2015 F-350 w/ AF 811, Stable load or Air Bags

[Big-wheel]

So my parents just bought an Artic Fox 811 and a 2015 F-350 ccsb 6.7. So my questions are for that setup what would be the pros and cons of running stable loads or doing air bags? They will do some light off road forest roads.

Thanks

[wintersun]

I added the double leaf Supersprings to my 2500HD pickup and it provided it with a 5,000 lb. payload capacity. It took only one hour to install them with some wrenches and a large C-clamp. Nothing to adjust and nothing to fail while out on a trip. The ride without the camper is not different than before I installed them. The shocks don't have to work as hard as the added springs reduced the range of travel of the truck at the rear with a 3700 lb. camper load.

With SuperSprings you are increasing the load capacity of the factory leaf packs but not changing the way the function. This is the opposite of what happens with air bags.

Search for the many posts by people with handling problems with their air bags and also the posts by people who had air bags on their trucks and then took them off. Air bags are good for tow vehicles to adjust the height of the hitch or the bed to better mate to the trailer. If one of the two air bags fail, and they will sooner or later, you will have to abort your trip until they can be repaired. They would be my very last choice for this reason alone.

[Boatycall]

deltabravo wrote:

wcjeep wrote:
Airbags can unload the suspension. Stable Loads engage the suspension sooner. Stable loads first.

Ditto.

I wish I'd have installed StableLoads First, and I would never have spent the money on airbags.

Stableloads do a lot more for me than the airbags - AF811 on a 2009 Silverado Dually.

I have an EXTREMELY heavy camper, I run Stableloads. They will never pop or leak.

[bighatnohorse]

I added a set of SuperSprings (5000 lb rating) and find that the truck is still low in the rear.
I like the way it rides and really don't want to add airbags. But airbags appear the only way to make it level, short of adding some type of lift kit or trailer with weight distribution system.

[Reddog1]

twodownzero wrote:
While I agree that heavier springs would be a better solution than airbags, I remain unconvinced that stableloads--which seek to add only one or two leaves (the overload leaves) provide a sufficiently meaningful increase in spring rate. I say this because I have had my truck loaded to the point that the rear overloads were compressed almost completely and they really didn't do much to help level the truck (otherwise it wouldn't have been squatting so badly, and it wasn't overloaded by much and the rear tires were not overloaded).

Airbags, on the other hand, will virtually completely level the truck even if it is grossly overloaded. I'm convinced that the mounts would break before the airbags would cease to support the weight.

As such, I run airbags with about 60 psi when loaded with camper. If I had a heavy trailer I'd just add more air.

This has been my experience also.

Wayne

[twodownzero]

While I agree that heavier springs would be a better solution than airbags, I remain unconvinced that stableloads--which seek to add only one or two leaves (the overload leaves) provide a sufficiently meaningful increase in spring rate. I say this because I have had my truck loaded to the point that the rear overloads were compressed almost completely and they really didn't do much to help level the truck (otherwise it wouldn't have been squatting so badly, and it wasn't overloaded by much and the rear tires were not overloaded).

Airbags, on the other hand, will virtually completely level the truck even if it is grossly overloaded. I'm convinced that the mounts would break before the airbags would cease to support the weight.

As such, I run airbags with about 60 psi when loaded with camper. If I had a heavy trailer I'd just add more air.

[Roadlover]

In my case, I started with air bags but I was still not happy with the ride. I installed the Sableloads and it was a night and day experience. So much of an improvement, that I only left enough air in the bads to keep them from getting pinched. The Stableloads cost so much less that I would recommend your parents try them first and if not satisfied, then try airbags.

Ken

[Big-wheel]

Thanks everyone, I think he has decided to do the Stable loads. We will see how that does and go from there.

[kbaum]

Initially put on air bags and then stable loads (lower). Currently, only use a small amount of air (20 labs) and let the stable loads do the rest. I really just use the air bags for leveling, if I only had one I would get the stable loads .

[cubbear]

I have a 2015 F 350 LB CC DRW PSD New artic fox 990 I gross 14430 loaded I put lower stable loads on before I picked up camper. have driven through a lot of wind no problem.

[Bedlam]

Thanks. My F250 with AF811 and trailer hitched up was about ton heavier your setup and I was pulling four tons behind me.

[Reddog1]

Bedlam - It has been a while since I have weighed my truck, and my memory on this kind of stuff is not what it once was. As I recall, the total weight with TC is 10400 lbs. Rear axle 6200, front 4200. Empty, no tailgate, total 6200 lbs, rear 2200, front 4000.

snakyjake - There was a time I considered the auto leveling air bags. Very pricey and in my opinion not worth the upkeep or money. I think you will find you would not know the difference in the air bag pressure at sea level and 12000 feet. Can you tell the difference in your tires? Use care and not over think the air bags.

Air bags for our trucks are designed to compliment our existing springs, not replace them like the big trucks. You can replace the total suspension package in many of our trucks to ride on air like the big guys, but it ain't cheap. That does not mean the air bags for out trucks are cheap and do not work well. You will do yourself a disservice if you try to compare both applications other than the concept.

Wayne

[snakyjake]

Additionally, I've seen auto leveling air bags, and at first glance liked the "automatic" idea. The one I saw , the auto leveling is done by a magnetic reference point. But now I'm thinking that may not work so well if the conditions are constantly changing, presuming the airbags would constantly be auto-adjusting. I also travel from sea level over a mountain pass, so air pressure changes on route.

If the air requirements change while driving and need an operator, then I'd want controls in the truck cab.

I also still have questions between the leading commercial transport truck air suspensions, RAM, and the pickup aftermarket. I'm not sure how well integrated the aftermarket is since their marketing is going to be for cheap & easy.

So the above might outline some challenges/complexity with airbags, and which system to choose.

Jake

[Farmerjon]

I vote for the stable loads or a diy imitation. without a load your ride is normal, with a load you get onto the overloads sooner, our camper is not a heavy one, it's about 3500lbs loaded and engaging them while the camper or a heavy goose neck load is on the truck has made a good difference with out me having to adjust anything when I add or remove a load.

[Bedlam]

For the record, I am not against air suspension. However the kits that supplement the existing springs, are nothing like primary suspension bags. I used Firestone bags to level out after hitching up the trailer.

My AF 811 was at least a 1' taller and rear axle weight was close to 7000 lbs with just the TC and could be as much as 8000 lbs when my enclosed trailer is hitched with WDH and we are loaded for extended boon docking.

I'm surprised the rear of your truck only weighs 2000 lbs. My short bed extended cab was 750 lbs heavier in the rear.