gwhammy

I'm thinking about taking the overloads off of the top and bottom and one bottom leaf to make it ride better. I've got a pair of big truck airbags I have been setting inside the frame for overloads. I pretty sure I can make the two airbags fit on a framework on top of the axle and make a frame off of the fifth wheel plate under the box.
The fifth wheel plate is a 1 inch thick by 12 inch wide piece of iron tied very securely to the frame so I'm no afraid of it. I was thinking making four stands under the airbag to get the right height and clear the brake lines and other stuff. It's all been drawn out and will fit with plenty of clearance for everything. I do have stacks on this truck which clears the passenger side completely.
My thoughts are to either put a load sensor I have off of a big truck air ride or electric air ride valves to adjust it the way I want.
This setup ought to make the back ride like a dream but still carry all the load I want it to.
I'm also thinking a traction bar under the rear end to the frame to keep the axle rap down.
The truck has on board air driven off of the motor so air is no problem. The only other thing it might need is a truss under the rear end but I don't carry big loads much anymore.
What do you think dumb or not?

old 300

Well first I will say that its not dumb to create something different. I drive a couple large trucks that have the air ride rear suspension and it does make loads of difference. The manual ride height air valve works great on the big rigs, the truck is always at the same height no matter the load.
My question is " Does your truck ride that harsh that you need to go through all that work?'' The overload or helpers as I always called them don't even touch till you have a load and then at that point the suspension is working( flexing ) fine. Last summer I had 45 or 50 2ftx2ftx2" thick patio stones( concrete) on my truck with a loaded (small) trailer in tow. I was still about 1/2 to 1" from the overloads. A friend told me that those stones weighed about 80-85#'s each = about 4000lbs.
With the air bags as overloads you would almost have to manually add the air as you increased the weight as you would have to have very little in them at a no load setting and then as you loaded they may not come on enough to keep the truck up.
I think a pair of airbags off a large truck will be too much also. The bags on our single axle cornbinder are rated at 23,000 lbs. I think at 10psi it keeps the empty truck at ride height. Our tandem ( 4 bags) at 55psi is grossing 40,000lbs.
You can get small bag kits that go between frame rails and axles and I have seen those on a friends F 350 dually. Has in cab controls and guages, really makes the truck handle better, less sway and like you want, a softer ride.
I think that set-up would be far easier to install. Those bags are if I can remember only about 3 or 4 inches in diameter.
I hope I don't offend your ideas as they are good I just think a bit over kill for a small p/u truck.

gwhammy

I have a real bad case of tinkering with stuff. Usually I can work a perfectly good running truck till it's broke!
I have rode in trucks with the aftermarket air overloads and they ride way to stiff for me. If I soften up the springs it will ride on the overloads all the time. And I have about 5 sets of different airbags in the shop I've collected.
I've actually seen this done on light two tons converted to campers. They use to remove most of the springs and set one airbag in the middle for the load. It worked pretty decent.
I'm getting ready to travel the country on a job and want the best ride I can get. It will pull a moderate bumper trailer part of the time and some stuff in the bed.
BUT, the main reason for doing it is because I have all the stuff and I can!
I was really wanting opinions on how you think it will work. I've thought a little more and think controlling it by hand will be the best. When you go to unhook a trailer the truck is going to want to raise till the axle controller can let enough air out. By hand you could raise truck more and put the jack down then let all the air out. This ought to make unhooking a breeze.

old 300

Well I have to agree that if you like to tinker and have all the stuff to do the job it will likely be quite the deal. The manual air would be better like you said because the auto ride height is a bit slow at changing the pressures. I have a dump valve on our trucks that if I want the truck lower I just hit the switch and down she goes. You see that on alot of the semi's as the back under the trailer and put the air to it and they don't have as much cranking in the dollys.
My only worry about softening the factory springs too much might add to the roll or sway. If you have a good anti-sway bar you should be good to go.
One bag in the center I would think would add to this roll.
All being said I thing its a good idea and should work fine with the added ability to adjust the ride height and the fact it gives people something to talk about at the local fuel stops..

gwhammy

I have a sway bar on this truck. I'd really like a four link but to much work at this time. If I had tall loads I would worry more but I seem to never carry much loaded in the bed most of my truck use is trailer pulling. The most would be around a 1000 lbs. in a diesel tank or bobcat bucket in the bed.
I have a 20 pintle hitch trailer with air ride and the one thing I notice about it is if you hook the air bags together with one line they tend to switch air from side to side real bad. Separate air lines and valves will take alot of sway out of it I hope.