Automatic airbag suspension help!!! Convert to manual???

Thanks for checking in! I recently purchased a 2014 Ram 3500 diesel, it came with the factory airbag suspension option which it automatically fills and deflates on it's own. Although this may be beneficial for everyday haulers, it's not applicable for me and I'd like to convert the system to be able to use a controller.

I've searched the forums and found nothing on this topic but I find it hard to believe no one has converted their auto system for a manual utilizing the pre-existing system.

I would assume you could remove some sensor or sensors which control the pressure and put in a manual controller utilizing the pump already installed???


Any information would greatly help!
Ice also heard the diagrams online for the airbag system arent the same airbag systems on the truck???

I know I could buy a new kit but I'd like to use as much of the pre-existing system I can.

Does it have just the rear airbags? The HD trucks never came with a 4 corner air suspension. If that’s what it has then it’s an aftermarket setup.

Yes, it only has rear airbags, not front.

BRAVO said:

Yes, it only has rear airbags, not front.

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So what is it you’re exactly trying to accomplish and, what is it about that system that you don’t like?

It’s a fully automated system that you should never have to mess with at all. Sure, it has the trailer hook up setting and I believe a squat setting to make it easier to load stuff in and out of your truck bed but it’s also set up pretty much the same way as the half ton trucks that have the four corner air suspension to where it automatically levels itself based on appearance, and how much weight you have pushing down on the back of your truck.


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I'd like to be able to adjust the system if at all possoble. I believe the bags are full at all times and its giving it a really rigid ride. I'd like to have a ride closer to 2500. The streets here in Nebraska are garbage and this truck is scrambling my brains.

I may just have to remove the airbag system all together and do an add a leaf setup. I dont necessarily need the 18k lb towing capacity or whatever it is.

I bought the truck to haul my 24ft camper and to drive in the winter. Truck suspension is overkill for what I need it for but it was MUCH cheaper than buying a 2500. 2500 are gold where I live.

BRAVO said:

I'd like to be able to adjust the system if at all possoble. I believe the bags are full at all times and its giving it a really rigid ride. I'd like to have a ride closer to 2500. The streets here in Nebraska are garbage and this truck is scrambling my brains.

I may just have to remove the airbag system all together and do an add a leaf setup. I dont necessarily need the 18k lb towing capacity or whatever it is.

I bought the truck to haul my 24ft camper and to drive in the winter. Truck suspension is overkill for what I need it for but it was MUCH cheaper than buying a 2500. 2500 are gold where I live.

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Is this what you have??


If that’s what you have, your ride quality is still probably going to be what a typical spring-ride dually has always been because the extent of your air ride is just a factory-added helper-spring setup.

I was under the impression you had the full, air-ride suspension with no springs at all, but I was certain that didn’t come out until closer to 2017 or somethin’....


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BRAVO said:

I'd like to be able to adjust the system if at all possoble. I believe the bags are full at all times and its giving it a really rigid ride. I'd like to have a ride closer to 2500. The streets here in Nebraska are garbage and this truck is scrambling my brains.

I may just have to remove the airbag system all together and do an add a leaf setup. I dont necessarily need the 18k lb towing capacity or whatever it is.

I bought the truck to haul my 24ft camper and to drive in the winter. Truck suspension is overkill for what I need it for but it was MUCH cheaper than buying a 2500. 2500 are gold where I live.

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Is it only riding rough when you’re not towing/hauling? A 3500 dually is meant to work so they ride best when they’re being used that way. With no weight on the rear end they are very stiff and bouncy.

BRAVO said:

I'd like to be able to adjust the system if at all possoble. I believe the bags are full at all times and its giving it a really rigid ride. I'd like to have a ride closer to 2500. The streets here in Nebraska are garbage and this truck is scrambling my brains.

Click to expand...

Lower the air pressure in the rear tires, you don't need 80 psi in them unless your hauling something really heavy.
The air suspension part will only put enough pressure in to level the truck, if there isn't a load in the bed the pressure won't be that much in the airbags.

Mine is a SWB but I dont suspect that matters much. Yes, it is very rigid with no load. I may try reducing the air pressure a bit in the back tires, was just curious if the airbags could be converted to be adjustable utilizing my stock air bag setup. Then I could play around with it a bit and see if I could find a setting that was better while driving.

I should also include the truck is on 37" AT tires and it has at least 2" blocks in the front. I havent looked at the rear yet for blocks. Even with the front blocks the back end is higher than the rear so I suspected the airbags were full or they may be blocks in the rear too.

I just bought the truck so still trying to figure out what's all been done to it.

BRAVO said:

Mine is a SWB but I dont suspect that matters much. Yes, it is very rigid with no load. I may try reducing the air pressure a bit in the back tires, was just curious if the airbags could be converted to be adjustable utilizing my stock air bag setup. Then I could play around with it a bit and see if I could find a setting that was better while driving.

I should also include the truck is on 37" AT tires and it has at least 2" blocks in the front. I havent looked at the rear yet for blocks. Even with the front blocks the back end is higher than the rear so I suspected the airbags were full or they may be blocks in the rear too.

I just bought the truck so still trying to figure out what's all been done to it.

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So what exactly do you have for a rear suspension setup? As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m not familiar with the older trucks such as yours because I was thinking you had the full air suspension in the rear but was thinking at the same time that that didn’t come out until like 2017/2018 to my knowledge.

Do you have actual leafs back there with helper air bags, or what? Is this all stock or a custom job from a previous owner?

Keep in mind, depending on what you have, they do make upgrade kits to convert your spring suspension to a full-on air ride like on a semi. I knew a guy years ago that had a pretty nice decked out F550 with a custom flat bed for pulling his big 5th-wheel travel trailer and he had actually done that conversion kit that I’m talking about where they remove the leafs and add the big bags with the torsion links that bolt up in the front spring hangers. All in all, the rear suspension looked almost exactly like what was on a semi, complete with leveling valve, air lines, electric air pump that fed a fairly large tank, and a control valve with pressure gauge that showed how much air was in his bags.


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BRAVO said:

I should also include the truck is on 37" AT tires and it has at least 2" blocks in the front. I havent looked at the rear yet for blocks. Even with the front blocks the back end is higher than the rear so I suspected the airbags were full or they may be blocks in the rear too.

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This is another clue to possibly what's going on. One of the thing that's done to change the ride height with the 1500 air suspension is using adjustable links to fool the suspension into raising the vehicle. The previous owner may have done this causing the rear end to ride firmer, there is no good way around this using airbags to lift a vehicle.

Lowering the rear tire pressure will help immensely when unloaded, you can probably get down around 50 psi in the rears.

Did you ever get anywhere on this?
I'm doing it right now with a wireless remote on my 2018 3500