Bad Ramer Jamer

I just finished my Pacbrake air bag install. These thing's are sweet.

There is one issue though. If you have the OLD STYLE B&W HITCH, the rear u-bolt is in the way. In pic's 2 and 3 you can see were the u-bolt is not allowing the bracket's to sit flat on the frame. You will have to notch the 4 mounting bracket's. The problem is the new B&W hitch #1306, is different the old B&W #1303r hitch that was available in 04. The new one is a 1 piece, and the old one is a 2 piece.

After talking to TJ at Pacbrake, (Great customer service by the way. I feel like he's my new best friend) we decided the easyist thing for me to do was just cut a notch in the bracket's. It was really no big deal. I used a sawzall with a new blade. It took me less than 20 minute's to do all 4. I would also recomend painting your cut's so they don't rust. Harold from Pacbrake replied in another thread that there was going to be some spacer's available. If you're not comfy with cutting the bracket's, you can wait for the spacer's. But he didn't mention any time frame.

I wouldn't let having to do this mod stop me from buying the Pacbrake's. I seen another guy just posted about having to do a simular mod for the Firestone's on a 02 with the B&W. This is some real quality stuff. I think they are more adjustable than the other brand's. I've seen alot of bag's that was all crooked. I was not impressed. These are adjustable in both direction's. Front to back, and side to side. It's important to get them aligned straight up and down. If you need to move the bag rearward for alignment, it may be neccesary to take out a little more of the bracket that mount's to the bag, so it clear's the u-bolt. Instead of 1", it may need to be 1 1/2". You'll see what I mean once you get there.

A couple of tip's. I found it easier to do the job by taking off the rear wheel's. Actually, I wouldn't have caught the problem if I didn't have the tire's off. DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK. USE JACK STAND'S. BLOCK THE FRONT TIRE'S. PUT REAR TIRE'S UNDER THE FRAME AS BACK UP. I'm sure you guy's know how to be safe. You all know you can do it right a thousand time's,,,and wrong only once.

On the passenger side, the fitting coming out of the bag is a 90*. It put's the air line too close to the exhaust for me. I'm going to swap it out for a straight fitting.

I didn't want to drill a bunch of hole's in my truck. So I mounted the fill valve's in the existing hole's in the factory tow reciever. The problem there was the fitting's weren't long enough. I got some longer TANK VALVE'S from Grainger. They're rated at 150 psi. Part number 1X361. I also used a 90* fitting there.

As far as the ride goes,,I swear my truck ride's better now. Before when I would hit a bump or what ever, the rear end would just slame me. Now I can actually feel thing's worse in the front than rear. I don't know. Maybe that mean's I need new shock's.

Now I'm just waiting for UPS to bring me my ON Board Air.

I know how you guy's like pic's,,,,so here ya go.

Bad Ramer Jamer

Here's a couple of more pic's that I couldn't fit in the previous post. The line's aren't finished yet,,,so they look a little cheesey.

Harold-Pacbrake

Great job, the install looks real clean. As for the release date of the spacers were are trying to figure out how many models of hitches they will cover in one shot. I'm guessing mid-July they will be released.

Harold-Pacbrake

Ohhh I'm bad, the spacers that are about to be released are for the Ford only at this time.

StealthDiesel

I too just recently installed Pacbrake air bags and had to trim the nicely powdercoated brackets to clear my underbed Pullrite hitch brackets.

Not hard, just took some time.

Here are more details on my install...

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...38#post2116438

The air bags work great!

...Joe

Bad Ramer Jamer

Thank's for giving a reply. I was starting to think this thread was only showing up on my computer.


That's a good idea about the fuel door. Did you have to trim as much as I did. I have to have just a little more air than you though. I'm using 120psi.

I just can't get over the differance the air bag's make. Today was the first day I ran with a load. Normally, I would see a pot hole that I couldn't avoid, and I would think,,,,"This is gonna hurt". But not with the bag's. The front actually hit's harder than the back. I just love em.