Air bag suspension for trucks question

[Inthecountry]

I have a question on air bag suspension for my used Diesel F250 Super Duty truck.

I will be towing a three horse, living quarter trailer, gooseneck for the first time this year. Approx weight, no more than 12,000, most likely about 10,000 lbs.

Someone mentioned I need an air bag suspension and someone else said I didn't.

I'm not even sure what all they do, make a softer ride? Like shocks on a vehicle? Keep the gooseneck weight coming down so far?

Good idea to have them? And if so, which one is best, or the the best ones at the most reasonable price?

Thanks.

[Homer1]

You could air them up with a hand air pump.

[CavemanCharlie]

Actually,,, my car is a Lincoln Mark VII. It came from the factory with a rubber bag at each corner. No metal springs of any kind.

[Dave_H_M]

check etrailer.com and amazon and read all about them on the reviews.

BTW, I do not have an on board compressor for mine. i air them up to what I need before hooking up. It is your call, but it does not take much air, my wally world 12V compressor airs them right up.

[gmctoyman]

Here is a true "air suspension" for your truck Kalderman they do NOT INCREASE your carry capacity. The "air bags" also do not increase your carrying capacity....but either may make you more complacent going down the road with your overloaded rig. The Kalderman will ride better.

[phillyg]

Inthecountry wrote:
OK, now I'm confused, some are saying air bags are not correct, that they are air springs, but some are saying air bags. Are they one and the same?

It doesn't matter what they're called, although I think air bag is correct. Regardless, the bags "act" like springs. They cannot increase your vehicle's towing capacity, but can keep the vehicle more level.

[Inthecountry]

Dave H M wrote:
I cannot believe that so many people need to get up in the ozone layer about semantics. The post before mine gives you a picture of the beasts. Now somebody can beat me with a wet noodle cus I was semantically incorrect. :B

There is a lot of El Toro poo poo on this thread. I put the Firestone ride right air bags on my F 250 before it even left the barn for hook up to the fifth wheel. I am not overloaded. I do not like any sag in the rear and I do think they are a great asset also when I happen to hit a big woop de do unexpectedly. Also my headlights will not shine in your eyes at night.

They do have their place in this world, even for the folks that are not overloaded.

I feel better now. :W

LOL, love it.

Looks like I'll be getting them, just have to find out the correct ones to get.

I'll call on Monday to ask since I can't make heads or tails out that page, there was no model number that I could see.

[Dave_H_M]

I cannot believe that so many people need to get up in the ozone layer about semantics. The post before mine gives you a picture of the beasts. Now somebody can beat me with a wet noodle cus I was semantically incorrect. :B

There is a lot of El Toro poo poo on this thread. I put the Firestone ride right air bags on my F 250 before it even left the barn for hook up to the fifth wheel. I am not overloaded. I do not like any sag in the rear and I do think they are a great asset also when I happen to hit a big woop de do unexpectedly. Also my headlights will not shine in your eyes at night.

They do have their place in this world, even for the folks that are not overloaded.

I feel better now. :W

[Cummins12V98]

" Rear air bags help level a loaded truck out when it is at or over its capacity to safely handle a load. They do not increade a trucks load carrying capacity."

On paper I would agree. Real world they do increase your capacity.

Example my 15 RAM with factory rear air ride only has two springs that run full length on each side and two that run from the axle forward. Hardly enough to carry 9,750# but with the air bags/springs it will carry that much weight.

[C_Schomer]

Need and want are two completely different things . I have plenty of truck but I put on 5000 pound airbags and cut off my bottom overload springs and added an expansion tank to the airbags and my 1 T dually rides like a half ton . Craig

[fj12ryder]

I've always thought of "air springs" as air suspension instead of regular springs, not in addition to.

[Dutch_12078]

Homer wrote:
Mine said Firestone Air Bags on every one of them, that is good enough for me, they should know what they manufacture.

They do...

"Firestone air spring systems are designed to maximize safe load carrying capacity, stability and overall ride quality. They are designed and assembled in the USA. Ride-Rite air springs use the same Firestone technology used on many heavy-duty trucks, trailers and buses on the road today."

http://riderite.com/benefits-of-air-springs

[CavemanCharlie]

coolbreeze01 wrote:
If you need airbags, you don't have enough truck.

I would not go that far. I have a 2004 Chevy half ton. I'm pulling a 20 foot , 4580 pound travel trailer. It only has 600 pounds of tongue weight. It tows very, very, easy. You don't even know it's back there.

At night other vehicles flash their lights at me because they think I'm on brights.

I don't tow far from home, and I have only towed at night twice. But, this truck is sprung so lightly I would put Air Springs on it if I towed a lot.

The truck is plenty big, it just has a soft spring package. Half Ton Chevy pickups are kinda known for that. They are just full sized cars with a box on the back.

[fj12ryder]

rhagfo wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:
Not necessarily true.

I was pulling a 10,000 lb. 5th wheel with my 2001 Dodge Cummins dually. All weights were well within my trucks GVWR, GCVWR, etc. However, while the truck didn't drop enough in the rear to put the lights in the trees, it did make for a rough ride. The air bags got it off the overloads and smoothed things out tremendously. Perhaps just some tired springs, I don't know, but I do know that it worked for me.

Wow, you must have got the weak spring package!!
We tow with a 2001 2500 with Camper Package, and carry an 11,000# 5er, and don't get to the upper overloads, pin is at 2,200# +/-.

You should have installed some Bilstein's!

Actually I did install the Bilstein's but that doesn't help with spring sag, but it did help the ride. I bought the truck used from a guy who hauled horse trailers, and he used/abused the heck out of it. So that may be part of the problem. The truck road pretty level with the 5th wheel attached, but it just touched down on the overloads on bumps and dips, made for a very rough ride on bad roads.

[Homer1]

Mine said Firestone Air Bags on every one of them, that is good enough for me, they should know what they manufacture.