OK,

Here is the situation; I just finished installing a set of Air Lifts Super Lift bags on my 1999 DRW 3500. I removed the factory overloads, replaced the u-bolts (rusted beyond belief), and installed the in cab controls, will post up a picture of the control installation later when it gets light as it’s a pretty slick installation. The truck has a 2” leveling kit on the front. The problem I have is I’m only getting 1” of height increase when my gooseneck is added to the truck; this is not enough to level out the ride of the truck with the gooseneck attached. Everything I read here says the have no problems getting the ride height right, and my other 1500 Dodge with the smaller bags on it have way more height adjustment than I’m getting with this setup. Something does not seem right???

I bought the truck used and the bed of my truck has a utility body on it, and looks like the main leaf pack has had at least one additional spring added to it, as the main leaf pack clamps are bent over and do not wrap the whole leaf pack.

When I installed the Air Lift bags, I was unable to use the spacer under the lower bracket, as the u-bolts were not long enough to reach thru the spacer bracket. This again leads me to believe that the main leaf pack has had additional springs added to it. I currently have 7” between upper and lower air bag mounting brackets (instructions say 5” to 8” is required), and everything is parallel to each other, the bags are holding air, but still no additional ride height.

This is what I would like your infinite wisdom with, as I have found nothing this detailed with the search function.

1. How many leafs are in the original 1999 3500 DRW leaf pack?
2. Has anyone else had this problem with not getting enough lift height out of the air bags when using a 2” front leveling kit?
3. Can someone take a picture and either PM me with it or post up the main leaf pack view of the front of the pack? (Will help me determine which spring has been added)
4. What is the smallest amount of space acceptable between the upper and lower bracket?
Thanks again in advance.

Great website and has helped me out huge already.

Rob

 

I don't have any air bag experience, unfortunately, but I have some questions for you. You are getting 1" more height out of the bags now. You have the bag brackets at 7" now, and the specs say to be between 5" and 8". Could that be the problem? Does the system have a 3" total height travel, and since the brackets are already 2" into that, there is only one more inch to go? Like I said, I don't have any of these, I am just shooting based on the numbers given.

 

Johsua,

Your post prompted me to rethink the diffrences between the bag brackets, and your suggestion resolved the issue, I shortened the height of the brackets to 5.5" and re-installed the bags, and bingo, I now have abour 2.5" of travel in the bags.

Thanks for the tip! , had some major bain freeze happening.

Rob

 

Now thats what I'm talking about. Another mans brain working in another mans body. Got to love this site.

 

I had the Firestone Air Bags on my 97 for about 2 weeks! I ran the recommended air pressure in them when I was empty and just a little more when I had our 5th wheel hooked up. Either time the truck would bounce so bad that it felt like it was hitting bottom. I used about 15lbs of pressure on one trip..and that was way to much..
During the time that I was going back and forth to work..I couldnt hardly stay in the truck because it would bounce like a rubber ball.. Even with the lower pressure..it felt like it would bottom out.. So this past Saturday off they came!
It rides better now than it ever has but I do have a set of ladder bars on the truck.
Anyway unless I can find a way to stop that terrible bounce...they wont go back on the truck..

Rick

 

Want to stop that terrible bounce? add a set of Rancho RS 9000's to the back. I have a set of superduty (is that a bad word here ?) Air lft bags on the rears for my slide-in and IMO these shocks should be mandatory with bags. They give you the ability to run ANY amount of dampening you want no matter what pressure or load you have. I went though the same problem and this solved it 100%.

therobzilla: I don't have the 3500 spring pack but I do get the desired lift increase under load - an easy 3" over stock if I choose.
My top and bottom mounts are 6" apart. What kind of pressure gives you an 1" of lift? I'm not really sure what else it could be other than a pressure problem. It would be surprising if you only got 1" with 100psi .

 

CTD Nut,

I was running at the 80-90 range on the air pressure first, with the brackets 7.5" apart it just would not give any lift with the bags. No more than 1". With the leveling kit on the front, it really needs to have at least on my rig 2" or 3" of travel in the bags, otherwise it just would not level out the ride.

Once I change the distance between the bag brackets to 5.5" then squashed the bags during installation, it worked out just fine. I now run the bags with about 10 psi in them, empty, and somewhere between 40 to 65psi loaded with the gooseneck, and it's the perfect ride height, and feel.

Just a real PITA, should have made more mention on the installation directions regarding bag travel limits. I assumed that if you placed the bags at the highest height like the directions say to, you would get enought travel out of the bags to raise the ride height enough to level out the ride. NOT!

Lesson learned.

I do agree with the other posted regarding Rancho 9000's I run them on my Rockcrawker, and will have a set on my Dually by the end of the week. They are the setup w/ the airbags.

I run the 9000 RSX's on my other truck as well, and like them also, the the adjustable 9000 are the ticket.

Thanks for all the help guy, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Rob

 

Glad you got it setup right. The instructions really didn't touch on the bag travel limit.

 

Glad to have helped out. Sometimes, having a second set of synapses firing over a problem can reveal things we just can not see for ourselves. I feel good knowing I was able to be the transmitter this time, instead of the usual receiver.

 

I do really appreciate it, your right, sometimes it much easier when you are outside the actual project, to see it the other way.

I was so involved with the project, and I had done it once prior, that I did not even think that there was a difference in bags. The 1/2-ton bags are totally different.

Once you guys said something, it hit me on the head like a baseball bat, DUH???

I have am a moderator on a different site coloradok5, and I'm so use to giving the advice, it was odd get the advice.

I am very familiar with the search feature, and I searched and found nothing.

Thanks for the help, once again. The bags work great now.

Much smoother ride, than before, can’t wait until I get the Rancho 9000’s.

Rob

 

The RS17000 is what is on the back now...and are not that old..Until I can figure out what distants between the brackets and or replace the back shocks with the RS9000..I took the upper bracket and bags off.
Before I took the bags off..I felt like I was driving one of those lowriders that I see here in Ca. The ride was way tooooooo bouncie for me. Now that they are off the truck rides much better than it did. I also have a set of ladder bars that did help with the ride quality.
How do you change the distance between the brackets???? I thought that we had put them on the highest setting on the bracket....

Thanks
Rick