Reddog1
El Dorado, CA (above the fog & below the snow)
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Joined: 03/09/2004
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Colorado_Dave - If I understand you correctly, "wobble" is sway. If so, I doubt you will gain much from airbags. Their primary function is to raise the back of the truck when it is loaded and squats. It will affect sway, but not much, and it could make it better or worse. I suggest you do a bit of research on Anti-Sway Bars. Very often, the factory bars are much smaller than aftermarket. All trucks do not have Anti-Swar bars from the factory.
As for "the possibility of ripping one on an extreme offroad situation?", I really doubt it, but anything is possible. Even if you did, it will only allow your truck to sit lower on one or both sides, by 2 or 3 inches. I have never seen one of the horror airbag failures some people post about. Actually through the years I have lost air in the bags, and it has never been a big deal.
Wayne
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bookmaker
Marianna, FL
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Joined: 06/14/2004
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Can someone tell me how thick, top to bottom, the stable load blocks are? Looking at the photos, they look too tall for the unloaded gap on my 97 Ford F 350.
Dale
Dale Cavin, Marianna, FL
1997 Ford F-350 crewcab dually, 7.3L Power Stroke Turbo diesel.
Torklift tiedowns and SuperHitch.
2004 Lance 1121..... Just gettin' started ....
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kapnkirk
North Florida
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Joined: 10/04/2008
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Dale, they are approx 3 inchs at thier widest point, but they are slanted to make contact with the overload evenly, I installed mine on a 1999 Superduty F250 and they are now about 1 1/4 inch's from contact with a unloaded truck, and I will post what they are with the T/C on it when I get the T/C loaded, this is the first with the Stable loads. Good luck with your mods.
Keith
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davedye
New Columbia, Pa. 17856
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Joined: 05/11/2004
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Stable Loads for me also, no airbags. If I was going to do anything else, it would probably be a rear anti-sway bar, however, at this time, nothing but the Stable Loads.
Dave
2006 Dodge Ram Dually, 3500 Quad Cab 4X4, 4.10 Gears, Cummins Diesel
2008 Lance 981 Max, Torklifts, Class V Reese Tow Beast with 24" extension, Torklift Stable Loads
2005 Triton DV 176 DC-F Magnum w/150hp Mercury Optimax
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bookmaker
Marianna, FL
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Joined: 06/14/2004
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Keith,,I see you're a neighbor, sorta. Thanks for the info. Those dimensions are definitely too tall. I don't think my rig has 3" clearance for the overloads at any point. Not taking into account the current rubber bumpers of course.
By the way, is that photo a Rocket-sheep?
Dale
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kcabpilot
CA
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Joined: 04/07/2008
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I've got the Energy Suspension pads on my F350. They are basically the same thing, polyurethane blocks that extend the frame contact so that the overload springs will engage in a level attitude. SuperSprings makes a product called SuperSways that are again, the same basic thing. It's not rocket science but I would think the Torklifts should be sized for your specific application. Energy Suspension has a whole boatload of different sized and shaped pads and you could also shave or cut to size if needed.
I also have a set of AirLifts installed and they come in handy for a variety of purposes including leveling at the campsite but if you install airbags with frame contact overloads you really do need the extenders of some sort in order to make use of your overloads. Otherwise they'd just be along for the ride and of no use.
1994 Lance 990 on 1997 F350 PSD Dually
We also have a 'truck' that FLYS
Our 2008 trip to The Canadian Rockies
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HaulinFun
Arizona
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Joined: 08/20/2006
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After years of frustration with bad sway, I finally installed stable loads. Problem instantly solved. Sway is gone. Truck is again a joy to drive.
Air bags did not help at all in fact they made the sway worse with each pound of inflation.
The money I spent having them installed on my '06 Dodge 3500 dually was wasted. The stock rear suspension for all my applications was and is more than sufficient. So before spending the money on air bags please insure that you understand what they are for and what they will do and not do.
Seems to me that you only need them if your loaded weight is so heavy that the rear of your truck sinks under the weight and thus raising your front end. Air bags will level that load out. If your overloads are slightly engaged under a full load you might want to use air bags to lift that load up a little off the overloads.
But air bags will not stabilize or remove side to side sway. That became clear to me when a member of this board reminded me that when inflated the rear end of the truck is basically riding on top of two beach balls......because of that, sway will always be present.
That was my case........every time I turned a corner or had any change of weight balance the sway was miserable. Even deflating the airbags did not help as still my overloads were not being engaged.
The stable loads absolutely solved the problem. Before I had about three inches between the factory bump stops and the overloads when loaded..........now there is about1/2 to 3/4s of an inch.
There are other ways to control sway as written about on the board.........but this worked for me.
HF
Haulin Dogs, Horses and Havin Fun.
'06 Cummins 3500 DRW
Edge Juice "Attitude"
MAGNAFLOW 5" exhaust (Turbo-Back)
Airaid Air Intake
Lance 9' Sport Camper
Torque Lift Super Hitch
Torque Lift Fast Gun Tie Downs
Rancho 9000Xs
FS Air Bags
Sirius Dual Ant.
Trails West HT
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Camp, Forrest, Camp!
Boise, ID
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Joined: 10/28/2002
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kcabpilot wrote:Ive got the Energy Suspension pads on my F350. Those are the pads I was planning on getting. They have a lot of applications and several size options. What length did you get?
HaoulinFun wrote:...Air bags did not help at all in fact they made the sway worse with each pound of inflation.
The money I spent having them installed on my '06 Dodge 3500 dually was wasted. The stock rear suspension for all my applications was and is more than sufficient. So before spending the money on air bags please insure that you understand what they are for and what they will do and not do.
Seems to me that you only need them if your loaded weight is so heavy that the rear of your truck sinks under the weight and thus raising your front end. Air bags will level that load out. If your overloads are slightly engaged under a full load you might want to use air bags to lift that load up a little off the overloads.
But air bags will not stabilize or remove side to side sway. That became clear to me when a member of this board reminded me that when inflated the rear end of the truck is basically riding on top of two beach balls......because of that, sway will always be present.
That was my case........every time I turned a corner or had any change of weight balance the sway was miserable. Even deflating the airbags did not help as still my overloads were not being engaged... You are right when you state that a person needs to understand what they can and cannot do. They are not intended to maintain the empty height of the truck. In order to do that, one has to overinflate the bags which will give you the ride that you experienced.
Most one-ton trucks ride a couple of inches high in the rear. When they are carrying a heavy load, they will drop until the overloads engage. At this point, the truck should basically stop going down. If a vehicle sags too far, air bags are intended to raise the truck bag up to the point that the overload springs begin to engage again.
My truck gives an extremely stable ride when the bump stops just begin to touch the springs. I achieve this with about 50psi in the bags. If I am loaded for a long trip with full water, food, cloths, firewood, and the boat, I may go up to 65. If I air them up to 100, I feel like I'm in a boat on the high seas!
I go back and forth between whether or not I will go with springs or bags on my next truck, since I have had both. I believe that upgrading the springs give a more stable ride. However, I like being able to level my camper at camp sites.
For what it's worth, the weight on my front axle is exactly the same with or without my camper.
-2000 Chevy K3500 CC DRW. 7.4L, Auto, 1985 Lance 900, 1999 Bayliner Capri 1800LS Outboard
-Air Lift bags, Torklift tie-downs, Superhitch w/48", Rancho RS9000X, K&N FIPK, MagnaFlow exhaust, Hypertech.
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kapnkirk
North Florida
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Joined: 10/04/2008
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Dale, Yes kinda neighbors, we are near Jacksonville, the sheep was actually some fun about Obamas or Hillarys new military I got on the Fifty Caliber Forum and I thought the pic was funny, probably change it when I get a pic of our new TC on the truck. Good luck with your suspension, you gotta great truck.
Keith
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flakjacket
Fremont, CA
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Joined: 05/04/2005
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Beddows wrote:They are just finishing field trials on the GM/Chevy versions. According to Jay Taylor, their new sales manager, they should be available by Christmas.
This will be interesting to check out, although the GM trucks don't have the problem the Ford & Dodge trucks do with airbags not allowing the overloads to make contact with the bump stops, it would be interesting to see how much improvement the Stable Loads will have. For those that don't know, with a heavy camper like mine the GM trucks ride on the main springs, the overloads and the air bags.
2005 Silverado 3500 LT, CC DRW 4WD D/A, Ride-Rites, Rancho 9000, Line-X, XM Radio (That I can't live without)
2007 Lance 1181, Fastguns
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