Proper Way To Set PSI In Air Bags

[Dan Lockwood]

I've added the Air Lift 5000 air bags to my '12 RAM 3500 dually.

I have a Keystone Raptor that will gross out at 18k#. When towing it now it appears to sit level in he street, but I drop down maybe 3" or more when I drop the pin into my B&W hitch.

I'm going to measure how much I drop from an unloaded height so I know what the loaded drop is.

Now to my question: I've read that I should measure and after hooking up, I should add air until I get back to my pre-loaded bed height.

What is the proper setup procedure for air bags?

I've got my RV in my driveway at home right now and I'm mounting my B&W Biker Bar setups. I have two so I can haul both of my Harleys or one Harley and my Honda Helix. Sunday I will be taking the RV back out to the storage lot for most of the winter. I plan on parking my Harleys in the RV garage to gain a bit more house garage work space to finish my Boardtrack racer bike project.

Any help prior to Sunday would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dan Lockwood]

80 looks and not suggestions?

I'll be loading up tomorrow for the storage lot and I will have my washer/dryer combo unit and two Harleys in the garage. They say when loaded in the garage that the pin weight gets less.

Any help with this as I'm very new to the 5er world would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and have a great weekend.

 

[crash68]

you can add enough air to level off the truck, but it won't be till your out on the road where you'll find out of you need more pressure in the airbag to keep the truck/trailer from porpoising.

 

[jvbuttex]

has anyone setup a "auto leveler"... ya know, a little lever on a switch, that depresses when the lever is compressed at one point? Or adapted something from a Lincoln?

 

[crash68]

has anyone setup a "auto leveler"... ya know, a little lever on a switch, that depresses when the lever is compressed at one point? Or adapted something from a Lincoln?

Timber Grove sells a set up for 1500s and 2500s:
https://timbergroveenterprises.com/air-solutions

 

[jvbuttex]

Pricey but look like good system.

 

[crash68]

Pricey but look like good system.

The Auto-Level stuff might be nice, probably more gimmicky for practical use while towing a trailer.
For the money the AirLift WirelessOne compressor set up works real nice.
You can adjust how firm or soft the rear end is and also force the rear higher in case of clearance issues.
https://www.airliftcompany.com/products/compressor-systems/wirelessone/

 

[WY-Dave]

80 looks and not suggestions?

You have to remember the looky loos, like me, come to these threads to see words of wisdom to piggyback off of your question. In my case, I don't have adj bags, but some day may put some on.

 

[mtofell]

I don't really use my bags for leveling as even with my 2500 at full payload (with my 5th wheel attached and truck full of people and gear) it really only squats a couple inches and sits level. I really just use the bags to help stiffen the hinge between the truck and trailer and improve the ride over bumps. I've found around 40# is pretty good for that but every truck and trailer will be different. I'd just play around and experiment and see what works best.

As for anything auto and airbags I say forget it. Manually filling the bags and having the control is what I'm after. I hate things that try to out-think me. I'm the one driving the truck and looking at the setup. I'll trust what I see/feel over some auto-programming any day.

 

[Dan Lockwood]

Thanks a bunch for all the input and suggestions.

Hope you all had a great Turkey Day yesterday!