2015 Ram 3500 DRW factory Air Bag Suspension??
Would this be a good thing to have or a negative with a TC? Anyone with real life experience with this and a 5000 pound TC? It is "auto leveling", is there a way to over ride the "auto" control?
Forum Discussion
My 2001.5, 2 series Dodge has both the snow plow prep and camper package. The difference for the snow plow prep in 2001 was the width of the chain in the NV241HD transfer case: twice as wide to reduce the effects of shock loading, and higher spring rate coils in front.The rear output bearing was the same making it the same overall rating as a non-H.D.
To the O.P.'s question: I have no direct knowledge of the factory air suspension on new trucks. I do have first hand knowledge while following a new 3 or 4 series Dodge with air suspension. Of course I was very interested in watching how it performed generally on the highway. The truck had no load; no leaf springs; no coil springs. I was shocked. What I saw was a dually axle completely out of vertical control with the axle frantically jumping up and down with seemingly no control. It was like none of the tires were balanced. I did see some big shocks but they seemed to have no effect. The truck could not have been a year old.
So, my advice is to be sure to follow a prospective truck on the freeway or even on a rough country road, at speed, to see if there is any vertical movement of the axle.
I have watched air bag suspended trucks, large and small, operate for a long time.
Are they smoother than leaf or coil springs? Yep. Are they harder to control? Yes.
One of my jeeping buddies put an air bag suspension (from a truck) on his old Willys and there was always a control problem no matter how many shocks he put on. The air bags tended to launch the Jeep over on it's side. Currie had an interesting answer to control with their stabilizing rods: kind of a anti sway bar with stems.I've never seen those on a large rig but I think the concept would easily move to the heavier arena.
jefe
To the O.P.'s question: I have no direct knowledge of the factory air suspension on new trucks. I do have first hand knowledge while following a new 3 or 4 series Dodge with air suspension. Of course I was very interested in watching how it performed generally on the highway. The truck had no load; no leaf springs; no coil springs. I was shocked. What I saw was a dually axle completely out of vertical control with the axle frantically jumping up and down with seemingly no control. It was like none of the tires were balanced. I did see some big shocks but they seemed to have no effect. The truck could not have been a year old.
So, my advice is to be sure to follow a prospective truck on the freeway or even on a rough country road, at speed, to see if there is any vertical movement of the axle.
I have watched air bag suspended trucks, large and small, operate for a long time.
Are they smoother than leaf or coil springs? Yep. Are they harder to control? Yes.
One of my jeeping buddies put an air bag suspension (from a truck) on his old Willys and there was always a control problem no matter how many shocks he put on. The air bags tended to launch the Jeep over on it's side. Currie had an interesting answer to control with their stabilizing rods: kind of a anti sway bar with stems.I've never seen those on a large rig but I think the concept would easily move to the heavier arena.
jefe
