did more to eliminate the sway than the air-bags.

Running empty, I set the front and rear shocks on position 2. Loaded their set on 3 front and 4 rear... I haven't found anyone brave enough to ride around with both front and rear set on 5.

What I found out from my shock installation was that the front shocks on my Y2K were gas filled yet the rear shocks were standard with very little dampening, which was probably the sourch on the swaying effect. I do have the camper and towing pachage.

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Y2K 3500, 4WD, Auto, 3. 54, Custom Brush Guard, Mopar nerf bars & rock guard, Camper package, Towing package, all options except leather, Mopar Rock Guards, Vent Shades, Solar Shade, RoseWood Dash, Air-Lift Air Bags, Hadley 'BULLY' air horns, Rancho RS9000s, Lance 1130 Camper

 

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If you think your Lance 1130 is only 3000 lbs, you're kidding yourself. My Lance 1030 is around 4000-4200# with the tanks full and all my stuff in it. But that isn't what this topic is about. #ad


As for the shocks, I run them on #5 in back and #4 up front with the camper loaded and it's great. #5 up front is too stiff no matter what.

I discovered today, much to my annoyance, that one of my airbags and brackets had been damaged while on my '96. It looks like a bolt head or something took a chunk out of the lower mounting bracket and scuffed up the airbag itself... enough that I'm not willing to use the bag anymore. Now I get to wait until I can get a new set to install them on my new truck. They were only on for about 5000 miles. Lovely huh?
<sigh>

Rob