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Author Topic:   Tow Vehicle: Air Booster Springs

Hoosier posted 11-18-2009 08:19 AM ET (US)
Buckda had an interesting thread about the tow weight of an Outrage 22. One of the posts mentioned air springs. Has anyone used them and do they improve drive and handling? I know they can't legally, increase towing capacity.
Wasatch Whaler posted 11-18-2009 09:47 AM ET (US)
I have a 2002 Ford long bed crew cab F-350 4x4. I have it set up for towing and hauling. I use it to haul a Lance 1121 truck camper which fully loaded weighs roughly 4,000 lbs. That puts the truck over both the factory GVWR and RAWR.
I made a number of suspension modifications to the truck, and upgraded the tires as well. OEM tires were rated at 3,415 lbs and not surprisingly the RAWR was 6,830 lbs. The new tires are rated for 4,300 lbs. I also installed a rear anti-sway bar, rear Air Lift bags and I replaced the factory single leaf top overload with a 5 leaf pack. I had those re-arched so they would contact their frame mounted perches if the load in the bed depresses the springs about one inch. That way when the truck is unloaded the ride is unaffected, but when loaded the overloads help carry the weight.
Similarly the airbags have minimal air pressure when the truck is unloaded, and when I put the camper on I will inflate the air bags so the overloads just contact their perches; roughly 45-50 psi. If I put more air in them and raise the truck to its unloaded height there will be more sway.
The modifications work very well.
The factory ratings are based on how the truck was equipped when it was manufactured.
Buckda posted 11-18-2009 11:08 AM ET (US)
Jay -
How do you know what your new "ratings" are once you've made modifications?
I would think that the ratings, in part, have to do with which drive axle ratio is available - i.e. how hard the engine has to work to move the weight, not just on the load on the springs. For instance, your F-350 is a beast; but my F-150 probably can't pull much more than it's rated GCVWR, even if I rigged the springs, shocks and tires to handle more tongue weight. The GCVWR doesn't change, does it?
I can upgrade the brakes to help me stop better, even with a heavier load, but I still have to move the load...the limitations are there based first on the drive axle ratio and second on the available torque/HP output of the engine, despite upgraded brakes, tires, shocks, etc.
69boo307 posted 11-18-2009 01:09 PM ET (US)
I'd love to get some air bags or helper springs for my Colorado, just to prevent the rear end from sagging with a load, it has woefully weak rear springs.
I think towing capacity is more related to brakes and weight of the vehicle itself compared to the load. Those are the important factors in being able to safely tow a load. Enough power to move the load is another matter, but not really a safety issue unless you just can't get up to highway speed with your load.
Hoosier posted 11-18-2009 03:01 PM ET (US)
I've researching this subject and found this:
http://www.firestoneindustrial.com/riderite/products/crinfo.shtml
From looking at the site it appears that they have almost every vehicle, capable of towing more that a PWC, covered.
ryland posted 11-18-2009 03:52 PM ET (US)
I have firestone ride-rite airbags for my 2007 Tacoma. It made a world of difference when towing. Even with air bags though, I don't think you can tow more than what your truck is rated for. I spent about 500 bucks when all was said and done....worth it to me. You can save by just buying them and installing yourself, on my truck it wouldn't have been that difficult. They are rated for 100 psi, I only put in about 20psi to maintain a stock ride with 4000lbs worth of boat behind me.
Wasatch Whaler posted 11-19-2009 10:33 AM ET (US)
Dave,
Unfortunately there's no way that I know of to accurately know what the new ratings are. In my case the rear axle is produced for Ford by Sterling. Sterling rates that axle at 10,000 lbs. I can say that after making the suspension modifications the truck handles the weight very well, but I don't drive it like a sports car, either. The camper has a huge frontal area and strong headwinds absolutely decimate fuel economy.
When I ordered my truck I specified the 7.3 Diesel and 6 speed manual transmission. It's not a dually, and the only axle ratio available to me was 3.73:1. The tires I mentioned I upgraded to are somewhat larger in diameter and last winter I swapped ring and pinion gears in both axles. I was able to find used gear sets and I changed to 4.30:1. It's a bit of a job and would be cost-prohibitive to have done by a dealership. For my setup this gear ratio change has been a big improvement.
I didn't mention it in my earlier post, but I have upgraded the engine considerably. I've installed a different air cleaner, larger turbocharger, different fuel injectors, larger diameter exhaust system and a six position computer chip.
I also upgraded the factory receiver hitch to a "Tow Beast" which is rated at something like 14,000 lbs. I have a hitch extension which allows me to tow a trailer even with the camper on the truck. A few years ago I towed my 18' Outrage (with the camper loaded) to Priest Lake in Idaho. It's about a 14 hour drive. Absolutely no issues.
For those who haven't heard of it, Priest is awesome!
deepwater posted 11-19-2009 03:39 PM ET (US)
It sounds like the only limiting factor (was)is the axle,,Everything else you have done improved the handling and operation of your truck
DeeVee posted 11-19-2009 09:23 PM ET (US)
I have more or less the same truck that Wasatch operates (I would love to have the six speed manual now that my truck is exclusively a tow beast, camper hauler).
I tow an Outrage 22 while hauling my 10' Alaskan camper. My camper is about half the load of his, but does affect the ride height while loaded. I installed the Firestone air bags and noted a big improvement in loaded handling and ride height.
I believe the modifications Wasatch has performed on his truck, especially the overload spring modifications and air bags, would significantly improve the load rating and real world handling characteristics of his truck. The axle ratio changes with the 6 speed manual transmission would make it a dream to drive with the load he carries (my dream setup).
That being said, I am not sure how one could substantiate the increase in load rating in the eyes of the law. I could see some insurance company's lawyer trying to deflect responsibility from their client onto the owner of the "overloaded" vehicle in the unfortunate event that he is involved in an accident.
An engineering study of the vehicle as modified might do it, but what engineer will place his stamp on it?
It sounds like a nicely set up rig.
Doug
Wasatch Whaler posted 11-20-2009 09:51 AM ET (US)
Doug,
I think that's an interesting question, and I don't have a definitive answer for you. As I mentioned earlier, the capacity sticker is based upon how the vehicle was equipped when it left the factory. In my case I have upgraded a number of items on the truck, which would logically improve its weigh carrying and towing capabilities.
Taking the opposite view, suppose I had replaced the factory tires with ones rated for less weight? Clearly the truck would have lower weight carrying ability yet the sticker would show the higher numbers.
Around here there are many dump trucks that have been modified with extra axles, etc to increase their legal weight carrying capacity. Those modifications are done by aftermarket companies and not the manufacturer of the truck.
Yesterday I went to Salt Lake City to retrieve a Tucker Sno-Cat that was being painted and hauled it home. That machine, a model 1543 with 6-way front blade, weighs 7,500 lbs and the trailer empty weight is another 2,700 or so. So the load was a bit over 10K lbs. There are several 6% grades between SLC and Park City where I live, and it tops out at 7,013 feet.
I pulled the trailer up the hill in fifth gear (1:1 ratio) the whole way. The speed was between 58 and 60 mph, aproximately 2500 rpm and about 25 -27 lbs of boost on the turbo. The limiting factor was exhaust gas temperature. I have a (self-imposed) limit of 1,250 degrees and I was bumping up against that a few times.

DeeVee posted 11-20-2009 08:48 PM ET (US)
Wasatch,
Sure sounds like a good puller. I know I would like the 6 speed gear box.
Doug Vazquez
deepwater posted 11-21-2009 05:49 AM ET (US)
The axle and parts of the drive train would be limiting factors ,,With that type of load a heaver drive-shaft and universals wouldn't hurt
Bulldog posted 11-21-2009 11:52 AM ET (US)
Hoosier, I put Air-ride brand air-bags in my Tahoe rear coil springs , very easy install and huge improvement. I have a range of min. 5PSI and maximum 35PSI. I just use about 15 to 20 depending on load in back of truck. I went the cheap route and have an air fitting mounted on my factory hitch at the trailer connector, cost was under $100 I think!....Jack
jimh posted 11-22-2009 06:23 PM ET (US)
I do not have any first-hand experience with modification of the rear-wheel suspension of a truck or tow vehicle by adding air filled boosters or springs, however I do recall two fellows who have done it.
Steve (BACKLASH) added air booster springs to his Ford Explorer. My recollection is he was pleased with the results. I believe he used a small external air compressor to control inflation.
Jeff (LEADFOOT) undertook a more drastic modification. About a day after he took possession of his new GM Silverado truck, he disassembled the pick up bed in order to reveal the steel frame below it. He then installed an entirely new rear suspension system of air springs, which required him to make some modifications to the frame involving a hack saw, a drill, and some bolt-on new components. I recall seeing Jeff's new truck in his garage--he used to live a few blocks away--in a state of disassembly and with all sorts of new parts bolted on. At that time Jeff worked for GM and was closely involved with the design of the Silverado truck, so I guess for him this sort of stuff was all in a day's work. For me it seemed somewhat heretical to make such a big change in a brand new truck. Later Jeff had that truck for sale, and I regret that I did not buy it. I am sure it was a towing machine.
Whalerdog posted 11-22-2009 08:53 PM ET (US)
Adding suspension components to a pickup is different than adding an entite axle to a dump truck for a bigger weight rating. Adding to a pickup does little for your brakes or wheelbearings or axle ratings. In a court you would be a sitting guck for a lawyer. Better to buy the right vehicle to start with.
AK153 posted 11-22-2009 09:56 PM ET (US)
We have an 07 Tundra with Firestone RideRite air bags and have had excellent results. They improve the lateral stability while using our Bigfoot slide in.
What about a weight distribution hitch?

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Author	Topic: Tow Vehicle: Air Booster Springs
Hoosier	posted 11-18-2009 08:19 AM ET (US) Buckda had an interesting thread about the tow weight of an Outrage 22. One of the posts mentioned air springs. Has anyone used them and do they improve drive and handling? I know they can't legally, increase towing capacity.
Wasatch Whaler	posted 11-18-2009 09:47 AM ET (US) I have a 2002 Ford long bed crew cab F-350 4x4. I have it set up for towing and hauling. I use it to haul a Lance 1121 truck camper which fully loaded weighs roughly 4,000 lbs. That puts the truck over both the factory GVWR and RAWR. I made a number of suspension modifications to the truck, and upgraded the tires as well. OEM tires were rated at 3,415 lbs and not surprisingly the RAWR was 6,830 lbs. The new tires are rated for 4,300 lbs. I also installed a rear anti-sway bar, rear Air Lift bags and I replaced the factory single leaf top overload with a 5 leaf pack. I had those re-arched so they would contact their frame mounted perches if the load in the bed depresses the springs about one inch. That way when the truck is unloaded the ride is unaffected, but when loaded the overloads help carry the weight. Similarly the airbags have minimal air pressure when the truck is unloaded, and when I put the camper on I will inflate the air bags so the overloads just contact their perches; roughly 45-50 psi. If I put more air in them and raise the truck to its unloaded height there will be more sway. The modifications work very well. The factory ratings are based on how the truck was equipped when it was manufactured.
Buckda	posted 11-18-2009 11:08 AM ET (US) Jay - How do you know what your new "ratings" are once you've made modifications? I would think that the ratings, in part, have to do with which drive axle ratio is available - i.e. how hard the engine has to work to move the weight, not just on the load on the springs. For instance, your F-350 is a beast; but my F-150 probably can't pull much more than it's rated GCVWR, even if I rigged the springs, shocks and tires to handle more tongue weight. The GCVWR doesn't change, does it? I can upgrade the brakes to help me stop better, even with a heavier load, but I still have to move the load...the limitations are there based first on the drive axle ratio and second on the available torque/HP output of the engine, despite upgraded brakes, tires, shocks, etc.
69boo307	posted 11-18-2009 01:09 PM ET (US) I'd love to get some air bags or helper springs for my Colorado, just to prevent the rear end from sagging with a load, it has woefully weak rear springs. I think towing capacity is more related to brakes and weight of the vehicle itself compared to the load. Those are the important factors in being able to safely tow a load. Enough power to move the load is another matter, but not really a safety issue unless you just can't get up to highway speed with your load.
Hoosier	posted 11-18-2009 03:01 PM ET (US) I've researching this subject and found this: http://www.firestoneindustrial.com/riderite/products/crinfo.shtml From looking at the site it appears that they have almost every vehicle, capable of towing more that a PWC, covered.
ryland	posted 11-18-2009 03:52 PM ET (US) I have firestone ride-rite airbags for my 2007 Tacoma. It made a world of difference when towing. Even with air bags though, I don't think you can tow more than what your truck is rated for. I spent about 500 bucks when all was said and done....worth it to me. You can save by just buying them and installing yourself, on my truck it wouldn't have been that difficult. They are rated for 100 psi, I only put in about 20psi to maintain a stock ride with 4000lbs worth of boat behind me.
Wasatch Whaler	posted 11-19-2009 10:33 AM ET (US) Dave, Unfortunately there's no way that I know of to accurately know what the new ratings are. In my case the rear axle is produced for Ford by Sterling. Sterling rates that axle at 10,000 lbs. I can say that after making the suspension modifications the truck handles the weight very well, but I don't drive it like a sports car, either. The camper has a huge frontal area and strong headwinds absolutely decimate fuel economy. When I ordered my truck I specified the 7.3 Diesel and 6 speed manual transmission. It's not a dually, and the only axle ratio available to me was 3.73:1. The tires I mentioned I upgraded to are somewhat larger in diameter and last winter I swapped ring and pinion gears in both axles. I was able to find used gear sets and I changed to 4.30:1. It's a bit of a job and would be cost-prohibitive to have done by a dealership. For my setup this gear ratio change has been a big improvement. I didn't mention it in my earlier post, but I have upgraded the engine considerably. I've installed a different air cleaner, larger turbocharger, different fuel injectors, larger diameter exhaust system and a six position computer chip. I also upgraded the factory receiver hitch to a "Tow Beast" which is rated at something like 14,000 lbs. I have a hitch extension which allows me to tow a trailer even with the camper on the truck. A few years ago I towed my 18' Outrage (with the camper loaded) to Priest Lake in Idaho. It's about a 14 hour drive. Absolutely no issues. For those who haven't heard of it, Priest is awesome!
deepwater	posted 11-19-2009 03:39 PM ET (US) It sounds like the only limiting factor (was)is the axle,,Everything else you have done improved the handling and operation of your truck
DeeVee	posted 11-19-2009 09:23 PM ET (US) I have more or less the same truck that Wasatch operates (I would love to have the six speed manual now that my truck is exclusively a tow beast, camper hauler). I tow an Outrage 22 while hauling my 10' Alaskan camper. My camper is about half the load of his, but does affect the ride height while loaded. I installed the Firestone air bags and noted a big improvement in loaded handling and ride height. I believe the modifications Wasatch has performed on his truck, especially the overload spring modifications and air bags, would significantly improve the load rating and real world handling characteristics of his truck. The axle ratio changes with the 6 speed manual transmission would make it a dream to drive with the load he carries (my dream setup). That being said, I am not sure how one could substantiate the increase in load rating in the eyes of the law. I could see some insurance company's lawyer trying to deflect responsibility from their client onto the owner of the "overloaded" vehicle in the unfortunate event that he is involved in an accident. An engineering study of the vehicle as modified might do it, but what engineer will place his stamp on it? It sounds like a nicely set up rig. Doug
Wasatch Whaler	posted 11-20-2009 09:51 AM ET (US) Doug, I think that's an interesting question, and I don't have a definitive answer for you. As I mentioned earlier, the capacity sticker is based upon how the vehicle was equipped when it left the factory. In my case I have upgraded a number of items on the truck, which would logically improve its weigh carrying and towing capabilities. Taking the opposite view, suppose I had replaced the factory tires with ones rated for less weight? Clearly the truck would have lower weight carrying ability yet the sticker would show the higher numbers. Around here there are many dump trucks that have been modified with extra axles, etc to increase their legal weight carrying capacity. Those modifications are done by aftermarket companies and not the manufacturer of the truck. Yesterday I went to Salt Lake City to retrieve a Tucker Sno-Cat that was being painted and hauled it home. That machine, a model 1543 with 6-way front blade, weighs 7,500 lbs and the trailer empty weight is another 2,700 or so. So the load was a bit over 10K lbs. There are several 6% grades between SLC and Park City where I live, and it tops out at 7,013 feet. I pulled the trailer up the hill in fifth gear (1:1 ratio) the whole way. The speed was between 58 and 60 mph, aproximately 2500 rpm and about 25 -27 lbs of boost on the turbo. The limiting factor was exhaust gas temperature. I have a (self-imposed) limit of 1,250 degrees and I was bumping up against that a few times.
DeeVee	posted 11-20-2009 08:48 PM ET (US) Wasatch, Sure sounds like a good puller. I know I would like the 6 speed gear box. Doug Vazquez
deepwater	posted 11-21-2009 05:49 AM ET (US) The axle and parts of the drive train would be limiting factors ,,With that type of load a heaver drive-shaft and universals wouldn't hurt
Bulldog	posted 11-21-2009 11:52 AM ET (US) Hoosier, I put Air-ride brand air-bags in my Tahoe rear coil springs , very easy install and huge improvement. I have a range of min. 5PSI and maximum 35PSI. I just use about 15 to 20 depending on load in back of truck. I went the cheap route and have an air fitting mounted on my factory hitch at the trailer connector, cost was under $100 I think!....Jack
jimh	posted 11-22-2009 06:23 PM ET (US) I do not have any first-hand experience with modification of the rear-wheel suspension of a truck or tow vehicle by adding air filled boosters or springs, however I do recall two fellows who have done it. Steve (BACKLASH) added air booster springs to his Ford Explorer. My recollection is he was pleased with the results. I believe he used a small external air compressor to control inflation. Jeff (LEADFOOT) undertook a more drastic modification. About a day after he took possession of his new GM Silverado truck, he disassembled the pick up bed in order to reveal the steel frame below it. He then installed an entirely new rear suspension system of air springs, which required him to make some modifications to the frame involving a hack saw, a drill, and some bolt-on new components. I recall seeing Jeff's new truck in his garage--he used to live a few blocks away--in a state of disassembly and with all sorts of new parts bolted on. At that time Jeff worked for GM and was closely involved with the design of the Silverado truck, so I guess for him this sort of stuff was all in a day's work. For me it seemed somewhat heretical to make such a big change in a brand new truck. Later Jeff had that truck for sale, and I regret that I did not buy it. I am sure it was a towing machine.
Whalerdog	posted 11-22-2009 08:53 PM ET (US) Adding suspension components to a pickup is different than adding an entite axle to a dump truck for a bigger weight rating. Adding to a pickup does little for your brakes or wheelbearings or axle ratings. In a court you would be a sitting guck for a lawyer. Better to buy the right vehicle to start with.
AK153	posted 11-22-2009 09:56 PM ET (US) We have an 07 Tundra with Firestone RideRite air bags and have had excellent results. They improve the lateral stability while using our Bigfoot slide in. What about a weight distribution hitch?