I’ve seen Dieselcrawlers set up. It is slick. Didn’t get to ride in it but it cool watching him air it up. Really handy for a gooseneck trailer. Don’t even screw with the landing gear until it’s hooked up.
Air bag auto levelling
- Thread starter chillman88
- Start date
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At ride height empty, my bags have 9-10 lbs in them. Currently potholes and such do make it harsh, but mainly cause my shocks are not right for air ride. If I run without the shocks it rides beautifully just bouncy like a 70’s caddy with no shocks. Lol I am running a semi level valve, with dump feature to drop all air. From ride height to on the bumps is about 4 inches. Once I get it figured out, I can figure out the weight on the back of the truck by how much pressure is in the bags. When I towed Russ Truck at the rally, it was up around 30 lbs in them.
As for build thread, photobucket killed all the photos.
Photo is my air pressure. White needle is tank, orange is bag pressure at ride height empty
clint bartels
Full Access Member
Dieselcrawler That looks like a sweet setup in your dash. Lucky you have space there. I wish I did 
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My dump valve and arb air locker air switches are on the other side. Not photoed is the double din radioDieselcrawler That looks like a sweet setup in your dash. Lucky you have space there. I wish I did
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The advantage of a non-a/c bullnose dash.......
Sidewinded_idi
Full Access Member
Why not use the leveling valve semi trailers use? Basically a manual valve that you can adjust with a turnbuckle. If it goes up it releases air down it adds air, all mechanical. You adjust the turnbuckle for the height you want it to maintain. I would pull all the leafs except the main and use large air bags with that leveling valve and call it a day
Sidewinded_idi
Full Access Member
Good point, I could be hella fly with those kits yo!
You definitely bring up a good point, I haven't looked an awful lot into the different types of air bags available either.
Although I believe your comment about the Touareg was in jest, it brings up a valid point I hadn't yet considered. Many manufacturers offer vehicles with factory air suspensions which might actually be a good place to look for materials.
I'm not going FULL air suspension, but there may be alternative choices for me if I look at Lincolns and Cadillacs for parts or ideas.
I seem to be pretty good at "frankensteining" vehicles together lol!
Like one of these (regarding my post above)
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...nIKaboeesekPQMkIxsIANYBTVtBxCvnwaAkuGEALw_wcB
Sidewinded_idi
Full Access Member
Big Bart
Tow&Slow
Chillman,
Guessing you figured it all out by now but just in case you are still looking for utopia.
My uncle had a neat set up for his air bags. Compressor installed on the truck (You could also have a tank of compressed air.) and a controller like this in the cab under the dash in the center. He could fill up or air down his air bags while in the drivers seat. Could see what his PSI was in the air bags at all times.
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Firestone/F2572.html
Here is something more mechanical I found on Amazon. (If you had a air tank supplying compressed air.)
https://www.amazon.com/26229-200-ps...ords=Air+Ride+Air+Gauge&qid=1623379114&sr=8-6
Guessing you figured it all out by now but just in case you are still looking for utopia.
My uncle had a neat set up for his air bags. Compressor installed on the truck (You could also have a tank of compressed air.) and a controller like this in the cab under the dash in the center. He could fill up or air down his air bags while in the drivers seat. Could see what his PSI was in the air bags at all times.
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Firestone/F2572.html
Here is something more mechanical I found on Amazon. (If you had a air tank supplying compressed air.)
https://www.amazon.com/26229-200-ps...ords=Air+Ride+Air+Gauge&qid=1623379114&sr=8-6
Great thread necromancy Batman!
Actually... I've recently started looking at this stuff again, ironic for you to bump it today!
Airlift has an "ultimate" kit that has the integrated bump stops, the lack of which was the biggest hurdle for this idea in the first place. I may very well consider pulling a leaf or two out and adding track bars and bags. Sadly it will be a while yet. Still have lots of functional work to do on the truck before I can get around to "comfort" modifications.
I ended up gathering parts for a SAS 4wd swap on the truck so funds have been... "Reallocated" shall we say
Big Bart
Tow&Slow
Can you enlighten me on your top 3 goals for this project? I am not clear with what you want to get back for the cost of installing air bags.
I don’t want to talk you out of it but wanting automatic ride height is not easy to achieve. But manual ride height via the above in your truck is.
My wife’s suv has ride height control. Each shock has airline to it and goes to a solenoid controlled air valve bank. The system has a compressor and a computer. But what makes it all work in concert is the leveling sensor by each wheel. It measures the change in ride height of each wheel in comparison with the truck frame. Then the computer adjusts the air pressure till the ride height is within spec. No gauges to look at, no buttons to push, but no way to adjust either. Fully automatic.
Perhaps this very thing is available after market. But are you willing to pay say $3,000 to buy one if it did exist? Or is at $1,200 all in with bags more practical because you only need to change pressure a couple times a month when you tow? And if you don’t like the ride you get to change to your liking. And you can insure the bags have 10psi if that is needed.
My concern about pulling leaf springs is will it effectively lower your tow capacity? The air bags are less stiff than leafs and can left and right forces on the axle now be able to shift the axle or later bend the leaf set in its new compromised state. Could hitting pot holes without a load and air bags under inflated cause the leaf springs to bend. (I have seen a lot a bent leafs in the off road world. It does not take as much as you think it would.)
When my uncle did his air bags it was to enhance his F-250 PSD when pulling his very large 5th wheel. Increase his rear ride height when loaded and to add some gentle shock absorption. Overall make the towing more safe.
Having a compressor on board let him adjust the air bags on the fly till he was happy with the ride. Not sure a computer can compute how good your ride is, rather just work on a specific ride height. Which seems a little limited in the functionality department and may not achieve your goals.
So let us know your goals for the airbags. I am a fan of air bags and would like to add some at some point.
I don’t want to talk you out of it but wanting automatic ride height is not easy to achieve. But manual ride height via the above in your truck is.
My wife’s suv has ride height control. Each shock has airline to it and goes to a solenoid controlled air valve bank. The system has a compressor and a computer. But what makes it all work in concert is the leveling sensor by each wheel. It measures the change in ride height of each wheel in comparison with the truck frame. Then the computer adjusts the air pressure till the ride height is within spec. No gauges to look at, no buttons to push, but no way to adjust either. Fully automatic.
Perhaps this very thing is available after market. But are you willing to pay say $3,000 to buy one if it did exist? Or is at $1,200 all in with bags more practical because you only need to change pressure a couple times a month when you tow? And if you don’t like the ride you get to change to your liking. And you can insure the bags have 10psi if that is needed.
My concern about pulling leaf springs is will it effectively lower your tow capacity? The air bags are less stiff than leafs and can left and right forces on the axle now be able to shift the axle or later bend the leaf set in its new compromised state. Could hitting pot holes without a load and air bags under inflated cause the leaf springs to bend. (I have seen a lot a bent leafs in the off road world. It does not take as much as you think it would.)
When my uncle did his air bags it was to enhance his F-250 PSD when pulling his very large 5th wheel. Increase his rear ride height when loaded and to add some gentle shock absorption. Overall make the towing more safe.
Having a compressor on board let him adjust the air bags on the fly till he was happy with the ride. Not sure a computer can compute how good your ride is, rather just work on a specific ride height. Which seems a little limited in the functionality department and may not achieve your goals.
So let us know your goals for the airbags. I am a fan of air bags and would like to add some at some point.
