Airlift 5000 airbags and WDH

batman99 wrote:
Let most of the air out of air bags. Only leave 5 lbs in them. Connect Pickup to the Trailer and connect WDH as well. The rear of a pickup will go DOWN. This is normal. Keep adjusting the WDH until the connected trailer's "stance" looks good. Now, add previously recorded air back into the Vehicle's Air Bags. This will get your Tow Vehicle and Trailer to the scale.

Trying to understand your process and have some questions and comments:

1) You use the WDH to raise the rear of the TV until the TT's stance looks good. What is the attitude of the TV at this point -- rear lower than, equal to, or higher than its unhitched height?

2) After adjusting the WDH, you add back air to previous pressure. I assume this lifts the rear of the TV and the TT's stance no longer looks good. Now, what is the attitude of the TV relative to unhitched?

At the legal scales, adjust the WDH system until proper amount of weight is distributed across the Tow Vehicle. Record the air bags lbs. Record the WDH adjustment (like number of links or number of showing threads). Put this paper in your TV's glove box. Next time your load up Tow Vehicle and Trailer with similar loading, use the same adjustments.

3) What is your criteria for determining proper amount of weight distribution? Does this second WDH adjustment process usually add load to the steer axle, or does it remove load from the steer axle?

4) Do you add any air to or remove any air from the bags while at the scales or while the TT remains attached?

5) What are your criteria for desirable TV and TT attitudes at the end of the air bag and WDH adjustment process?

Thanks,

Ron

If the air bags and WDH setup are improper, then YES. They will conflict with each other.

Many people forget that Air Bags (or Timbrens), is to ONLY improve the Vehicle's rear suspension. WDH with proper bars and properly set links are for the Trailer's Tongue weight. From the white board physics "zone" view, both areas are completely different. And if used together improperly, they will conflict with each other.

Here's how to set both air bags and WDH properly.

With NO trailer connected, load the rear of the vehicle as if going on a normal camping trip. re: Kayak's on the roof, some peddle bikes, some fire wood, many by your tool box that contains a cooler and tools. Now, take for a drive. Again, drive with NO trailer connected. If the rear of a pickup feels like "mush", add another 5 lbs of air. Then, drive around again. Keep driving around and keep airing up 5 lbs intervals until the rear of the Vehicle looks and feels right. Once it's "perfect" (with NO trailer connected), write down the number of air lbs in the air bag. Could be 25. Could be 30. Each vehicle is different.

Now, here comes the secret.

Let most of the air out of air bags. Only leave 5 lbs in them. Connect Pickup to the Trailer and connect WDH as well. The rear of a pickup will go DOWN. This is normal. Keep adjusting the WDH until the connected trailer's "stance" looks good. Now, add previously recorded air back into the Vehicle's Air Bags. This will get your Tow Vehicle and Trailer to the scale.

At the legal scales, adjust the WDH system until proper amount of weight is distributed across the Tow Vehicle. Record the air bags lbs. Record the WDH adjustment (like number of links or number of showing threads). Put this paper in your TV's glove box. Next time your load up Tow Vehicle and Trailer with similar loading, use the same adjustments.

Remember Air Bags is to remove "mush" feeling in the rear of a loaded vehicle. WDH is for Trailer's tongue weight. Both can be used together - if set properly...

This works for me…

I ran air bags on an 08 F150 with a TT. I had the bucking problem also. Problem was the dealer only had 1000lb bars for the WD hitch and the TW was only 450-500lbs. I also had a lot of stuff in the bed of my truck. So I put Riderites on and got some bars rated at 400-600lbs. I loaded up my truck then aired up the bags to bring the truck back to normal. THEN I hitched up the TT and used the WD to set up the weight transfer. Rode real smooth.

I have a 28' Aspen Trail TT and the TV is a 2002 Ford Excursion V10. I had some sag on the rear end with the trailer attached (I have a Blue Ox SwayPro WDH). Last week I installed the Firestone Ride Rite airbags and now my truck sits level along with more of the 'weight' being applied to the front axle for a little more control.