Air bags & compressor

[250mark1]

Going to Put air bags on my 09 f350 thinking of getting a on board compressor just curious to what brand everybody is using ?
also which is best tee them together and use a single control or go with the dual set up to fill each side seperatly

 

[bspot]

Firestone ride rite works great. Only need a dual set up if you are one side heavy in your box. Other than that a single unit will work just fine.

 

[250mark1]

I haul a quad on one Side of a sled deck and a 4 stroke dirt bike on the other side of the deck with sides not extended so there would be more weight on one side but I am sure if I loaded the tool boxes and Jerry cans on the dirt bike side I would help even the load out plus h hitch weight of the holiday trailer helps pull it own evenly

 

[09 arctic cat m8]

Firestone airbags work great got them on the work truck never had a problem with them don't have a on board compressor but it works just as good without

 

[OnlyPolaris]

have firestone on my 11 f150. have had good luck with them. i would go with a dual setup. that way you can adjust for side to side load. Plus I have heard that if you tee the 2 bags together and you hit a bump the air can transfer from one bag to the other and cause the truck to rock back and forth.

 

[frez13]

i have the firestone bags with the onboard compressor and are teed together on my '11 Ram 2500. works really well. have hauled a quad and dirt bike on the deck at the same time. no issues, but also loaded quad closer to center to not have all the wieght on the one side. the onboard compressor i would say is a definate must have. allows for easy adjustment to smooth things out when you are loaded. also, you will definately want to drop the pressure when not loaded or it will be a rough ride.

 

[YFZ 450]

I also have the Firestone Bags w/- the on board compressor on my 2008 megadually works sweet no problems. I have the a single control setup works good w/- the sled deck and the 30 ft travel trailer no issues. Even if you load one side w/- a heavey load not enough sway in the pickup even if you doing a buck 40 and hit the off ramp hwy 2 south.

 

[250mark1]

i have the firestone air bags ordered they should be here today hopefully on my last truck F150 i had the bags with out the compressor was to bad but i think i will probably order in a compressor for this truck make it easier unhooking and hooking up the trailer
is everybody that is using a compressor using the standard firestone compressor or the heavy duty one

 

[sirkdev]

Look into the airlift wireless 1 I think it is called, sweet deal. I just cant justify the cost so I got a $20.00 canadian tire 12v compressor extended the cord to run off the lighter plug and I am aired up or down in 1 minute. Not ideal but $20.00 vs $4-500

 

[overkill131313]

I did the same except I bought an adaptor for the 7 wire trailer plug, to cig lighter plug from princess auto.... so $10 (on sale 50% off) for compressor at Can Tire.....and $4.99 for adaptor to plug compressor in to 7-wire plug......


never tee the airbags.....when you go around a corner it takes the air from the outter bag and pushes it to the innner bag on a corner......truck feels like a grayhound bus cornering.......not stable at all! but on the flat it works ok.....

 

[bigz64]

90% of the trucks with airbags have a T setup, you just have to drive properly with what load you are carriying. and i have taken corners a little fast with 2 quads on the deck and i did not have the issues you speak of...

I did the same except I bought an adaptor for the 7 wire trailer plug, to cig lighter plug from princess auto.... so $10 (on sale 50% off) for compressor at Can Tire.....and $4.99 for adaptor to plug compressor in to 7-wire plug......


never tee the airbags.....when you go around a corner it takes the air from the outter bag and pushes it to the innner bag on a corner......truck feels like a grayhound bus cornering.......not stable at all! but on the flat it works ok.....

 

[RMK Junky]

I've had Firestone airbags on my '06 since new. Being a dually it's a stable truck allready. I fill them to 50 psi when loaded and run 15 psi when MT. I put in one fill inlet and teed the bags together. It does sway alittle but being top heavey with an aluminum deck your going to have some sway anyway. When there's good hitch weight there is next to none. I could see more movement on a single wheel 3/4 or 1 ton due to more tire roll. I've never had the eurge to put in a on board compressor

 

[250mark1]

i might just try the 12 volt compressor and the trailer wiring plug on this one i should have put the air bags on the truck sooner (old holiday trailer was 2000 lbs lighter dry weight and than the arctic fox )
and then the on board compressor would have been better money spent but i might only have this truck a couple more years anyway maybe a leveling kit instead ?

thanks for everyones help and suggestions

 

[bigz64]

i might just try the 12 volt compressor and the trailer wiring plug on this one i should have put the air bags on the truck sooner (old holiday trailer was 2000 lbs lighter dry weight and than the arctic fox )
and then the on board compressor would have been better money spent but i might only have this truck a couple more years anyway maybe a leveling kit instead ?

thanks for everyones help and suggestions

i use one of those stanley booster and air compressor combos, its battery powered so you dont have to have a 12v connection. just charge it up every month or 2. just wait until its on sale for $60 from can tire

 

[whiteline]

I like the idea of the bags for leveling out a load, but I'm wondering about ride when empty. I've heard before that it's rougher with bags when the truck is empty. Is that on certain trucks or set up wrong? What you guys think?

 

[Hefe04]

I just had the wireless system installed with the dual zone control on my Duramax last week, I have not used it to pull anything, but if you are hauling a deck I would recomend dual zone. I would also recomend wireless as it has a leak detection system, always maintains the pres. set points automatically, you dont have to run hoses into the cab of the truck, and has memory settings for hauling different stuff. Total price installed was $1228 at M and M tech, was about 180 cheaper then anyone I could find in Red Deer.

 

[Modman]

Have the firestones and they are good, but make sure you get the newest kit, a buddy has the same set up but more miles and his wore through on the bottom. Firestone honoured them and gave warranty but the newer kit has a disc that goes under the bag on the lower spring perch I guess, prevents the bottom of the bag from tearing up. I'm just going to wash mine out regularly at the carwash when I am there to make sure the sand and rocks don't chew it up as bad. No onboard compressor for me, I just use a hand bike pump if I am not around a compressor or gas station. 4 strokes per 1 PSI for my truck, takes less than a minute to go up 15 PSI in each bag. If I'm at home I use the compressor but they will fill very quick if you have the regulator set at 100 PSI+ so be careful. Not a lot of volume in those bags. I have a deck and haul 1 sled plus a ton of gear, fuel and crap under the deck (probably close to 1000 lbs including the deck) and I have never gone over 20 PSI in the bags but they can go up to 35 PSI.

You can "T" the lines or not, up to you, but I like having the flexibility of adjusting each bag separately so mine are plumbed separate. It will make your ride a little rougher but not by much I found, I just air down to 5 psi when not using them and its a little rougher maybe going over bigger dips in the road but not much different just normal driving on flat pavement.

 

[Murminator]

I have the firestone ride rites no compressor no T in the line works awesome mine stays at 5 PSI all the time when loaded with a quad and holiday trailer set at 15 PSI and all is good the I spent around $350 in 2005. I have a new 1 ton on order and I will be putting the same set up on it

 

[MP Kid]

I just had the wireless system installed with the dual zone control on my Duramax last week, I have not used it to pull anything, but if you are hauling a deck I would recomend dual zone. I would also recomend wireless as it has a leak detection system, always maintains the pres. set points automatically, you dont have to run hoses into the cab of the truck, and has memory settings for hauling different stuff. Total price installed was $1228 at M and M tech, was about 180 cheaper then anyone I could find in Red Deer.

Which brand of wireless system did you go with? There's a few choices out there.

 

[markaug]

Installed firestone bags with individual lines routed to the rear bumper license plate holes. Bought 12V comp. but never use it, a bicycle pump and @10 pumps in each bag gets me 25psi. Fast easy and inexpensive.