"Official" Firestone RideRite + Lift Thread

I have a slow leak also but it may not be the bags. I need to get a bottle of soapy water and spray the lines and bags to help narrow down the leak. If it is a bag, I might get these aftermarket replacements.

$140 TORQUE 2 pcs of 6766 Air Bag Replacement for 6766 Firestone Ride Rite Air Bags and Torque Airbag Suspension Kits (Replaces Firestone 6766 Replacement Air Bag Airbag Air Spring) (2 x TR6766)

TORQUE 2 pcs of 6766 Air Bag Replacement for 6766 Firestone Ride Rite Air Bags and Torque Airbag Suspension Kits (Replaces Firestone 6766 Replacement Air Bag Airbag Air Spring) (2 x TR6766)

 

I've had similar thoughts. The reason it is somewhat offset under frame rail is the air port in the top of bag. The offset is greater on the leaf springs because the springs are partially outboard from the frame.
The cross beam idea is good, but the exhaust would have to be chopped, and you also have brake hard lines inboard of the springs.

 

Is there any actual evidence of this supposed torquing of the frame because when flexing it’s the axle that rotates around the long axis of the truck making the outboard side of the cup higher than the inboard side. This indicates to me that the cradles should be located slightly outbard of the frame mounts with the frame mounts tilted outwards to match at full compression. Exactly how much would depend on travel and how they seat when fully flexed. It’s going to be more of an issue the more the axle can travel and create a larger axle angle.

 

The damage I see in post #934 looks like a serious case of gross overload. The admittedly stupid, overly thin Firestone bag supports are crushed - despite the serious amount of spring leaves (7?) in the picture as well. This is not a one ton truck like my old mine service vehicle. And my opinion as a mechanical engineer is that the damaged truck frame was not only overloaded - but deliberately (or carelessly) driven over rough terrain at speed. The bag was not fully pressurized when that hit occurred - physical contact of hard parts was involved - and a common rubber bumpstop wouldn't be the answer.

I've had the bags on my truck - and others before it - for years, and never missed the factory bumpstops because I put them on rugged mounts and the bags were aired up to suit the loading. And the loading wasn't double or triple the truck's rating while buzzing down a rutted forest service road.

 

You related how your setup (with your Daystar cradle wisely placed lower than most people) required 12 psi to eliminate bottoming:
"On my own outfit, the height of the bag (collapsed) and the Daystar seat I put under it, ate up the allowable travel and made the truck bottom out more easily (crummy Toyota stocker springs are still in there). For everyday use (not jumping the speed bumps) as a daily driver - it took about 12 psi to eliminate the bottoming. I figure its going to take some different spring packs and a better shock to lower the pressure."

Yes, you're correct, the instance was an off road use, but if you're not designing for that or even big on-road hits, then you allow a scenario where your frame will bend. Stuff happens on the road as well

The leaf in the instance was not a very heavy OME Dakar, they have thin leaves.

My Post #934 well illustrates how NOT having enough leaf spring AND NOT having a chassis bump stop lead to bent frames

Owners who don't have air bags, but who have much more weight than the example I showed do not bend their frames off road. The facts are there

With thousands of customers, we have data coming in to us, and I am only sharing what I have learned.

My only personal experience with Firestone airbags was a very good one, they came installed on a 2002 Ford E-350 extended work van. BUT the chassis bumpstop remained in the setup, and would hit before the bags collapsed. This is where I gained experience that air bags can't compensate fully for a proper leaf upgrade.

This pic was talken after replacing the stock pack with box truck springs (1 leaf removed) it actually road better with the beefy spring pack, and needed way less air to remain stable.

 

Figured I'd post this here instead of starting a new thread. I'm trying to determine if bags are the best option for me.

I have a 2020 Pro. This is a daily driver that will see a few trips a year into the western US. While at home I will just have a tonneau cover and no weight in the rear, and occasionally I pull my car trailer when picking up supplies for various projects. Doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

While on trips I will have an estimated 600 lbs in the bed (drawers, cap, gear), sometimes I may be pulling a squaredrop camper that will add another ~200lbs tongue weight (if it's just me I sleep in the back, if the better half comes with we drag the trailer). Trips will be a mix of terrain, mostly mild with occasional moderate, we generally try to avoid anything too wild. As far as armor right now a Hiline bumper and winch is the only thing I know I will do, but I might run sliders and a rear bumper at some point (need to find a way to carry extra fuel).

Trying to get around 1.5"-2" lift while retaining the Fox suspension that comes in the Pro. My current plan was to run the Eibach Pro Lift springs up front, and if I saw too much sag after the bumper and winch then add the Westcott lift. Rear I was going to run ICON packs with option 2 or 3, however I'm concerned the rear will be too harsh when at home with no weight so I've been researching bags and either run rear lift blocks or the ICON option 1.

Are bags and Daystars a good option in this case? Trying to find that happy medium.

 

I recommend an Add-a-leaf, that will give lift and some load capacity. I've gotten measurements from people who installed RXTs and got 3" + lift on only option 1 on DCs, so I think in the past year Icon likely beefed up the packs.

 

I wasn't aware you guys had leaf kits as well. I have been looking at your hammer hangars, might have to look into your MD set.

 

is it just me or was that pic caused by:
1. Weighted bed
2. Not reinforcing frame to handle weighted bed

https://jdfabrication.com/collectio...-tacoma-frame-brace-with-shock-relocation-kit

 

yeah
Hit a bump stop hard enough and the frame can still bend. The idea is set the suspension up so if it hits it’s not hard. There’s a reason hydraulic bumps were invented. Riding low and heavy is risky but you can reduce the risk by taking it slow and easy. Driving fast and heavy is asking for trouble.
Leafs carry the load from 2 points.
Leafs aren’t adjustable, it sits where it sits with the load being carried.
Bags can assist leafs but do so only at one point.
Bags are adjustable so you can set the ride height for the load.
Do you own analysis and pick what suits your needs best. The stock suspension is not up to even the rated capacity without some kind of upgrade IMHO.

 

Anyone know the torque spec for the 3/4” bolt hold the bracket to the frame? Looks like a plated 3/4-16 grade 5 bolt torque spec is 223 ft lbs, I can go that high if needed but can find any documentation for what the kit wants it torqued to. Bolt is stamped 8.8, which seems odd for an sae thread bolt, but whatever, should be about grade 5

 

150ft lbs it is

 

i know this is older but if you are saying bags are not the way to go then what is? i dont want new leafs that lift the back of my truck... i have my truck leveled and dont want it any taller and almost all new leaf packs ive looked at make the back end taller which i do not want. im wanting a bit more support when it comes to towing or carrying my dirtbike on a hitch carrier. i do get what you are meaning about removing the bump stop thou so i understand the risk of that if you are offroading hard or going to fast which this appears to be the case of this person here. atm from what im seeing is you are stating to spend thousands on new leafs and your hammer hangers... which dont get me wrong i would love the hangers and wanted them on my last tacoma....


i like the idea of a ubolt flip kit with airbag support is there anymore progress with this or is it still in the works?

 

There’s no single one size fits all solution. Air bags are just one of many possible solutions having both upsides and downsides. Stronger, heavier leaf packs add spring rate while maintaining that support from the ends of the leafs. Bags do it with practically no added weight but accomplish it at single points over the axle which will focus stress at those points. But you have to realize that as the bags compress the pressure inside rises so the cushioning effect gets amplified with need. Even a stock bump stop will become a hard point given a big enough hit which is why there are hydraulic bump stops. The main reasons I chose bags were weight and adjustability. If I had other priorities I’d make a different choice.

 

I agree there isn't just trying to figure out what will work best for me. I think bags will be best since I don't wheel anymore I leave that to my dirtbikes now days haha. So all I do is tow with my truck and like the height it sits at and don't want taller so I feel the bags will be the best bang for the buck and work the best but I'll most likely wait until archive makes the flip kit to keep a bump stop

 

Bags are a good way to have a consistent ride height regardless of the load. Ok for modest tows as well but I’d recommend a weight distribution hitch for anything serious since that’s the only way to balance weight on both axles.

 

Love my bags on my truck, for your application its perfect as its a lot of tongue weight weight without a trailer.


I moved from OME medium springs that became a W shape to stock 3rd gen springs that I flipped the overload (cut off u clamp keepers? and rewelded upside down) and added bags and its a bitching setup. Also made a custom lower mounting bracket that was probably overkill for the bags. But either way. Bags have been amazing, way better ride unloaded.... then oh, I wanna throw a dirtbike in the bed along with camping gear ANNNND hitch up a trailer thats heavily biased to the tongue (500+lbs on the WDH). 60psi in the bags and the truck was level and rode great.

EDIT - also used the cheap torque bags off Amazon (which looks damn near identical to firestone) and once setup they havent leaked at all.

 

What no one tells you is that due to the drastic loss of bump travel that results from this air bag kit, it means you must run around 12psi to keep it from bottoming out just around town, which forces lift.

Fact: the stock unloaded Tacoma rear suspension has about 3.5"-4" of bump travel in rear if you include 1" of bumpstop compression, and there's exactly 5.31" (edit: verified) from top leaf up to bump bracket at stock ride height.
The Firestone kit steals ~4" of that available 5.31" at stock rear height, leaving you only 1.31" of suspension travel!
It's not a kit where you get to keep your cake and eat it to. (Air bag and upper mounting plate are 3" thick fully deflated, lower mounting bracket is 1" tall above main leaf, both total 4").

Consider our Add-a-leaf, it's a good affordable solution, but it may lift depending on load.

I did make progress on U-bolt kit, gotta finish, make parts and get customers to affirm

 

a weight distribution hitch is a great setup buuut none of my trailers will ever need that unless the odd time i gotta haul hay for family but even then those trailers are not mine so i cant do anything with them. my trailer is a small utility trailer that i use for motos, so i wont need that style hitch now maybe if i get a small camper like a tear drop or something to help with its weight and hauling bikes but atm thats not in the cards.

i forgot you had them on your truck lol i should have sent you a dm on it! that was my guess even with my small utility trailer and being loaded down with bikes i feel bags will help me out best. do you have a bump stop for yours? thats the one thing that i would personally like to keep when running bags for the possible instance of a bottom out since i know it can happen. do you have the cradles for your bags or are they just bolted in like they say to?

got a link for the Amazon ones lol

 

an add a leaf wont work for what im wanting to do.
ill just wait until you all make the flip kit for the airbags that allow a bump stop to still exist.