air spring help

[jmgratz]

Sorry to hear about your companion. Their loss can be a sorrowful time. Keep your chin up. We do empathize.

 

[westxsrt10]

Here is my take. If you were going to use your truck to haul a big slide in camper, with lots of load on one side or a very tall one that puts 3k or 4k in the bed and sets 12' tall like some of the big ones do. Then I could say have the bags on separate air lines.

But we are talking about 5th wheels. The actual load is in the bottom or close to the bottom of the bed, providing you have a hitch that tilts, so you will not get any, or very little transfer of air on a curve because the truck does not lean. The trailer may lean a little but the truck does not. Can't say that I have ever even noticed the trailer leaning. I have pulled 5ers over 50K miles with my Firestone ride rites, mountains of Calif and Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and the Eastern USA also, and never experienced any thing that would make me want to remove them or separate the air lines.

I depend on the Ride rites to be my overloads, because I removed the overload spring brackets from the frame of the truck. I did not like the harsh ride and noise, because with my 3055 on the hitch, 2700lbs, it sat about 1/2 inch off of the overload springs. Every little dip or bump, the overloads would hit and make noise and were just to stiff. With 35# of air, and I have an on board compressor, my truck rides and handles like a dream with the fiver on it.

My theory is if your going fast enough on a curve, pulling a 5er, and it starts to tilt...Your going way to fast.

Also, if there were a safety concern, I do not think Firestone or any of the others would be selling a kit with a compressor and fittings to tie both sides together.

My 3 cents worth.

Jim M

Jim, I see you live near me where its not windy.... and strong winds have no effect on higher 4x4 profile trucks.
We were talking non compressor systems, just wondering does your compressor system maintain a constant air pressure? Does it automatically release pressure when the system rises higher than the set point?

 

[mountainlovers76]

Just letting you know that "teeing" the lines together is a big NO NO, its very dangerious and has caused rollovers. The reason is while turning with a load air transfers to the weaker bag raising that side of the truck inturn causing a swaying action. This is why the instructions say run seperate lines.

Nowhere in the instructions that came with my Firestone Airbags does it say, it is unsafe to use a "T" or that you should run separate lines. In fact, my instructions even show how to connect them with a "T" as well as individual lines. Firestone even sells the "T" just for that purpose; I bought it with the airbags. In addition, when pulling a 5th wheel, the load point is centered side-to-side between the airbags. Even if the 5'er ever leans a little, it does not shift weight to one side or the other, it simply rotates on the pivot pin. If it rotates enough to bottom out then the unsafe condition is not the pressure in the airbags but the driving speed or road conditions. In fact, if it leans enough to cause a rollover it actually "picks up" the bed of the TW and pulls it over with it due to centrifugal force. I pulled my 5'er several thousand miles last year over all kinds of road conditions and never experienced any sway with my airbags T'd together.

 

[santafedave]

Air spring help

I have the firestone ride rites on my 04 f250 and they work great. I just put over 1200 miles on my truck towing my 3795 Cyclone and I am glad that I had them. I keep the bags inflated to about 90 PSI and it takes the bump right out of the ride. I have the air compressor and tank built in because I air down my tires when I am in the sand and that works great to. I recommend getting the guage and inflator installed in your cab makes the operation go a lot smoother.

 

[newbie]

I have the firestone ride rites on my 04 f250 and they work great. I just put over 1200 miles on my truck towing my 3795 Cyclone and I am glad that I had them. I keep the bags inflated to about 90 PSI and it takes the bump right out of the ride. I have the air compressor and tank built in because I air down my tires when I am in the sand and that works great to. I recommend getting the guage and inflator installed in your cab makes the operation go a lot smoother.

Wow- 90 psi? That doesn't make it too stiff?

 

[santafedave]

I have a 4" lift kit on her with an extra spring added. I also have 6 way adjustable air shocks set to firm. The air spring installers said to not go over a 100 psi and I have lowered the psi when I am on really bumpy roads. This is my first 5th wheel and the trip I took was my first real long one, but, these airbags worked out great and they help with the tilt on tight turns. When I am not towing I run them at about 20. D.

 

[jimtoo]

Westxsrt10,
I have a compressor for the Ride rites and valve/switch combo, that I ordered with the ride rites. The compressor just adds air when I push switch/valve one way, or releases air when valve/switch is pushed the other way. Nothing automatic to regulate or maintain pressure. Both bags are tied together with a "T" and both are inflated or deflated by me in the cab. I normally run about 30-35# when towing and 5# when not towing.

Jim M