Next week I'm hooking up our light weight trailer and heading out from San Pedro, California to Yellowstone. Going over the truck and once again, one of the bags is flat. I put air in it and check for leaks using the soapy water bubble method and sure enough, small bubbles from the bag slip-on fitting. I'm hoping I can fix it but I'm just fed up with how unreliable these bags are. My post here is to warn others not to rely on them and avoid them if possible.

 

Can you swap out the slip on fittings for flare or nut type compression fittings?

 

Can't swap.

Mine leak too. In fact I just reseat my left side this evening as I'm going camping this summer. At least they are easy to re-seat. If it leaks again, I'm going to get them replaced by Firestone under warranty.

Not too much luck with mods on this truck. First the Daystar lift kit that had to be removed due to the CV issue, now leaky bags...

I have to say though, the bags work well when they hold air though.

Mike

 

Good luck I drove up to Yellowstone, from Los Angeles, a few summers ago. Its remarkably beautiful. It would have great backdrops for pictures of your truck. Take a camera!

And sorry about your situation. You can't use your warranty?

 

I guess it's pretty common, guy down the street from me has a 4th Gen and bought the Firestone bags, he's had it back a couple times for "clunking" and took it back a couple weekends ago for air leak. I haven't talked to him since to see what the outcome was...

 

The airlift bags have a barb fitting that you just press the air hose onto and it is a tight fit. I am very pleased with my airlift bags compared to my old firestone bags. But the airlift bags were a lot harder to install. But I have had my airlift bags on for almost two months now and they still have the 20 psi that I put in them when I put them on.

 

Yeah, I haven't had good luck with the Firestones either. First they leaked slowly, then in the winter one started losing air fast. When I got a chance to inspect things closer I found one bag had totally blown out the bottom (as in 'pushed in'). No idea how that happened. Firestone is sending a replacement under warranty and has been easy to work with. We'll see what happens when I get the new one. I may just take them out and say hell with it. I don't pull heavy trailers that often.

Rob

 

Thanks guys, I'll get the line out, cut off about 1/4-1/2 inch off and re install and hope it holds. I have a weight distribution hitch so I can set it up to make up for the bags. It's just that I don't want to rely on them anymore. I cant wait to get to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Last year we drove to Durango, Colorado via Canyon de Chelley and the Ram was flawless. I'll report when I get back on the MPGs and issues encountered. My trailer weight 3500 lbs max but it has a high profile and with hills and winds I'm OK with the 3.21 gears. At 65-70 MPH I'm turning about 2300 RPM.

 

My Firestones blew out the bottoms in 4 months. Just sent for warranty. I also had leakage problems on the bag fittings.

 

You know, I get into this every time somebody in 2nd or 3rd Gen asks about bags (which are obviously a different design than y'alls).

When somebody posts up about air bags, I state that when I went to get mine, I went to a buddy with two auto repair/tire shops who is a member of my hunting club. I knew he ordered them quite often as we are in rural farm country and a good percentage of these farmers use them on their trucks.
The only brand I had ever heard of were the Firestones and asked him if he could order me a set. He told me he didn't mess with them anymore and used these here Air Lift ones because guys were coming in all the time bi*ching about the bags dry rotting out in about two or three seasons when he was selling them Firestone ones.
So I had him get me the Air Lifts, been fine for six plus years, but man, when I relate that story in a thread about air bags, them Firestone bag owners act like Rosie O'Donnell at an NRA convention!!!

I ain't telling anybody what to buy, I'm just passing on information from a guy who has carried both brands. The other nice thing about the Air Lifts is that unlike Firestone, they are an American owned/based company and I like to buy US products when I can...