Air bags for towing?

[notajeep]

https://youtu.be/0vH5Ljv2nME

I have airbags and love them.
If you already have oba, then an in cab switch is pretty simple.
I would advocate that the bags NOT be connected. Reason being weight shift. As you corner, weight shifts from one side to the other right? One side gets lighter, the other heavier. With bags connected, air will flow between them to the area of least resistance. So the heavy, or leaning side will dump air to the lighter side. How could this in any way shape or form be desirable? Separated bags will by nature mitigate vehicle roll. Acting like a quasi antiroll bar as well as additional load support.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[1993yj]

Running the Firestones on mine, with a T in the line. I never haul anything heavy in the bed, so having the ease of one fill and it being the same pressure side to side for towing is ideal for me. Way better for towing than it was before. Plus I don't blind people at night now with my headlights pointed in the air.

 

[Shawn]

I like the airbags for towing but not for hauling.

Interesting, I found the exact opposite. I put them on my dually ram 3500 because I was going to buy a monster camper. Bought a fifth wheel instead and they bucked like crazy. Tried several air pressure lbs and ended up selling them

 

[mbryson]

Interesting, I found the exact opposite. I put them on my dually ram 3500 because I was going to buy a monster camper. Bought a fifth wheel instead and they bucked like crazy. Tried several air pressure lbs and ended up selling them

i haven't tinkered a whole lot but have tried the camper with about 30 psi, 80 psi and 5 psi. Strongly prefer the 5 psi. Need to get my extended hitch and load the camper/Jeep trailer before I ditch the airbags and go to a dually springs. The springs seem like the way to go so far.

My bags are plumbed independent of each other with a Shrader valve for each bag. Don't take much air at all

 

[Gary T]

https://youtu.be/0vH5Ljv2nME

I have airbags and love them.
If you already have oba, then an in cab switch is pretty simple.
I would advocate that the bags NOT be connected. Reason being weight shift. As you corner, weight shifts from one side to the other right? One side gets lighter, the other heavier. With bags connected, air will flow between them to the area of least resistance. So the heavy, or leaning side will dump air to the lighter side. How could this in any way shape or form be desirable? Separated bags will by nature mitigate vehicle roll. Acting like a quasi antiroll bar as well as additional load support.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Better way to say what I tried to say.

 

[Unimog]

I agree making them independent is likely for weight shift, not uneven loading. Back to the semi-truck, left and right are connected when airing up or down, but independent when at pressure - I'm assuming for this reason.

 

[Herzog]

I agree making them independent is likely for weight shift, not uneven loading. Back to the semi-truck, left and right are connected when airing up or down, but independent when at pressure - I'm assuming for this reason.

Without searching I imagine there's some kind of check valve you can put between the two. Maybe even just a ball valve. Fill, close valve to keep them independent, open to air out. Seems like a simple solution if you wanted to keep them T'd.

 

[Hickey]

I would definitely isolate them for the reasons already stated. It helps quite a bit with body roll on my motor home.

 

[NYCEGUY01]

I think for the van Id be looking into a set of the Timbren.

The load in the Van wont be changing much and they are way easy. No air to leak and nothing to go wrong.. Ever....

Lots of guys swear by them.

Cheap. Easy. Effective....

 

[sixstringsteve]

Bump stops?

 

[Herzog]

I think for the van Id be looking into a set of the Timbren.

The load in the Van wont be changing much and they are way easy. No air to leak and nothing to go wrong.. Ever....

Lots of guys swear by them.

Cheap. Easy. Effective....

Interesting!

Do they affect the ride much while not towing? I may go this route after reading a bit

 

[N-Smooth]

Timbrens should not be "touching" until you have a load. I've researched them a ton for my halfie and they just replace the factory bumps but are much stiffer (duh). The reviews of them seem to be either amazing or terrible so I haven't pulled the trigger.

 

[NYCEGUY01]

You can adjust when they touch.
They arent like a traditional bump stop. They are a "spring".
I think for something like the van or a truck that is almost always towing they cant be beat.

 

[Gravy]

Shane, I'm surprised you haven't heard of them. All the Jeep Speed spec cars use them inside their front coil springs because you can't use an independent air bump in that class.
They work best confined to a space and if you go too long on them they bend instead of squish.

 

[Herzog]

Shane, I'm surprised you haven't heard of them. All the Jeep Speed spec cars use them inside their front coil springs because you can't use an independent air bump in that class.
They work best confined to a space and if you go too long on them they bend instead of squish.

The name is very familiar, I'm sure I've come across them researching bumpstops back in the day but I never thought about them for towing support.

I actually ordered a set yesterday, I'll report back after i get a tow on them.

 

[clfrnacwby]

If you get the Timbren's, they need to under enough weight 100% of the time so that they fully contact the axle. I have a set on my Ram 1500 Ecodiesel. When riding empty, if I hit a big bump, I can feel them contact the axle pretty harshly. What used to be a very pleasant, soft ride in my truck is now a jolting "bang" if I hit something that compresses my rear suspension more than an inch. Even worse, most of the time when I load up the bed, or hook up the trailer, the Timbren's now only sit about 1/4 inch off the axle since it is not enough weight to fully compress them against the axle. Now the ride is super horrible...every little bump in the road I can feel the Timbren's hitting the axle. If I constantly towed a trailer that kept the Timbren's compressed against the axle 100% of the time, I'm sure they would be fine...for me, not so much. I'll be replacing them, soon, with a set of Timber Grove air bags.

 

[Herzog]

If you get the Timbren's, they need to under enough weight 100% of the time so that they fully contact the axle. I have a set on my Ram 1500 Ecodiesel. When riding empty, if I hit a big bump, I can feel them contact the axle pretty harshly. What used to be a very pleasant, soft ride in my truck is now a jolting "bang" if I hit something that compresses my rear suspension more than an inch. Even worse, most of the time when I load up the bed, or hook up the trailer, the Timbren's now only sit about 1/4 inch off the axle since it is not enough weight to fully compress them against the axle. Now the ride is super horrible...every little bump in the road I can feel the Timbren's hitting the axle. If I constantly towed a trailer that kept the Timbren's compressed against the axle 100% of the time, I'm sure they would be fine...for me, not so much. I'll be replacing them, soon, with a set of Timber Grove air bags.

I noticed that there were two types when I ordered mine. One type was for an always loaded suspension, the other type was for intermittent loading and they stated to use the type for intermittent loading because of the issues you are describing. Do you recall the Timbren part # you got?

 

[clfrnacwby]

...Do you recall the Timbren part # you got?

DR1500DQ

 

[Herzog]

DR1500DQ

Those looks similar to the ones I ordered. The other option had less of an indent in the side and were stubbier.
FR150D vs FRTT1502D

 

[Unimog]

I'll be replacing them, soon, with a set of Timber Grove air bags.

Haven't heard anything about Timber Grove. Why those over the other 2-3 big brands?