Forum Discussion

cccougar's avatar
cccougar
Explorer
Aug 01, 2017

Air Bag/Quality of Ride

I know that air bags do not increase payload and that they help to level TV. But, since I am within all the specs- axle rating, GCVR, payload, TW etc... but still get the feeling of riding a horse... will the air bags at least help in the comfort aspect of things when towing so we are not feeling "up and down"?
  • How come most of the posters ask questions about their TV don't have an updated profile or post what they have!

    So how can we give advice when to OP doesn't state anything about to TV.

    Maybe he has OEM shocks on an old truck, who knows!

    I'm no longer going to reply to posts of people that have not updated their profile!
  • Air bags are just an additional spring. If they keep leaf springs from contacting the overload leaf, some improvement might be noticed. Shocks are what dampens "up and down." And yes, they will increase load carrying ability.
  • Absolutely 1000%

    My first rig was 1994 CK2500. It was an old city work truck I got at auction.

    It had a flatbed with an old heavy style lift gate on the back. I took it to a good welding shop and got some mods / fabs done to keep the gate and be able to tow a TT. I also added a 35 gallon gas tank in the center nose of the bed. (No jerry rigging. It was a transfer flow.)

    And I added some gang boxes on each side.

    I was dead on max spec all the way around from every which way you can measure it.

    But I was a little heavy on the left. Bad enough to list and make me fight it while driving; which really does not take as much weight as you might think.

    I also had a "pinch point" at the hitch. (If that's the term for when the hitch rides low and the rear sags so far it pulls up the nose making it hard to steer?) Between that lift gate and the tongue weight I had about 1500# behind the rear axle.

    I added a set of airbags with a "manual" (non-digital) actuator system with a pressure gauge for each side. I had to set the left @90psi and the right @20psi to level her out.

    I added a husky weight distribution hitch.

    It road like an absolute dream for more than 10K miles until some gang banger attacked us on the highway and make it roll over.
  • I had air bags on a van years ago. They were wonderful for making a better ride. With and without the trailer.
  • I would look at adjustable shocks, so you can dial up more dampening while towing heavy and then dial it back while running empty.