Air Bags/Springs - Firestone, Air Lift or?
I am setting up my newly acquired '04 Dodge 3500 DRW 4WD Quad cab. I question that I need Air Bags, but they would be nice to maintain headlight adjustment and level the TC when camping. I am consi...
Forum Discussion
Interesting reading a little bit of those Tundra posts on the Daystar. I had also done a threadless bolt (actually a longer bolt with a sleeve) on my '99 to get acceptable travel. Necessity is the mother of invention.
Regarding suspension travel, I don't off road at all, my truck is a 2WD and stock ride height. However the Firestone bag for the Ford has only 5.5" of travel. So set in the middle, you have only 2 3/4" jounce travel till it bottoms. If you don't have them always aired just right, maybe 2". When it bottoms it is more or less solid contact between bag perch and frame bracket. 2 3/4 inches of travel is pretty easy to get just going into a service station ramp at an angle. It's no wonder so many people bend the brackets. After 2 3/4" extension, the 'stop' is going to be pretty soft, just stretching the bag. You might not feel that, but it can damage them.
I have put a number of Firestone bag kits on my vehicles (5 that I can recall). The one for my motorhome (a W22 chassis) had the inverted cone version and MUCH more travel, similar to what real trucks have.
I'm not sure if I will need or want them on the new truck, but if I do put them on I will use the Daystar or similar perch, set them up so they have maybe 1 1/2" compression at normal camper ride height preserving 4" of jounce travel and all of the extension. I will probably also install ping tanks to get a more linear spring rate.
I'd love to install real air suspension and be done with it, but there are no kits other than Kelderman and Autoflex, both of which have very mixed reviews. Link looks like the best but not available for the wide frame Ford.
Regarding suspension travel, I don't off road at all, my truck is a 2WD and stock ride height. However the Firestone bag for the Ford has only 5.5" of travel. So set in the middle, you have only 2 3/4" jounce travel till it bottoms. If you don't have them always aired just right, maybe 2". When it bottoms it is more or less solid contact between bag perch and frame bracket. 2 3/4 inches of travel is pretty easy to get just going into a service station ramp at an angle. It's no wonder so many people bend the brackets. After 2 3/4" extension, the 'stop' is going to be pretty soft, just stretching the bag. You might not feel that, but it can damage them.
I have put a number of Firestone bag kits on my vehicles (5 that I can recall). The one for my motorhome (a W22 chassis) had the inverted cone version and MUCH more travel, similar to what real trucks have.
I'm not sure if I will need or want them on the new truck, but if I do put them on I will use the Daystar or similar perch, set them up so they have maybe 1 1/2" compression at normal camper ride height preserving 4" of jounce travel and all of the extension. I will probably also install ping tanks to get a more linear spring rate.
I'd love to install real air suspension and be done with it, but there are no kits other than Kelderman and Autoflex, both of which have very mixed reviews. Link looks like the best but not available for the wide frame Ford.
