Airlift 5000 airbags and WDH

Ron Gratz wrote:

...
If, in fact, enough pressure can be added to improve handling without giving noticible lift, this process will give the desired WDH objective.
If there is noticible lift, then the WDH load transfer would be reduced.
If there is no noticible lift, the air bags do nothing to reduce the amount of rear-end sag.
Pick your poison.

goducks10 wrote:
1st, load truck with no TT hitched.
2nd, air bags up to restore truck rear hgt.
3rd, hitch up TT.
4th, adjust WD to transfer needed weight.
5th, go camping.

This is the second of the two posts.

This process will reduce the amount of rear-end sag and will satisfy the WDH objective.
It also has potential for improving handling because sufficient load has been transferred to the air bags to cause a noticible amount of lift.

Ron

*** Just trying to understand all this. ***

The last sentence implies that only when there is noticeable lift has sufficient load has been transferred to the air bags to improve handling.

From what I've heard, that's not correct. In a heavily loaded truck, or truck+trailer, a substantial amount of air pressure can be applied before there's any "noticeable" rear end lift, and the handling improves.

But it also occurs to me that even if this upforce is "unnoticeable" won't it also reduce the WDH load transfer? Same as you say for a "noticeable" rear end lift via air bags?

If so, we should be concentrating on front end lift (weight) instead of rear end lift (or lack of it).

So, how about this. Pump up your air bags to some pre-determined level (say 10psi?). (Doesn't have to be level. My truck is permanently lifted by 1" in the rear because of the Roadmaster Active Suspension upgrade). Hitch up the trailer and adjust your WDH concentrating on returning weight to the front end (reducing front end lift). Check for improved handling. If you need more air to improve handling, do it, but then (if I understand this correctly) be prepared to add more tension to your WDH to counteract the additional upforce? Again, the objective is to reduce the front end lift, not the rear end sag. Repeat as necessary.

AFAIK none of these rear end suspension mods will have much effect on the front end. That's where the WDH comes in. And when adjusting the WDH, it's the front end we need to concentrate on.