Another Reason To Not Have Airbags

[SweetLou]

I know this has been discussed to nauseum, but I am currently towing my cargo trailer that is combined weight of about 7K LBS, and some stuff in the bed of the truck and of course fuel and two bodies. I have a slow leak in the air system which after a day of traveling, it squats the truck and puts more weight on the front of the tandem trailer wheels. The truck handles the squat fine with a dually, but it causes for concern. I just add air and go at this point. Timbrens won't do this and I will be dumping the air system depending on what I find, and switching back at some point. Hopefully its just a small hole in the air line.

[Cummins12V98]

SweetLou wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

SweetLou wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Good to hear from you Lou. What did you do for the time being?

I am betting you have a leak at a hose to connector. Soapy water is your friend.

Bags when ran with low pressure really do improve the ride!!!

Hope your travels have been going well!

Sort of did just that. I put about 15 lbs in and it rode well. Still had to put air in the next day. Soapy water coming for sure, but after I unload and get settled. BTW, also had a tire separate on my cargo trailer jus before a fill in Fillmore UT. Lucked out there. GY Marathons, 4 yr on manufacture date and 3 on trailer. Was planning to change out after the season, but started with on GY Endurance to get me up to WA. Won't start another topic on tires. Can't take the stress. 🙂

Ya know we need to get together this fall and have an adult beverage!!! Of course with "PPE" 😉

Hopefully by then we can be in shorts

Maybe the leg portion can be clear. :B

[SweetLou]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

SweetLou wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Good to hear from you Lou. What did you do for the time being?

I am betting you have a leak at a hose to connector. Soapy water is your friend.

Bags when ran with low pressure really do improve the ride!!!

Hope your travels have been going well!

Sort of did just that. I put about 15 lbs in and it rode well. Still had to put air in the next day. Soapy water coming for sure, but after I unload and get settled. BTW, also had a tire separate on my cargo trailer jus before a fill in Fillmore UT. Lucked out there. GY Marathons, 4 yr on manufacture date and 3 on trailer. Was planning to change out after the season, but started with on GY Endurance to get me up to WA. Won't start another topic on tires. Can't take the stress. 🙂

Ya know we need to get together this fall and have an adult beverage!!! Of course with "PPE" 😉

Hopefully by then we can be in shorts

[Cummins12V98]

SweetLou wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Good to hear from you Lou. What did you do for the time being?

I am betting you have a leak at a hose to connector. Soapy water is your friend.

Bags when ran with low pressure really do improve the ride!!!

Hope your travels have been going well!

Sort of did just that. I put about 15 lbs in and it rode well. Still had to put air in the next day. Soapy water coming for sure, but after I unload and get settled. BTW, also had a tire separate on my cargo trailer jus before a fill in Fillmore UT. Lucked out there. GY Marathons, 4 yr on manufacture date and 3 on trailer. Was planning to change out after the season, but started with on GY Endurance to get me up to WA. Won't start another topic on tires. Can't take the stress. 🙂

Ya know we need to get together this fall and have an adult beverage!!! Of course with "PPE" 😉

[SweetLou]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Good to hear from you Lou. What did you do for the time being?

I am betting you have a leak at a hose to connector. Soapy water is your friend.

Bags when ran with low pressure really do improve the ride!!!

Hope your travels have been going well!

Sort of did just that. I put about 15 lbs in and it rode well. Still had to put air in the next day. Soapy water coming for sure, but after I unload and get settled. BTW, also had a tire separate on my cargo trailer jus before a fill in Fillmore UT. Lucked out there. GY Marathons, 4 yr on manufacture date and 3 on trailer. Was planning to change out after the season, but started with on GY Endurance to get me up to WA. Won't start another topic on tires. Can't take the stress. 🙂

[SweetLou]

Grit dog wrote:

SweetLou wrote:
I know this has been discussed to nauseum, but I am currently towing my cargo trailer that is combined weight of about 7K LBS, and some stuff in the bed of the truck and of course fuel and two bodies. I have a slow leak in the air system which after a day of traveling, it squats the truck and puts more weight on the front of the tandem trailer wheels. The truck handles the squat fine with a dually, but it causes for concern. I just add air and go at this point. Timbrens won't do this and I will be dumping the air system depending on what I find, and switching back at some point. Hopefully its just a small hole in the air line.

If you have a 7klb trailer that even remotely squats a dually, you either need to re-think how it’s loaded or it’s well over 7klbs.
So your system has a leak and that’s a reason to not have them?
If your tires have a leak is that a reason to not have tires!

Great example, now rethink it. Now after you re thunk it, I said if it was a cheap fix I would keep the system. If not, I would switch it out. Why?, because I have used them in the past, I hate the ride, and Tibrens in my opinion work better. Nuff said.

[SweetLou]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Bottom line Lou needs no air bags or Timbrens for such a light load ! Just ball to proper height and carry on.

LOL... You've been riding Lou really hard lately. First it was why in the hell he was replacing the idler/pulley on his serpentine belt at 80k miles and now why in the hell he has air bags. :B

Hey we are buddies!

So based on your VAST knowledge of RAM trucks do you think there is a reason for him to NEED air bags for his load he mentioned?

I never said he should not need or want bags for any reason. I added bags on my 11 DRW. It had NOTHING to do with my 4,500# pin. It was to help with some of the poor roads. I set bags to 30 psi LOADED as that did not change ride height. Bags and Bilsteins what a difference.

Biggest problem with bags is people thinking they need to air so truck sets at unloaded ride height.

Fish,
He ain't riding me. BTW,The bags were an accessory when I bought it and I use them to level the trailer which lessens the weight on the front axle of the tandem set up. It's just when the air leaked out on my second day out, it lowered the front end of the trailer. Yes Cummins, a different hitch will work. It's a 4x4 so rides high but an adjustable like your previous pic would fix that.

[Cummins12V98]

Good to hear from you Lou. What did you do for the time being?

I am betting you have a leak at a hose to connector. Soapy water is your friend.

Bags when ran with low pressure really do improve the ride!!!

Hope your travels have been going well!

[SweetLou]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

SweetLou wrote:
I know this has been discussed to nauseum, but I am currently towing my cargo trailer that is combined weight of about 7K LBS, and some stuff in the bed of the truck and of course fuel and two bodies. I have a slow leak in the air system which after a day of traveling, it squats the truck and puts more weight on the front of the tandem trailer wheels. The truck handles the squat fine with a dually, but it causes for concern. I just add air and go at this point. Timbrens won't do this and I will be dumping the air system depending on what I find, and switching back at some point. Hopefully its just a small hole in the air line.

Lou, why in the HE!! do you need air bags on a modern DRW RAM with such a light load?

I am betting you are airing bags to put truck at unloaded ride height. Drop the air in your bags to 5psi and raise the ball to where the trailer sets level and carry on.

Your truck is designed to set level when placing a load on it and allow the overloads to start working.

This is NOT squat! My 11 DRW is riding level with 4,50# pin. NO air bags.

Agreed. I didn't put these on the truck. It came with them. I don't really have a big squat ( pardon the potential pun here) Its just that I have the air leak and all I am saying is that I hate the system and I am taking them off if its a big fix.

[Cummins12V98]

qtla9111 wrote:
Good info, thanks. Sorry to the OP for butting in on his thread.

Lou is traveling and no doubt has dealt with his issue by now.

[Cummins12V98]

C Schomer wrote:
Why don't you find the leaks in your air system with soapy water and fix them? It's really easy! Craig

I believe Lou is on the road. "I am currently towing my cargo trailer"

That is why I suggested setting bags to 5psi and adjusting ball height to make trailer as level as possible.

[qtla9111]

Good info, thanks. Sorry to the OP for butting in on his thread.

[blt2ski]

I've generally found custom leaf spring pack works best. For how "I" used trucks in landscape biz, that was better option. RV use, I'm sure my preferred may not be best for all.
I went progressively stiffer as a load was out in, via slowly, or 1-2tons literally that fast from a loader.
No best right or wrong IMHO.
Marty

[carringb]

qtla9111 wrote:

Grit dog wrote:


Sumos are an extended rubber bump stop essentially. And super springs are add on leafs

Thanks. Can either be used on an SUV pulling a trailer?

No. SuperSprings only fit on leaf-springs, and even some leaf-spring rigs can't run them if the rear A/C lines are too close to the springs. Sumo's are available for more applications. And ride better anyways.

I put them on mine, to supplement my existing airbags, because I don't like the harshness when the overload spring engages. My factory overload spring are stupidly stiff (like 850 pounds per inch), and Sumos were far cheaper than a full custom spring pack.

Etrailer probably has the easiest to use application guide. Just enter your vehicle, then navigate to suspension enhancements, and it will show what's available for your application.

[ShinerBock]

Devocamper wrote:
Sumo springs work well for us , no air lines and ours are fully disengaged when there is no load in the truck also fairly easy install as well .

I went this route as well. Some of the off-roading I do at the farm and dear lease really articulate the rear axle which is not ideal for air bags. I went with the SumoSpring Rebel that separate when the axle is articulated and act like air bags when loaded.