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View Full Version : B&W and Air Bags wont work?!?


Husker Fan
11-25-2002, 15:10
I have a
Kennedy
11-25-2002, 16:27
Air lift bags fit fine, AND are a better system.
Husker Fan
11-25-2002, 16:39
What is the difference between the 'Air Lift' bag and the Firestone air bags? How do the 'Air Lift' bags mount?
Kennedy
11-25-2002, 17:23
The Air Lift bags bolt to the bottom of the frame in place of the bump stop, and then have a small bracket to "box" the frame in the rear. Pretty simple installation.
SoMnDMAX
11-26-2002, 01:20
IMHO, Firestone mounting brackets suck. Every set I've ever installed required you to drill holes, and the lower mounts with the glorified muffler clamp and long carriage bolts is just hokey. This has been my findings on the three or four kits I've installed.

Air Lift on the other hand, mounts in the factory holes, and also mounts directly to the jounce bumper pad on the differential. Much simpler, much easier, and much easier to get the bags aligned properly.

Otherwise, the bags in the HD Firestone kit and the Air Lift Super Duty kit are virtually identical. The only difference is the insignia on the bags. The construction is the same.

The brackets make all the difference.
Kennedy
11-26-2002, 08:25
Actually, the bags are quite different. Air Lift has a comparison sheet showing capacity at given heights, bag volume etc. I have this on my site. You know those end plates that air lift uses? They add capacity to the bags as well as protect them.
christo
11-30-2002, 17:53
I installed a set of Firestone Ride Rite air bags on my '01 2500 last spring to keep the truck level while towing a large 5th wheel RV.
The installation is straight forward, but there is not enough room between the truck frame and the axle with Firestone's bottom support plate.
I phoned Firestone's help number and finally got to speak with an engineer type.
He outright addmitted that they did not have a suitable product for the Chevy 2500 HD.
When asked why they sold them for this application his reply was "people buy them".
They work ok loaded, but empty the rear is high.
If you let the air out you have very little spring action resulting in a rough ride.
My solution was to put a couple of washers between the air bag bracket to make them more vertical, and completly remove the bottom Firestone plate that rests on the axle.
There is plenty of room for the air bag to rest on the flat axle plate.
As a precaution I tack welded a small piece of flat iron to the back of the axle plate to be sure the air bag couldn't slip off the back side.
The bottom of the air bag stays in place and does not appear to be damaged. Truck rides good loaded or empty this way.
Paintdude
11-30-2002, 18:06
My father-in-law put a air suspension under his Dodge-Cummins-dually...They removed the springs and installed 4 air bags and a carriage of some sort.Semi type suspension...He swears by it....

I cant remember who makes it. :(