Do Air bags improve ride quality?

[rensink]

I just installed a Kelderman 4 link system on my power stroke. I am amazed at the ride quality improvement. I would say it rides similar to my wives denali now.

Kelderman makes an awesome setup I know a lot of people that are running them.

[Bamer]

Here’s a pic of my truck...it sits pretty level with the stock suspension.... I’ll measure the squat in a few weeks when I pull her out of storage. Even just 2 inch of sag will start to hit the bump stop.....


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[wired1236]

I have a 18R23 and have a 15 F150 with bags so a similar setup. When I measured the tongue weight of the trailer, it was pretty light at 250lbs with no additional weight, like sand bags, in the boat but it sounds like you think you have a lot of tongue weight?

This has all been discussed a bit on the forum and I’m not sure if this is relevant to you but I figured I would reply with what I found.

My boat, being light on the tongue causes my truck to ride like crap. It bounces a lot and at higher speeds tends to sway. Like Bamer, I don’t sag much, maybe an inch with my bags at 5lbs (basically stock stiffness). The boat mate just wasn’t set up very well. The axles are just too far forward. As you would expect, If I put more weight in the front of the boat, it rides/towes much better. Air Bags don’t make much of a difference. You just feel them make a little difference on the rebound of the trailer when you hit a bump or swell in the road. A good set of shocks may make a little difference in bounce but not sway. IMO, it’s just easier to put weight on the tongue witch takes care of both.


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[UNSTUCK]

[mention]UNSTUCK [/mention], at the lowest pressure, did the bags raise the rear when not loaded. If so, about how much did it raise?


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If the bags are empty they will not cause the rear to lift. On the ram trucks these bags require removable of the bump stops. Tiber groves are nice because they do not require cutting off the bump stop can like airlift/Firestone does. Anyways you are supposed to run them all the times at 5psi so they still act as a bump stop. That 5 psi should not lift the truck any, but I’m not sure. With my load level valve I set it to raise the truck 1/4” just to be sure there would always be air in the bags. That amount of lift wasn’t noticeable. And I still preferred the ride quality with the bags partially inflated vs running them empty.

[Bamer]

I have a 18R23 and have a 15 F150 with bags so a similar setup. When I measured the tongue weight of the trailer, it was pretty light at 250lbs with no additional weight, like sand bags, in the boat but it sounds like you think you have a lot of tongue weight?

This has all been discussed a bit on the forum and I’m not sure if this is relevant to you but I figured I would reply with what I found.

My boat, being light on the tongue causes my truck to ride like crap. It bounces a lot and at higher speeds tends to sway. Like Bamer, I don’t sag much, maybe an inch with my bags at 5lbs (basically stock stiffness). The boat mate just wasn’t set up very well. The axles are just too far forward. As you would expect, If I put more weight in the front of the boat, it rides/towes much better. Air Bags don’t make much of a difference. You just feel them make a little difference on the rebound of the trailer when you hit a bump or swell in the road. A good set of shocks may make a little difference in bounce but not sway. IMO, it’s just easier to put weight on the tongue witch takes care of both.


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Yeah, I remember your thread. I believe my setup has more than 250lbs, but not an excessive amount. I’m thinking it’s in the high 500’s which is still low for ~6500-7000lbs setup. The ride isn’t bad most of time, just looking to make it better. My issue is more when I’m loaded up for long weekend trips and have luggage, coolers and crap in the bed as well...and I move ~300lbs of lead from the boat into the truck cab for long hauls.

The ride is better when my extra lead just fwd of the trailer axle. I’ve never had sway issues at any speeds with my truck, but with my wife’s suburban it was scary.


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[Bamer]

If the bags are empty they will not cause the rear to lift. On the ram trucks these bags require removable of the bump stops. Tiber groves are nice because they do not require cutting off the bump stop can like airlift/Firestone does. Anyways you are supposed to run them all the times at 5psi so they still act as a bump stop. That 5 psi should not lift the truck any, but I’m not sure. With my load level valve I set it to raise the truck 1/4” just to be sure there would always be air in the bags. That amount of lift wasn’t noticeable. And I still preferred the ride quality with the bags partially inflated vs running them empty.

Yeah I’m not very prone to get the cutting wheel and grinder after my truck. I’m gonna go with the timber groves as the install looks so much better.


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[wired1236]

Yeah, I remember your thread. I believe my setup has more than 250lbs, but not an excessive amount. I’m thinking it’s in the high 500’s which is still low for ~6500-7000lbs setup. The ride isn’t bad most of time, just looking to make it better. My issue is more when I’m loaded up for long weekend trips and have luggage, coolers and crap in the bed as well...and I move ~300lbs of lead from the boat into the truck cab for long hauls.

The ride is better when my extra lead just fwd of the trailer axle. I’ve never had sway issues at any speeds with my truck, but with my wife’s suburban it was scary.


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Ya. I even had myself thinking 250 was off so I now that I have a nice level and dry shop to keep the boat in, I reweighed today. Came in at 550. Still light for this heavy of a load and doesn’t change what happens.


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[Booms]

In the process of buying a 21 F150. I hope that I do not have to install bags to tow our 23ZX.

[D&P Powell]

In the process of buying a 21 F150. I hope that I do not have to install bags to tow our 23ZX.

We have the King Ranch '18 F-150 3.5 EcoBoost 4x4 with max tow package, and a 23ZX. The furthest I have towed has been 25 miles. It was fine for that. I will install bags before we tow it the 9 hours to Lake Powell (whenever that may be).

[Booms]

We have the King Ranch '18 F-150 3.5 EcoBoost 4x4 with max tow package, and a 23ZX. The furthest I have towed has been 25 miles. It was fine for that. I will install bags before we tow it the 9 hours to Lake Powell (whenever that may be).

D&P are you installing the auto height adjusting bags? What brand? We tow it in the mountains of KY & TN 4 hours and then 10 hrs to northern WI every year.

[Bamer]

In the process of buying a 21 F150. I hope that I do not have to install bags to tow our 23ZX.

I pulled my r23 20miles with a stock 2019 F150 once and it rode slightly better than my 2019 Ram 1500.


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[bsreid]

In the process of buying a 21 F150. I hope that I do not have to install bags to tow our 23ZX.

If you find you do need them and want to do something simple I would check out timbrens. Act in the same way airbags do for the fraction of the cost with no need to inflate and not change unloaded ride. Will be adding them to mine here soon.
https://timbren.com

[UNSTUCK]

Timbrens are the easy solution for sure. I’ve heard ride quality suffers quite a bit though. Might be worth a try though and see if you like them.

[Booms]

Anyone use the SumoSprings? Are they basically the same as Timbrens?
Has anyone tried the RoadMaster Active Suspension?
My Yukon XL had the adjustable air ride. So I was spoiled. Going to a f150 I am concerned about the squat during a 4 or 10 hr drive this summer.