"Official" Firestone RideRite + Lift Thread

Wow, 50-60 PSI? How much weight with the cap and tools do you think you have in the back?

 

I'm thinking the cap is about 250-300, and the tools & parts about another 500-ish. I doubt that it's over 1K total. The 2013 4 cyl Access cab only came with 3 springs -2 & a helper. I checked with the dealer - "NO TSB". The distance between the frame and the bump stop was the width of my index finger before the air bags.

50-60 Psi does raise the back up a little past level, but I know I have a very slow leak on the drivers side. One valve has given me problems from the start - have to loosen & tighten the stem just to get air into it.

 

Subbing...

 

Seems a little high to me? I have about the same. Leer 180cc with large pipe rack and 500+ lbs of tools and supplies. I run about 20-25 psi with that. And when I put on my trailer with a load of dirt (5000-5,500 lbs) I put up to 45-50 psi.

But it is down to what you like in the end.

How did you like that install? Those top bolts were a pain in the ass for me.

I plan on getting the Dynastar cups soon. I think they will be nice just for the fact if you take to a service shop you don't have to tell them to air down the bags if the are going to put on a lift.

 

Yeah the top 4 3/8" bolts were tough..even with the wheels off & the spare out.

Still not sure what purpose the Dynastar cups are for. If the truck goes on a lift without the cups there is a chance of pulling the bags apart?

 

Installing Firestone helper bags tomorrow morning on my '11 pre-runner.

 

Per the instruction manual it says to remove the air pressure if the truck is going to be lifted by the frame.

Basicly the bag is bolted on both sides so at flex the axle stretches the bag out and could possibly damage it.

I have been wheeling and flexed it all out and have not had any problems yet but I think for the long run the Dynastar will increase the life of the bags. It is basicly a cup that the bottom of the bag sits in. That way the bag is not bolted on the bottom to the axle.

 

Finally got some time Saturday morning to install my Firestone Air Bags. Wasn't too hard to do at all. I want to setup a full control console inside the cab to air up the bags and let air out but it'll have to be a project for later.

 

Yes lifts make life easier. lol You should try one hunched underneath it for a few hours. In the cold fumbling for bolts.

Check out the remote controller option. Thats the one I will be putting in.

 

$300+? No thanks, I can build my own for cheaper.

 

My truck is all stock. 40lbs of air in the Ride-Rite airbags and 1 ton of wood pellets in the bed.
I just got my airbags and when they arrived they were packed with the wrong fittings. The fittings that thread into the top of the airbags were the wrong size. I had to call Firestone's customer service. They were really good about it and sent the correct fittings right out. Anyone can make a mistake. It's how you go about fixing it that counts. Firestone did a nice job in my case.

On lifted trucks, I'm wondering if two sets of airbags could be screwed together with a T fitting, to allow for longer travel? It might work but it's really not what they were made for. They work exactly how I intended them to in my case and I'm happy with the setup.

 

i think you would be very supprised. rocks get stuck inside the fender flares, and every other place you would never expect.

I like this airbag setup, or at least the idea of it. But i dont know if i would ever trust it if i planned to offroad it. I have burst one before and it sucks.

 

I have flexed my suspension out a time or two with the bags but never had a problem.

How did one pop on you?

 

I have had my bags on for about a week now, everything seems but I dont know if I am imaging this or not. When I take off from a dead stop it seems like the rear is binding or stuttering at around 10 mph. Its like 3 little stutters or a slight bind..
But like I said maybe its just I could just be I am more sensitive it.
I have an 09 dbl cab 4wd OR

 

You are just more sensitive to it now. Apparently it is a design flaw with our vehicles. Do not remember the thread. Something to do with a multi piece drive shaft vs a solid one?

 

Thanks thats kinda what I thought. Like you said I got more sensitive.. All of a sudden I think I hear things or feel something I didnt hear ir feel before.


Thanks

 

Recheck the tightness of all your bolts you put in.

If you loosened the leaf spring bolts to remove the rubber bumper instead of cutting them recheck the torque on those. It is important to have the correct torque.

And lastly make sure there is a minimum of 5 psi in the bags at all times. My fill valve likes to leak sometimes.

If you still hear the noise after all of this I would bet it is a completely unrelated noise that is from something else.

Good luck.

 

I have a 16 ft utility trailer that I occasionally tow quads and building material in. Even with only a few hundred pounds in it my springs sagged like no other. Thanks to some forum research I got some firestone air bags with daystar cups for my 2013 baja edition. I had some on my previous truck and they worked well. After a few months on my tacoma I am not sure if they are for me. What I noticed when I installed them is there was only like 4 inches of space between the mounting points for the air bag which doesn't leave much room for compression at ride height when you take into account the thickness of the bag itself and the daystar cups. Now of course when you put a few psi in them it raises it up an inch or so. I can definitely tell a difference in the ride. When I go over bumps you can feel the springs/bags bottoming out. When going over bumps and humps at higher speeds the back end feels like it bottoms out and then kicks up. Before the bags the ride was nice and plush. Has anyone else experienced this? When towing and aired up its not really an issue, they work as intended and I like that you can adjust for the load your carrying.

Thinking about going to an aftermarket set of leaf springs and selling the air bags. Any recommendations on springs only lifting the truck1-2 inches and increased load capacity?

 

Ghostrider thank you for your post, watching this closely as I was about ready to add the bags with daystar cups. I also have a Baja 2013 and have an ARE MX topper. With any weight in the bed the rear starts to drop and I am working on building a custom platform & slideout system in the bed which will add another ~300 pounds. My off road trailer is small and fairly light but it still drops the rear when attached once I added the topper.

I love the factory suspension of the Baja and it is one of the reasons why I purchased it. Without any weight on the truck it is one of the best suspensions in a vehicle that I have ever owned. But just like the Xterra I traded in for the Taco the rear leafs are a weak link. What you describe is pretty close to what happened to the Xterra after adding Timbren bump stops. So I removed them and went with an add a leaf which was really not a long term solution nor the best. I would love to keep the factory ride, handling and recovery rate of the shocks on the Baja, along with factory warranty if possible. But thinking now that I'm going to end up with an aftermarket spring pack also. Please keep this updated with how you end up. Thank you!

 

I'm in the same boat. 2013 AC Baja, with the same isses as mentioned in the previous two posts. I was gettting ready to pull the trigger on the Firestones and the Daystar cups, and am now glad that I didn't. I'll be waiting to see how this turns out.