Airbags + WDH, order of operation?

[Craw]

Thanks for any info, I know I have been buggen you all a lot but you are so helpful and I always lean to ask my elders or experience counter parts ahhah. (I am 29 never towed anything on a personal level, just Military, pulling AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel heheh).

So, I have been doing alot of research and going down rabbit holes of youtube for installing a Weight Distribution Hitch, How they work, what they do etc.

My question is if you have both a WDH and airbags how would you hook up your trailer?

Would you hook it up, level the truck out /w air bags and then raise the trailer up and install the WDH?

or

would you hook it up enough just to have the ball and trailer aligned and install the wdh and then level the truck /w air bags?


I am leaning the first one as from I understand is ....

You level the truck with the trailer attached and then raise the trailer up, install the WDH and lower back down.


I am sure airbags and WDH is overkill but I like overkill as I want to live if something weird happens lol.


Also looking to install the sway bar that attach to the WDH from the Trailer.



Side Question 1 :.I have the stock sway bar for the Truck itself do I really need to upgrade ?
Side Question 2: What is the threshold you would not go beyond in terms of trailer weight with my Truck?

Side Question 3: What is the Absolute BEST WDH out there for us? I dont care if it costs double the average WDH. Ease of us + Security is all I care about.


Truck:

Year: 2013
model: 1500
Trim: Sport, Crew Cab
Trans: 4 x 4
Gear Ratio: 3.55
Tires: 275-55-20, XL Rated, 50 PSI

Elec Shift On Demand Transfer Case
215MM Front Axle
235MM REAR AXLE
Conventional Differential Frt Axle
Conventional Differential Rear Axle
Front Heavy Duty Shock Absorbers
Rear Heavy Duty Shock Absorbers
Front Stabilizer Bar
Rear Stabilizer Bar
7 Pin Wiring Harness
Trailer Tow w/4-Pin Connector Wiring
6-Spd Automatic 65RFE Transmission
Heavy Duty Transmission Oil Cooler
Heavy Duty Engine Cooling
Electronically Controlled Throttle
Class IV Receiver Hitch

Max Payload
1333 lb (604.64 kg)
Max Towing
8500 lb (3855.54 kg)

 

[crash68]

Get the WDH first then airbags(this applies for 1/2, 3/4 and 1 ton trucks)
Check this out for why:

Once you get the WDH hitch set up properly (best done using scales to check the weight transfer), use the airbags to fine tune the ride handling.

 

[69GWC]

Would have liked to have seen what 20-30 psi would have done to the weights and height.
Great video though.

 

[monteholic]

Would have liked to have seen what 20-30 psi would have done to the weights and height.
Great video though.

me too, a good video showing using both would be great

 

[69GWC]

I would guess it would take more weight of the front and move it to the back, but how much air to how much weight it moved would be nice to know.


I know from running mine witj 60psi and the WDH did make my steering very light and I lowered down to 20psi and all was good.

 

[Mcgruff]

I have an Equalizer 4 point hitch and Airlift 1000s. I had the same question, watched the same great video above and came up with a plan. I emailed Airlift and they agreed.

1) Set airbags at min PSI (5 psi for AL1000).
2) Setup WDH per mfr instructions.
3) Make sure to write down rear height.
4) Unhitch and fill airbags to max (35 psi for AL1000s) (AL1000s have to be filled before loading weight, not the case for AL5000 or similar from what I understand).
5) Hitch up with WDH and measure. You should be a little taller (I was up about a inch).
6) Slowly deflate airbags until you reach same height as with no air in bags. This gives you max psi without taking weight off of the WDH.
7) Write down this PSI and use it in the future.

The idea is that the airbags are there to stiffen the springs and stabilize the ride, NOT to take on the load weight (that’s the WDH’s job).

Seemed to work out well and my weights at the CAT scales all looked good.

 

[Mcgruff]

Note that the above is for a load on the rear hitch. For a 5th wheel or load in the bed, weight would be directly over the axle and thus leveling using airbags would be the right way to go.

 

[monteholic]

well this thread is about weight distributing hitches with air bags, not 5th wheels

 

[Mcgruff]

well this thread is about weight distributing hitches with air bags, not 5th wheels

Yes. I was just throwing that in there for completeness as to the nature and use of air bags and their intended purpose. Learning this helped in my understanding of the nature of loading and suspension systems. I thought it might help someone else as well.

 

[VernDiesel]

With many TTs, weight slips, & towing miles. Get what you can get out of WDH then add air to your axle to frame bags to bring truck to a slight rake. (4th gen 1500)

I’ve gotten Best scale results, ride, suspension control & dampening doing this.

Cheap plastic in coil bags work fine for bed loads where you can air up the bags first. But according to in coil Mfgs should not be used to try to lift weight by adding air after loading as they squeeze out between the coils and won’t work as intended. This is why the heavier rubber convoluted axle to frame air bags work better for use with a trailer as you can load your TT set your wdh then add air as needed.

Timbren makes a good set up at a good price and has shown proper customer service.

 

[VernDiesel]

Beh I meant Timber Grove not Timbren.

 

[jouart]

So

I have an Equalizer 4 point hitch and Airlift 1000s. I had the same question, watched the same great video above and came up with a plan. I emailed Airlift and they agreed.

1) Set airbags at min PSI (5 psi for AL1000).
2) Setup WDH per mfr instructions.
3) Make sure to write down rear height.
4) Unhitch and fill airbags to max (35 psi for AL1000s) (AL1000s have to be filled before loading weight, not the case for AL5000 or similar from what I understand).
5) Hitch up with WDH and measure. You should be a little taller (I was up about a inch).
6) Slowly deflate airbags until you reach same height as with no air in bags. This gives you max psi without taking weight off of the WDH.
7) Write down this PSI and use it in the future.

The idea is that the airbags are there to stiffen the springs and stabilize the ride, NOT to take on the load weight (that’s the WDH’s job).

Seemed to work out well and my weights at the CAT scales all looked good.

So you still have some squat ? I thought the airbags would help it look level.
I am getting ready to do your excact setup next weekend.
This pic was the first time hooked up I was bringing it home from winter storage and went to a seasonal spot not far from the house WDH wasn’t quite setup correctly 1” high in front and I felt it, it will get its adjustment
Airbags installed this weekend leaving next week

 

[Mcgruff]

Get the front down to at least the same height as when unloaded. I’m camping this week and after many past trials and trips to the scales, as of right now I’ve given up (sort of) on the methodology previously posted. If I setup my WDH with the minimum 5psi, anything more than 5 PSI throws off my meticulous work. This trip I changed to just filling Airlift 1000s to 30 PSI to stiffen up suspension and then hitch up and set up WD from there. Seemed to do well though I have not had a chance to hit the scales and it was all back roads (no interstate). I recently picked up a used ProPride pivot-point-projection hitch. This is the first real trip with it. WD and airbag coordination is still the same issue. One nice thing is it’s easier to adjust WD as I don’t have to unhitch and disassemble the head and change out washers to tweek it. Best handling setup I ever got with Equalzer was with the rear squatted 1” and the front squatted 1/4” compared to unloaded. That was with 30 PSI in airbags before taking unloaded measurements. Unloaded filling air bags does raise the rear slightly.

 

[VernDiesel]

Mcgruff, I can appreciate your determination and the work you have put into this. So I’ll put my two cents in. What was your unloaded numbers and your loaded numbers.

Sorry make that on your own thread & if you are interested.

 

[Mcgruff]

I didn't get a chance to hit scales this camping trip. Running late in both directions. I started to post a mix of numbers from multiple trips but I think it just confuses the situation. I need to start fresh and find time to weigh unhitched, hitched with WD and hitched w/o WD.