Air ride!

Unwrapping and organizing the parts to their approximate locations:



This kit is completely bolt on and completely reversible. The 'bows' bolt to the spring mounts and shackles, everything else bolts to those. No cutting, welding, modifying anything. It uses a rolling lobe airbag like heavy trucks use:



None of the parts are light weight or dainty. Here is a full size WD40 can for reference:

Stock driver's side rear with 2000 miles on it:



Springs are now surplus, the 'bow' replaces the spring bolting in its place:



Bolted up with links mounted, passenger side. Nothing tight yet and airbag not installed:



Driver's side all bolted up, airbag in place and extension limiting strap. I opted for the heavier 'bows' and had to remove the rear overload spring perch (which unbolts). The front (riveted on) stays in place but I had to remove the rubber, everything is a very close fit:

Panhard rod mounted and getting adjusted:



There are a lot of big fasteners in a truck suspension. All of the hardware supplied is Grade 8, high quality pneumatic components, etc. Many of the bolts are specified to have high torque, 400 ft lbs for example on the 8 main link bolts. You need some big wrenches and sockets (up to 1 1/2 inch). Here is a partial pile of tools I used, does not show the 3 floor jacks and two sets of jack stands:

It took me three days, about half of one was removing the Hellwig sway bar links which are not in the same position as the stock ones and interfered. If you have done that on a 6.7 Ford diesel you know what a nightmare that is. Without that, and better educated, I think it could be done in one long day. It would help to have a complete set of impact sockets up to 1 1/2 inch, and a torque calibrated impact wrench. I spent probably 6 hours just doing the torquing by hand using a torque multiplying wrench. But here is is sitting on air:



One five mile test drive, plenty to convince me that the ride is noticeably better empty. Then I put the camper on, another 5 mile test drive to town and them off to Lake Tahoe for the glider races. What could go wrong?



Good thing I brought a few wrenches along, I had neglected to locktite the adjustable links and they loosened a bit. Seems to be fixed with locktite. While the ride is noticeably improved empty, it is markedly improved with the camper. With the springs, you would feel the front wheel hit a bump and brace yourself for the rear hit which you know would immediately follow. Now, the front feels harsh, anything the front goes over is swallowed by the back with much more grace. Stuff isn't bounced around in the camper as much. The articulation going diagonally into service stations ramps and the like is more fluid. The thing is even a little quieter. I think it is going to turn out to be one of the best mods I have done to a truck.

Nice write up! Do they have the same kits for same year F450's? And if you don't mind me asking, what'd it cost with shipping, and beer consumed?

The install looks great and the system looks like a good design too.

They build kits for 250-550 Fords as well as other brands I think (also E series vans?). Their primary market appears to be emergency vehicles - ambulance, fire truck, etc. You should get a quote from them because I got a few options, it came in a bit under $4K but that is Canadian, and right now you get the 25 percent or so American discount on the exchange rate making it a bit over US$3K. The shipping out to California ate up that difference - if I lived in Tacoma I would consider driving across the border to pick it up at a terminal, might save a bit. Everything was included, I haven't had to buy even a single washer. I have not put the included compressor, tank, leveling valves, etc. on yet. No time, so I just put two schrader valves on the bags and ran fixed pressure. Which works pretty well, but would be a pain adjusting all the time as you loaded and unloaded stuff. It was nice to blow the bags down to help unload the camper, drops the rear end by several inches.

I intend to build my own control system for it because I would like manual control for leveling when camping. To do this I intend to use the electronic sensors from Airlift or Firestone as it greatly simplifies the plumbing in an automatic/manual system. One switch would remove the sensors from the control circuit, a couple more would give you up/down on each side. I would need in-cab pressure gages to make sure I wasn't exceeding limits.

I bought a spare bag to carry, just in case. They seem quite reliable in heavy trucks, but it is also not the sort of thing the local Ford dealer would have on the shelf. Replacing a bag on the side of the road would be a bit more complicated than changing a tire, but not by that much. Autoflex told me I could drive on the bump stop as far as I could stand it :).

HMS Beagle, your link took me to a auto leasing group in Texas.

This one will take you to the correct website Autoflex suspensions


Interesting setup, if you go off road let us know how it works out.

Yup, you are so right. I went back and fixed the link.

I don't offroad, and the suspension is not really a long travel off road lifted type 4-link. However I think it would probably perform better than the stock springs. Kelderman might be the guys to go to for a lifted off road air suspension. They do not make anything that fits on my truck though, and none of it seems to be bolt-on and reversible.

On the Autoflex website, there is no information at all about the 4 link suspension kit, only the swing arm.

HMS Beagle, since you don't offroad, what was the reason for the switch?