y22man

Man after being on DTR and TDR reading about air bags for 2 days straight, I am still at square one.

Which system should I get? I want an air compressor, tank and in cab gauges.

Air Bag It
Air Lift
Firestone
Pac Brake

I might get the Pac Brake exhaust brake but doing the whole system is pricey installed. I wish I was handy to save 600 bucks from the install.

I just don't know anymore. All I know is I need some bags.

Can anyone provide some clarity for me?

Jim W

This how I responded too you in "TDR".
I am using the Air Lift system “LoadLIFTER” 5000 Kit No. 57290. These are a bolt on set and the only thing you need to remove is the bump blocks. That are used on the rear suspension, all instructions are included. I then installed the” SureSET” No. 25004, which provides an onboard air compressor with a monitor and command module in the cab. With this system the monitor and command control module maintains the set air pressure in the bags and allows you to adjust the air bags air pressure one bag at a time.
Jim W.

y22man

Thanks Jim,

I guess could install the bags, where I would get into trouble is installing the compressor, tank, possibly command module, and gauges inside.

And why I am hum and hah'ing about the pac brake is I want it down the road, possibly sooner depending how the new Toy Hauler pushes me. Just doing all those things at once is pricey.

HMX-1

I'll add what I've done to mine, including what was originally installed and upgrades.

I started with the Firestone kit and bags, and had the dealer put mine on as part of the deal when I bought my truck so I'm not sure of the exact part number for that kit. The only two complaints I had with this kit were:

1. The bags dump their air into the cab of the truck, and;
2. The dual needle air pressure gauge failed twice.

The Firestone kit included a small tank (less than 1 gallon) and compressor, which I found to be lacking but it worked. The few times I did tow using it, I would have to air up the first side and then let the compressor kick in to finish, then repeat it for the other side. When it was time to dump the air from the bags, I would have to open all four doors of the truck so the stink wouldn't stay in the cab.


Upgrade #1
The first upgrade was to the compressor and tank, as I was adding train horns to my truck. I was towing our toyhauler and someone cut me off to make their exit. They were so close I couldn't look over my hood and into the rear glass of the Kia Rio that cut me off, and decided at that moment that the stock horn wasn't loud enough.

I ended up with this on the passenger side frame rail:



5 gallon tank, electric valve to dump the tank, Air Zenith OB2 200psi constant duty compressor, 150psi pressure switch, and Air Zenith electronic pressure gauge.


Upgrade #2

This is when I added the AirLift WIRELESS Air controller and manifold (P/N: 73001 and 73003) along with another electric valve for controlling the pressure to the manifold. You need this electric valve as the manifold itself will not prevent the bags from overfilling, and it ties into the wiring from the manifold easily.


Upgrade #3

I got rid of the 5 gallon tank and Air Zenith OB2, and went to an 8.5 gallon tank with a 175psi pressure switch and the Extreme Outback ExtremeFlow engine driven compressor. Fill times are now around 75 seconds from empty and I have plenty of air when I need it for my horns, or for draining my sprinkler system, or a quick way to clean the garage floor, etc..




I'll have some more pics of the AirLift manifold/electric valve setup this summer when I'm home on vacation again.



-Kris

y22man

Great thanks for the post. Why did the bags dump into the cab/how did you fix that?

AirLiftCompany

Not sure how much you have looked at the Air Lift products but just in case you haven't seen it yet, here is a link to the kit we offer for your truck, 57295 (4wd) or 57297 (2wd). The kit itself is very straight forward and requires no drilling to attach, estimated time once the truck is up on stands is 2 hours to install.

As for a controller, the difficulty will vary depending on what you want out of it. The manual controllers such as 25854 are pretty simple, and just require you to mount the compressor and run a small air line and wire into the cab. This kit would dump the air into the cab, as would any controller kit we offer if you placed the actual valve inside the cab. I'm not sure why HMX seemed to have such a nasty smell, as I haven't noticed anyone complaining of similar problems. That doesn't mean it isn't a problem for others, but just not bad enough to mention possibly.

If it was a concern for you though, you could step up to a wireless kit like WirelessOne or WirelessAir. With both of these you could mount the valves outside of the cab. There are quite a few options to consider if you decide to use a controller.

If you have any specific questions about our products or something I may be able to answer regarding another company's I would be happy to help.

HMX-1

Glad I could help


The Firestone kit has the valves as part of the dual needle gauge setup, so when you dumped the air it came back from the same lines that fed the bags and that were used for the gauges. This becomes more of a problem when you do the maintenance to the bags with some air brake fluid and that horrible petroleum smell fills the cab.

Switching to the AirLift WIRELESS Air manifold and remote puts the manifold for the air bags on the frame so all the air stays external to the cab. This is great because I can walk around my truck and air the bags up or down with the digital remote control and I can level the load easier. This prevents the "get in the truck, adjust the bags, exit the truck and check" routine and speeds up the process of hooking up safely. Everything is done via the remote, which is roughly the size of a big pack of gum.

The only air coming into my cab right now is my Graham White manual valve for my train horns.



-Kris