Firestone "Ride-Rite" Air Bag Helper Springs on sale for $289.19 Free shipping!

@PeeRunner just for reference when I put the cap on my truck there was only 5psi
it was a little saggy so i put it up to 15

don't mind the rug, we're having a yard sale tomorrow.

 

Looking good Scott.

 

Thanks man!

 

I ended up getting a full OME setup with Dakars.

It was a bit less of a deal than $294.. but I think I'll feel better about having proper leafs under my load. I'm sure the bags would have been (realistically) just as effective for much cheaper, but I figured I'd have to end up getting new leafs some day anyway, so may as well upgrade now.

 

Sweet! Dakars are a little further down my list but there there. Where did you get them from?

 

Got the best price (by quite a bit) from Marie! @HeadStrong Off-Road

 

Awesome! Thanks

 

I considered going that route but thought the day to day driving might be a bit too stiff.... Although I see you have a shell so probably less of a concern in your case.

 

Yeah, the constant load of 225 lbs +/- was a factor. My normal load is around 400 lbs which is in the same ballpark as OZ-T, and he helped tremendously with info.

Not sure when I'll have time to install them, but hopefully in the next 2-3 weeks. I'm very much looking forward to the first drive on the OME setup.

 

Finally got my Firestone Air Bags and Daystar cradles installed. Installation was pretty straight forward. With the camper shell on the truck im running around 12psi. Im guessing Ill be running 20-25psi when I tow the travel trailer (3300 lbs dry).

 

I used a tee valve so that Id only have one fill point. Instead of drilling a hole in my bumper I used one of the holes that were already there.


Install with daystar cradle passenger side


Bags with 12psi

 

You may want to keep all the spare materials around. There has been more than one occasion that I needed to air up one side more than the other to balance an uneven load.

 

I kept all the spare parts. I agree that in towing/hauling certain loads that one side may have to be filled more than the other. I put the bags on primarly to tow my travel trailer with a center load point.

 

THIS! It seems convenient to only air up one valve, and if you're load is perfectly balanced, or you're on perfectly flat ground it works great, but get off road on roads that are canted, the high side bag will lose pressure because the low side bag will not be under as much pressure and it will relieve the pressure from the high side bag. This will allow the spring to compress basically making the airbag on that side a bump stop.

I don't have airbags on my Taco yet, but I have had them on every other truck I've owned, and they are the best addition you can add to any truck that hauls varied loads. I have used the bags both ways, with a single inflator, and with an inflator for each bag. I ended up converting the single fill point to double valve.

This was my last DD, no helper spring, four leaf pack, 4' lift, Firestone airbags w/50 pounds of pressure to level load . Truck is overloaded, pulling almost double max tow, aprox 25,000 pounds.



Same truck, same lift, same springs, 5 pounds per bag, still level.

 

do you guys air these down if you hit the trails?

is the ride any better or worse than stock?

thanks

 

I don't have the Firestone bags... Yet. But, I do have the Air Ride and they certainly do improve the stock ride. Especially considering my leafs were all but shot before installing the bags.

 

I was able to test out the airbags this past weekend. Took the camper on a 2.5 hr trip each way. They worked great, rode much better. I put 25 psi in the bags. Camper weights 3300 dry.

 

How stiff do they ride with only 10 to 15 psi in them .

 

W

With 12psi in mine with the Snug Top Shell it rides about like stock with no shell. Puts the arse end up a bit above level @12psi. Was pretty much level around 8-10psi but I haven't driven it set there yet. This is on a Pro so it was a tad tail low stock regardless of what they say....The factory "Leveling" was a tad tall in front vs the rear from the factory.

 

Gotcha , ok yeah that makes sense . Thanks for your reply.