Looking for Firestone airbag install tips and tricks

Been wanting to install the Firestone air bags and cradles for a while now, almost solely due to squat when towing my boat. Would love to hear any recommendations/tips/tricks/lessons learned or performance feedback from folks who have installed themselves. Also a few specific questions:

-I don’t have a compressor in the truck and won’t be installing one in the near future. How easy is it to inflate/deflate without one, using external equipment?

-Any rub issues with the heat shields?

-These use pre-existing frame mounting points only correct?

-I have Icon RXT Option 1 leafs so about a 2” lift. How do these work with a lift? This is probably my top question.

 

I’ll share my experience…
No particular installation tips or tricks other than reading the ride-rite thread on the forum here-just take your time on the install-some fasteners are a little awkward as I recall.

no compressor required-I inflate mine with a bicycle frame pump that I keep in my center console along with a pressure gauge-it doesn’t take much to pressurize these things.

hadn’t heard that there was any issue with the heat shield rubbing. It is pretty light gauge metal so it could get bent but don’t think there’s really anything for it to rub on. I think the instructions just call for one on the exhaust side but there were 4 in the box? That does remind me-make sure you check that everything was there in the box-I was missing a couple of the pieces that the long carriage bolts go through on the bottom of the leafs. Individual parts are available though.

All existing holes-no drilling.

The airbag kit is set up to fit the trucks with the 3 leaf pack out of the box. For your application (and mine-I have the 4 leaf TSB packs) there are different length spacers that extend the bracket that rests on top of the axle. You’ll have to figure out which spacers (they are made by Firestone) you will need and then drill the airbag bracket and bolt the spacer to the bracket.

 

One more thing to consider: I have the daystar cradles and you can get a clapping noise going over bumps between the bottom of the airbag and the cradle-maybe some neoprene or a rubber disc glued to the metal on the bottom of the bag would quiet them a bit.

 

If a heat shield is installed on the driver side it apparently can contact the brake line. Makes sense that it would only be required on the passenger (exhaust) side. Strange that the kit would include more than one if installation only requires one.

I’ve searched for threads on these air bags before, come up with some, never seen the mega thread I think you’re referring to. Found it tonight — maybe just different search terms. That was helpful to read about the spacers,
unfortunate that there doesn’t seem to be a more exact solution from what I read so far. And drilling - yuk. Just hate putting holes in painted steel.

Thanks for the reply!

 

Cradles suck!!! You're going to loose all your up travel. When you buy them, save all the hardware so you can remove the cradles when you get sick of them.

 

All you need is a bike pump, you dont need any fancy electric pumps, you rarely need to go over 30psi.

Ideally you want to plumb the 2 airbags to one line, so you only have to pump up one fitting. If you prefer two thats fine.

Keep the lines away from the exhaust and wrap them anywhere they may rub.

 

Even if almost completely deflated?

 

Hardest part of the install is the 3/4" bolt with even larger nut on it that wants a high torque value. It's in an awkward position to reach with a combo wrench so would be best to have two of the correct size sockets with extensions and breaker bar on each side. I managed with a combo wrench and a socket but would have been much easier using two sockets and a beaker bar.

One thing I did not like is you have to cut off your bump stop since the airbag sits directly above where the bump stop sat. Instructions are to maintain 5 psi in the bags even when not carrying a load..I think so the air bag acts as a bump stop. If you don't maintain the 5 psi, which is easy to overlook if you're not regularly carrying a load, then your truck has a much harsher ride on rough roads if and when the suspension bottoms out - which happens frequently on the poorly maintained county road where I live. I should also say I have the Daystar cradles which may have contributed to the harsher rise as the bags retract fully up once air leaks out. May not be an issue for everyone as bags are meant to keep their pressure for up to a month but in my case I had a slow leak that took a while to find and fix. If you got money to burn, you can get the Firestone compressor with controller kit that will check and auto inflate the airbags to 5 psi (or whatever you preset it for) every time you start the truck.

 

I have a set on one of my Tacaoma's and they are not bad. There are some things to be aware of though.

One thing is if you let them run low on air, they can actually get pinched or rub and wear over time. Don't quote me on this, but I think you're supposed to keep a minimum of 5PSI in them at all times to avoid issues.

For me, living in a cold climate I found this a challenge.

I ended up getting the compressor that has a valve that "auto" turns on if the psi drops below that point. That way, I never had to worry or remember to check the PSI. One less thing to worry about.

For that reason I recommend a compressor and gauge

 

Completely deflated, they sit at about the ride heigh of a stock OR when the cradles are installed. I spent a lot of time thinking about this one. The only solution I came up with was doing a spring under conversion to add a little extra space between the axle and the bump landing.

You can still get quite a bit of down travel without the cradles. Try installing them without first. You can always add them later.

 

The more I learn from all of you about this setup, the less interested I am in installing it, lol

 

I ditched the set I had and went with sumo springs, the adjustability of the bags was pretty nice and if they held air better I would have probably kept them. They were very inconsistent, I learned to check the airbag pressure anytime I placed something of any weight in to the bed. A friend that owns a 4WD shop suggested sumos and for me that was a nice no drama solution to carrying loads into the bed. Had I gone the full route with an inflator I have no doubt the bags would be preferable for carrying stuff.

 

I did look at the sumo springs once upon a time. Doesn’t that cause an even worse problem for up travel or am I missing something geometrically speaking?

 

They're basically a bump stop that's designed to allow the frame to rest on them in heavy load situations, yes they do affect up travel and are especially bad coupled with sagging OEM springs since that causes the sumo spring to rest on the rails all the time but they compress a good bit so it's not like you lost your rear suspension but it's affected when unloaded. Loaded it's a huge improvement. When up travel = bottoming out I don't mind their impact but yes it could be better. Previously I couldn't carry my motorcycle in the bed without bottoming crossing intersections (recall leafs). Anything outside of a different leaf spring will be always have some compromises. I eventually added HD leafs but left the sumos on and it's been worlds better.

 

As others have said, the psi changes everytime you put something in the bed, go over a bump, or even with weather changes.

I also always had a slow leak.

However, an onboard compressor that turns on for about 2 seconds everytime you start the car mitigates most of those issues.

I would not consider this product without an onboard compressor and automatic switch though.

Maybe if you live in Florida or something but certainly not in colder climates.

 

I only tow the boat twice a month maybe so I think I’ll just deal with the sag…I sometimes consider switching my RXTs to option 2 but not sure how that would handle unloaded and it would also give me a rake I probably wouldn’t like.

Really appreciate all the info from everyone.

 

I've had mine on for years - can't be beat when adjusting for load. The Daystars are 3/4" thick as I recall, so that's all the uptravel you can lose. The small bumpstop built into the inside of the bag (for internal self protection) plus the Daystar disc are easily accommodated by putting 5 pounds of air in the bags. Mine leak down in a week. I've bubble tested them numerous times - dunno where the leak is but it must be tiny. In all of the years, loads and road conditions mine have seen - I've never heard the "clapping" sound that others seem to hear. All I can figure is they've removed the valve stems or some strange thing like that and driven flat out on a washboard.


These cups have been mounted on an All Pro U-bolt flip - 3/8 thick base plate welded on. The bags are not bolted to the bottom base so full drop of the spring will allow separation - like jacking for a tire change won't try to stretch the bag.

 

If you do this you will want a valve that isolates each bag from each other because when turning the side that wants to push down will be pushing the other side up making the “roll” condition worse.

I have had my bags for years and when on road trips I keep a 18v Ridgid Tire inflator with me. For around town I don’t carry anything and check them every once in awhile. Install wasn’t hard at all an I put the valve stems on the 7pin connector in each upper corner.

 

I rented a workbay lift for this install.

No compressor. One stroke of my fullsized bike pump adds 3 to 5 lbs of pressure. I drive with 10 lbs unloaded which makes the rear slightly high. Check with hand gauge. A few hundred pounds of lumber levels out rather than sags. No leaks yet.

Kit comes with a heat sleeve for the passenger side air line that comes near stock exhaust. You can buy more sleeve in any parts store if you have twin exhaust concerns.

Yes bolts to frame with 3/4 dia hexcap. I had to chase hole on one side as a Tacoma bracket was barely impinging. Two sockets and extensions needed, would benefit from a helping third hand. I needed to pull tires to access. There are light hold down brackets that wrap your leaf springs. Someone above wrote these might need to change with non OEM leaf pack.

I put transmission jack under one side of axle at a time. Unbolted U bolt on leaf pack, unscrewed my recycled Sumo Springs that failed to prevent heavy load sag, had already cut off OEM bump stops. You need to reuse the metal plate that supports the OEM bump stops. Carefully reset and torqued the leaf spring U bolts... but had to loosen and reset U bolt to get the airspring bolts to clear the frame. Keep all loose, align bolts, then cinch up.

Took me an hour first side and 45 minutes second, working slowly on a hot day. I don't do a lot of wrenching, yet found this fairly straightforward.

Firestone does sell replacement bellows if ever needed. Inspect shipment upon opening, if any damage concerns (loose hardware slicing bellows for instance) send them back as I did.

I find attaching camper does not require changing lift, with 280# tongue weight. Do adjust for heavy truck loads, 900# would bottom out OEM leaf springs but 15# air pressure in these levels out nicely.