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Timbren or Firestone Ride-Rite for preventing sag

Discussion in 'Suspension' started by 2009Silver, Jul 20, 2010.

  1. Jul 20, 2010 at 1:08 PM
    #1
    2009Silver

    2009Silver [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Hey Guys,

    I've started to tow some things, and have noticed I'm sagging pretty good. I'm wondering which product would be better for preventing sag.

    I have an 09 DC TRD Sport 4x4 Non TSB w/ 1.5" AAL because my dealer and Toyota refused several times....:mad:

    Sits nice and level with no load in the back, but even a 16' fishing boat sagged my back end pretty good.

    I'm hoping the TIMBRENS or RIDE-RITE bags would prevent it from squatting so bad.

    I'd appreciate any input you guys would have for my situation.

    Thanks in advance :cheers:
     
  2. Jul 21, 2010 at 6:52 AM
    #2
    2009Silver

    2009Silver [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Really? Bump?

    Anybody have either of these setups? If so, how is it working out for you?
     
  3. Jul 21, 2010 at 7:07 AM
    #3
    badguybuster

    badguybuster Well-Known Member

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    My buddy has a F550 that has NO rear suspension, it came from factory that way. All it uses is air bags and it seems to work pretty well. So I would imagine it would be fine.
     
  4. Jul 21, 2010 at 8:01 AM
    #4
    TexasTacoma37

    TexasTacoma37 Well-Known Member

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  5. Jul 21, 2010 at 9:19 AM
    #5
    skytower

    skytower Well-Known Member

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    Hitch and wiring, aux back-up light, rear strobe lights, radio and underseat sub.
    I have timbrens. They're ok. It rides a little rougher. When they wear out, I'm getting bags. They're adjustable.
     
  6. Jul 21, 2010 at 9:28 AM
    #6
    HBMurphy

    HBMurphy Ban Pending

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    For towing something - go with bags. Look up mpleitez he's got bags. Me? Timbrens in back. Wheelers up front. I like what I have for what I do. If I was towning I would switch to bags.
     
  7. Jul 21, 2010 at 11:17 AM
    #7
    2009Silver

    2009Silver [OP] Well-Known Member

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    One thing I noticed in the install instructions was that after you install bags, you shouldn't lift the truck by the frame, or the bags may break... That would suck. I always rotate my tires by lifting from the frame...

    Is that really true?

    Anybody with the Firestone Ride-Rite bags lift by the frame? Any problems?

    I think I'm going to bight on these... I can't stand having a little boat behind me, and the truck all sagged out. Makes it look pretty whimpy....

    Thanks for your input guys
     
  8. Jul 21, 2010 at 12:06 PM
    #8
    HBMurphy

    HBMurphy Ban Pending

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    ^
     
  9. Jul 21, 2010 at 12:08 PM
    #9
    HBMurphy

    HBMurphy Ban Pending

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    As much as I see it on the trail - I still don't understand why guys jack up their truck by sliders or frame when they can lift by the suspension or wheel!
     
  10. Jul 21, 2010 at 1:36 PM
    #10
    skytower

    skytower Well-Known Member

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    Hitch and wiring, aux back-up light, rear strobe lights, radio and underseat sub.
    Lift at the rear diff, put stands under the axle, alternately lift on the front frame. Easy with a full size floor jack, not so much with a small one.
     
  11. Jul 22, 2010 at 2:40 PM
    #11
    thinkingman

    thinkingman Well-Known Member

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    Vehicle:
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    Foglights are for fog, not oncoming traffic!
    http://www.suncoreindustries.com/AIR-LIFT-suspension.php
    Kit was pretty straightforward.
    No drilling is a nice feature.
    I will contact tech re install instructions for drivers side...it looked a little offset from the leaf using their instructions.
    Results....I put 30lb in after install and got 1 5/8" lift!
    Too much for my purposes.
    Ride quality was very good. Firm, not harsh.
    Understand....Thanks to the quality engineering Toyota is known for, I've been riding on the bumpstops in back for yrs....never knew what rear springs felt like.
    I reduced inflation pressure to 10lbs...you could see the rear come down as I released air.
    Looks better at 10lb, not a big diff in ride quality.
    Loaded truck with me, wife, kid=@400lb total....add shitload of vacation gear, easily another 300lb in the bed....so total 700lb.
    Drive over the mountains and back...some bottoming , not as bad as stock.
    Return drive was on a Sunday...if a tire store was open, I would have added air....thinking 15lb is about right.
    FYI, I ran the airlines into the trailer electrical socket, drilled two holes above that into the flange that it mounts to....pretty clean and out of the way.
    If you have a 3leaf rear, I think this airbag idea is the right solution.
    YMMV
     
  12. Jul 23, 2010 at 1:33 PM
    #12
    2009Silver

    2009Silver [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Really?

    I have a nice beefy floor jack, and can do it that way if I need to, but by the time I have my truck jacked and on jack stands front and back, I'd already have all four tires rotated doing it from the side??

    95% of the time I jack up my truck is for tire rotations.

    Do you rotate your tires that way too?
     
  13. Jul 23, 2010 at 1:40 PM
    #13
    skytower

    skytower Well-Known Member

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    Hitch and wiring, aux back-up light, rear strobe lights, radio and underseat sub.
    If you're not using jack stands, I don't want to see the pics when your jack fails. Otherwise, do what makes you happy.
    I jack the rear axle, put stands in, then jack each side of the front.
    I need a 4th jack stand.
     
  14. Aug 12, 2010 at 2:40 PM
    #14
    High-Gear

    High-Gear Zombie Killer

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    TRD Supercharger, TRD Cat Back Exhaust, DR / Icon 2.5 Coilovers, Camburg UCA, TSB with AAL, Walker Evans 2.0 reservoir rear shocks, ARB Bull Bar, Smittybilt 10K Comp Winch, ARE Camper Shell, Con-Ferr Safari Rack, 4 KC Highlights on rack, 2 KC Rallye 800 on Bumper Armortech Off Road plate rear bumper. Firestone Airbags in rear, with Firestone compressor.
    Wouldn't the shocks limit the travel before the bag ripped? otherwise if you ever got the rear end airborne, or off camber enough to have one wheel in the air unsupported it would just tear the airbag. If the shock will not limit the downward droop, do they sell limiting straps?
     
  15. Aug 12, 2010 at 2:44 PM
    #15
    Fortech

    Fortech Well-Known Member

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    Bilstein 5100's, rear TSB, Firestone bags
    I have had the Firestone bags for three years now without issue. The OEM shocks limit droop enough that it doesn't rip the bags. Longer aftermarket shocks however may pose a problem.
     
  16. Aug 12, 2010 at 2:45 PM
    #16
    thinkingman

    thinkingman Well-Known Member

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    Foglights are for fog, not oncoming traffic!
    No...these bags are a total of about 8" long and only control compression, not rebound.
    Rebound straps may make sense....
     
  17. Aug 12, 2010 at 2:47 PM
    #17
    Fortech

    Fortech Well-Known Member

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    Wrong, see my above post. Bags will not rip apart if the vehicle is lifted off the ground by the frame, allowing the axle to droop. Droop remains the same a stock.
     
  18. Aug 12, 2010 at 3:27 PM
    #18
    High-Gear

    High-Gear Zombie Killer

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    I have 3" extended travel Walker evans shocks, with about 2.5" lift in the rear (TSB + TSB AAL). I have purchased 2" spacers for the airbags when I do the install, since the increased leaves add .75" from the axle to the mount for the airbag. Theoretically this will put the space the airbag fits into between the mounting plates pretty close to the stock distance. That being said I think the shocks will still run out of travel and limit droop before the airbag is stretched to the point of tearing.

    Is my thought process sound?
     
  19. Aug 12, 2010 at 3:39 PM
    #19
    thinkingman

    thinkingman Well-Known Member

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    Foglights are for fog, not oncoming traffic!
    The bags that I installed required me to jack the axle up after removing the wheels, so that the total distance btw the axle and the frame was significantly less than if I jacked from the frame.
    No way I could have stretched the bag to meet the contact points for installation.
    I don't see how they'd survive holding the weight of the springs and axle.
    I can see that we're going to disagree on this but I'm sure of what I'm telling you.
     
  20. Aug 12, 2010 at 7:11 PM
    #20
    Fortech

    Fortech Well-Known Member

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    They don't hold the weight of the axle assembly, the shocks do. The axle will only drop until the shocks are fully extended, thankfully this doesn't exceed the travel on the bags to the point where they will tear. They do look extremly stretched out at this point, but then again they are manufactured from rubber.

    You have the Airlift system so I can't really compare that to my Firestone setup. My father in law had the Airlift system on his Silverado though and never had a problem either.

    I've had these bags for over three years, work part time at a garage, and have had the truck on a lift literally dozens of times over the years. The bags will be fine if installed properly. So what is your plan every time you take the truck to a shop for repairs? Kinda sucks that you have to remove the bags before putting the truck on a lift. I suspect the Airlift engineers thought of this before marketing the kit...

    Finally, did you actually try this and rip a bag or are you simply speculating? I'm sure someone here with an Airlift system can comment.
     

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