Rear suspension help for 2500HD

[markrinker]

Interested in what other members are doing to boost load carrying capacity on their 2500HD trucks.

Have used Timbrens in the past on K3500s, don't think that method will suffice for the K2500HDs. Simply put - there is not enough spring there for the loads I am regularly (daily) carrying.

Air Spring it? Overload spring it? Swap in a set of 1-ton springs and throw the Timbrens on?

I am hesitant to spend more than $500 for the solution - Timbrens are only $250. A local shop quoted me $1200 for air suspension, installed with onboard pump and cab gauges - for $600 they'll install just the bags with hoses and manual fill. (For $600, I can carry a pressure guage and add/remove air while fueling...)

[bwpody_16]

I would recommend going with the airlift suspension. I installed mine myself and it only took about 2 hours, and that was doing it in the driveway with just hand tools. It does not sacrifice the ride at all either. I have the manual fill on mine. It cost me about 225 from summit racing. Good luck.

[DmaxMaverick]

Installation is the budget killer. For about $550, I installed the AirLift air bags, and an electronic controlled compressor/manifold system.

The installation was a piece of cake, and took about 4 hours total, on my gravel driveway, with the help of my 11 y/o son. A well equipped shop would have taken me less time. The beauty of the system is the electronic control. That means NO air lines to run into the cab, only a wire harness to the control head. They also offer an automatic leveling kit that maintains height, and requires no in-cab control, similar to OTR tractor and semitrailer air ride setups. Most of the install time I spent was installing the wire harness to the cab.

The electronic control will maintain the pressure you set. The display/control head leaves a little to be desired as far as asthetics go, but it is highly functional. To set pressure, adjust the displayed pressure with the + - push buttons for each side, wait 45 seconds, then it is locked into memory until you adjust again. If you don't need any spring assist, you can set it to minimum pressure, and it will maintain 4-5 PSI, to keep the airbags inflated, which is important for longevity. Because I installed both kits (airbags + controller/compressor) at the same time, AirLift extended the airbag warranty for the life of the truck, and gave me a $30 rebate.

First, I installed the airbags independent of any control system, with L/R air valves to the rear. The compressor and controll system was teed into the airbag system, so I could use the airbags as a "manual" system, if necessary.

I installed the airbags before the trip to SLC. The round trip was 1600 miles, towing my 5'er, with a pin weight of about 2200#. I intended to install rear sway bars later, but no need now with the airbags. Ride and control was excellent, and is adjustable on-the-fly, depending on road conditions.

Check out what AirLift has to offer at www.airliftcompany.com (http://www.airliftcompany.com/). The site has a vehicle-specific application selector.


I'm moving this topic to the Trucks & Drivetrain Forum.