variable loads... HD leafs or air bags??

Posting in 2nd gen as I think you guys have had your trucks longer and more time to experiment

I have a dilemma, I basically want my truck to absorb whoops and do high speed offroading without going full long travel. Decided Bilstein 8112/8100s would be next best thing.

However I also want my truck to handle well on the daily where I only carry 300lb constant load (bed rack, decked system, and tools). But I also want it to handle well when I'm loaded down for camping and have 800-1,000lbs (add RTT, Coolers, camping gear, and extra passengers).

Thats a big swing! I know I can't have the best of both worlds and the obvious solution is to just get an HD leaf pack to handle all the weight... but then my truck would handle super stiff when not loaded down

My newest idea is to get an Icon RXT leaf pack and leave it at level 1 which should be ideal with my constant 300lb load (I want minimal lift anyways and don't want it stiff), then install ride rite airbags for when I load up for camping to compensate for the weight.

Am I missing something or is this the best solution in your opinion?

Think Icon RXTs with Bilstein 8100s and air bags will get me the load handling capabilities without being stiff on the daily?

 

I have the Firestone Ride Rite air bags and compressor and love em!!

 

Airbags don't handle bouncy rough roads as well as a properly designed leaf spring paired to a good shock.

I would personally never high speed trail run with my bags over 9 psi, simply because they tend to bounce rather than absorb.

My 2c

 

i would also say you might need something a bit better then Bilstein 8100s shocks too. Fox makes some nice 2.5 ones.

 

What you are describing is actually three scenarios. High speed offroading while fully loaded is crazy. Sounds to me like you are desert racing (lightly loaded), Overlanding (max loaded), and daily driving (very light load). The mid level springs with Firestone bags and Daystar cradles is the ticket, BUT there is a catch. The bags do not have an integrated bump stop, so wheeling hard with this setup will hammer the hell out of the bags. Installation of the bags requires the factory bumps to be cut off. I have designed a custom mounting plate that allows the bags to be installed with a bumpstop. No pictures yet, sorry, but coming soon. The parts are being waterjet cut.

Remember that airbags are basically springs. If you add more spring, you need the damping to match

 

^^^ Interested in seeing your pics and adding a real bump stop to my Ride Rite setup. When my bags are aired out to the minimum 5 PSI with the truck empty, they get pretty harsh at the end of their bump travel. Would be nice to have a real bump stop there to help cushion the impact when unloaded/bags aired down.

That said, I do like the ride when the truck is fully loaded and the bags are aired up to 20-30 PSI. I know the limitations of my mid-travel truck and am not desert racing with it but feel like the air bags allow for a good ride with anything but an empty truck.

Here's my set-up with Low Range u-bolt flip kit sitting on my homemade bracket:

 

Exactly. You did a nice job on the bracket. My new bracket will replace the top plate on any U-bolt flip. It provides a sturdy seat for the Daystar and allows you to mount a bump of your choice. The harshness you feel at full compression is the bag bottoming, and that will shorten the life of the bag. I plan to make one run of these and test the market for interest. A Firestone bag with a cradle and a quality bump, coupled with a mid weight spring gives a wide range of adjustability for those of us carrying varied loads and traversing varying roads. Ideally they should be coupled with an adjustable rear shock.

 

Have u made one yet?

 

See here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/firestone-airbag-u-bolt-flip-daystar-cradle-bump-stop.638686/

 

Here is a pic of mine from the inside of the frame.

.

 

Not sure if that would wk as I sit lower on icon rxt leafs.

 

Lots of people run air bags on stock springs. This conversion is only maybe 3/4" closer than the Ride-rite brackets.

 

Then also the thickness of the daystar cradle. I guessing approx 1”

 

The total difference between the Ride-rite set up for factory springs and mine, INCLUDING the cradle is only 1-1/16". 3/4" of that is the cradle.

 

You could also run an Air lift load lifter bag 5000.
It has a bump stop built into the bag.
Found out about them after I bought my Firestone bags.
Never tried them.
I run the Allpro leafs, u-bolt flip, hammer hangers, custom shackle, adjustable king shocks and Firestone bags with Daystar cradles.
Works for me washboard roads at speed, unloaded or loaded, towing trailer, DD etc.
I'm happy with setup. Only thing I would change is leafs to Deaver and putting in new mount location for longer shocks.
All would cost a bit more and some install time.
I set a $$ limit on what I want and see what realistically I will achieve.