getting ready to install firestone ride rites going with the T in the line so would have one valve, but talked to a guy i work with and he said not to do it that way, he knows someone that nearly wrecked, cause the weight shifted in a curve to one side, and air from one bag went into the other bag, so now i dont know which way i should go, any input from you all would be great, or if this has ever happen to you. thanks
05 Chevrolet 2500HD 4x4 Duramax/Allison. 2009 Heartland Big Country 2950RK 5th wheel,prodigy controller, 18k Reese signature series hitch, Line X bed liner
Install them independent of each other. I've got the Schrader valves through the sheet metal above and inside the top of the tire where I can reach them when I air up the tires.
I have the Firestones as well and did not T the lines for 2 reasons.
1. The reason your friend stated. One air bag compressing adds to the pressure in the other bag accentuating the lean when going around a turn.
2. I find it a great advantage to pump up one bag or the other to even out the van. This is not only great when driving with an uneven load, but when camped, I can park on uneven ground and level out the van. I can raise one side of the van almost 4 inches over the other.
As I write this I've got on at 85 psi and the other at zero and am sitting, typing perfectly level. The only problem I've found is forgetting to unlevel the van before leaving camp, and driving lopsided down the road.
This was the main reason I chose airbags over extra spring leafs.
If you do a search in the truck camper forum you'll find lots more opinions and good info.
OK,,, to start with you are pulling a 5er, so your weight will be equally distributed to both rear wheels, so there will be no need to have more air in one bag than the other. I assume you will be using the Riderites to help carry the load and smooth out the ride. I would hook both together or install the compressor with them hooked together so that you could adjust the pressure to suit your load and ride.
I have them on a 1 ton dually, but not to carry the load. I removed the overload spring brackets from the frame and install the Riderites to serve as overloads and absorbe the heavy bumps. It stopped the bang and harsh ride of hitting the heavy metal factory overloads. Now my 1 ton dually rides almost like a 1/2 ton with my Bighorn hooked on.
jimtoo wrote: OK,,, to start with you are pulling a 5er, so your weight will be equally distributed to both rear wheels, so there will be no need to have more air in one bag than the other.
Never heard of Teeing both springs to one valve. Does it show that option in the installation manual? I have Air Lifts (same thing) and it definitely never mentions doing anything like that. If you really wanted to do that just to have a single valve you could do it with check valves in the T'd lines but you'd still have to have the other two individual valves. That's how the onboard compressor systems are plumbed.
1994 Lance 990 on 1997 F350 PSD Dually
We also have a 'truck' that FLYS
I installed as it came from the box, 2 separate lines.
Retired US Army
2000 Ford F250 SD 7.3 PSD, Firestone Ride-Rite™ air springs
2007 Keystone Laredo 29RL, Doran Pressure Pro and Metal Tire Valves for both TV and FW, 16" Michelin XPS Ribs, Dirt Devil CV950 Central Vacuum, 2000W AllPower by Kipor (Honda Clone)
Never put in a tee for the exact reason you mentioned. The higher the vehicle is the worse it makes it. In a pickup truck you may never notice the difference.
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