airbags and stableloads

Do not use the Bilstein 5100 shocks to haul a heavy camper! Those are intended for moderate offroad use and will allow the truck to sway. I recently had them on my truck and then switched to the 9000xl.. The 9000xls solved the sway problem.

I also have airbags and lower stableloads. This setup is awesome. I use it just like Bedlam.

I guess I disagree. The benefit to supplemental airbags is they increase spring rate much faster than leaf springs, and the higher CG will make this happen faster and end up more stable. You need to have adequate air in the bags thou, meaning some load needs to be on them. I guess it's just how you want to run your suspension.

I personally think and a leafs, lower stable loads, and supersprings are bad ideas for the life of the original springs. If you want more spring have all new springs made.

But that's just my 0.02, based on seeing how hard spring modifications are on OE springs in several of my vehicles over the years.

I suspect the warranty is in place due to the fact that some applications require drilling the overload spring to retain the wedges.

Think about taller CG like a lever. When you apply the same amount of weight higher, it applies more stress to the suspension than hitch or pin weight. People keep comparing big rig air suspension to the supplemental bags - The geometry of the suspension travel is different and the cross section verses travel is also different, so I do not feel you can do this. The spring suspension needs to be tensioned and the bags used only to limit bottoming/sag when in motion.

Bedlam wrote:
The lower StableLoad wedges act like a lower overload spring that has been re arched to match the profile of the rest of the spring pack and work well.

Except a reached spring has a greater contact point than the stable loads.

It seems odd to me that they would add a spring warranty with that item, when they don't make the spring. It tells me that spring damage is possible, but they are counting on it being a low failure rate.

Bedlam wrote:
In TC applications, you do not want the airbags to be the majority of support for your load due to the higher CG of a camper. This is why it is suggested to preload the existing springs or add additional ones for this purpose.

That is the first I have heard it put that way. What is the reasoning behind it?

I know on any application the ride and handling is best if the truck still supports a good amount of huge weight, but I haven't ever heard it in regards to CG. I always recommend letting the truck squat to level and holding it there with bags, but still see many "stink bug" truck and camper setups, they have to ride like a covered wagon.

The lower StableLoad wedges act like a lower overload spring that has been re arched to match the profile of the rest of the spring pack and work well.

In TC applications, you do not want the airbags to be the majority of support for your load due to the higher CG of a camper. This is why it is suggested to preload the existing springs or add additional ones for this purpose.

I also run the Firestone bags without the complexity of a pump. Make sure each side is plumbed separately of the other and it will work well for equalizing and fine tuning your truck attitude.

Airbags provide up to 5,000lbs of leveling and should be plenty, especially with upper stableloads.

Personally I think the lower stableloads are bad for springs, they induce a unnatural pivot point which can stress a spring in a manner it wasn't intended for.

I would skip the Rancho's, of all the shocks on all the vehicles I have ran I have never been as unimpressed as with the 9000's (used them on 3 rigs of various size and weight). Bilstien 5100's are night and day better than Rancho's 9000's, and I didn't know what a good shock was until I ran them.

Bedlam wrote:
I run that setup. The StableLoads support the majority of the TC weight and the air bags level me out when towing while hauling.

If you do not plan to drive the truck without the TC, you can use blocks or wedges for lower StableLoads. I experimented for a about a year with blocks before deciding on the quick disconnect StableLoads. Lower blocks will result in a punishing ride without a load in the rear.

My 350 is my daily driver so I'd like the adjustability of the quick disconnects.

Still eager to see how the airbags work out. Have heard so many horror stories but my RV guy tells me the ride rite bags are bulletproof. We are going without an on board compressor to keep things simple.

I think my next mod will be the 9000xl Rancho's. Amazon won't ship them to Alaska because they allegedly have some hazardous materials in them and we have ridicously anal shipping rules here ( for instance, we cannot ship ammunition through the mail like you guys in the states). Was going to get a set at Oreilys in town but they wanted 620 bucks for a set of 4!

I run that setup. The StableLoads support the majority of the TC weight and the air bags level me out when towing while hauling.

If you do not plan to drive the truck without the TC, you can use blocks or wedges for lower StableLoads. I experimented for a about a year with blocks before deciding on the quick disconnect StableLoads. Lower blocks will result in a punishing ride without a load in the rear.