Air bag setups (for towing)
05-12-2012, 06:32 PM
#2
I'm installing my airlift helper bags in the morning 
I bought them because my step dad has had them on his F150 for a while and really likes them. They've also got a $50 rebate program going now so between that and a $20 Amazon voucher I got them for $150 to my door. My cheap *** couldn't pass it up.
I'll be testing them out pretty hard next weekend with a 12,000# load of gravel for my buddy's grandparents driveway.
I bought them because my step dad has had them on his F150 for a while and really likes them. They've also got a $50 rebate program going now so between that and a $20 Amazon voucher I got them for $150 to my door. My cheap *** couldn't pass it up.
I'll be testing them out pretty hard next weekend with a 12,000# load of gravel for my buddy's grandparents driveway.
05-15-2012, 09:02 AM
#5
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I did some on my truck and dont know why i havent done it sooner!
It makes a Huge difference!
So much smoother riding with a heavy trailer.
I have a small air pump under my back seat and have a gauge in my driver floorboard
Or i can hook up a regular airline in the shop and fill them. Works great for a free rigged setup.
It makes a Huge difference!
So much smoother riding with a heavy trailer.
I have a small air pump under my back seat and have a gauge in my driver floorboard
Or i can hook up a regular airline in the shop and fill them. Works great for a free rigged setup.
05-16-2012, 04:17 PM
#7
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Is your truck an 800 or a 900? I've been interested in this same deal for my 900 NHT but I haven't run across anything that looks to be appropriate for my application. I also would lime something that won't impair my off-roading ability with the truck; in fact, if it could made the rear ride a hair softer through the whoops at a lower-pressure setting, that'd be a bonus.
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05-16-2012, 06:05 PM
#8
Any helper bag will limit your articulation somewhat unless you go with a long travel Carli style bag. I'm not sure what you mean by riding softer at a lower pressure. Pretty much all bags require you to fun them at 5-10psi when unloaded but they make no noticeable difference in ride to me. I've read of guys running higher pressures for drag racing and offroading. I've got Rancho rs9000xl shocks so I can adjust my dampening rate with them.
05-16-2012, 09:59 PM
#9
Got them installed tonight, install was pretty easy except for one of the bolts for the upper bracket. Youve got a little bitty *** hole to put a wrench or ratchet through. THe angle makes a wrench pretty useless, luckily Ive got a swivel head 3/8 ratchet that I was able to work in there. With 10psi(min recommended) in the bags it raised the *** end about half an inch. Once I get all my goodies installed for towing Ill do a thread with all the part numbers and pics. Wiring up an aftermarket trailer brake controller is a bit more entailed than past year models that were plug and play with a harness. Sorry for the dark pics, I finished about 30 minutes ago so its dark.
Before I primed the bags and attached the air line
At ride condition
I mounted the air lines 2" off the license plate light since there isnt any metal behind the plastic there and its damn near a straight shot over the frame and to the top of the air bag. Didnt even need to use any zip ties to keep the line where it needs to be.
Im going to pick up 3.5yds of 1.5" gravel on my 3000# lowboy Saturday morning and taking it about an hour away so it ought ot get a pretty damn good workout. I figure the load will end up being around 12K GVW on the trailer alone. A little over what the truck is rated for but Ill have the bags, rancho shocks, trailer brake controller and my trailer has brakes on both axles so I shoudl be alright taking it easy. Im interested to see what my trans temps do with the stock cooler, that much weight and 90* weather.
Before I primed the bags and attached the air line
At ride condition
I mounted the air lines 2" off the license plate light since there isnt any metal behind the plastic there and its damn near a straight shot over the frame and to the top of the air bag. Didnt even need to use any zip ties to keep the line where it needs to be.
Im going to pick up 3.5yds of 1.5" gravel on my 3000# lowboy Saturday morning and taking it about an hour away so it ought ot get a pretty damn good workout. I figure the load will end up being around 12K GVW on the trailer alone. A little over what the truck is rated for but Ill have the bags, rancho shocks, trailer brake controller and my trailer has brakes on both axles so I shoudl be alright taking it easy. Im interested to see what my trans temps do with the stock cooler, that much weight and 90* weather.
05-16-2012, 10:59 PM
#10
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It all depends on your tongue weight. I try and drop the rear suspension a lil past level with no air in the bags, and then Level everything out with the bags and it rides and tracks great.
We are building a shooting range at my buddys place and we need something to fill our tires (back stop) with. We put large 12-14" post in the ground that are bout 12' tall and put tires over each one. Fill them with sand and got a good back stop. Only problem is, the dump trailer i can use weighs about 4600#. And add 15k# of sand and you have a half tons worse nightmare. Im tempted to go across the scales to see what the total is
Or if i chicken out ill get my brothers 1 ton.
We are building a shooting range at my buddys place and we need something to fill our tires (back stop) with. We put large 12-14" post in the ground that are bout 12' tall and put tires over each one. Fill them with sand and got a good back stop. Only problem is, the dump trailer i can use weighs about 4600#. And add 15k# of sand and you have a half tons worse nightmare. Im tempted to go across the scales to see what the total is
Or if i chicken out ill get my brothers 1 ton.