DIY air leveling bags

It is interesting, but you can buy the airbags without all of the mounts. It seems like starting there would save at least part of the full cost of a set, but be a lot less work even though you would still build brackets.

hedge wrote:
They only go to 30 psi, I don't think that's a big concern.

30psi gives 3000 pounds of lift. Each of my rear tires are more than that. I have 3600 pounds on each tire. (7200lbs on the rear axlse) So that means, at 30psi, the bags still haven't lifted the rear tire.

Don't think your going to stack them if needed. Looks like might be fun to make but for the cost & effort not seeing as very practical. Coarse I guess you could add on top of block?
Be fun in some slick mud, Truck camper hockey!

They only go to 30 psi, I don't think that's a big concern.

That looks like an accident waiting to happen. That valve for example; if it failed to hold, could shoot out like a bullet. Might work for several trips before something wears out or stretches or something. I wouldn't risk it.

hedge wrote:
snip... not sure how much the weight capacity of these would be.../snip

pressure x area will give you capacity. Looks like the hose is rated to 150psi water pressure, 8" diameter hose will give you about a 12" width x 16" long x 150 psi will give you about 28,000 lbs of lift. There are other weak points due to construction, the valve stem connection, the joint at the end. Also, as you lift, the contact area will become less. Even still, the lifting capacity of the bag is probably equal to that of your tire. With a 265 width tire, at 30 psi, it will exert the force to lift about 3000 lbs (10x10x30)(assuming a square contact patch). From my experience with other lifting bags, a failure isn't an explosion, but a slow whoosh. Pretty cool idea as compared to my stairstep boards, which are heavy and in the way because they are hard to store.

it seems they're not cheap, somewhere around $50 a piece.

That was pretty interesting. I wonder how much it cost in material to make one?