Simple question about air bags for those of you that have experience. I am looking at putting a set on the rear of my truck for when towing. When looking at them, it looks like the minimum pressure that you can run in the bags is 5psi. I know this isn't much, but was wondering if this was enough to make a difference in the ride height of the back of the truck when unload. So when unloaded and bags deflated to 5psi or pressure how much force to the bags produce at this pressure and will this be enough to raise the rear of the truck some small amount, or will it sit back to normal height when at 5psi.

 

5 psi won't make any difference on the height. My 1500 has air bags, and rides a little stiffer. I don't what they would do on a 2500 though.

 

5 to 10 psi won't make a differance in the ride height i did not start noticing any height differance until around 20 psi

 

The ride is noticeably stiffer when unloaded, even when the bags are aired down to something like 5psi?

 

By the way, thanks for the help, I have been towing for a long time, but have no experience at all with air bags.

 

At 5 psi, you really shouldn't notice any difference in ride when unloaded. That little bit of air is needed to help the bag maintain shape, but it's not enough to stiffen things up. If your truck is stock, then the rear is so stiffly sprung that it would take a lot more air in the bag to make a noticeable difference anyway.

 

AIR BAGS with coil springs screw up the ride even at low pressure,bin there done that, shouldn,t be a problem with leaf springs.

 

I used to tow HEAVY, for quite a while....to the point where the rear leaves began to sag. Installed bags to bring it back up to what I say is a factory stance. I keep about 35psi in mine all the time. Yes, it can be very bouncy, but I have found that even a little extra weight of sorts in the bed really smooths things out. If you are towing a load the air bags make a world of difference in ride quality IMHO.

 

100% agree.

Towing is like night and day with the air bags, it smooths out the ride that unless you come to a really good incline or a stop it doesn't feel like you're pulling a decent load and you don't have that "fatigue" from fighting it down the road.



-Kris

 

I just put some on my truck

holy crap they'll bounce the hell outta you at 15 psi empty on a rough washboard gravel road, thought I was gonna shake the truck apart. on a speedbump in some parking lot it'll send your rear end to the clouds like you had some mexican lowrider hydraulic system bouncing the rear skyward

I don't give a crap if I ruin the bags a few years earlier than they should be I'm going to run mine with only a couple psi empty - 15lbs is too much

BUT

loaded what a difference, I bought a camper and I don't have overloads. It's a pretty big camper for the truck - truth be known I'm gotta be a good ways over my GWVR, its a 10.5 footer built 1996 and it sure put a squat on the truck without bags

now I air them up to 80 lbs and the truck is flat, haven't drove it yet though, think I'll need anti sway bars on the rear axle it feels like I could almost push the truck over by rocking the camper

 

I've had airbags on my truck for 2 years now and I run them at 0 psi when I'm empty. Even 5 psi empty is too stiff especially in the winter time (which we have 6 months of up here ).

 

mine too, I run 5-0psi no issues to date.

 

I needed the bags for this camper lol

 

I got to drive the camper around towing a little trailer with a few ATV's on it and the sway is a little more than I like but very managable

I might toss on a rear axle antisway bar

 

been running bags for many O year now. I when empty run my bags free aired by that I mean I back stems out a little and drilled a tiny hole in valve cover cap. This way as the truck move and air is free to move in and out of bags and it don't affect ride at all.