Air pressure in Firestone airbags.

1320Fastback wrote:
I can't imagine the load it would take to get mine to sit on the overloads but the overloads are not in the stock location nor are the spring packs. I had 25 bags of concrete on a pallet back there for a little shop shop extension and it still wasn't on the overloads with the 5psi I run the bags at when empty. Seriously considering removing the bottom 3 springs on my truck.


All of this is neither here nor there though I guess.

Correct, becasue most full size truck campers weigh at least/minimum 40 bags of 90# cement or about 75-80bags of 50# ready mix. And your truck is old, back when they didn't design springs to be initially compliant but rather to carry the max load with little regard to one's spleen! Lol

I pump mine to 65/70. Drives fine. The sway keeps tailgators away from the bicycles back there.

I queried air pressure with Firestone about my Ride-Rites. This is what I got back. I have a 2011 Ford diesel SRW with a AF811 (heavy).


" The height of the bag would be measuring from the upper bracket to the lower bracket which is the height of the bag. That measurement should be 5.5”-6.5”. That is at all times no matter what weight or air pressure you have to run."

I can't imagine the load it would take to get mine to sit on the overloads but the overloads are not in the stock location nor are the spring packs. I had 25 bags of concrete on a pallet back there for a little shop shop extension and it still wasn't on the overloads with the 5psi I run the bags at when empty. Seriously considering removing the bottom 3 springs on my truck.


All of this is neither here nor there though I guess.

1320Fastback wrote:
Dont have a truck camper but my understanding of air bags and how much to inflate them is to add air until the bumper returns to the original height before the load was added. Always has worked for me and rides very nice.

Trucks are design to sag under load.
That is why the overload springs don't get to work till you push the suspension about 2" down.
If you do what you say - you will disable factory suspension and ride on airbags. That usually leads to more sway, but heck, if it works...

Dont have a truck camper but my understanding of air bags and how much to inflate them is to add air until the bumper returns to the original height before the load was added. Always has worked for me and rides very nice.

Just put the camper back on the truck with a lot more stuff in it.

I have decide that I will install the airbags. LOL

twodownzero wrote:

DWeikert wrote:
The way I do it is inflate the bags until the suspension just lifts off the overload springs, then reduce the pressure so the overloads make contact. That way you're using all the steel to help reduce sway.

I've yet to find a load that would make my overloads contact at ride height. Even now, I spaced them up 1/2", and my 5er, which has ~2200 pounds of pin weight, doesn't even get it close. My truck camper weighed 3,000 pounds and the overloads still wouldn't hit (this is before I spaced them up) at ride height. It's unclear to me why they bothered installing them considering they only kick in when the suspension compresses under dynamic load. Loaded only to GVWR, I doubt they'd ever hit, absent a huge bump.

That's because you believe the stickers. Some (most) people use all their springs.

jimh425 wrote:

Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli wrote:
F250, 3000 pound TC, stock leaf springs, 75 pounds air in the Firestones got me level.
Same setup but now with 6 plus 1, 5500 pound springs installed, 15 pounds in air bags. Ride is much better.

Probably weighed a lot more than 3000 lbs or your springs were completely worn out.

Camper tag says 2945 pounds wet weight. I installed the new heavier rear springs because the left side was 1-3/4" lower than the right. I had a list to the left going down the road. The new heavy rear springs corrected that. The front left is still lower than the right. I plan to install new front springs too which should correct that.
You may remember this installation video.

Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli wrote:
F250, 3000 pound TC, stock leaf springs, 75 pounds air in the Firestones got me level.
Same setup but now with 6 plus 1, 5500 pound springs installed, 15 pounds in air bags. Ride is much better.

Probably weighed a lot more than 3000 lbs or your springs were completely worn out.