Adding air bags to Ram 2500

[josie]

Hello,

I have a 2020 Ram 2500 bighorn 6.4l 3:73 and 8sp transmission. I tow a approx. 9k travel trailer. My rig is set up fine with a WDhitch. I would like to stop some of the extreme bounce at times on and off bridge decks. i would like to add air bags to the rear and something to the front. The air bags I looked at seem to be a straight forward install after jounce removal. Not sure about what to use on front.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thank you

 

[OC455]

19'-UP RAM 2500 4x4 (STAINLESS) Rear ASAM (SQ2772049) — Timber Grove Enterprises, LLC

100% bolt-in 304 stainless steel design for (4x4) models only. No more peeling powder or rust. Kit includes stainless hardware, brass DOT push to connect fittings and single DOT air fill line. Air springs are rated at 5,000 lbs and max 550 PSI. Provision for lift kits is designed in with additional

timbergroveenterprises.com

I had the ASAMs on my 1500. Didn't have to worry about putting anything on the front after the ASAM install.

 

[crash68]

what he said ^^^
A set of air bags up front will resolve the porpoising. The Wireless one compressor from AirLift works real good for this and has the ability to save pressure settings.
It's best to inflate the airbags to just barely level the truck then set up the WDH to return the lost weight from the front axle.

 

[josie]

19'-UP RAM 2500 4x4 (STAINLESS) Rear ASAM (SQ2772049) — Timber Grove Enterprises, LLC

100% bolt-in 304 stainless steel design for (4x4) models only. No more peeling powder or rust. Kit includes stainless hardware, brass DOT push to connect fittings and single DOT air fill line. Air springs are rated at 5,000 lbs and max 550 PSI. Provision for lift kits is designed in with additional

timbergroveenterprises.com

I had the ASAMs on my 1500. Didn't have to worry about putting anything on the front after the ASAM install.

Nice to hear. I looked at air lift and timbers. Liked the timbers. Not as busy with less parts and seemed like an easier install. I’ll be ordering those after the holidays. Are you saying I don’t need anything on the front if I put timbers on the back? Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[OC455]

Nice to hear. I looked at air lift and timbers. Liked the timbers. Not as busy with less parts and seemed like an easier install. I’ll be ordering those after the holidays. Are you saying I don’t need anything on the front if I put timbers on the back? Thanks for sharing your experience.

The Timber Groves will dampen it well. Timber Grove used to make ASAMs for the front but I do not see them listed anymore. They had them for plowing to maintain the front ride height. If you have the ASAMs on the back with the weight distribution hitch being used it will work well and dampen/stop the porpoising that you are referring to. Had the same issue with my 1500 and the ASAMs did the job.

 

[mtofell]

Airbags are great and I've had them on my last two 2500 trucks. I was much closer to max though as I have a 5th wheel. The effect of airbags on your truck with the lower tongue weight of a TT might not be all that much but it can't hurt. As for which ones there are many choices. I've just had the manual fill ones and been happy. It takes a bit of trial and error to find the right PSI but once you do it's literally a few minutes to fill the bags - especially with the new battery/drill-like handheld compressors.

 

[josie]

Thanks for your input, that info will help

 

[Jughed]

Hello,

I have a 2020 Ram 2500 bighorn 6.4l 3:73 and 8sp transmission. I tow a approx. 9k travel trailer. My rig is set up fine with a WDhitch. I would like to stop some of the extreme bounce at times on and off bridge decks. i would like to add air bags to the rear and something to the front. The air bags I looked at seem to be a straight forward install after jounce removal. Not sure about what to use on front.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thank you

Something to check... I'm towing a 33' TT with a similar truck, my bouncing was being caused by the WDH itself. There was too much tension on the bars, causing the system to act like a diving board. I now have the bars on the lowest setting and have very little bouncing around.

The suspension on the Ram 3/4 ton is actually pretty stout. My truck/camper actually runs better without the WDH. Even with the camper loaded, the bed loaded with gear - the truck is level & the front end has enough load. The only real benefit I see from the WDH is the anti sway. When I do short trips to the local campground, no highways/all back roads - I don't even hook the bars up.

 

[2003F350]

Something to check... I'm towing a 33' TT with a similar truck, my bouncing was being caused by the WDH itself. There was too much tension on the bars, causing the system to act like a diving board. I now have the bars on the lowest setting and have very little bouncing around.

The suspension on the Ram 3/4 ton is actually pretty stout. My truck/camper actually runs better without the WDH. Even with the camper loaded, the bed loaded with gear - the truck is level & the front end has enough load. The only real benefit I see from the WDH is the anti sway. When I do short trips to the local campground, no highways/all back roads - I don't even hook the bars up.

I pull a 35' camper with the Power Wagon, primary difference is softer springs and more gearing. I've got almost no noticeable bounce unless it's a REALLY rough road. No bags. Very little sway with the friction bar on the side (I don't use the ones that depend on the WD bars for sway control).

Of course, this is AFTER I re-set everything. The dealer we bought the camper from had too much tension on the bars, taking too much weight off the rear axle, so I would get sway at about 62 mph. I adjusted the angle of the hitch head and the sway basically disappeared at 65 mph.

My point being, if you are getting too much sway or too much bounce (known as 'porpoising') then chances are your hitch isn't set up properly. you likely need to make some adjustments before you add bags and just mask a problem.

 

[ramffml]

Something to check... I'm towing a 33' TT with a similar truck, my bouncing was being caused by the WDH itself. There was too much tension on the bars, causing the system to act like a diving board. I now have the bars on the lowest setting and have very little bouncing around.

To me it seems like you didn't have enough tension; when they're tight enough you shouldn't get much bounce at all. My truck had a bunch of bounce in the rear until I cranked the bars up even more and now the entire truck (front included) will "bounce" in a dip, kind of like a giant hand is pushing on the center of my roof whereas before his fat butt was hanging off the bumper.

The only real way to know for certain if your bars are tensioned correctly is to measure the front axle squat or better yet a cat scale of all 3 axles.

 

[2003F350]

To me it seems like you didn't have enough tension; when they're tight enough you shouldn't get much bounce at all. My truck had a bunch of bounce in the rear until I cranked the bars up even more and now the entire truck (front included) will "bounce" in a dip, kind of like a giant hand is pushing on the center of my roof whereas before his fat butt was hanging off the bumper.

The only real way to know for certain if your bars are tensioned correctly is to measure the front axle squat or better yet a cat scale of all 3 axles.

It is possible to get porpoising from too much tension, as you can take too much weight off the rear axle. Usually its the other way around as you state.

And you are correct, the BEST way to see if you are set up right is to use a scale. I have personally found that measuring front axle squat doesn't really get things back to where they should be. This was how our RV dealer set up my hitch initially, and caused me to have sway at about 62 mph. It really is about the weight, not the squat.

 

[josie]

Something to check... I'm towing a 33' TT with a similar truck, my bouncing was being caused by the WDH itself. There was too much tension on the bars, causing the system to act like a diving board. I now have the bars on the lowest setting and have very little bouncing around.

The suspension on the Ram 3/4 ton is actually pretty stout. My truck/camper actually runs better without the WDH. Even with the camper loaded, the bed loaded with gear - the truck is level & the front end has enough load. The only real benefit I see from the WDH is the anti sway. When I do short trips to the local campground, no highways/all back roads - I don't even hook the bars up.

Thanks for the reply nas far as thenWDH, Inwas there when the dealer first set it up on the truck. I made measurements myself to the wheel well. After the hookup, those measurements only changed 1/4 to 1/2 inch so Im pretty certain the WDH is ok. Again though, the rig rides fine except for some nasty before and after bridge decks. Thanks again