PZM123

OK,I removed the rear axle spacers {put on top}. The 5th wheel was way to hi in the front & not enough space between top of bed & trailer. This was a problem at alot of tracks we camp at. Uneven parking grounds, hilly, jacken into tight spots etc,etc. My pin weight is 2550 lbs. So now then I tow the rear of the truck squats lower than the front. I,m not on the over load springs sitting still on level ground, But going down the road I,ll hit them. So I,m wounding should I use air bags to help smooth out the hi way ride ,then just dump the air when I get into hilly & uneven ground at the camp site ? I,m going to leave the spacers on top. The bags I was looking at go between the frame & leaf springs & I,m wounding if they would fit with the spacers on top of the springs? I didn't measure the distance before I moved the spacers to the top ,but I,m thinking it might be the same right?? SO the question is has any one put on bags with the spacers on top ?

jerryk

I tow my 5vr with a Ram 2500. The truck suspension is the the same as the 3500 with the exception of the overload springs on your 3500. I installed Firestone air springs in order to allow me to compensate for any load. I would say that air springs would be a perfect solution for your problem. Actually I'm not really sure if there is a practical alternative solution to using air springs

chumstone

they will raise the truck about 2" with no air, thats what they did to my truck. I needed the extra height to keep from dragging the 4' hitch extension.

ccmckee

I love my airbags, great versatility in ride adjustments, loaded or unloaded just set them were you ned them.

FiverBob

If you don't want to mess with air bags, take a peak at Timbrens.

jrussell

That must be because you have a 2wd. Mine only raises the back about 1/4"-1/2" with 4-5lbs of air in them. Not sure how it would raise the truck that much with no air in them?

I'm not all that impressed with the ride though. It's noticably harsher when empty with only 4-5lbs in the bags. The ride while loaded with 20-30lbs in the bags isn't too bad I guess. They are great for keeping level though.

AlCorr

I have 2 wheel drive and with no air it's at stock level. I don't understand how they raise your truck with no air. With no air or vale open they are like a open rubber bag.

PZM123, you have a point there, they may not fit where you moved the spacers on top. Air bags set on the rear axle and bolt in under the frame. I already have air bags, so I didn't think I could move the spacers to top without taken air bags off, so I just ordered smaller rear shackles to lower rear of truck. They haven't arrived yet but I have a feeling I 'll be fighting the air bags getting them in. I'll let you know how it goes next week.

Festus

I put timbrens on mine front and back. I like them. Simple installation and no hassle of running air lines. I had airbags on my '98 and in comparison, they were a pain compared to the '07.

jrussell

What kit did you find that mounts on top of the leaf spring? The only ones I've seen for our trucks mount inboard of the spring instead. Being mounted inboard would help with the spacers being moved on top, but I think you'll still have trouble getting them in there since there is less space without the lift blocks. Here's a pic of the Air Lift brand (AFAIK the Firestones mount in the same location):



I had to jack the back of the truck up by the hitch to squeeze those bags in there during installation (they were empty too with no air line attached). Seems like it would be a really tight fit if the lift blocks were removed. The bags will probably bottom-out a lot more and when you put air in them it will definitely raise the truck up more than usual (since they will be more compressed than usual).

XLR8R

I think the airbags on my '05 work much better than the overload springs on my '98

PZM123

jrussell Your right they do mount on top of the axle not the springs. It's been a while since I checked them out. I looked at the same ones you have. Super Duty by Air Lift.I looked at the pic you posted.Do you think there is enough space in the top & bottom brackets to be modified to gain 1 1/4''. The two wheel drive trucks sit a little lower so maybe that kit could be used.I'm going to need to do some more diggin before I spend my money.

Boris-MC1

I just installed the FireStone Ride Rites (no drill) on my truck 2 weeks ago, and did about a 900 mile round trip pulling my 5th wheel. Worked very well, I would recommend them to people that tow and would like their vehicle level while towing. Wayne

jrussell

I think the brackets are already as low-profile as possible. You can barely get the bolts in there because there's so little room. I think you would be lucky to get an extra 1/4" total by modding both brackets. Even with custom made brackets, there just isn't much room to do anything.

If the 2wd bags are shorter I would get some measurements and see if they'll fit.

PZM123

I was looking at there installation page on the net & couldn't tell much about the brackets. The only thing I see different in the kit for 2 wheel drive vs 4wd is the air bag itself. The instructions note the air bags for the 2wd kit don't have roll plates, 4wd do. THANKS I'm going to a new post for measurements.

burlhall

The firestone air bags I ordered from Suspension Connection are for both 4WD and 2WD.