Ride Rite Air Bags

One T fitting here also

spoon059 wrote:
I used a Tee fitting. If you are going so fast that you have to worry about air dumping from one side to the other while turning, you shouldn't be towing or hauling. I got tired of trying to adjust the bags perfectly right, and if you have a WDH and unequal pressure in your bags you can put more strain on one WDH bar than the other.

I never had a problem with the Tee fitting. If I have a load in the bed or am hauling the trailer, I'm not taking turns fast enough to worry about the possibility of body roll.

I agree I would prefer both to deflate, not just one.

I used a Tee fitting. If you are going so fast that you have to worry about air dumping from one side to the other while turning, you shouldn't be towing or hauling. I got tired of trying to adjust the bags perfectly right, and if you have a WDH and unequal pressure in your bags you can put more strain on one WDH bar than the other.

I never had a problem with the Tee fitting. If I have a load in the bed or am hauling the trailer, I'm not taking turns fast enough to worry about the possibility of body roll.

I have had mine set up independently and also together on one line with a T. If I ever used them again I would do the T. If one bag goes or one line I would prefer to have both sides settle evenly.

So long as you keep 10 pounds of air in the bags at all times they should give you years of trouble free service.

I always had an onboard compressor but a good quality bicycle pump would certainly do the trick and be a lot cheaper- that's a really great idea!

Bags & hoses need to be seperate. On a long turn the air could become unbalanced. I had good luck with these on previous rigs however, in the current Kia I have replaced both bags numerous times. Still a mystery as to why the Mfg is not fixing the problem.

path1 wrote:

Colo Native wrote:
Just wondering what others have done.

What I did...

One fitting for each side. Reason, so air can't bleed one to another when cornering.

Each air line terminates where I can fill with small compressor, right from cab. Under my running board side step, by drivers door.

Get a "tube cutter" to cut air lines. My pocket knife made rough cuts and I had a couple small air leaks. Nice clean cuts at 90 degrees will save hassles of messing with small air leaks later.

I put vinyl tubing around air line if there was any chance of it rubbing on metal.

I know some people have air pumps, air tanks and gauges in their trucks. They can push a button left or right and pump starts and gives psi level and all. But for me, airing up with bicycle pump is the way to go. Mine are only 1/4 inch airline so there is not much air volume needed anyways. About 8 or 10 strokes does me fine. Maybe 14 or 16 if real heavy load in pick up bed.

I don't air up to a certain psi. I air up till I'm level. I sometimes have load in pick up (fire wood or whatever) so filling to a certain psi didn't make me level. I just put a level on rail of pick up and pump till level.

http://www.amazon.com/Ridgid-23488-Scissor-Style-Plastic-Tubing/dp/B0019MLSLS

I didn't think of this at the time, but I saw a guy that mounted his air valve pretty slick. He picked up an old eye glasses case from junk store for couple bucks. He mounted his air valves inside the eye case and that was mounted where the gas cap is. Pretty good IMO. Easy to reach and out of the weather.

Mounted in the rear license plate holes, and with a valve cap on them, is about as good as gets, and that keeps the weather off them.

I have installed airbags in three trucks, and a good razor knife cuts those air lines square ,and clean, with no leaks. Just saying its a tool most have without having to go out ,and buy something. Yes I do know they have to a pretty clean cut, found that out not cutting them with a sharp enough tool .

Colo Native wrote:
I received my Ride Rite air bags and I bought the tee for 1 air fitting but I am not sure if I want one or rather have 2 for side to side leveling the truck sits about 1/4" difference side to side. I am not going to buy an on board compressor. Just wondering what others have done. I forgot to add where did you put the air fill?

I lasted a year on my previous truck, then installed the compressor. The new truck I installed bags, and compressor, just too many advantages to having onboard air, just the fact of adjusting on the fly to existing road conditions.

But probably the biggest advantage is knowing how much air is in them, the Ride Rite you have, have to have 5-10 psi in them , can't run them empty, it will ruin them. So that means you are checking them every time you drive the truck to be safe. My previous truck I had the air gauge in the cab, and knew at a glance what the air pressure was. My present truck I installed the wireless system, and it monitors the air pressure , maintains it to whatever I have it set at, which is 5 psi. when empty. No worries at all about running without air in them.

jerseyjim wrote:
How durable are those air bags?

Mine are going on 11 years on my previous truck, talked to the guy that owns it, and it said all is well with them.

Fulltimer50 wrote:
I put my separate fill connections in two rear license plate holes.

I don't think people realize that is the best place for them, I too put them in license plate holes. The airbag kit comes with two nuts per valve, just need to put one on each of the valves to keep tight, adjust how much is sticking out to get the air chuck on ,and the valve cap. Nice clean installation. Can't imagine a better place .

I put my separate fill connections in two rear license plate holes.