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BigWooo
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Suspension airbags for off road use
Has anyone had any good/bad experiences using suspension airbags off road? I'm installing a set on an older (97) F350 crew cab with a Lance Lite 8'
camper and service body.
The reason I'm switching to the airbags instead of my overload springs is because I've cracked the frame three times now.
The guys at the shop I go to believe the problem (besides the weight, of course) may be the overload springs don't span as wide a reach as the leaf
springs, they push down in the middle while the leaf springs push up from the bottom. Their theory is that all the force needs to come from one
direction with better distribution, plus they feel the airbags will absorb some of the energy where the springs transfer it directly to the frame.
Sounds reasonable, but I just wanted to see if anyone has experienced any handling problems, or failures with the airbags over washboard/rocks etc.
since they're really designed for towing.
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Hook
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Im interested, too.
Cant believe how mushy my rear end is now with the new Bilsteins. Much better ride w/o the Lance but with the Lance I have about 4-5 inches of shock
travel left in the back. Disappointed.
Wish I had saved my rear Ranchos.......
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Bob H
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Hook
Im interested, too.
Cant believe how mushy my rear end is now with the new Bilsteins. Much better ride w/o the Lance but with the Lance I have about 4-5 inches of shock
travel left in the back. Disappointed.
Wish I had saved my rear Ranchos....... |
Hook, I'm glad I read this. I will now not buy the Bilsteins based on your experience. I have to get get my sway down. So, maybe I'll look at the
Ranchos. Where can I find them?
I have airbags and it's nice to be able to air them down when offroading in my F250 Super Duty 4x4.
Bob H
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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Diver
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After a few trips to Baja with our old 9' camper, I decided to add the rear air bags to my '94 F250. They helped level the truck and also helped side
sway quite a bit.
Although I have never had a problem with them in moderate off-road conditions, they have been known to bust a frame with too much pressure.
They definitely DON'T help the ride off-road or in the washboards. Let your tires down !
I have some on my '04 F350 crew and don't really need them. The only real advantage is helping side sway and for when I load up REALLY heavy.
.
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tripledigitken
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I agree with the previous posts.
I have a 97 250 4 by 4 with bilsteens, rear sway bar and firestone air bags. I carry a 10' Lance. About 3000 pounds. Ride loaded is great and I
have also noticed the side sway is greatly reduced. Very easy to get it completely level.
I do very little offroad loaded so can't comment on that. But without the camper they have no effect as the springs are dominent over the air bags,
if that makes sense. I air the bags down to a minimal pressure when using it without the camper.
I am very pleased with the bags with the camper on! Have had them on for 30,000+ miles.
Ken
Note the placement of the Happy Jacs with the springs down.
[Edited on 6-7-2007 by tripledigitken]
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Hook
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Ranchos are available at fine off road shops anywhere, Bob. Get the 9000s.
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BigWooo
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Hook: I’m having the overloads removed and the airbags installed tomorrow. We’re heading down next week so I’ll be able to let you know how they
work; I guess you’re leaving soon also. Enjoy.
Bob: Like hook said, most off-road places sell the Ranchos. (I’m very happy with them, 9000’s). Get them from a good reputable shop because they
have a lifetime warranty, and once and a while one will blow out. I had a 5 year old set warrantied because they no longer worked properly, no
questions asked.
Diver: Thanks for the info. I don’t do any real “serious” off-roading either, mostly just washboard and the occasional rocky riverbed or sand. All
I’m hoping for is to control the sway as good as my overload springs do (and without breaking the frame). I do let the tires down. Have BF 285/75/16-
normal is 65psi we drop them to about 45 off-road. I’m scared to go less with all the weight. At 45 it rides washboard pretty well and so far no
problems with the tires.
Triple: Nice rig! I bet with the service bed and the 8 foot camper I weigh nearly the same as you. Sounds like the airbags will control the sway
like I hoped.
Bob, when ordering shocks, I learned this the hard way: Have whoever you order them from measure the distance from the shock mount to the frame mount
with and without the camper, that way you can order shocks that aren’t too compressed with the camper on, or two maxed out with the camper off. I
measured with the camper on, but when I took the camper off the shocks only had 2” of travel. They blew out….that one wasn’t warranty 
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Hook
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I dont understand why you cant just order the ones made for your vehicle ASSUMING your load in within your laden weight capacity. My Lance is well
within the capacity of my F350 by about 500#.
I guess I'm headed to air bags, too. There is no way the tongue weight of my boat will handle this.
Any body have the Edelbrocks or KYBs or anything else on rigs similar to ours?
[Edited on 6-7-2007 by Hook]
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Tomas Tierra
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key words in Kens post.."I do very little offroad loaded"
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Hook
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Tomas Tierra
key words in Kens post.."I do very little offroad loaded" |
Yeah but does that mean he doesnt take the Lance offroad? Cause if he does, that's loaded.
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tripledigitken
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Let me clarify the post. When I talk offroad loaded (with Lance) I mean conditions beyond graded roads.
For Instance: To Gonzaga yes, to San Fransisquito on to El Arco no.
With a 3000# camper with aggressive lean angles the bed starts twisting with the weight of the camper. It's just not enjoyable for me. It's beating
up the truck and camper too much, IMO. It would be very hard to get it unstruck if you got into troulble also. Can the suspension handle it,
probably. I don't think a 10' camper off graded roads is what they are designed for. Get a popup or the offroad towbehinds that are available.
For aggressive kind of offroading I will tent camp and take the Xterra.
I hope this answers your questions.
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Bob H
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Hook
Ranchos are available at fine off road shops anywhere, Bob. Get the 9000s. |
Did you have the Rancho in-cab remote adjuster?
http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/rancho_9000.cfm
Interesting stuff here.
Bob H
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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tripledigitken
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Bob,
Your truck with camper sways with air bags? Do you have anti-sway bar?
Ken
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Roberto
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Hook
Im interested, too.
Cant believe how mushy my rear end is now with the new Bilsteins. Much better ride w/o the Lance but with the Lance I have about 4-5 inches of shock
travel left in the back. Disappointed.
Wish I had saved my rear Ranchos....... |
Hook, as you yourself have said, shocks are not there to carry weight. If you are sagging and swaying with the load, you need to look at the springs -
the shocks should only dampen the spring action. Talk to Jeff about adding a leaf or re-arching (that may be enough but I doubt it).
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Hook
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Roberto I just dont understand how simply changing shocks could have caused this condition. The springs alone couldnt be the issue as the weight was
supported fine with the Ranchos. I was looking for softer than the Ranchos but this is too soft.
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Roberto
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The ranchos were stiff enough to help out. That does not mean they were being put to proper use. In the long term, and in the interest of
dependability, I would check into the spring theory. I could be wrong, but then again maybe not. Jeff will tell you in a minute and dispel all doubt.
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Hook
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You're right, Roberto. Thats what I got to do. He'll know.
Unfortunately, I gotta make it through the trip we are leaving on RIGHT NOW. Two weeks....let's hope they make it.
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Roberto
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You'll be fine - just take it easy on the turns and try to avoid sudden swerves. Best wishes.
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Hook
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What I gotta do is drink down some of this wine I'm bringing. Plumpjack, Eberle, Beringer P.R., some exotic stuff from OZ and sudamerica........if
anyone spots us, you'd be wise to flag us down. We're basically treating this trip as a "moving sale" on some of our cellared stuff.
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Roberto
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Okey dokey - U2U your itinerary. I will go out of my way to help out. That's just the kind of person I am. 
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