Firestone Airbag Lift Spacers

It doesn't need to be a perfect solution, it is a solution that helps in a couple ways, intended or unintended. Intended is to help suppord the weight of the load. Leveling or trimming the ride is another atribute airbags achieve.  It is also obvious they mount to the axle which is directly connected to the ground through the tires. That gives the airbags a seperate load path direct to ground becoming a third independent point of support. Since they are airbags riding on the tires, it is also a dampened load point due to the airbags themselves and the tires. The airbags are independent of the springs and shackles.

The firestone support extensions are

1-1/4 to 1-1/2 height. Mine are 2" height.

Firestone's are U shape with one hole for the bolt. The problem I experienced is the bolt shifts around and works itself lose and has bent. Several times the bottom bracket falls off as the nuts work lose and fall off regardless of locktight, double nuts. Never tried nylock nuts or crushed nuts. 

My 2" square metal lift brackets have two holes and hold the bolt straight and steady. I have not noticed the double nuts trying to work lose yet. I think the box with 2 holes hold the bolt straight and steady lessening the action that made the bolts work lose. The taller profile puts the airbags in a more desirable position too. The metel was free scrap. All I had to do was cut, deburr, drill myself, saving some bucks.

So far, they are working great!

I use the airbags to trim and level the truck and camper. The new rear springs are 6+1 leaf's, and rated 4400# each. The front springs were sagging so I replaced them with 3 leaf springs. After the new front leafs were installed, unloaded, the truck unloaded, sat 42" high at all 4 corners measured from the ground, to the wheel well center above the axles.  The camper weight lowers the rear a couple inches and the airbags can now bring the truck carrying the camper back to level.