Air bags?

rhagfo wrote:

mdamerell wrote:
Well within my weights but was really close to the overload springs (1/4" to 1/2"). When I would hit a bump I would get a 2nd bump as I bounced off the overload springs. Air bags lifted me about 2" away from overload springs, leveled the truck and smoothed out the ride. Did I need them, no, but my better half thanked me for the smoother ride. When mama's happy .......

I just don't understand this, your 5er is a tad heaver than mine, I have an 01 Ram with Camper package (one ton springs), I carry 2,000# of pin and while over the trucks GVWR, well under front and rear axle ratings. I still have about an inch before engaging the overloads. You bet this truck rides a bit harsh unloaded, but I tow my load without air bags and have not issues.

My pin is around 2,600#, trailer around 12,000# give or take, truck 8,300# with us and fuel and around 11,000# with trailer (11,500# GVWR, 20,000# GCWR by book). Different manufactures, different spring setups. My truck rides as good empty as my old F150 so the 1st set of springs are probably lighter than yours.

The 2nd gen Dodges have really stiff springs, even stiffer with the camper package. My previous 2002 2500 4x4 wouldn't hardly squat with 3000# in the bed, but it rode like it too. New trucks are much softer.

mdamerell wrote:
Well within my weights but was really close to the overload springs (1/4" to 1/2"). When I would hit a bump I would get a 2nd bump as I bounced off the overload springs. Air bags lifted me about 2" away from overload springs, leveled the truck and smoothed out the ride. Did I need them, no, but my better half thanked me for the smoother ride. When mama's happy .......

I just don't understand this, your 5er is a tad heaver than mine, I have an 01 Ram with Camper package (one ton springs), I carry 2,000# of pin and while over the trucks GVWR, well under front and rear axle ratings. I still have about an inch before engaging the overloads. You bet this truck rides a bit harsh unloaded, but I tow my load without air bags and have not issues.

As affirmed by the above, they are used to level a load..They don't help any at all for adding to a trucks GVWR...just leveling the load.

Well within my weights but was really close to the overload springs (1/4" to 1/2"). When I would hit a bump I would get a 2nd bump as I bounced off the overload springs. Air bags lifted me about 2" away from overload springs, leveled the truck and smoothed out the ride. Did I need them, no, but my better half thanked me for the smoother ride. When mama's happy .......

Leveling out the truck and improving the ride. I am way under payload on my current truck, but the trailer does make it squat. Loved the airbags on my last truck, considering them on this one.

I had them on my old F-250 and will soon have them on my new F-450. They didn't increase the capacity of the old truck and I don't need more on the new one but I like being able to level things out once I'm loaded.

Well I can't speak for anyone else, but I installed mine so I could move the truck off the overload springs. That made for a very rough ride. I've weighed what I tow and am not over weight, close though. Which is why the truck sits down on the overload springs.

I'm sure that some add them because they are overweight, but I think it's mostly to even up the truck so the headlights aren't pointed too high and blind oncoming traffic.

I can't think of any reason to avoid them. If you don't need them they are an extra unneeded expense. My previous 5er didn't weigh as much so I didn't install them until I pulled my present toyhauler.