The Firestone Coil-Rite instructions don't mention removing the spring. It says you can remove the shock to allow the spring to extend apart further, if needed. Otherwise you seem to just slip the bag through the coils.

http://www.firestoneindustrial.com/p...ation/4185.pdf

Rob

 

What's the advantage of Coil Spring Air Bags if you don't tow much? Smoother ride?

 

nothing, if you have any more than ~10psi in them when the bed is empty or you aren't towing it rides like a tank.

 

Does it ride OK with them installed (truck unloaded) if you keep it down to 5 psi?

Rob

 

what the height of the firestone bags. the airlift ones are supposed to be 9" but i measured them at about 8.5"

 

The ride is stock at 5 psi.




Now about height. Since the two companies bags are two totally different heights, it does seem to me that the bags don't actually work as a top/bottom bag as most do. My understanding of them is that when inflated, they bulge between the coils and give the 'lift' from the coils not being able to compress as easily, not from holding up the truck itself like a leaf spring bag does. Now, I would assume that a taller bag would hit more coils vs a shorter bag, thereby allowing less sag. BUT, the shorter bags are much thicker then the taller ones, which probably allows less movement of the coils touched. In the end, I think it is a wash.....

As for the guy who said he built spacers, I just wonder if that will affect the bags since stock, they don't reach top to bottom?

 

OK, so this morning I was reading the thread and on the way home from work I stopped and picked up a set of Ride-Rites. Installation was just like the instructions said. The one trick I found was that when I went to install the spacer, there was no space (I have a camper shell on so maybe that is why). Since the rear axle was on jacks, I used my floor jack on the tow hitch and jacked up the body a few inches and that made all the difference.
Right now I am running around 13 PSI and around the neighborhood it feels fine - too early to tell.

About the weight distribution bars, If the ride height of the *** end changes too much, then that alters the weight distribution to the front end. It's all about the angle of the pre-load and final angle of the ride when fully loaded.

Just put the Ride-Rites on and take a trip and carry your tools so that if need be, you can adjust the bars.

I will be taking my first trip next week towing my trailer with the Ride-Rites and will report then. My last trip without the bags was OK but I was working really hard at the loading of weight on the bed closer to the cab. The more weight you put on the bed the more you need the bags.

 

Don't the instructions say to jack up the back end to let the suspension extend fully? If you had jack stands under the axle (or a jack) that wouldn't be any more extension than resting normally on the wheels.

Yeah, here are the instructions:

Rob

 

I had to make a spacer because the mopar/super lift coils sit 2.5" taller than stock so the bag would not fill the space. Same idea as the airlift, it is a shorter bag than firestone so it comes with a 2.5" spacer to take up the slack. I called firestone and with the truck unloaded they should just fill the coil top to bottom.

Ive got 10 psi in mine and i cant tell. I fill them to 30 with trailer on.

 

I keep mine at 20 psi regularly and it's gives a slightly stiffer ride. When I had 1700 lbs in the bed I inflated the bags to 28 psi and they worked great.